Hi everybody and welcome to my world!
My name is Ella Harari and I’m the wandering goddess!
I’m here to share with you the inspiring people and places I’m coming across with while travelling in East Africa.
We were all a tribe once
Be inspired by tribes that remind us of our original human living- as we were all a tribe once
community, togetherness, dance, creativity, laughter, tribal celebrations.
The wisdom of the elders and the Innovation of the young…
Rites of passage.
Traditional crafts
Brave women who take their communities forward
And much more.
My purpose is to inspire you the same way Mama Africa has been inspiring me for so many years.
Who am I ?
Ella Harari
Israeli
I’m 50 !!!
Women’s circles facilitator
First period and sexuality workshops educator
Much like the role grandmothers, mothers and aunties take in tribal communities.
Story teller
Telling stories from different cultures of the world. Stories the elders used to tell the children around the fire in tribal communities.
And we try the traditional wear, music and dances too!
Artist
Creating goddess figurines reflecting the way I experience the Goddess- Mother Earth, and my deep connection to her as a woman.
That was my life for the last 20 years. And I loved every minute of it!
How did it all begin?
In Africa of course.
And here’s the long story… East Africa has always felt like home to me.
When I was day dreaming about Africa as a child, I pictured the Massai Mara savanna and wild animals.
My favorite story from my favorite book ‘Legends of the world’ was about an African prince.
Jane Goodall was my childhood hero.
When considering my life path at 20 I was contemplating between being a zoologist just like her, or an anthropologist. In East Africa, of course.
Making my dream come true
After graduating my B.A. in Social anthropology, I made the best decision in my life (up till then) and decided to take a year off to travel in East Africa and only then decide if my future lies in the academic world.
Three weeks into my journey the answer was NO!
Instead I saw the African way of life and felt- we need to live more like that!!!
I went on to volunteer as an English teacher in a wonderful and unique tribal arts project for street kids in Bagamoyo Tanzania. The mothers and sisters of my young students embraced me into their lives and for the first time I knew what sisterhood feels like. It feels good!
One of my students’ family invited me to a rite of passage ceremony. A celebration for two sisters who came of age- meaning got their first menstrual blood- and were welcomed by the whole community as young women. It was a big and happy 7 days and 7 nights festivity!
After my year of travel was over, I came back home with a new desire. To learn more about tribal wisdom and share my inspiration so we can connect back with our original human living.
Bringing tribal inspiration back home
Taking my experiences back home I still didn’t know in what way I was going to share them. And then I discovered Shamanism. The ancient wisdom of Mother Earth and her people- the first tribal communities. Through extensive shamanic training I became a women’s circles facilitator- bringing women back to sisterhood, and first period & sexuality educator for girls- the role of mothers aunties and grandmothers in tribal communities.
I became a story teller- the role of grandparents passing on the history, traditions and wise stories to the tribe’s children.
I found spirituality in connecting back with human togetherness, and with Mother earth herself.
So what does all this got to do with the Goddess?
Happy you asked!
My name is Ella. The meaning of my name in my mother’s tongue- Hebrew- is Goddess.
The goddess is the first mother,
The creatress,
Mother earth. Giving and loving.
I remembered the Goddess in that year in Africa. She was everywhere. In the vast open plains, in the gentle people whose hearts beat love so purely, in the simple way so many tribes still lived together with nature without exploiting or harming it.
I knew her when I came back to Israel and went through a Shamanic initiation. Shamanism is the ancient original way of life in our world communities, and still remains. There are shamans in many of our native communities all over the world.
Who are the Shamans?
The shaman is the one responsible for the community’s physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing. To bring healing through her/his deep mystical connection with Mother earth. With the trees, rocks, streams, oceans. With the tribe’s ancestors. With the past and the future. These peaceful communities lived in harmony with nature and with one another.
We were prosperous.
We knew the solace of true togetherness
We too where a tribe.
I remembered the goddess in Africa when I saw so much of our original human living in the tribes people I’ve met.
Africa today
And no, Africa is not perfect… it never was. And still I find so much inspiration here. And I’m happy to share it with you.
A lot have changed in over 20 years. Traditions disappeared, religions and “progress” prevailed.
And yet many tribal communities still hold on, and many tribal traditions continue…
For me so many African tribes people I’ve met still hold those things that we westerns have forgotten and yearn for:
Time for being together
Time for dance and music
Time for self-adornment
Respecting the elders and appreciating their wisdom
Celebrating our life changes- rites of passage
Appreciating art and beauty.
So, I’m back with my mama Africa again.
I have been back a few times before, but this time is different. I’ve left everything behind, a life I was happy with, to find new inspiration. I’m curious to find out where this road will lead me.
If any of this resonates with you- welcome!
Read my my blog, and my personal travel tips.
בהצלחה , נשמע מדהים!!!
לחיי הגשמת משאלות ליבנו
תודה 🙂