The Origins of ANAMORA

Dear friend,

My motherline is Celtic-Germanic and a source of deep inspiration for me. When dreaming into this new container from which to offer our most heartfelt medicine to life, I was prompted by my female ancestors to “follow the golden thread.”

One of my mentors Deborah Hanekamp, also known as Mama Medicine, taught me that some of our strongest medicine is made from the places within us where the deepest wounding has taken place, the way a rich compost creates the most fertile ground for growth.

In my life, I have been most hurt by others. Such is the way of the world- to learn our hardest lessons in relationship. For it is in relationship with another that we receive the feedback needed to truly see and feel ourselves, to love all parts of ourselves and course-correct our choices if need be.

Following the golden thread of how to be a better friend, daughter, sister, mother, and lover, I came upon the Celtic teachings of the “Anam Cara” or “soul-friend.” These teachings were deeply influential and healing to me, and have come to reside at the very heart of my work. To be a good relative on this earth is also a Native American teaching, which is a true legacy of love that many indigenous peoples carry.

Thus, ANAMORA, was born from my heart as a term I created to encompass the
“Soul Love that Heals and Restores Us” and how in loving soulfully, we can experience the highest calling of Anamora - “To Heal on a Soul Level” by “Befriending Your Own Soul.”

When I began to piece apart the word to discover what more it may mean, I was pleasantly surprised to discover these things:

- Anam means “soul” in Irish/Gaelic = the heart of the matter
- Amor means “love” in Latin = the ultimate healing force
- Ora means “to pray/speak” in Latin = soul-prayer, speaking from the soul
but also is the plural for Os, which is “an opening or entrance to a passage” = portals of soul/soul thresholds,
and as well is a Hebrew name for girls meaning “light” = soul light
- Amora means “blackberry” in Portuguese = woodland sweetness! A berry-sweet bond, wild nourishment. But also, some brambly protection and boundary magic for this new offering.

There you have it folks! Many meanings, 1 word. I do love a nerdy word moment. And I do hope you enjoyed the very beginnings of the lore of this world.