Ampersand Gazette #23
Welcome to the Ampersand Gazette, a metaphysical take on the news of the day. If you know others like us, who want to create a world that includes and works for everyone, please feel free to share this newsletter. The sign-up is here. And now, on with the latest …
“[Baldwin Lee] framed [his photographs] in a way that most often features, within the surroundings of brutal poverty, human beings whose expression, gesture or stance insists on their own profound dignity. On a self that is irreducible and irreplaceable.”
from a Guest Opinion piece by Margaret Renkl
in The New York Times “Baldwin Lee Is One of Those Artists Who Teach Us To See”
October 31, 2022
“Their own profound dignity.”
If you’ve been even half-aware of the political circus of the last few weeks in the United States, you already know that said profound dignity was rare on the ground, wasn’t it? The media drooling got dramatic enough that I quit reading anything political. It just wasn’t worth wading through what the speculation would cost.
Then comes this wonderful piece by southern nature writer Margaret Renkl, citing images of humans who, in a captured momentary expression, gentle gesture, or solid stance insists, mind you, insists on their own profound dignity.
This is why, Beloved, I maintain, and will until the day I die (and probably beyond) that each one of us is an Integrity—a wholeness unto ourselves—which is not now, nor ever was, flawed, problematic, damaged or any other ego-driven lie we decide to glom onto.
The word dignity sources in Latin. It comes from roots meaning worthy. And that’s the thing so many Americans have lost sight of right now. Each one of us, in our own way, is worthy … of dignity, of respect, of consideration. Each one. And until we all behave in a way that indicates we believe this, we’ll lurch around from extreme to extreme.
I don’t know about you, but I’m over the lurching. Way over it. Lurching R [Not] Us.
When we deny anyone the dignity they are due, simply for being alive and having a self—which, as Ms. Renkl notes, is “irreducible and irreplaceable”—we refuse to acknowledge their very humanity. Each time we do this, we get farther and farther away from our own. And so, when we lose sight of our own integrity, it’s hard to acknowledge the integrity of others.
Not to mention the notion of approaching what wordmagic poetess Laurel Airica says is what all humans are: omnificent. The next time you’re tempted to ignore your own integrity in order to place a cheap, momentary judgment on another human who is generally, like you, doing the best they can with what they’ve got right now, stop. Listen carefully.
You’ll hear my voice whispering: You’re omnificent. Remember.
And then instead of the dismissal in whatever you were doing to do with that other irreducible and irreplaceable self, whisper to that precious dignified integrity, “You’re omnificent. Remember?”
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“I am sickened by the attack on Paul Pelosi, Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband; I am heartbroken that this is where we have devolved to in this country.
“It is past time for clearheaded Americans, no matter their political party, to stand up and say, “No more!”
“We must find ways to come together, support one another with
out prejudice, and build the coalitions that reject violence, rhetoric, manipulation and the dehumanization of one another.
“No political party in this country is without responsibility for where we are, but one party clearly advocates division, disrespect, violence and the destruction of our democracy.
“So much easier to create an enemy than build community. So much easier to perpetuate fear than exercise courage. So much easier to dehumanize than recognize our shared humanity.
Kelly Grace Smith
Fayetteville, N.Y.”
from the Letters to the Editor in The New York Times
November 1, 2022
Kelly Grace Smith’s Letter to the Editor clearly spoke volumes to me. In my original copy of it what you see in bold, I made hot pink! The reason for its inclusion here is that Ms. Smith unbeknownst to herself I’m sure, has recommended a valuable spiritual practice that will help if used in the face of the polarization we face daily.
I refer to her refrain, if you will, “So much easier ….” What if we all started asking just this question: What’s the easiest way forward?
Because the easy way is never short-sighted, self-serving, or past-focused. Instead, the easy way plays the long game, serves all, and looks to the future. We will, in just this one practice, build community, exercise courage, and recognize our shared humanity.
We’re about to have 8 billion co-inhabitants, Beloved. We need to care for each of us and all of us as if all those “others” are us. It’s as simple and easy as that.
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Here’s another Letter to the Editor.
