mycelial movement that builds communities
I'm in decompression mode, after Mystic South Conference last weekend. I don't go to big events these days, for a lot of reasons. One is that it takes a LOT of recovery time. So I'm moving slow for a couple of weeks.
During which time it's easiest for my inner critic to tell me nothing is happening, that I need to be more productive.
But that's capitalist white supremacy talk, so it's important that I give myself the actual narrative.
And the actual narrative is that connections and communities are mycelial, as in mycelia, which are essentially the roots of mushrooms and fungi. Mushrooms are the great communicators, the networks of plants and forests.
The mycelial networks are underground, out of our sight. But yet so powerful that forests are dependent on them.
And I've come to see my own connections similarly. The more I find meaningful connections, the more that can happen out of my sight, without direct observation.
For example, I'm months overdue in sharing that copies of Still Moving are at The Crazy Book Lady. This bookstore's stock is nearly all consignment, which means prices are supremely reasonable. There's also a ROBUST event calendar (3 webpages worth!), which I find really impressive. I've gone to the monthly tarot gathering.
Naturally, I'm honored that another bookstore has my book on the shelves. But I'm especially happy to be in a space so dedicated to building community.
Because books are mycelia. Live gatherings are mycelia. And mycelia are the medicine we need in fractured times.
A few months ago, I was a guest on Come to the Brink with Zoe Flowers. This podcast is a a space for those of us navigating profound life changes—loss, trauma, caregiving, and transformation It’s about the moment or moments when everything we thought was solid crumbles, and we are forced to rebuild. Come to the Brink airs every Tuesday and features caretakers, therapists, artists, authors, community leaders, and healers because none of us should be standing on the brink alone!
This experience brought me so much lightness and joy, and I'm so excited that the episode will be available on July 22nd, on all platforms. I posted a clip on IG, and there'll be a few more between now and the release date.
So, I'm reminding myself of the mycelial connections, that things are happening even when I need to rest and recover.
I'm also glad I already scheduled some events for August, before I needed this decompression time. Local folks, see below for a writing workshop, sound medicine, and a book fair!
In the summer sweat,
S.
she/they
Still Moving ~ memoir of my first 3 years of Long Covid
sync. fire. ~ concept album about synchronous fireflies
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Upcoming events:
~ Blackstrap Psychic Fair on August 3rd – 1:1 sound sessions
~ Writing with Oracles on August 13th – workshop
~ Soundbath at StorieBrook on August 20th – soundbath
~ Acworth Book & Storytelling Festival on August 23rd – books & music
More details here.