OUR PLAN & STANCE ON SOCIAL JUSTICE

We are dedicated to continued activism and representation through intersectional feminism, anti-racism, and dismantling unjust power systems of white supremacy and patriarchy. 

Cycles Journal is a small queer & non-binary woman-owned business & grassroots movement dedicated to intersectional feminism through its creation and activism of tools and safe spaces for all cyclical beings. Our goal is to help connect us all deeper to our own bodies, physical &/or energetic womb spaces, menstrual &/or lunar cycles.

This creation is inherently radical & is fully dedicated to social, racial, reproductive ecological & physiological justice. Through empowering ourselves and learning how to harness our greatest assets (aka our bodies & mental health), we are rising up and bringing the inclusive and empathetic matriarchal power back into alignment. We are dedicated to uplifting, representing, and focusing on serving Black, Indigenous & Brown folks through this creation and all that it offers.

This creation was born as a non-conformist, anti-patriarchal, and anti-racist tool and presence. We stand firmly beside Black & brown communities, Indigenous people, LGBTQ+ community, immigrant people, all people of color, all who are marginalized, all who are disabled. We believe in dismantling the systemic racism and structures of oppression that are the causes for marginalizing these groups. 

We are integrating anti-racism into our practices through continuing to deconstruct white supremacy and patriarchal dependencies by focusing on our bodies, our nature, and the people who need our support.

We continue to speculate and remain open as to how this creation can better serve these stances and how it can better honor the revolution and mission for true justice and equality and empowerment marginalized communities.

We seek to not only continue to represent & uplift BBIPOC+ through our illustrations, words, features, community, photos and social media, but also to honor their healing process and all of the parts of it white & white-passing folks with wombs will never understand. We seek to continue to speak up on these matters, educate ourselves on history & experiences we can learn and view perspectives through, and to never tolerate anything less than intersectional feminism in our pages and in our communities.

We stand in deep solidarity with melanated and marginalized peoples. We vow to continue decolonizing our spaces, reclaiming our bodies, mending the present situations of society. We promise as allies to be present in this movement.

In all of this, we align in honoring our bodies and needs for rest and healing, but we more deeply honor where we can step up as to make way for a BIPOC’s healing and rest. 

We are in this for the long-haul and want to offer how we plan to remain active & involved so we can be held accountable & hopefully inspire others to do the same. How we will integrate or have already integrated these goals into our daily life and business, while also balancing our personal needs, well-being and healing. We can only help others if we are aligned and well first.

Our long-term plan to remain active & better reach marginalized communities:

• Reading, listening, educating ourselves & remaining open; never assuming we know enough

• Sharing resources with others

• Staying active in conversations, holding others accountable & being a consistent ally

• Being present and receptive to the black folks in our lives & not depending on them for the work & questions we have to find on our own

• Aiming to support Black, Brown, Indigenous & POC businesses first whenever we shop, remaining aware of who our money is supporting

• Continuing to representing BIPOC in our illustrations & photoshoots

• Reserving spaces in our sponsorship opportunities & resource directory on site & in the journal for BIPOC & making sure the representation is even

• Making sure there is even representation with those who are involved with & are featured inside the journal

• Featuring & collaborating with creators, healers & businesses of color in order to amplify and learn from them

• Integrating our ethics and activism into all parts of life, creation & business through always considering the perspectives and needs of marginalized folks

• Providing a range of scholarships, discounts & financial support opportunities on our products & offerings through our Pay It Forward Program.

• Continue to host fundraisers to forward funds to organizations & events in fields of equity, sustainability & healing.
• Configure a plan in the near future once we are more established to be able to donate a percentage of our proceeds to organizations in a sustainable way.

How we are balancing and making sure our personal needs are met so we can continue to help & be active without burning out:

• Journaling to reflect and release

• Being active in groups to do the work but also ask and questions and feel supported and not alone in this journey

• Breathing deeply

• Taking breaks when we need it

• Listening to our bodies

• Making sure our basic needs are met before we do any work; aka water, food, rest, hygiene, etc.

• Keeping an eye on our calendars and to-do lists to make sure we are balancing and not over-booking or under-involving

• Integrating meditation & movement regularly into our lives to release tension & pause

• Making sure we plan before leaping into action that could cause potential burnout or false promises.

We are living in the age of reform, of revolution and change. We are standing up to the structures and powers that do not serve everyone.

Thank you for hearing our stance. We hope it will inspire you to also take action & to support this movement in your own way as well.

Sending love,

Rachael Amber & Team Cycles Journal

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Read more about our Advocacy & Giving Back Efforts