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Perhaps the most common question I get from people is “how do we navigate the chaos and uncertainty of these times?” Truthfully, I’m trying to figure that out too. But here’s what I’m learning along the way:

• We don’t take it all on at once. The many accelerating crises we are facing are much to tackle all together.

• We are not alone. None of us can take this on by ourselves, nor do we have to. We are more powerful together than we are apart, and that is how we heal, organize, resist and reimagine. That is how we win.

• We keep listening for what’s needed. When we suspend our assumptions we can remain attuned to what is needed and respond accordingly.

• We remain centered. The forces of dominant culture will try to pull us in a million directions and pull us away from each other. We resist by rooting down, staying centered and reaching out for each other.

• We make space for joy. Joy is the nourishment of our movement. It is how we remember who we are and who we are to one another and why we won’t give up.

• We keep going. We don’t need to see the whole stair case. We just need to take it one step at a time…and keep moving towards the future that we all deserve.

Keep going ya’ll. We’ve got this.

Kerri (she/her)

Art by Ms.Bea.Kind

NTK (need to know)

• MAGA can be beaten, and in a way that opens the door to deep structural change. To find that path, we first need to look the MAGA danger square in the face. Nothing can be changed until it is faced.

• While Old Power is trying to win the game, New Power is pointing out that the players themselves may be compromised and demanding a whole new set of rules. In a world of shifting power.

• This is the New Right’s strategic plan: a relentless push to re-establish and strengthen the straight, cis, patriarchal, white supremacist power structure. America, this is the battle for the next century.

• Get ready for a seismic shift in public land management ― after centuries ff stealing land, the U.S. govt is actually inviting tribes to help manage it.

• John Oliver discusses psychedelic assisted therapy: its history, its potential, and what it has to do with A$AP Rocky’s relationship to rainbows. Must see Last Week Tonight segment.

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SOLIDARITY

Just two weeks after more than 46,000 people were killed by a pair of powerful earthquakeshttps://www.thecut.com/2023/02/how-to-help-the-people-of-turkey-and-syria.html that struck Turkey and Syria in early February, sending the region into a massive recovery effort amid brutal winter weather, another earthquake has hit Turkey, leaving at least 13 dead and over 200 injured. Here are some trusted organizations to donate to:

Humanitarian Aid: White Helmets, also known as the Syria Civil Defense organization, is on the ground in Syria trying to rescue those under the rubble and recover the dead from collapsed buildings. Donate here.

Medical Relief: Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) works on the front lines of Syrian crisis relief. Donate here.

Art: Karam Foundation, Source: The Cut & Karam Foundation

WHAT WE ❤️

It seems like everywhere you turn these days folks are talking about the magic of plant medicine. Of course, more often than not, we’re hearing about it from white wellness influencers who have discovered the latest wellness trend. But while plant medicine is new to many, it is not NEW (it has indigenous ceremonial origins). The most recent renaissance comes with cautionary tales - from the complex history of psychedelic research to the war on drugs to pending pharmaceutical patents. But it also comes with potential as there has been promising research on its affects on people suffering with addiction, depression and PTSD. And it is looking more and more likely that some psychedelic assisted therapy will gain approval from the FDA in the coming years. John Oliver hilariously breaks down the pitfalls and possibilities of plant medicine in this episode of Last Week Tonight.

Art by @marcoschinart

WE-NESS

You are.

Words and wisdom by Lama Rod Owens

Thanks for subscribing to WELLREAD. For the last six years we’ve been providing folks with the need to know (NTK) news, calls to actions and resources for how to stay engaged and resourced along the way. But now, we’ve added an option to “upgrade to paid” to help sustain our work. While we will never put our content behind a pay wall, we depend on the support of our community to keep us going. 💛

Upgrade to Paid