“Dan Barry’s writing compelled me to seek a new perspective—the perspective of a polarized nation. Although this article focused on one town, it’s important to note that this is a national issue. When a person has strong ties to their political party, it often encourages the villainization of the opposing party. We must ask ourselves, ‘What progress can truly be made if we don’t work together?’
“I urge each reader to form their own opinions and not be swayed by political figures or polarizing language. We must learn to be mindful of how we encourage polarization through our interactions with people of opposing or similar views. How can we expect to be listened to if we do not first listen to others?
“The next time you’re in a political setting or conversation, look for similarities and not differences. Look for hope and not despair. Look for progress and not conformity within your party.
Peyton Schoone
Minden, Neb.”
from a Letter to the Editor the morning of the midterm elections
in The New York Times
November 8, 2022
I include this Letter in today’s issue because after a while, during the midterm season, I started feeling like I was the only one asking these sorts of questions. I’m not, I know. I can’t be.
And yet, one’s own mind can feel these days like a suddenly-arising oasis in the desert, and it’s easy to fall into wondering if yours is the only heart whispering its desperate need for sanity. I know, I fell into it, too.
This inspired me to seek the etymology of the word together. The OED, stalwart resource that it remains, assures me that what I guessed was correct. It’s based on the notion to gather. That made me think of the old Thanksgiving hymn “We Gather Together.” Except this time, it made me smile. Nothing like the Department of Redundancy Department.
We gather to gather is what that first line means. In that case, it’s an invitation to say Grace—a blessing before a bounteous meal. What if instead, this year, we treat it as an invitation to Grace itself—unmerited favor? And what if, instead of wanting to keep it all for ourselves, we hand out Grace like it’s ours to give?
Wouldn’t it make our world a gentler, kinder, quieter, more similar, more hopeful, and more progressive populace? I think so. Why don’t we try it, from right where we are, and see what happens?
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The US Thanksgiving will have passed by the time of the next issue, so let me take this time to wish you and yours much gratitude for your support of Ampersand, much love for you and your circles, and much, much bounty now and in the year to come. Happy Thanksgiving!
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And in publishing news …
If you are on top of your holiday shopping already, the book-lovers on your lists may like …
Rent Rx, the ninth of The Mex Mysteries, which includes the brilliance of Jonathan Larson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, Rent, as well as a rehab run by markedly amazing, bearded nuns, The Sisters of Never-Ending Reciprocity and some wonderful ideas about the labyrinth and how to do a new kind of connected recovery.
Christmas Presence, the tenth of The Mex Mysteries, went live three days ago on Amazon, all around a cash-cow production of Charles Dickens’ Victorian masterwork, A Christmas Carol, meant to save an old Manhattan landmark cathedral from falling down around its worshippers ears woven through with signature New York City Christmas traditions for Gothamtide; Gareth takes on the lead in a case for the first time.
There are, of course, eight earlier books—an intuitive romp through musical theatre all over the world. The solutions to the mysteries come through the song lyrics of each show.
There’re also The Boots & Boas Romances. Check that trio out—and more are in the pipeline.
You could also choose my latest fictional foray, this time into historical fiction, called Jezebel Rising, the first book of a tetralogy about four sisters in the late 1890s who can’t be bothered with playing by the ridiculous rules governing women during the Gilded Age in New York City.
That’s the fiction side of the aisle. As for nonfiction, may I recommend one or all of the eight Energy Integrity Workbooks? There’s one for each of eight major chakras.
Here’s how you choose which one to start with:
Seeking to be more alive? Start with Energy Integrity Red Root Chakra.
Seeking to be more passionate? Start with Energy Integrity Orange Sacral Chakra.
Seeking to be more powerful? Start with Energy Integrity Yellow Solar Chakra.
Seeking to be more loving? Start with Energy Integrity Green Heart Chakra.
Seeking to be more creative? Start with Energy Integrity Turquoise Throat Chakra.
Seeking to be more intuitive? Start with Energy Integrity Indigo Brow Chakra.
Seeking to be more abundant? Start with Energy Integrity Violet Crown Chakra.
