Bloodlines is a collection of 13 moon time stories from women of different cultures and generations, ranging from poetically profound to wickedly outrageous - interwoven with dance and musical instruments from around the world. Creating a New Consciousness Around Women’s Blood, Bodies, and Sexuality that is Loving, Honoring, and Celebrating.

For more information, please visit the website of the theatrical production at Bloodlines.tv

Bloodlines Excerpts

Bloodlines Monologues

My Menstrual Journey

My fascination with moon blood comes after many years of battling terrible menstrual cramps, knowing my ovaries must be trying to tell me something to scream so loud every month. But it wasn’t until my cervix fell under the threat of cancer that I took my fascination to the next level. I began dialoguing with my body and asking women friends about their menstruations and thus the play, Bloodlines, was created. Women have always held the mysteries of life, death and birth in our blood. We have only been conditioned to look outside of ourselves for understanding. My hope is that this collection of stories from different generations and cultures of women will serve to inspire all women to sit quietly in reverence and wonder with their blood each month.

Ritual for My Daughter

In honor of my daughter’s first period, I created a ceremony for her. We were in the Midwest visiting family at the time. It was winter and everyone had gone out for the evening. My daughter and I were in our pajamas watching TV. “Come on!” I said, grabbing her by the hand and leading her out into the snowy back yard. We stood in our bare feet, looking up at the full moon as the grandmothers shined above us, welcoming my daughter into the circle of women. Then we went inside and built a fire in the fireplace together and I read her the following letter I had written for her that day:

The Letter

Always remember, my Scorpio daughter, you are holy. Your female body is holy. Your blood is holy. Your rage, your passion and all of your strong emotions are holy. Your power is holy. Your sixth sense is holy. Your desires, your pleasure and your sexuality are holy. Your imagination is holy. Your dreams are holy. Your voice, your truth, your uniqueness is holy. Your mistakes are holy. Your tears are holy. Your happiness, your joy, your great love for yourself is holy.

Love,
Mom

Gifts from the Goddesses

Then came the gifts of precious stones, sea shells, beaded necklaces, earrings, silk scarves, ornamental boxes, journals and candles, that I’d been gathering for her, each one accompanied by a beautiful card with words of love and wisdom. Even my cynical, uncomfortable-with-all-things-bodily-and-spiritual teenage daughter was touched deeply by the heartfelt offerings from women around the world, many of whom she hadn’t even met.

No Goddess ritual is complete without chocolate, which we shared, watching the last glowing embers winking out. That night my daughter placed all of the stones under her pillow, falling asleep with the garnet amulet necklace in her hand over her heart. If only every month, women would honor ourselves like this, even in some small ceremonial way, we would be more in tune and at ease with the cycles of life flowing through us-knowing that nothing we need is outside of us-that we have and are all.

Bloodlines Testimonial

“Her veraciously honest storytelling allows the feminine power of the women in her stories to explode onto the page. Lisa’s gift with words is truly awe-inspiring and she exhibits a courageous commitment to the truth no matter where it leads. Hysterically funny, the tears that follow are steeped in the reality of how women live their lives. The simplicity of her storytelling feeds, the fire of reality and power of the women we in Bloodlines.”

- Mehta Halstead

“Bloodlines is a unique, edgy, truth telling piece of work. I saw aspects of myself in each of the characters. A compelling blend of blunt authenticity weaved with humor and mysticism makes this play a director’s playground and an actor’s feast!”

- Samantha

“I left the theater filled with a sense of mystery and power deep within me. The heroine from the wickedly funny story about a woman bleeding all over a corporation has been my ally in speaking up more for myself in my own job. Lisa is a rare voice that shouts with a rawness that can make you wince and at the same time move you closer to the sacred thread which ties all of life together.”

- Moriah Day