Altar Ego: A Practice for Liberating the Selves Within

In addition to my work as a birth doula and childbirth educator, I've also co-founded a non-denominational church for artists, Church of Soft Power, where I hold free gatherings centered on connecting with our creativity.

I believe creativity is an extension of birthing and I often talk about the ways birthing as a process is not exclusive to children.

Studying Taoist mysticism in recent years only affirmed this intuitive discovery and linking up with my co-founders who come from backgrounds in the fine arts, choral music, academia, and trauma research has birthed a really special place for artists of all backgrounds to remember the spiritual roots of our creativity.

Co-founding Soft Power has nurtured my leadership, discipline, teamwork, and communication in ways I needed in order to uncover my calling and step into my lane as Mother of PEARL. And it's because of the community built there that I've been able to build the resilience and confidence to revive my business in its current form.

Today I'd like to share with you the framework that has helped me juggle all of these roles as a birth-worker and church founder on top of being a mother, family member, and friend: Altar Ego.

According to Dr. Kiki, creator of the concept and curriculum:

"An Altar Ego is a character, identity, or aspect of Self who is wanting to be loved and liberated through creative expression."

On the surface, Altar Ego is a playful way to try on different vibes & aesthetics, but it's so much deeper than that.

It's parts work, it's drag, it's freeing the multitudes within me in a place where they are safe and free of judgment. A practice of not suppressing pieces of my personality that could otherwise consume or destroy me.

As someone who navigated running a business at the same time as massive personal change, Altar Ego has really transformed my ability to show up for my clients while still showing up for myself and having fun along the way.

Meet My Altar Egos

Luna Sea

Luna Sea was my first Altar Ego / drag persona. She was a necessary expression of the inner lover girl that entered into marriage and motherhood hopeful and naive, only to leave humiliated by her failures. Having a lot of shame and embarrassment to process looking back at my marriage, Luna Sea gave me a chance to be in on the joke. Turning myself into a clown was a way to take the power back in my own story.

Mother of PEARL

Mother of PEARL aka Mother of Parents Emerging As Radical Leaders, runs my birth and spirit work business. When the pressures of work feel like too much or I catch myself slipping into over-caretaking, I summon her (I have a specific color in my mood lighting lol) & she holds me through my emotional waves so I can get back to being the business woman myself, my son & my community need me to be. She holds my lore and reminds me it's all part of my bigger journey to model self trust & harness my power.

Shay Wu

Shay Wu is the priestess version of me that is a guardian of the Church of Soft Power. She is fiercely devoted to building sanctuary for queer & trans artists and there is no one that could keep her from her mission. She helps me stay boundaried and in integrity with my values.

Freeing all of these Altar Egos has created more room in my body to just be Siobhan — a community doula and mystic in San Francisco unlearning chaos and discovering the beauty in living in the present while tending to my local village as a mother, auntie, daughter, sister, friend, & neighbor.

It's been so cool to have Dr. Kiki work her professor magic and include my birthing framework in this innovative performing arts curriculum where artists of all backgrounds, identities, and experience levels are birthing their Altar Egos on our virtual stage.

I'd love for you to witness these Altar Egos, feel the energy of creative debut, and maybe even glimpse the parts of yourself that are ready to be born too. Check out The Debut: An Altar Ego Variety on Soft Power TV to meet The Wu Priestesses and watch the culmination of our 8 week program with 16 performers taking the virtual stage. And if you want to check out the Altar Ego program, get on Soft Power’s e-mail list to join a future cohort.