The Circulo de Remedios Herbal Gathering is a space for our community to share medicine, stories, and create healing networks based in compassion and solidarity. The intention of this space is to uplift the deep history of herbal medicine and people in our community and to look forward towards a future built on collective care and shared wisdom.
Our 2021 gathering was a beautiful way to open the story of medicine making in our community. We are so thankful for all the hearts that helped life this gathering from our youth, to our volunteers, to our vendors to our teachers. We wanted to take this moment to remind folks community health is grounded first in our home fires and kinship. We are eternally grateful for the words of our grandmothers who were present and the grandmothers who have transitioned to the next realm. As our grandmother Nana Yvette Mendez says, “We must continue to give thanks to the water, give thanks for the fire and remember in both our own medicine and strength. When we connect with the elements we realize how they have been weaponized against us for so long. When we heal those relationships, we heal our communities.”
We opened Friday October 21, 2021 with a youth gathering. We had 30 youth come together representing themselves and also collectives such as Circles in the Hood, SWU’s Youth Leadership Organizers and Fuerza Unida Youth. One of our youth recommended more support for the young folks in our lives “We want to learn to let go in healthy ways”. From this space the youth circle will be self organizing healing spaces for 2022 that they want to see and create. We look forward to supporting and building allyship with our young folks and future medicine makers.
Our workshops were phenomenal, we are so thankful for the folks who shared their wisdom as presenters and also as participants. Out of this experience there is a deep eagerness to continue building a culture of healing in our identities and rooted in radical compassion. In the course of the day we were able to see about 300 participants safely navigate the outside market housed at the Rinconcito de Esperanza in the Westside of San Anto. We are thankful to have grounded this prayer not only in community healing but in community prayer against gentrification and disruption of the history of the Westside and our neighborhoods.
“We call this herbal gathering Circulo de Remedios, because we don't want it to be a one time event, it's continuous. We have to build this circle together because we all share wisdom and we all have strengths that we can offer someone else. This gathering is a collective work and collective prayer for the land and our people.” -Beto De León, Circulo de Remedios organizer
We look forward to sharing more spaces with our network of practitioners and curious community. Our upcoming La Yerbería course will continue the conversation in Spring, and of course we are are excited to build out our 2022 Circulo de Remedios Herbal Gathering in October and will be connecting with speakers and organizers as we continue to grow this space.
Please check out SanArte Healing & Cultura Clinic’s Circulo de Remedios page, there are still several offerings from legendary artists and cultural organizers to continue the learning with your family. Offerings include coloring sheets by Mary Agnes Rodriguez, downloadable comic by Debora Kuetzpal Vasquez and a link to DJ Despeinada’s “Sanarás Mañana” spotify mixtape plus a story time with Grandmother Coyote & Manuel Davila. Stay connected through our Instagram or E-mail list for more information on upcoming herbal opportunities.
SPECIAL TLAZOCAMATI TO OUR ALLIES! IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO CREATE RESISTANCE!
THANK YOU American Indians in Texas at the Spanish Colonial Missions (AIT-SCM) National Association of Latino Arts & Culture (NALAC), DJ Despeinada, Yanawana Herbolarios, SA ZINE FEST, Circles in the Hood, Kalpulli Ayolopaktzin, Kalpulli Ameyaltonal, Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, Mountain Rose Herbs, Southwest Workers Union, Corazones on Fire, Texas Tribal Buffalo Project and our beloved community!