Crafting Cotton Amulets (CURE: Rituals of Protection #3)
Crafting supplies and books for the workshop. All photos by S.A. Johnson II, Alexx Caceres, and Maya M. S.
We opened September and our fall programming this past Saturday to conclude this year’s CURE: Rituals of Protection series. This is a series we’ve been co-creating and building with Mumbet’s Freedom Farm over the past couple of years, and continues to evolve so beautifully within our communities.
Our first session, up in Massachusetts at the Alston Center in May, was the planting of cotton plants alongside learning about its medicine and stories. And in July we journeyed with cotton alongside our Brooklyn and NYC community by diving again into the plants’ medicine and various aspects of its past and present across African, Indigenous, and Southeast Asian diasporas. After a grounding of cotton flower essences and art meditation with Ashni, we took a walk with heirloom cotton plants that were stewarded into the ground in May and June. We also had Shradha Kochhar join us to share her talents in fiber arts and spinning. Participants also had the opportunity to practice ginning, combing, and hand spinning cotton using drop spindles.
In this final session, we wanted to dive deeper into the second part of the series’ name “Rituals of Protection” by focusing on crafting with cotton via hand sewn amulets.
We once again began with cotton flower essences, and then segued into talking about the hoodoo practices developed by African Americans in the Southern U.S. and the purpose, process and possibilities behind creating a protective amulet. Folks were then guided to revisit the cotton beds to harvest their own cotton boll for their amulet and begin setting intentions for its creation.
Our guest facilitator S.A. Johnson II then led participants in a drawing exercise to conceptualize their amulet. Then folks got into selecting additional materials to construct their amulet before jumping into practicing basic sewing skills and processing the cotton bolls they selected. We closed out the afternoon with Ashni and Steve guiding folks in a regrounding with their amulets in progress, and then we all reflected on the day and process.
This year’s series is made possible by so many amazing folks. Thanks to a generous donor to Mumbet’s Freedom Farm, and also sponsored, in part, by the Greater New York Arts Development Fund of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, administered by Brooklyn Arts Council. Thanks to East New York Farms and their crew Alexx for supporting us in the set up and break down, and for taking photos.
Photos by Alexx Caceres, S. A. Johnson II and Maya Marie S.; Copyright Deep Routes
A participant checking out our cotton and supplies right before the session started.
Ashni getting us started.
Participants engaging in a painting meditation exercise.
