Our Story

 In November of 2019,  I experienced the biggest trauma of my life to date when I watched my loved one loose their battle with depression. Filled with so much grief, depression, anxiety, blame  and most of all confusion. I spent the better half of 2020 questioning how, as a whole, experiences like these happen.  Where I was experiencing grief at a personal level, the next year was a deep dive into the grief of the collective. I watched as so many people suffered with no help, alone, and in silence. I watched so many people become lost looking for answers that no one was providing. I myself found the depths of my own darkness and that is where I knew I was needed to channel my experiences into something helpful for the whole. I knew we did not need to suffer in silence or alone. 

In October of 2020, I started a nonprofit called Eclipse Lit. The name came from an article I read by the WHO Collaborating Centre at Columbia University that talked about how in a solar eclipse, the moon blocks the sun in a way that trauma brings darkness to an individual's psychological and emotional life. Even though, the sun is significantly bigger than the moon. The darkness still prevails. This reminded me of my own personal mental health journey with the darkness of my own traumas. The article pieced together what I wanted to do, and that was to create the light I could guide others too.  The official mission of Eclipse Lit is to create a space for people to heal through community, connection, and art.  In the first year alone we raised $800 for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. This project sent to me so many beautiful souls. Starting off as an annual literary magazine that accepted pieces for people who needed an outlet on the theme, it then grew within 3 years to programming and events bringing people together.  

By October of 2021, I felt as though there was still more to be done in the realm of helping others with mental health support. Where the nonprofit was creating an amazing foundation, I found called to find another avenue. The calling came to me when I was in an occult shop with my little sister. I was looking for things to make a candle with and stumbled upon an entire wall of dried herbs. Automatically, I was pulled in. Loosing my partner, led me to this strong need of doing something with my hands. And where candle making ended up being an ultimate failure, it led me to a re-connection within myself. It led me on the pathway of herbalism. I spent the better part of two years learning the way of the medicine woman and how to listen and develop relationships with the plants. I don't think there are an amount of words I could share to describe how profound this pathway has been for me. Walking along the plants and connected me to a light within myself. It feels like being brought home and was instantly I knew was the next step for my work with others. In October of 2021, I created my own apothecary called Widow. Within this container,  I allowed myself to explore these plant relationships and have been guided to create the offerings that are there. Everything I make is with the intention of helping someone along their mental health journey: through emotional support, nervous system support, and even mental support.  I am a continued student and understand these offerings will always grow.

Now it is October 2022, and I have found myself with so much gratitude for both my apothecary and nonprofit. But, I also still find myself asking how can I create the light to guide others to? By walking this path, I have been guided to so many amazing people being the light for others in their own unique ways and talents and I also see how it all comes together. Which brings me to...

The Next Phase

2022 has been the year of community. How alone our individual impact and power is so strong, but together when we step into that power as a whole is when we really help the collective. 

I understand that myself alone, plays only one role in the bigger picture. But by learning my own self and my power I see where I am being guided to bring others together. Which brings me to the next phase of my work, and where I am asking for help.

I will be combining and growing both Widow and Eclipse Lit explained through the phases below. 

The 3 Stages

1. Eclipse Lit is being refocused and growing into an online platform and physical platform.

The nonprofit will focus on working with a number of facilitators to provide offerings that will help guide others on mental health support that is out there, as well as teach others that everything they need to heal is within. The focus is on making the offerings accessible and open for anyone to join. The nonprofit will act as an educational tool and will provide individual guidance. 

**New website and partner breakdown packet will be launched in November

2.  We will be buying and renovating a horse trailer to bring Widow's offerings and Eclipse Lit's teachings on the road!

By taking this step, we will be able to reach more people and underserved communities by coming to them. Widow's offerings will be a part of what is available but we will also be working with local herbalists to bring in other plant medicine focused on the mind, body, soul connection and support. The goal is to have a wide offering to give to people. We will also be bringing Eclipse Lit's teachings with us on the road. We will partner with a facilitator to have on hand for scheduled healing offerings and we will have educational print outs to hand out. 

3. We will be partnering on a physical space!

The opportunity came to us to partner on an apothecary that is such an important staple to our community. By taking the opportunity to bring both Widow and Eclipse Lit's offering to this space we will be able to help our community and grow our own offerings! We will be able to have a physical space that we can bring people to and help guide them by having everything right there in the store. It is also right in the heart of our city where there are a lot of people struggling and are needing this kind of support. 

Our Mission + Vision

Just in case everything above didn't communicate it well enough.

Both our mission and vision is to create a space where one can be guided to the light. This looks like healing through community and connection. We believe someone doesn't need to struggle alone and that there are resources within ourselves and without that can help someone through their own healing journey.

Our society still has a long way to come when it comes to mental health support, but if we can work together then we can be the ones to create the change.

Cost Breakdown

Now, to get to why we are asking for how much we are. Here is an estimated cost of the items and equipment we need:

       Total = $19,500

Your Support

• Imagine having a space to go to when you feel lost, like everything just doesn't matter anymore, or that everything is just going wrong. Knowing there was somewhere to go where people just get it and you don't feel shamed or alone.
• Imagine help building a space that can ultimately help other people. That you helped prioritized someone's mental health and possibly saved a life. 
• Imagine our society putting mental health first instead of production, money, work and material items. 
• Imagine more light, more connection, more community. A return to the village. 

Your support through this will not only help those in need it will help support facilitators (healers) who are doing the work. It will help create the waves of change humanity is in need of.  By supporting this project, you are a part of this collective.