Tues- Out of the Broom Closet // Wed- HUFF // Thurs- @ Brkfst & More!

-Tuesday, March 14th, 6-9pm: Out of the Broom Closet (explorations at the intersection of spirit, magic and politics)- Plant Magic: The Wild and Hidden, the Rhythm of Relationship, and Support in Cycles https://www.facebook.com/events/718055865039519/

    (from host) I am interested in exploring ways we can have greater and more intentional contact with plants and other allies throughout the year, through various practices, rituals, and preparations.  My hope is that we can name our respective and collective medicines, inspirations, anchors, and friends and uncover the rhythm to which they dance in and out of our lives. // I am interested in exploring the potency of the subtle and hidden: Dreams, Stories, Attunement/Meditation, Visions, and Essences. // I am interested in experimenting with visual tools to remind us of the foods, medicine, and support we have available to us throughout the seasons. I plan to provide material to help facilitate this activity during our gathering time.

Below are links for two really amazing audio files on the topics of Magic and Medicine for Collective Liberation by Dori Midnight and Wild Plants for Food and Medicine in Seasonal Cycles by Heron Brae.  Both of these presentations have been powerfully inspiring to me these last few months and I'd really like to share the tools embedded within them with all of you.

I invite everyone to bring dried plants, essences, tinctures, photos, teabags, drawings, or any other item that is connected to the medicine, food, or inspiration in each season for you.  (For Example Winter: Dried hawthorn berries Spring: Nettle vinegar Summer: A drawing of strawberries Fall: Bay nuts) My hope is to craft an altar together and to share a bit about our respective relationships to these beings. //  I think it would be interesting to consider not only when we are harvesting or tending these plants or when they are blooming or fruiting but also when we lean on them most.  Lets discuss seasons within a bioregional/ecological/agricultural/herbal framework and within a personal framework. // Who do you lean on when it's been dumping buckets of rain for many days and nights and all of the clothes in the back of your truck reek of mold?

 During our gathering I'd like to offer Plant Attunement/engagement through: Smoke// Tea // Essence // With each I'd like to take a few minutes to listen in and feel how each way of preparing or interacting with the plant effects our body and then discuss.

 So here's the order of activities:  6:00-6:30- Introduce altar items and build altar together // 6:30-6:45- 1st Attunement and Discussion (essence) // 6:45-7:45- Discussion of the Audio Presentations // 7:45-8:00- 2nd Plant attunement and discussion (smoke) // 8:00-8:45- Personal Calendar/Seasonal Medicine Visual Aide (Arts and Crafts!) // 8:45-9:00- Final Plant Attunement, Discussion and Closing (tea)

-1. Presentation by Dori Midnight Magic and Medicine For Collective Liberation https://soundcloud.com/dori-midnight/dreaming-ourselves-free-magic-and-medicine-for-collective-liberation About Dori Midnight "Dori Midnight practices community- based intuitive healing with roots in traditional folk healing & magic, plant and stone medicine and anti-oppression practices. Drawing on her training as a clinical herbalist and interfaith minister, as well as her mixed ancestral heritage, Dori's work is grounded in self-determinism, collective liberation, and the belief that healing ourselves is inseparable from healing our communities and the planet."
-2. Presentation by Heron Brae Wild Plants for Food and Medicine in Seasonal Cycles http://freeherbalismproject.com/podcast/2015/5/5/heron-brae-wild-plants-for-food-and-medicine-in-the-seasonal-cycles About Heron Brae "Heron is a northwest-born botanist, herbalist, and wildcrafter, fervently loyal to her bioregion and passionate about teaching and learning. She sees it as her mission to teach people skills to change our worldviews from one of alienation to one of connection with nature through deep knowledge of place."

-Wednesday, March 15th , 10:30am-2pm:  Open Hours and HUFF meeting

    Come on by SubRosa and see what's going on around town or check out a book from the @ library or purchase a zine or book.  Also at SubRosa at the same time, HUFF meeting, https://www.facebook.com/HUFFSantaCruz, HUFF is Santa Cruz's oldest and most stubbornly persistent grass roots homeless advocacy group.

-Thursday, March 16th:  All through the day...

    9am: Rise up and Shine: Rasin' BrAnarchy- An Anarchist Breakfast //

    An informal anarchist breakfast for those who rise up early. Current events discussion, baked goods, coffee, and our weekly early anarchist poll. 

    2-6pm:  Open Hours! 
    Come on by SubRosa and see what's going on around town or check out a book from the @ library or purchase a zine or book.

and a sneak peak of an event to come...
 

-Wednesday, March 29, 7-9pm:  poelitics: 3 Vancouver poets + guests

Danielle LaFrance - http://talonbooks.com/authors/danielle-lafrance
Donato Mancini - http://talonbooks.com/authors/donato-mancini
Anahita Jamali Raad - http://talonbooks.com/authors/anahita-jamali-rad

and...

David Lau - https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poets/detail/david-lau
Eric Sneathan - https://www.poetryproject.org/people/eric-sneathen/

A night of poetic politic with three visiting poets from Vancouver, Canada, plus special local guests.

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Other Happenings Around Town:
 

-Thursday, March 16th at 8:30am, Department 2 at the Santa Cruz Superior Court, 701 Ocean Street in Santa Cruz // DAMN (Direct Action Monterey Network) member Max was arrested a few weeks ago by Santa Cruz police for his involvement in the Freedom Sleepers sleep-outs in front of Santa Cruz City Hall, which occurs every week. // Please join Max and supporters at Max's court date to show your support and to demand that the charges are dropped!