Manifesto et al.
The Secret Feminist Club Meeting Club (SFCMC) is something that doesn’t take itself too seriously – but that doesn’t make it less important for whoever wishes to take part in. The main idea is to meet, to celebrate, chat, eat and share in a nice place. It‘s an experimental space; a hopefully safe space; an absurdist trial of non-community community gatherings as dreamed of by your hostess.
Backstory
The thought arrived from feeling that ritual and community are something that is lacking in my and other peoples lives. At the same time, I move around way too much to become part in any form of real club that meets up at the same place on a regular basis. Which made me very sad because I still miss it – especially as an neurodivergent (learn more about neurodiversity here) immigrant kid without a large family and a very confused sense of belonging.
After listeting to the podcast of India Rakusen „Witch“ (listen to it if you like, its phenomenal) I realitzed that – even though I am opposed to any form of ideology and spiritual practice that is linked to a temple, church, group or leader and am also opposed to a lot of forms of paganism due to historical and cultural inaccuracy – I am a huge fan of wild and experimental syncretism that builds instresting topics, ritiuals and communities. So i realized that the Wheel of the Year (with a little link to why it is actually a bit of a controversy, also for me) is a fantastic way to structure the year, a reason to get together without having to rely on the underlying school of thought. I enjoy the act of ritual. I just don’t like the politics behind it. But I will incorporate some seasonal ideas into the meeting’s depending on where in the year we are. Talking of that: my only school of thought is constant change and spiritual anarchism. Shall there be weirdness.
Weiter im Text
So, the SFCMC is not linked to a place nor to a group or person, but since at the moment the SFCMC has only one member – Melanka – it kinda still is linked to her (yet, that shall change). I need to be clear that this is a very „work in progress“ type of situation so please take or leave what feels ok. I don’t know what it is going to be but I am excited to find out.
The rules are quiet simple:
1. You are not just invited. You are a very important part of this meeting.
2. Whatever we do at our Secret Feminist Club Meeting Club Meetings (SFCMCM) stays within the group.
3. Also: there is no group. So we do not take anything into the following meetings or outside of the space where the meeting happened.
4. We take care of our own feelings and needs during the meeting.
5. We do only what feels right while not hurting others.
6. It is in ones responsibility to deal with possible conflicts that can affect others.
7. We try to stay away from world politics & from what‘s wrong and what‘s right while we meet.
More text
This is a weird and (feminist-queer-neurodiverse-transcultural-)friendly space and who ever feels like that could be their jam is welcome. And that means: you dont need to be queer, neurodiverse and/or transcultural (since this is something we dont control or choose, right?) but we do control how inclusive we wanna be. So as however you identify or if you are an ally or „still questioning“ – all is perfect. But yes: ya gotta be a bone hard feminist (that was a half joke but if you know me you hopefully understand the idea). We will dive into random realms so it is helpful to have an open mind in all directions anyways.
What one might expect
Examples of what we might do: we might draw tarot cards because I always wanted to be a tarot person, we might cook, we might perform any form of spiritual and ritualized songs or we might just sing together, we might watch someone in the group perform their latest burlesque show or read their latest poems, we might leave an empty plate for our loved once that left us and we might want to talk about them and cry and laugh together. We might talk about the topic of the day. We might want to tell jokes or dance. We might talk about our menstrual cycle or the uprise of whoever wants to uprise (I am relishing in revolutionary ideas these days…) And you have to do NONE of this if you don‘t feel like it. It‘s what freedom is for. If you would like to bring something to the table (food or poems or crafts project or presentation or wine or…) – do so! And kindly tell me beforehand so I wont plan too much. Usually I will be more specific in the invitation. Only one thing: Since I am weirdly believing in all sorts of superstition, the few things me and my apartment cannot participate in are seances or likes.
I dont know either – I am just a vessel for now. It is a space for exploration and mainly fun and maybe revolution? Idk… But a girl can dream, ok.
XOXO
PS: There will be a donation box. Put whatever you want, you dont NEED to put anything in. I’ll use a bit of it (5-15 Euros in total) in order to buy decorations or snacks for the next meeting, the rest goes directly towards my parents organization for Ukraine.
PPS: About the name. So there is (or is there?) a secret feminist club. Whatever this club does is none of our concern. But when the secret feminist club meets there is another club that has to be formed in order to preserve the nature of high beurocratic purity. This then is called the Secret Feminist Club Meeting Club as it is the club for meeting the club. It is of high importance – or it isnt. And this my friends is an example of the awkward humor you‘re gonna get here.
Hallow‘s Eve – Secret Feminist Club Meeting Club Meeting n°1
31st of October 2024 in Leipzig