Seeking to be more compassionate? Start with Energy Integrity Rose Thymus Chakra.
As an aside, I was interviewed for a podcast this past week called The Afterlight Podcast which is based in Brisbane, Australia. Lauren Grace and I had a rollicking old time together, and ended up recording two episodes we had so much to cover. I’m actually doing a third episode this week specifically on the Chakra System and the Witch Wound.
All that, however, to say that Lauren wanted one of the workbooks for herself, so she went to Amazon to get one … and couldn’t! Amazon severely limits the accessibility for POD—print-on-demand—books to the US and the UK, which I knew (sort of) but didn’t really clock what that meant till someone went to buy one and couldn’t! So this means I’m seriously considering offering them in PDF form on my website for those who can’t get them on Amazon. Stay tuned.
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Now, I have to ask: Did you know I write a weekday contemplation on the chakras? Monday-Friday, rain or shine, a brief color blesson for the day. Here’s a recent one from 11.10.22.
Finally! I reached out to my bookcover witch in the UK—if you ever need bookcover art, email me--I'll refer you in a nanosecond—she's a genius—and she created this image of the chakra system the way I see it and the way I teach it.
I went to eastern Australia yesterday via Zoom to do a podcast that turned into two! One of the things we talked deeply about was the 8th Chakra, the Rose Pink sphere that you see between (and in front of) the green personal heart fourth chakra and the turquoise throat fifth chakra.
So where did the eighth chakra come from?
Well, the real answer is from within each one of us, but ... it was discovered in the 1870s by the Kabbalistic rabbis in Spain. They called it Da'\’ath. It often appears in the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, usually as the outline of a chakra rather than a solid one, in, amongst, and between the standard sephiroth.
Over my years of study, I've seen Da’ath translated into all sorts of words: Wisdom, The Abyss. Just now I Googled it (yet again) and this time the word Knowledge came up.
Oh, and a further explanation. Da’at or Da’ath is the location (the mystical state) where all ten sefirot in the Tree of Life are united as one.
What my inner researches have revealed to me is better expressed as God's Love, meaning distinctly different from the love each of us generates from our green heart chakras. This love is Impersonal.
This is the love that has the capacity to heal any hurt any of us sustains ever. This is the love that happily includes Hitler, Osama bin Laden, and other persons intent on destruction or cruelty. It might also be called The Compassionate Heart.
What I find most fascinating about the eighth chakra is that it lives about six inches in front of the body anterior to the thymus gland—the one that regulates our immunity. The thymus is responsible for physical immunity.
The eighth chakra is responsible for emotional, mental, and spiritual immunity, and this, Beloved, is its secret.
What's too much for you to handle, it can. No matter what comprises that too much. So let's stick our political disagreements in the rose pink world of Da’ath, shall we? And enjoy our days once again.
You can see these each weekday in one of three places:
I write them on Patreon. https://patreon.com/susancorso
I post them on LinkedIn. https://linkedin.com/in/susancorso
I post them on Medium. https://medium.com/@susan-15721
Which, of course, opens the door to my Patreon where I will soon be posting my completed (for now) Chakra Correspondence Compendium! So, so, so exciting. Forty years of work in 350 pages of detailed chakra information. It will be available as a PDF for a required donation—to be determined by you. I’m hoping to have it live by the 1st of December.
This is the book I will be using for my …
INAUGURAL CHAKRA COHORT
This one-year course will begin in January 2023 for an elite group of six who want to learn how to do chakra work for themselves and others. If you are drawn to this please email me.
As part of my ongoing commitment to reach out about the metaphysical work that I’ve been doing for so long …
May I ask you to follow me on MEDIUM and LINKEDIN?
May I invite you to choose your own monthly donation and become a patron on PATREON?
And may I further invite you to visit and subscribe to my YOUTUBE channel to see years of my videos, podcasts, and the occasional spiritual riff?
To you and yours, deep gratitude for the spiritual work you are doing in the world, Happy Thanksgiving, and I’ll be back in two weeks, and in the meantime, of course, be ampersand,
S.