Mark your calendars!—I’m excited to announce that I am hosting an online gathering October 30 called Soul Waters Rising: An Appalachian Pause, to benefit Hurricane Helene-impacted Southern Appalachian communities & Mergoat Magazine, which covers Southern Appalachian ecologies on the cusp of catastrophe & futurity.
The many rivers & creeks that interlace the mountains & valleys of Western NC, East TN, & Southwest VA swelled to catastrophic levels as Helene dumped unimaginable amounts of the moisture from the now-exceptionally warm Gulf. Some 400 miles away from where the storm made landfall, countless homes, roads, & even whole towns were destroyed throughout our region. Lives have been lost & changed forever. The riparian ecosystems of the most biodiverse waters in the temperate world have suffered in ways we are still struggling to make sense of.
As the waters receded, our soul waters rose—in grief for these times & the ecological crises that are upon us, and in love for the land & for one another, with incredible passion for meeting this moment with care & new ways of being. As so much has come apart, Southern Appalachia has come together, ready to meet the unknown future with open hearts. My title is inspired by the work of Jaiya John who has said, “I love tears, I love crying, I love the soul water rising. …When we connect with ourselves, when we reunion home & when we reunion with each other in a pure way, that’s what naturally happens, the soul waters rise.”
This gathering will be a time to pause & collect wisdom, a time to honor our place & support our communities. I am also choosing to support Mergoat Magazine at this time because of the thought, vision, & attention with which they have met this moment. As our communities heal, we must also support those who care for our communal stories.
Please stay tuned for an announcement of the full lineup of guests & ticket info!
*Note: This gathering is not affiliated with Dr. John’s company Soul Water Rising. To learn more about his work, visit soulwater.org