Allie Fitzgibbon, Co-Founder of Sister Song Healing, puts a new spin on the concept of access in our bi-weekly writer Q+A, and speaks to how accessing the internal is the pathway to growth. Read more from Allie in here latest En Root feature: Access to Healing, The Opening of Doors!
This month's theme is all about Access. Tell us about how that concept has played a role in your work.
Oh the concept of access is EVERYTHING! From real-life access issues in proper health care, education, food, safety, political power, funding and justice - to our internal access to our ancestors, inner magical landscapes and healing messages. Access to energy work is one of our main focusses at Sister Song Healing- we believe that everyone should have access to compassionate healing. For this reason, we offer sliding-scale energy healing sessions, no-cost sessions, we trade with other creators and healers and we donate portions of our sessions to various local social justice organizations. We are continually reflecting and talking about this important topic- and I couldn't be more honored to write on it!
At OutGrowth, we are committed to giving access. What do you think we as individuals and communities can do to carve a path so that others can grow beyond traditional limits?
I think we as individuals play a huge role in paving a path to access. What can you do now, today? I feel like some of us can get so hung up on how "small" our impact is, but the small stuff matters! I adore working with people one on one. Does that bring healing to everyone in our world? Not really, but it's what I can do today. Donating $10 to a mutual aid fund may seem small, but that is the cost of a meal. That matters. If everyone made small daily choices to commit to opening doors and showing compassion, this world would look very different.
Tell us about a pinnacle point or moment in your life journey.
There are so many to choose from, but recently I stumbled upon the Irish Pagan School. I took some classes with a teacher I now adore, and it has helped my healing practice evolve ten fold. I feel so much more energetically connected to my ancestry. I witness how this growth allows me to show up in even more amazing ways for my clients. I am in awe, constantly, of how magical this world is. I feel like those classes, and my own ancestral inner work, has ignited even more light in my life. I didn't think it was possible, but it is!
How did this experience change the course of your life, your career or your outlook?
I have always gotten a sense of deep grounding from my energy practice with clients, but after that experience, I witnessed a shift. I feel like I have graduated to the next level or something- it's so fun and inspiring. The coolest part is that it doesn't feel like it's just "me" - it feels like it's "me + my ancestors, my lineage, my community"- everything is so connected.
What are your top three pieces of advice for students and professionals who may be looking for ways to grow forward?
1. Rely on your own inner wisdom. She's there- talking to you often. Do you allow yourself the time to listen?
2. You can't always do it by yourself. Sure, there is a lot of self healing that happens behind the scenes on your own, but we aren't built to go it alone. Find your people, wise people you trust, to help you see your blind spots. It is life-giving.
3. Don't be afraid of your insides! So many clients are hesitant to hear their inner messages because they seem to think they are monsters or something! You're not! There is always compassion inside, unconditional amounts. If you can get out of your own way, you allow yourself to experience how lovely and multi-faceted you really are. Even the hard-to-hear messages have a place and can be incredibly clarifying and liberating..
If you could go back in time and give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be?
Slow down. Trust your gut. You're magnificent.
What is your favorite quote?
“There is no way to repress pleasure and expect liberation, satisfaction, or joy.”
― Adrienne Maree Brown, Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good
Based on your professional experience, what are the top three career competencies that you believe can be gained/developed as a result of pushing past limits?
1. Compassion for yourself when you hadn't yet pushed past those limits. This self-compassion gives you a sense of inner freedom, which inevitably leaks out into all you touch. When you show up as a whole, compassionate person, you are more grounded and accountable.
2. Renewed sense of self- the beautiful reinforcement of the thought "wow, I really can do anything!"
3. Once you get past a limitation, you can set your sights on overcoming the next one.
What's next? What are your next steps toward growth in 2021? What's next? So many exciting things. Follow @sistersonghealing on Instagram to see and join in the fun.
Allie Fitzgibbon is a Baltimore native who creates music and is incredibly invested in the healing transformation of our world. She is cofounder of Sister Song Healing - an energy-healing practice offering individual sessions, tarot readings and musical meditation as well as a monthly community healing circle. She also creates mystical music with her five-piece electric band- GingerWitch. Love, creativity and healing guide her through this strange and vibrant world.