Goddesses of Central Mass come together for cleansing vibes of yoga, spirituality

Emilia Cardona, Gardner News
·4 min read

PHILLIPSTON — The open landscape of the secluded faded green house made it easy to spot the circle of women, who call themselves the Goddesses of Central Mass. These spiritual women lay down their yoga mats to start the first part of the picnic celebration for the ancient pagan harvesting holiday called Lughnasadh.

"We do these picnics every month and a half to celebrate the seasonal pagan holidays but also to come together as a community of spiritual witchy women," Destiny Young, from Gardner and founder of the goddesses Facebook group, said.

On Saturday, July 30, those 11 women came together to create a community built on the values of female empowerment, healing, and self awareness. As the women start their yoga and meditation session, the air is filled with cleansing sage and the peaceful sound of wind running through the tree leaves.

Before the celebration started, Conrad went through the circle of women with burning sage to cleanse the environment from unwanted energy.
Before the celebration started, Conrad went through the circle of women with burning sage to cleanse the environment from unwanted energy.

The women at the picnic all agreed that the atmosphere provided a therapeutic sensation that touched every single one of them.

Meditation, spirituality, cleansing vibes and therapeutic

The goddesses began the picnic with an hour of healing and body awareness yoga led by yoga studio owner and teacher Brandy Leftsyk. Leftsyk has been teaching yoga, meditation, and other forms of movement practices for 18 years. She has her own yoga studio in Orange called Home & Heart studio.

During the yoga session led by Leftsyk, she played the Himalayan Singing Bowls, also known as the Tibetan bowls.
During the yoga session led by Leftsyk, she played the Himalayan Singing Bowls, also known as the Tibetan bowls.

"I have been collaborating with the goddesses for one year so far and this is my second picnic with them," Leftsky said. "It's such a great group to do [this session] with and they always create an environment with such vibrant energy."

Lauren Conrad, owner of the property used for the celebrations, led the group meditation after yoga. Conrad led the women through three different kinds of breathing meditations that promote healthy breathing and clear the mind from anxiety. She explains that the purpose of the meditation is to guide awareness of what brings anxiety into one's life and to release those anxieties by connecting with the natural environment.

After writing down what the women wanted to release into the universe, they had the choice to burn their writings as part of the mediation session.
After writing down what the women wanted to release into the universe, they had the choice to burn their writings as part of the mediation session.

"The deep grounded meditation creates a direct contact with mother earth," Conrad said. "After the deep ground meditation, we did the cleaning crystal meditation which guide the release of energy that we need to let go."

Building community of women

The picnic celebrations are held at Conrad's home. She felt a calling to share her home with other like-minded women who are looking for an outlet to their internal struggles and anxieties of their everyday lives.

"I have been interested in these kind of practices since I was 16 years old," Conrad said. "I bought and read every single book from the New Age section at Barnes & Noble when I was a teen and ever since these kinds of practices have been a part of me."

While the goddesses ate their food and talked among themselves, Young went around giving oracle cards to each woman at the Saturday, July 30 picnic.
While the goddesses ate their food and talked among themselves, Young went around giving oracle cards to each woman at the Saturday, July 30 picnic.

Conrad explains that being able to participate in other women's search for spirituality, awareness, and empowerment is her way to develop a healing community.

"I suffer from anxiety and those anxieties are from social pressures but also from internal pressures," Conrad said. "I found that being spiritual connected, which led me to a place of healing, made me want to be a part of that healing for other women."

Embracing spirituality

Gabriela Calvillo, from Luneburg, is the youngest member who attended the picnic. Calvillo, 19, expressed curiosity on spirituality about a year ago to her mother. Her mom went to high school with Conrad and she knew the Conrad was involved with the goddesses Facebook group so she encouraged Calvillo to join the group.

"I wanted to find a group where I could explore my spirituality and be guided into the right direction," Calvillo said. "I wanted to meet other women who are spiritual who can advise me through this journey."

Margie Breault from Worcester has been a member of the goddesses for two years but this is her first picnic celebration. "The session was cleansing, the smell of sage was great and Brandy was wonderful," said Breault.
Margie Breault from Worcester has been a member of the goddesses for two years but this is her first picnic celebration. "The session was cleansing, the smell of sage was great and Brandy was wonderful," said Breault.

When Young created the Facebook group in 2020, she wanted a place for like-minded women to come together and create an inclusive community.

"I really wanted to find like-minded women but I had no idea how to go about finding spiritual conscious people with a similar mindset as me," Young said. "I just kind of had the idea to create the group and added the few people I knew that were kind of like minded. And then from there, it just took off."

Sessions empower women, heal wounds

Young said one of the main goals for this group is to encourage women to be empowered by spirituality and self awareness.

"Our main goal is healing sisterhood wounds. We have grown up in a culture of women competing with each other instead of working with each other," Young said. "Our goal as a group is really to just undo that harm and find women that love you unconditionally and accept you for who you are, even if they don't agree with you, no matter what's going on."

Before the meditation, led by Conrad, began healing crystals were handed out by her to be used for the last mediation practice and for the women to take home on Saturday, July 30.
Before the meditation, led by Conrad, began healing crystals were handed out by her to be used for the last mediation practice and for the women to take home on Saturday, July 30.

"It's really important to me that it's a safe space for women. It's really important to me that people are not tearing each other down, that women are supporting each other," Young said. "I really welcome debates, but it's really important to me that people are being respectful to each other."

To join or to learn more about upcoming events of the Goddesses of Central Mass, visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/centralmagoddesses.

This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Goddesses of Central Mass join in spiritual celebrations of sisterhood