My joy is not surrender
But a battle cry for love.
(from my poem, “The Crack.”)
Joy is how I am justifying writing about whiskey barrels during a time of national emergency. My guilt does no one any favors, so joy it is. This does not mean I am deaf to the suffering here and abroad. On the contrary, I feel it acutely, as I expect you do too. The abundance of cruelty, and the resulting misery, make it a challenge to write about my own priviledged journeys. But focusing on what is good in this world also becomes a necessity which makes me determined to fight for joy – for all of us.
Here are the promised whiskey barrels on a VERY cold and windy day on the west coast of Ireland! I had imagined a tranquil spa, but no, the Wild Atlantic Seaweed baths offered an elemental experience of biting rain and roiling waves. Quite a contrast to crossing the Sahara Desert with my same Cousin Kate which you can read about in A Slice of Orange: loving and leaving the Osho/Rajneesh cult (to be published by Unsolicited Press, 12/26). Many years later, I was determined to take another road trip with Cousin Kate as we pondered future book tours. The elemental magic of Ireland restored my spirit as the seaweed offered its slime to my hair!
Now that the cover is out (thanks Leah Meddaoui), Slice has been getting around. Here she is in the hills of Ireland’s Dingle Peninsula. No AI is used in the shot below!
Part of my trip involved picking up the original artwork for my upcoming book, Plant Talk. Cousin Caroline (Kate’s sister) is the talented artist who created a portrait of every plant in the book. Meet Water Lily. Bringing the artwork home was one more step in the publication journey.
Then it was a trip to Montréal, Canada to present on “Somatic Psychotherapy and Cult Recovery” at the International Cultic Studies Association conference where people from around the world shared research, performance art, healing strategies and personal experiences to help free the world from coercive control.
It was a pleasure to apply what I have learned in my 23 years as a Somatic Experiencing (SE) practitioner to address the trauma that results from coercive control. SE is about recovering the freedom and spontaneity that our bodies (and spirits) need to thrive and that authoritarian power structures attempt to destroy. My presentation was met with a full room and an enthusiastic reception. Many thanks to those of you who were there.
Conferences are a great place to meet people. Center is Anke Richter, author of Cult Trip, and primary originator of the Decult conference in New Zealand. On the right (and holding the appropriate T-shirt) is Cathrine Moesque, psychologist, journalist, author and advocate whose Little Bit Culty podcast episode is available HERE.
A shout out to those willing to brave the McGill residence with me (it was greatly in need of paint, but we supplied the cheer.) Centeis Gerette Buglion, author of An Everyday Cult, and psychologist Esther Friedman, author of The Gentle Souls Revolution. Together with poet and Clinical Social Worker, Carrie Buddington they pooled their expertise and creativity to provide “Edutainment” (Esther’s word) using personal performances to educate on indoctrination and recovery. Creativity really seems integral to the healing process!
This is just a glimpse of the many attendees and presenters from around the world who both touched and “edutained” me – thanks ICSA!
And thanks to the friends and family – of all species – who welcomed me in the UK and Canada and reminded me that, whatever we feel, we are never alone but part of this vast living network. Meet Rosie. And the old rocks that soothe me along with the trees and the vines.
I got home to San Diego in time for the No Kings demonstration and found my voice – as a mime! Let me introduce Nico. A job I held in Vancouver in the 70s, under the name of Leela, meaning play. I thought the rollers in the hair were a nice touch. I felt relieved and empowered to find the right message.
Wishing kindness to you and to all of us!
Nicola
