This week we are listening to plants and synthesizers.
And we are calling back our power.
Risa brings an angry feminist armed with brain scans. Science has had some blind spots that would be funny if they weren't so devastating, and Dr. Lisa Mosconi has got the receipts. Dr. Lisa is expansive in this episode of the Rich Roll podcast (a podcast dedicated to self-optimization, which throws up some control-related red flags for us, Huberman-style, so heads up: so far, we are just here for Dr. Lisa.) She shares contemporary research into how brain chemistry is affected by pregnancy and menopause. One of the takeaways is that deepening our relationship with plants, especially fruits, can help carry us through.
One self-prescription for this season is to luxuriate in fruit. Let yourself be seduced by colour, generous sweetness, and the way fruit makes itself desirable and delicious so that animals will seek it out and spread its seeds. Ease your beloved bones on a velvet chaise lounge (or similar) and feed yourself grapes, berries, persimmons... dare to eat a peach! Know that you are tending to your wisest future crone self, and thereby to a profound source of no-fucks given power in the universe.
A second science podcast recommendation this week; we are science-loving Witches over here, we love experiments and theories at the unknown edges. The Body Electric Challenge + Podcast from NPR invites us to take 5 minute breaks from screens and from being sedentary every 25 minutes. This small intervention clears brain fog, reduces blood sugar spikes, eases anxiety and depression, and more. This 5 min break could look like a gentle walk around the office or on a treadmill. It could look very non-threatening and professional if you need it to. But if you are in a space where you can be free, remember: we are calling the energy back into our hands, our spines, our fingers, our thighs. We are not looking for productivity hacks, we are not trying to be more efficient machines. We are Witches opening up space in our days, bodies, and imaginations for the seeds of collective joyful liberation to take root.
And so for us, the prescription is 5-minute dance breaks to Donna Summer's I Feel Love. Imagine Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder, and Pete Bellotte experimenting with the Moog synthesizer. Imagine them conjuring the sound of the future, and filling it with the feeling of Love.
Amy, coincidentally, also prescribes a Moog pioneer, but this week, needing a bit of a break from people, turns to music created for plants.
She comes bearing 'warm earth music for plants and the people who love them'. Mother Earth's Plantasia is an electronic album by Mort Garson that Amy describes as elevator music if the elevator were going to Fairyland. Play these songs for your houseplants, or take them outside to coax the grass up from beneath the last of the snow. As spring unfolds, let's think on our relationship to vegetation, greenery, flora (and funga!) Let's make songs for them and rejoice in gratitude for their being.
More music from Mort Garson suggests that every cell has a soul. Can synthesizers connect us to our cellular spirituality? Do each of our senses have a seed where love has been planted? Can we see our world, our bodies, our gardens as a Cathedral of Pleasure? We think so!
Through the stained glass windows of my eyes
The wonders of my world
Come pouring in
I feel life singing through me
With all the music
Of the heaven that there's ever been
My body is a cathedral of pleasure
In every cell I have a soul
And every nerve I have a need
Each of my senses has a seed
Where love has been planted
And you, dear, will grow
Because I know
I can feel
On the sacred altar of my skin
The candles are your hands
Which give me light
The simple words of love
Are prayers I offer
To the spirit
Of my holy love
My body is a cathedral of pleasure
I believe in the color of eyes
The wild whisper of hair
The honeyed flavor of a mouth
I believe that "love" is the one answer worth receiving
To help us get there, check out If We're Witches, Be Witches Then with two friends whom we love and admire so much: Zoe Flowers was a guest on this week's episode of Granddaughter Crow's new podcast Belief, Being, & BEYOND!
This week, sing to colour, sing to fruit, sing to plants, sing to rest, sing to cells, and sing to being a witch. Sing your body electric.
Coven Invites
Open Book Astrology: Total Eclipse (RSVP)
Sunday, Mar 31, 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM EDT
Hosted by Risa: "This is an invite to a collaborative course / conversation about Astrology! Beginners are very welcome, let's be curious together! I'm interested in your thoughts on the astrology of eclipses in general, and this total eclipse coming up in April in particular. We can also share what we know about our charts, how to find out more, choosing events in your life to look at from the perspective of astrology, readings that have impacted you or informed your practice, questions or doubts you have, etc. Really wide open, really looking forward to talking with you all about the stars."
Witch Bodies Support Group: Magic for Dealing and/or Healing (RSVP)
Sunday, Mar 31, 4:00 PM - 05:00 PM EDT
Hosted by Avnas: "Let's see what it's like to have a support group for any and all of us who are dealing with illnesses (chronic or acute) and disabling conditions--and who use or want to use magical approaches to deal, and (if appropriate, in some cases), to heal. How do we create spells and other magical workings, resolve, resilience, and possibilities for ourselves in these situations, as witches? I know this is not very well said, but I have a vision of us pooling knowledge as well as emotional support. Perhaps we can co-create a thing like this? Let's agree to hold ourselves and each other with gentleness, respect, and privacy as we explore the ideas that might make this work. All ideas welcome! Blessed fucking be!"
Meditation Group (RSVP)
Sunday, Mar 31, 8:00 PM - 08:45 PM EDT
Join us each Sunday evening to ground and clear your mind for the week ahead. Sessions will be 15-20 minutes with time to chat afterwards. I look forward to sitting with you!
WEAVERS ONLY: Co-Working Cauldron (RSVP)
Monday, Apr 11, 2:00 PM - 01:00 PM EDT
Weavers, jump in and see what's bubbling! Bring a concrete question to this ridiculously badass collective, or a desire just to simmer together, all is welcome at the Cauldron.
Writing Circle - Sharing and Workshop (RSVP)
Tuesday, Apr 2, 7:00 PM - 09:00 PM EDT
Hosted by Em: "As always, bring any writing or any ideas for a piece you'd like to share and/or workshop with the group! For ease of sharing, please type or copy your piece into a google doc and set sharing settings to "anyone with link" so everyone can follow along 📝
As with previous circles, we'll go around the circle introducing ourselves to warm up the space and our voices. Now that we’re in the season of Spring and Aries’ fire is warming us, I want to know what inspires you to write! What sparks are catching for you? 🔥
After intros, anyone who wants to share a piece is welcome to! If you don't want feedback but just want to share your words, that is also welcome 🙌
If you want to join as an audience member and don't have a piece to bring, you are still absolutely welcome! But the more voices and work we get to hear, the better! Be brave with us! We would love to hear what you're working on ✨."
Folktales for Resistance and Re-enchantment (RSVP)
Wednesday, Apr 3, 8:00 PM - 09:00 PM EDT
There are countless myths and folktales about seekers being sent on Impossible Quests. Finding the way to accomplish the impossible quest is a rite of passage that changes the world of the seeker. It occurred to Deb that these myths offer us clues for a world that faces seemingly impossible challenges. We are collectively undergoing a rite of passage, the impossible birthing of a new world. In this course, Risa and Deb will bring examples of impossible tasks or quests in mythology and folklore, and we invite you to bring your own.
Together we will free-write in response to these stories of radical overcoming, in order to work on collectively seeding and resourcing our ability to survive these times.
Can you think of someone who might like.. all this? (She said, gesticulating wildly.) Forward them this email with all our love! Introduce your witchy friends to each other and let's give each other hope + community.
Blessed Fucking BE!
Risa + Amy
