Minerva's Muse Vol. 29

Minerva’s Muse is a column of inspiration named after the Roman goddess of creativity, wisdom, medicine, and craft. I believe that inspiration and creativity belong to the collective, and are meant to be shared, so if any of the following inspires you, please feel free share it with others!

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Listen…

A magical all-women singing trio has emerged in Crestone, thanks to my lovely friend Nanette, who’s agreed to take the lead. Despite spending my entire childhood, adolescence, and teenage years singing and performing, during my twenties, this activity vanished from my life. Like so many authentic interests I’ve worked to reclaim over the past few years, my relationship to singing is wrought with complex emotional and psychological patterns in need of new narratives. Singing harmony alongside two beloved friends, next to a fire, in this magical little mountain town I now call home, has been a lovely way to begin again.

One song we’ve started to learn is called “The Lost Words Blessing,” which is inspired by Robert Mcfarlane’s poetry that he wrote in honor of words describing the natural world that disappeared from the Junior Oxford dictionary.

This song, and the poetry, are gorgeous.

Read…

The real question is: Why would a person rather have an enemy than a conversation? Why would they rather see themselves as harassed and transgressed instead of have a conversation that could reveal them as an equal participant in creating conflict? There should be a relief in discovering that one is not being persecuted, but actually, in the way we have misconstrued these responsibilities, sadly the relief is in confirming that one has been “victimized.” It comes with the relieving abdication of responsibility.

This past month for our book club we read Sarah Schulman’s Conflict is Not Abuse. It was phenomenal, and so relevant and refreshing. The book centers on the human tendency to blame, shun, exile, and attack as a result of confusing normative conflict with abuse. Schulman explains how these behaviors prevent understanding and healing, and reinforce self-delusion.

If you weren’t able to join us this past month, I still encourage you to give this one a read. To join our book club, click here to see what we’re reading over the next several months, and for instructions about how to sign up.

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Watch…

For years, up until 2021, a spiritual cult called “Love Has Won” occupied a house on the outskirts of Crestone. The cult was started by Amy Carlson, who was known by her followers as “Mother God.” While the members remained disconnected from the local community, their presence felt like a looming shadow. In 2021, Amy Carlson died in California, and her body was illegally transported back to Crestone, where her mummified corpse was discovered by police.

HBO has a new documentary about the cult, which is surprisingly well-done. When trauma meets intellectual ignorance and new age spirituality, Love Has Won happens. This three-part series is a sobering look at what unfolds when someone becomes delusional, and surrounds themselves with people who reinforce that delusion, even when the delusional person starts to question themselves.

Watch here.

A TEDx talk by Chris Jordan, “Can beauty save our planet?” I found this deeply validating and inspiring.

Look…

Very into David Allen’s rock art arch structures. Can’t stop thinking about all the weird art/infrastructure projects I want to do here in Crestone.

Click here to see more of Allen’s work.

Donate…

Since ending the podcast, I’ve been writing like crazy for Crestone’s local newspaper, The Crestone Eagle. The paper’s budget is extremely small, and I’m essentially volunteering, but it feels damn good to be contributing to something that I find valuable. It’s become abundantly clear to me that objective, unbiased information is essential to the formation and sustainability of cohesive communities. If you have the means to donate, please consider donating to The Crestone Eagle this month.

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