Lindsay Kolasa

A little background on Madhupa Maypop.

Basically, in 2009, when I was at my last job in San Francisco, working in Organizational Development at the Arab Cultural & Community Center (miss y’all!), my Egyptian friend said that I needed to start a blog to share my writings. She said, “if you don’t do it, I will.” She said it so matter-of-fact-ly.

So, I pondered on the name and came up with “Musings of the Maypop” and I figured out how to craft my blog on WordPress.

Maypop is the colloquial name for the fruit of a native plant of the Southeast, passionflower (Passiflora incarnata). Passionflower was one of the first herbal medicines that I consciously took into my body. And, I experienced such profound results, I tattooed this plant on my right shoulder shortly after (that was probably around 2003).

Musings of the Maypop soon became Madhupa Maypop later that year. Madhupa, I had learned, refers to the Madhupa Vidya or ‘honey sight’ in the Vedas. Madhupa is also a name given in India and means ‘nectar-drinker.’ As well, Madhupa comes from the Sanskrit word ‘medhu’ which means nectar or honey…and is the root word for mead and the word ‘honey’ in a number of languages across Eastern and Western Europe.

I took on this name as I felt like I was having ‘honey sight’ after my severe health crisis back in 2001…this new ‘sight’ or way of seeing started to move and spread into every area of my life.

But, alas……to not hear ‘Mad-Hoopa’ again or “Mad-dog Maypop’ (lol)…….the change has happened.

……with wee bit o’ fanfare and celebration, I announce…….

www.lindsaykolasa.com

Little did I know what a journey this humble blog would take me on…from sharing poetry that revealed windows into my soul (which tend to be small audience posts, lol) to a post critiquing essential oils which was viewed over 35,000 in just one month in 2014!

I have learned the power of the word and the influence the internet has…and I have tried to use that tool ethically and thoughtfully. The website has also become a landing page for some audio and video recordings…as well as information about consults and my upcoming schedule (which, as you know, has been filled more with childcare and less with programs, retreats, and workshops).

As it should be.

So, with so much newness happening in my life right now around love, marriage, motherhood, and moving…yes…it’s high time to fully step into my name and part ways with my old alias. It’s time to be even more clear about who I am, where I’m coming from, and what I care about.