FAQ: How do you say the name of the shop …
Question: How do you say the name of the shop …
… and is it named after Sojourner Truth?
Answer:
I pronounce the shop name with the emphasis on the second syllable: so-JUR-ner. They share a root word with "journey."
The Sojourner refers to a person who has been on a long journ-ey, and has stopped to take a short rest for a while, called a so-journ. In this case, I'm referring to the long spiritual journey all beings take throughout their many lifetimes and incarnations. Each lifetime on earth is therefore a sojourn to enjoy that particular kind of life; all incarnated spirits on earth are sojourners. Embedded within this name is our acceptance of all people, all races, genders, sexualities, and ethnicities, as fellow divine spiritual travelers.
While the store wasn't named after the famous activist named Sojourner Truth, our name was inspired in similar ways.
Sojourner Truth was a famous African-American preacher who lived from 1797-1883. She was a formerly enslaved woman from New York named Isabella Bomfree. According to her autobiography, The Narrative of Sojourner Truth, the Holy Spirit called on her to preach the truth. She renamed herself Sojourner Truth in 1843. She is remembered as charismatic speaker against the evils of slavery, advocating for both civil and women’s rights through church revivals, women's right's lecture tours, and her abolitionist work throughout the civil war.
I admire the noble work of Sojourner Truth, and continue a similar kind of advocacy needed for the the 21st century. Similarly, back in 2007, I also was called by Spirit to speak the truth, and serve communities of people who follow the lesser-traveled spiritual and lifestyle paths; sustainability, progressive ideals, holistic healing, women's reproductive rights, civil liberties for everyone, acceptance of LGBTQ+ people, and spirituality that harmonizes with nature.
Also like Sojourner Truth, I also changed by name. I call myself Heron, named for my animal guide the Great Blue Heron, who calls on us to discern truth from trash, and speak that truth to power, regardless of how unsettling it is felt by those who hold power unjustly.