Along with the good things in life—love, friendship, success, talent, personal power, and peace of mind—we face challenges as we navigate our way through our culture, climate, politics, religion, tradition and a host of other factors. How we react or respond to those difficulties depends a great deal on how we view life, the world, and our place in it. The way we think, what we believe, and what we do are influenced by our demographics: the family we’re born into, the resources we have access to, our educational level, our location on the planet, and how we process information and handle stress.
To be who we are, to own our power, and move through life with a measure of clarity, contentment and resilience is, or ought to be, a privilege, as Joseph Campbell states in this quote: “The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are.” But for many, it’s a privilege too often denied because of race, gender, nationality, ability or religion. To embody the privilege of “being who you are,” we need skills. What kind of skills? My answer to that question is Bitchcraft.
Bitchcraft, the book, is divided into six sections. Section one provides a definition for the word Bitchcraft and describes the methods and tools for developing your Bitchcraft skills. It covers:
- The three stages of Bitchcraft
- The SASSY Bill of Rights and Responsibilities
- The challenges, guiding lights and practices of Bitchcraft
Sections two through six discuss each of the five SASSY qualabilities (qualities + abilities) in detail (Strength, Assertiveness, Skill, Serenity and Youthfulness), highlighting the related building blocks needed to achieve the goal of owning your power.
Each chapter presents a challenge to overcome, provides a guiding light to help you move past the challenge, and ends with a selection of accessible practices to support and reinforce your Bitchcraft journey. You can read the book from cover to cover or skip around from chapter to chapter depending on which Bitchcraft qualability or building block you need for the day. Keep a copy on your bedside table and look at it before you get out of bed in the morning or after a refreshing nap. I suggest using these steps for a daily practice:
- Pick one of the five SASSY qualabilities.
- Read one or more chapters in the section.
- Select a practice and focus on that one technique during the day.
- Assess how it worked (or didn’t) before you go to bed that night.
- Try the same one or pick another the next day.
- Keep moving forward.
Throughout the book, I share the highs and lows of my Bitchcraft journey along with those of friends, colleagues and others whose stories taught me something important about this internal work. The following quote, attributed to Rumi, the thirteenth-century Persian poet, says it best: Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today, I am wise, so I’m changing myself.
Dr. Annie Elizabeth “Bessie” Delany echoed this same idea in 1995 at age 103: I thought I could change the world. It took me a hundred years to figure out I can’t change the world. I can only change Bessie. And honey, that ain’t easy either.
Learning how to own your power in our complicated world is a lifelong practice. So, embrace the process and focus on the journey, not the destination.
Good luck on your Bitchcraft journey!
