Reclaiming Sophia

Before great ideas are refined in academia, they are born in organic conversation. Revolutions have always been born in kitchens, around bonfires, while changing diapers, and freely talking into the night. It is time to remember that women’s ideas shape the world.

At the root of the toxic patriarchy that has come to inform our deeply wounded culture is the harmful belief that because most of our systems are man-made, the intellectual world belongs to men. In recent year, in an effort to shift this reality, we have incorporated more women into high-level decision-making, but that is hardly a bandaid for the deeper wound. At the root of America’s decline is a cultural rejection of feminine thought, and the only anecdote is to revive feminine-honoring and female-led space where women can collectively build and share wisdom.

Most cultures throughout human history have agreed on one thing: Feminine wisdom is critical to a thriving social society. More specifically, mothers and mother-figures are well-known by most cultures to carry supreme wisdom that is critically dangerous to disregard. African Diaspora traditions, Hindu and Buddhist-based cultures, and all across the Indigenous Americas there is a shared understanding that while men may run political meetings and even enact plans, the ideas and wisdom generated by women were critical to the actual development of any plan. In fact major mythologies across the world warn of what will happen to a society that becomes disconnected from the raw feminine perspective: The culture will slowly collapse through illness, loss of values, infighting, destruction of the Earth, mental illness….sound familiar?

At the root of every potent collectively-impactful ideology is a female-sourced, spiritually-connected piece of wisdom.

Reclaiming Sophia is a project that reflects naturally feminine thinking by re-fusing intellectual, political, and spiritual facets of society. Founded by professors, creatives, ritualists, and activists, we radically dismiss the notion that ideas belong exclusively to the classroom or that political ideas should be left to politicians. We believe that the wisdom of a mothers’ circle is relevant to the senate floor, that Earth-honoring spirituality is part of a healthy political movement, and that the intelligence of someone with rich life experience who has never stepped foot in a classroom should be valued alongside an individual with a PhD.

Reclaiming Sophia seeks to break down the internalized notions that valuable ideas are generated only by certain people in ordained places. We push back on competition and unhealthy individualism by seeking to create spaces that are accessible and welcoming to all that also foster critical thinking and ideating. Toward that goal, our offerings take the shape of open discussions, ongoing classes, ongoing chats that can accommodate different schedules. We are women-dominant spaces (meaning anyone who identifies as a woman). And while some spaces are female-only or mothers-only, we are wild about all the men who support our mission and engage in our resources and open community offerings.

We create spaces and resources for women of all walks of life to reclaim and enhance their natural and unique intelligence in diverse and communal settings. We utilize virtual and in-person spaces where women can learn without pressure and build values-based community. Think of it like the community of church, the sisterhood of a knitting circle, and the idea-powerhouse of a political party meeting in one. Topics are led by and facilitated but unlike the conventional classroom, conversation and connection are welcome and no one gets graded or judged. People are encouraged to show up as they are and follow and build on their natural interests.

What Reclaiming Sophia does (offerings unfolding end of 2023 and beginning of 2024):

• Offers open teachings on feminine interpretations of classical Western philosophy and salient world literature in a female/mother friendly-format online and in person.

• Models a re-emergent community of feminine-led intellectualism that emphasizes community over competition and weaves together Earth-honoring ritual, spiritual wisdom, teachings through world mythology, and traditional philosophical studies.

• Offers ongoing affordable or free in-person and remote teachings, resources, and reference-building certifications to populations of women that are particularly maligned or intellectually dismissed by popular culture including at-risk teens, recovering addicts, women in the re-entry process, and mothers.

  Long term Goals:

• Founding a school with recognized intellectual skill building that links to other trainings, jobs, and career paths where women are rewarded for their unique intellectual contributions.

• Securing long-term spaces locally in Raleigh/Durham (and possibly Denver) where women can engage and learn in a way that naturally weaves together spiritual, intellectual and political ideas in ways that work for them (flexible timing, free-flowing, low-commitment, kid-friendly).

• Nurturing a vibrant online community where women from all walks of life are empowered and mentored to find their own brand of intelligence, confidence, and wisdom.

All donations go to make all of our offerings available to women in under-served communities

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