lake words

hello friends–

first, we want to offer our deepest gratitude to everyone who came out to our launch party for vol ii of lake words.

it was a sweet night with readings from several different contributors, songs, dancing, and connection. and we distributed every copy of vol ii that we had–over 100 books!

if you weren’t able to attend, or weren’t able to get a book, you’re in the right place. we will post on this blog when a second print run is available. make sure you’ve signed up for our newsletter and confirmed your email address.

the point of our gathering wasn’t just distribute books. at our launch party, we committed to donating 25% of profits to Wuda Ogwa, a Shoshone cultural restoration site on the shores of the Bear River, and another 25% to buying e-sims for Palestinians as they undergo genocide at the hands of Israel and the US. e-sims help people stay connected to loved ones. thanks to your generosity, we were able to distribute $150 to Wuda Ogwa and another $150 towards buying e-sims.

we recognize this disaster started with colonization. so when we say defend the great salt lake, we’re also saying land back. and when we say land back, we’re also saying free Palestine.

these donations are one way that we engage in relationships of material solidarity with people envisioning and fighting for liberated futures worldwide.

we believe that robust, purpose-filled relationships with human and more-than-human kin are the number one component in being able to withstand what is coming. this party was another way we hope to build relationships of material solidarity.

however, while we do believe in material relationships, we’re not materialists. since you all showed us the magic in book one, we wanted to be very explicit about imagining this second volume as a spell for three things:

1 – deftly woven relationships

2 – defense and protection of the great salt lake 

3 – presence to be with what is happening. 

we want to be very clear that we don’t think magic and good vibes will save the lake. but do believe in Dion Fortune’s version of a spell*, which is changing consciousness at will. and we believe in movement ecosystems–the lake denies no river, every channel flows towards the same shoreline. we need many forms of action, art, and movement to disrupt the path of destruction we are on.

the casting went like this:

upon arrival, we had everyone take a rock that had been gathered from the shore of the lake that day. once we started speakers, our friend Rikki facilitated a song where people could place their intentions of love and protection into the rock. rocks, our oldest record keepers.

we then listened to the contributors read. we heard stories of resistance and survival, poems of imagination and creativity. the rocks grew warm in our palms and pockets.

on the altar, we had a clear vessel of lake water. and after the contributors read their pieces, we invited everyone to put their rock into the vase. there was one condition: you can’t go to the water alone.

throughout the rest of the night, as we danced and celebrated, we watched people approach– hand in hand, in big groups, cheering and singing, –and place their rocks in the water. and the water level rose.

to close the spell, Mica, milo and I (Adrian), took the water and the rocks, full of togetherness and intention and presence, back to the lake. we offered our love with song and poem. you can see the video below.

the spell is open but unbroken. the magic continues to work. volume ii continues to circulate, spreading its imaginative, transformative work.

may we move into transformation with grace and robust capacity to keep looking. keep holding.

*at the party and in an earlier version of this post, we attributed this quote to Starhawk, another Wiccan author. we are grateful for your understanding as we correct our error and give credit to Dion Fortune for her words.