4 Things I Learned from Queen Afua’s ‘Sacred Woman’
The Black Woman’s Bible
Last month, I finished Queen Afua’s nine-step program in Sacred Woman: A Guide to Healing the Feminine Body, Mind, and Spirit. I call Sacred Woman the “Black Woman’s Bible,” because it will get you together on so many levels.
I stepped into my womanhood fully, finally, and learned a lot about myself, my relationships with others, and my faith. I found sources of strength and self-worth that I never knew existed; I found the divine feminine within. Although I went through the Sacred Woman journey by myself, without the support of a Sister Circle, I still felt guided by my elders and ancestors in a way I imagine many women have in the past, thanks to the care and wisdom Queen Afua puts in this book.
Sacred Woman can be intimidating when you first open it. I know many women who have this Bible on their bookshelf, but they never seem to have time to crack it open, and so they may never get all the jewels from the book that they need.
With that in mind, here are four things I learned along my Sacred Woman journey, that will help you begin (or continue) your own:
1. food is the foundation
“What we consume dictates who we are and what we are. Whatever we consume we become,” says Queen Afua. In Gateway 2 of Sacred Woman, titled “Sacred Food,” she teaches us how to consume at the highest and purest level — including anything that comes into your divine space, whether it be food or ideas or men!
When I started Sacred Woman, I was already an alkaline, raw vegan. I believe I was able to stick to the Sacred Woman program so easily because I was already so disciplined in a key area of life. For the last year, I had learned to avoid the temptations of eating disease-causing processed foods, meat and dairy in social settings (like cookouts or birthday parties) and I committed to eating food medicine — alkaline fruits, vegetables, whole grains and herbs. Being responsible for preparing my own fresh food every day (and not being able to rely on takeout or anyone else to prepare my nourishment) allowed me to develop a way of life that supported having a routine of health and wellness. Once you are able to master food, you can master anything else in life. I recommend that as you prepare to start Sacred Woman, make a plan to transition to a plant-based diet even before you reach Gateway 2 in the book, so that you can start reading it with a clear and unclogged mind and body in order to truly receive her teachings.
2. You Are Your Own Healer
Women are natural healers, but a lot of us have become disconnected from our own power. Sacred Woman comes to correct that. In Gateway 6: Sacred Healing, Queen Afua reminds those of us who’ve forgotten who we are:
“Sacred Woman, when you take a stand as a Healer and you heal yourself, you know you have the power and authority to heal every condition and circumstance in your life.”
Many people look to Tarot cards, Astrology, spiritual guides, and more for the answers to their soul questions. Many people look to doctors and politicians for the solution to their illnesses. Even those of us coming to Sacred Woman for help on our healing journey must understand that Queen Afua can’t heal us, only we can heal ourselves. If you read this book, understanding that everything you need is within you, you will be more likely to gravitate toward the parts of the program that resonate most with you and do the work intensely in those specific areas.
You have the power to reverse any mental, physical or spiritual illness in your life. Remember that as you go through this book, and your life will be forever changed.
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3. Everything Starts With Your Healing Yourself
Queen Afua drills this home in every chapter, but especially in the gateways dedicated to Sacred Relationships and Sacred Partnerships.
“When we truly love ourselves, we become one with the Divine. It is then that the Creator can enter our house, and all of our unions will be blessed.”
How can you love someone else if you don’t know how to love yourself? How can you nourish and take care of other areas of your life, if your inner world is crumbling? If you are struggling in any area of life — professionally, personal relationships, physical health, etc. — you must make a commitment to your own healing first before you can tackle those other issues. Actually, once you commit to heal yourself, all the other pieces of your life puzzle fall into place by divine magic. Sacred Woman allows you to begin the healing process, so that you can finally access your own light and be a light for others.
4. You Are Enough
Lastly, the Sacred Woman program calls for all sorts of crystals, flower essences, essential oils, pendulums, and other things that will help you along your journey. But, if this book taught me anything, it’s that I can heal myself no matter the circumstance. These tools are nice to have, and can help you elevate your learnings. But you don’t need everything in order to do the program. Just get started. You are enough.