An announcement and invitation from Tevyn East, director of Dreaming Stone Arts and Ecology Center

In early 2020, a group of comrades (Jay Beck, Jimmy Betts, Tevyn East, Tim Nafziger, Jonathan McRay, and Todd Wynward) first gathered together in response to a call from friend and colleague, Dave Pritchett. Sparked by his attendance of a “Vision Fast” held by the School of Lost Borders, where participants experienced a 4 day solo fast, bookended by group process, Dave had a desire to deepen into this practice amongst peers. His call, “to gather a cohort of folks to re-imagine how we can use the wilderness vigil to empower people in our movements, and how we can do so in ways that better pay attention to place, to history, and to the political moment we inhabit.” And thus, the first Wilderness Vigil was born. It was a significant, supportive and meaningful event for all.

It is now time for another Wilderness Vigil, and Dreaming Stone Arts and Ecology Center will act as host. This second Wilderness Vigil has been planned for October 8th-15th and we are welcoming a new group of Vigilers to join with those from the initial cohort. Dreaming Stone is in the Broad River watershed, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, and we are building skills and strategies for community resilience and the restoration of biological and cultural diversity. 

Disclosure:

The initial core group includes a majority of cis white men (with some exceptions). All involved have been dedicated to countering colonial, imperial, and supremacist ideologies, as well as exploring and fomenting liberatory narratives, practices, and structures. As we continue to build this growing community, our desire is to have a more diverse cohort for this next Vigil. While we warmly welcome our white cis male comrades, we will mindfully limit the number of new white cis male participants out of this desire. We look forward to inviting all into a cohort where we collectively center the experience and wisdom of outliers and those who have been historically disparaged and targeted by unjust systems. It is our sincere hope that this growing community can explore and find healing through this deep encounter with Nature. 

What to Expect:

We have space for more participants. The deadline for signing up is Aug 15th. We will meet 3 times via Zoom before you come. We’ve got resources for advanced reading and reflection. Vigilers will receive information about safe fasting, important self-care as well as handling emergency responses while in the elements. Your safety would be guarded by those at basecamp, who are trained with emergency medicine and wilderness first aid.

Your time on this vigil will focus on a four day fast—withholding from food, company, and shelter—which includes a few days of preparation with facilitators and other participants and then a sharing of stories and time for integration afterward. 

Interested or Have Questions?

Email Tevyn East at dreamingstonenc@gmail.com if you have interest, and we will make sure you have a chance to get your questions answered.

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DSAEC is a creative laboratory, learning center, farm, experiment in regenerative landcare, place of art and ceremony, and community space for healing, situated within the traditional land of the Cherokee and Catawba. With a focus on actively developing skills for creating a just and restorative culture, DSAEC gathers in service to the watershed, in honor of the ancestors, and on behalf of future generations. For more information about DSAEC, please visit dreamingstone.org.