The Red Thread
A 7 month long ceremony of cutting away
June 2025, Spirit Weavers
My second year attending, this time with a whole village, my sister Chloe included
One of the classes that I attended last Summer at Spirit Weavers was a Cutting Away Ceremony with Sweet Medicine Nation. Known as Grandma Sweetie, this ceremony is part of her medicine that she offers, that she brings with her from life chapter to life chapter, that she always hosts at the Gathering.
The Summer prior, my first weave, I would notice women walking around with a string tied around their bellies. I was curious, and eventually a new friend Gloria shared with me what it was about. It was part of the cutting away process. So coming into this year, I knew I would want to prioritize attending one of them.
Upon sitting down with about 20 other women on the big lawn under a shade structure, Grandma Sweetie began to talk about what types of things we may want to cut away. Fear, anxiety, unrequited love. Women raised their hands asking about their ideas, their fears, for what they wanted to cut away. For some it was a yearly ritual, and for others like me, the first time in this way. A women next to me letting out tears around her abusive husband, another crying with her in resonance and in celebration of the finalization of her divorce. One woman asked, “I feel like I am entering my next chapter of life into womanhood, do I cut away my maiden self?” I loved hearing Grandma Sweetie’s responses to each question, to this she said “No, because one day you’ll need your rebellious teenage self to help you through something.”
I wrote a short list in my notebook of some of my ideas, they all sounded good to me to let go. I don’t fully remember it now, but fear was listed as per suggested, a classic choice haha - I asked, “What if you have a list?”, Sweetie said, “Try to find the thread that connects them, there will likely be one.” I sat a while and looked at my handwriting while the circle of questions continued. Once it was time to begin the ceremony, I knew.
