The divine feminine

¡Viva Mexico!, art exhibit & kombucha

Author

Rocio L
September 13, 2025

In collaboration with skin by Corrinne

¡Viva Mexico! 🪅

This puente weekend the city will be drenched in green, white, and red — mariachi in the plazas, fireworks cracking till dawn, pozole pots bubbling, and cohetes making sure nobody sleeps. CDMX does Independence Day like no other, and whether you’re in the middle of it all or watching from your balcony, it’s impossible not to get swept up in the energy.

But amid the celebrations, today we’re slowing down for something more soulful: a guest post from Karen Kinney, an award-winning author and internationally-exhibited artist. Her upcoming exhibit explores the divine feminine — that sacred space where creativity, spirituality, and expression meet.

If CDMX IYKYK has ever helped you uncover a gem, navigate the chaos, or just feel more connected to this city, consider buying me a cafecito (or two). Every cup fuels the writing, curating, and cultural decoding that goes into each issue — and keeps this project alive with puro corazón.

✨ On to today’s edition, where fiesta meets feminine divine…

– Rocio
Founder, Life of Leisure 
Writer, Mexico News Daily 

GUEST STORY

The Sacred Feminine: A solo exhibition by Karen Kinney

My creative process has been intricately connected to the divine feminine for many years, but it is only recently that I’ve begun using this language to describe this energetic relationship. In an art exhibit opening September 18th, I’ll be showcasing two bodies of work that represent two distinct eras in my life—one lived by the ocean in Los Angeles and the other lived in the vibrant metropolis of Mexico City. These two eras encompass different geographies and life stages, but they are both lived experiences of feminine energy. 

The two bodies of artwork reflect a deepening reimagining of a world where the feminine is not only valued, but seen as sacred. The dominant culture is in need of realignment and the feminine is uniquely gifted to reorient us and foster a greater sense of balance and wholeness. Each drawing and collage in the series explores regenerative and nuanced ways of being and experiencing our surroundings—things like curiosity, organic growth, comfortability with the unknown, rebirth, and sustainability. Energetically, they speak of a new way forward.

These energies belong to all of us, regardless of gender. They are universal traits. And, in contrast to patriarchal norms that prioritize linear movement, black and white thinking, and top-down authority systems, the sacred feminine returns us to the collective, to mutual honor, and to valuing intuition and fluidity.

In my current book-in-progress, I am exploring why feminine spirituality is necessary for restoring stability and bringing healing to our world. The art in this exhibit is a direct output of what I am writing in the book, and in many ways the creative process of making the art has been the genesis of the ideas I am called to write about.

One of the things I share through my writing is that reclaiming the feminine does not mean dominating the patriarchal system that precedes it. Dominating is the nature of the patriarchy and does not support humanity or the planet. Instead, the divine feminine calls us to usher in equilibrium. It invites us to build something qualitatively different that is ultimately about partnership, which is both/and in nature, not either/or.

The work of the divine feminine is to bring to the forefront what has gone missing in the culture, in our daily lives, and in our spirituality and to heal what we have ostracized. In doing so, we give ourselves the opportunity to experience the full spectrum of both our humanity and our divinity. For the human soul is both masculine and feminine (and beyond), and the fullness of life lies in the sacred balancing and inclusion of all energies.

Through both writing and art, I portray feminine energy as sacred with the hope of enriching our knowledge of self, deconstructing internalized patriarchal norms, and restoring harmony to what is out of balance in our world.

The art exhibit is entitled “The Sacred Feminine” and the opening is September 18th, 7pm at Hashtag Gallery in Condesa (Av Benjamin Franklin 151-A). Find more information here.

Written by: Karen Kinney

IN COLLABORATION WITH

Your skin deserves a moment. Book today to experience high quality skin treatments

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CULTURE & HAPPENINGS

Want your event featured? IYKYK is published around the 15th and 30th of each month. Please send the internet link to the specific event you would like to include 3 days prior to these dates.

DID YOU KNOW?

That chilcuague (pronounced cheel-KWAH-geh), known as the “gold root,” is native to central Mexico and has been used since pre-Hispanic times by indigenous communities to treat everything from toothaches and sore throats to cuts and insect bites? You can still find it today in mercados sold as roots (I’ve bought it on Mercado Medellin) or even in spray form (trickier to find).

ROCIO RECOMMENDS

Taller Vivo Kombuchería in Condesa. I’m a kombucha fan, but also super picky. Last year at Lago Algo I discovered the best kombucha I’d had in the city — a brand called Simbia — but I never saw it in stores or cafes. Fast forward to now: a tiny shop opened right by my apartment, and surprise: the owner, Lucía, is the genius behind my favorite brew. At Taller Vivo, she crafts small-batch kombucha along with kimchi and sauerkraut. My go-to flavors? White tea and honey.

VIRAL VAULT

Why CDMX IYKYK?
Because staying in the know shouldn’t require 12 tabs, 5 group chats, and a rabbit hole of IG accounts. I created this newsletter to help fellow expats, digital nomads, and the Mexican diaspora feel more connected to life in Mexico — not just the highlights, but the context behind them too.

As someone who spent her childhood in Mexico and came of age across borders, I bring cultural insight that goes beyond translation. This isn’t just curated info; it’s grounded in lived experience, curiosity, and cariño for the motherland.

Whether you’re in Mexico City for a few months or forever, I hope this space helps you navigate, appreciate, and engage more deeply with the city we’re lucky to call home.

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Hasta luego!