Queer Ecological Storytelling & The Flowering Wand

Join us in discussing mycology & mythology… cultivating understanding and intimacy with the natural world in new yet old ways.

Dear Fellow Myconauts,

The Mycoverse returns this month with three events on the books!

November 13th – Queer Ecological Storytelling & The Flowering Wand

November 23th – Thanksgiving & Native American Heritage Day Potluck (More TBA, stay tuned)

November 27th – Conservation of Abundance: How Fungi Can Contribute to Rethinking Conservation

Also… I met Mario in Italy last week! He said he’s been working rather hard to liberate the Mushroom Kingdom from Bowser spreading mycophobic mush-rumors and hiding the Mushroom Kingdom from the human world. Now it’s our turn to give our attention to the Mushroom Kingdom and give fungi the rights they deserve!

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Queer Ecological Storytelling & The Flowering Wand - Part II

Monday, November 13th, 7pm @ Arlington Garden, Pasadena, CA – Free by donation

[Part II of II]

Just as fungi taught plants how to root into the soil, so do myths teach us how to root into our ecological and social ecosystems. Mycorrhizal fungi map the relationships in a forest just as myths map the specific relationships of a community rooted in place.

Tracking the vegetal gods of the Mediterranean as a case study, Sophie uses modern advances in biology, mycology, and forest ecology to resurrect the forgotten root-system of earth-reverent mythologies suppressed by current paradigms of domination.

Strand reseeds our minds with new visions of male identity and shows how each of us, regardless of gender, can develop a matured ecological empathy and witness a blossoming of sacred masculine powers that are soft, curious, connective, and celebratory.

Before the discussion, we invite you to:

• Part II: Healing the Wound (Chapters 15-33, pages 78-158)

• Watch Merlin Sheldrake, author of Entangled Life, discuss mycological storytelling with Sophie Strand (Jan 2023)

Reading is not required but highly encouraged. You can purchase the book from the publisher's website here.

More about the book & author on the Eventbrite link above!

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How Fungi Can Contribute to Rethinking Conservation

Monday, November 27th, 7pm @ Arlington Garden, Pasadena, CA – Free by donation

Conservation has been plagued by scarcity mindsets and challenges with focusing on individuals, such as species extinction. We will discuss how the exciting new research of fungi is leading us to understand life in different terms such as abundance, collectivity, and relational ecology. And how fungi are even helping cultivate celebration, curiosity, and joy in scientific disciplines due to their seemingly magical natures.

We will also discuss the Mycoverse's founder Aaron Tupac's involvement in mycological conservation through being a fungal collector for the CA Fungal Diversity Survey Project and the chair of the North American Mycological Association's Conservation and Stewardship Committee.

Before the discussion, we invite you to:

• Read Conservation of Abundance: How Fungi Can Contribute to Rethinking Conservation (2023) (9 pages)

• More TBA

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Myconaut Mushroom Links

• The angels of fungi have come together to give us this gift! Fungi: Web of Life Trailer (IMAX movie, narrated by Björk, presented by Merlin Sheldrake)

• A new illustrated version of Entangled Life coming out Nov 7th in North America

• Mushroom Hour Podcast Interview with Sophie Strand (What timing! Just came out last month!)

• Califunga dude! We’re celebrating our second year of the CA Fungal Diversity Survey project with a t-shirt design competition that incorporates the word “Califunga.” More info here.

Looking sporeward,

Aaron