Gather

I feel like Octavia knows all my business. I am not alone. In just the first few pages of “Gather” you will feel a familiarity in her voice. A warmth. A kinship. You will know that (somehow) she knows you too. It’s that inner knowing of someone who has taken the time and found the space to do the work. On themself. “How much longer will you be too busy to fully enter into your own life” she writes. Damn I say to myself after reading that ”How she know?”She knows that I put everything and everyone before me to the detriment of my needs and my health; she knows that “no” is not something I know well or use near enough.She knows I need rest. She knows I shrink myself. Often.In “Gather” she provides soft, subtle and gentle guidance and remedies to disrupt the patterns of yesterday. She lets me know that those ways of yesterday no longer define my today and then holds my hand and leads me without judgement to finding and refining who I will become. “Gather” is my companion on my journey to becoming.She knows that my ancestors have never abandoned me. That I am held by both the seen and unseen. She tells me “I have always been loved, wanted and hoped for”. In my mind this sounds like a song. A lullaby. I feel it to my core. I just forgot. “Gather” is my reminder. It’s time “to surrender the conditions I’ve been clinging to so long that I’ve mistaken them for identity.”“It’s time” she says. “Snatch your power back.”

Do you remember those times when you'd have a friend over (or go over to a close friend's house) and connect, soul to soul over warm tea, maybe even some snacks? This ain't just any friend though - the friend that sees you fully, hears your truth in silence, holds your heart like its their own, and invites you to do the same with them. Reading "Gather" - felt like a meet up with THAT friend.As I sit in month 3 of quarantine (a time when I miss being able to just sit in a friend's house and connect), reading "Gather" by Octavia Raheem felt like having a dear sister friend speak with me in lovingkindness and truth, ask me questions to re-connect with my soul, and wrap me in the remembrance and warmth of who I am at my core.Many thanks to Octavia for inviting us into her life with stories, wisdom, and teachings in such a way that we, too, become more comfortable with shedding our own layers and remembering our wholeness - over and over again. Thank you for gathering us, for offering us a rich resource to gather ourselves.

An ATL yogi with a wicked gift for writing and documenting the feelings and angst of women of color (or any woman, really). Specifically, those feelings that bubble up from past memories, connection to our history, and our desires for our future. She speaks to the mystical awareness that comes inherently by being a woman of color. It’s a way of being that is sometimes difficult to put into words. This awareness is all at once, beautiful, painful, lively, heavy, and so many other things depending upon time, place, and space. Her writing soothes the soul and yet inspires a re-shifting in how we think about our lives and experiences. The personal narratives in Gather somehow give power to the daily, mundane existence of our lives. Octavia intuitively understands those nuances that women of color grapple with. In her intro, she states that “Gather is a place to be human, to be imperfect, and to remember.” That’s exactly what she achieves in this book. She allows the reader to find comfort in human-ness, imperfection, and in our memories. Well done and a must-read.

This is Octavia Raheem's first book, and I hope there will be many more. This book is not meant to be a quick read, but last night, I read Octavia's book cover to cover, dog-earring pages and underlining passages, and then re-reading my favorites. It took my breath away. She has created something of true beauty and inspiration. The next day, I found myself re-reading those pages, over and over again. Learning. Listening. Feeling. I know this book will be a resource for me for a very long time.GATHER is a collection of insight, poetry, and wisdom, and has three sections:GATHER ANCESTORSGATHER COURAGEGATHER RESTAs you read her book, you will take a journey with her to remember, reflect, gather courage, and rest. This is a book to be cherished. Her words will feed your soul. Octavia writes about purpose, passion, and all the ugly and beautiful challenges of life. Her writing cuts through to the core and transports us to a place of authenticity. You will cry and you will find inspiration.

When I read what Octavia Raheem writes I can hear her voice. That is one of my favorite things about an author when they speak to my soul and my mind. Gather is for those of us who have been looking for a way to heal but are stuck, for those of us who want to do the work but are unsure of the first steps we need to take. Octavia will guild you, she will with the wisdom of generations of mothers show you how to pull back your own curtain so you can see yourself for yourself. Like a good mother she doesn't give you the answers but she does give you the space to find them for yourself. Use this book over and over again as ideas for prayer, for meditation for journaling prompts.I honestly poured though the book in a few days soaking up as much as I could in my first read. I am taking my time on the second read sipping each word relevantly.

I loved the journey of this book. I highly recommend that you read it over time and not in one sitting. I chose to add it to my morning rituals of yoga, meditation and tea. I challenged myself not to read more than a few pages at a time. Octavia’s offering of this book is like a quiet whisper from the ancients. I felt that she was talking directly to my soul, and the prompts at the end of each passage, allowed my to explore more of myself and the thoughts and feelings that the passage aroused. And when I reached the end I knew that I would be reading it again and again. There are certain books that I have read in my life that have become a part of my collection of Holy books, this is indeed one of them. Thank you my dear Sistar for this most beautiful offering. I am held and I am gathered. Namaste