Unmapped

Illustration by Ivan Bilibin for Vasilisa the Brave

Between the first glimmers of the new moon and the illumination of the fullness, like the little yellow person picked up and unceremoniously dumped onto a Google Map so we can get a better look at the road we wish to navigate - with curiosity in our wild hearts - I will drop us into a story.

There will not be neat tellings from beginning to end but a constant devouring, regurgitating, passing through the belly of a story. We will explore the quiet inbetween the words. We will widen the crack in the tree it offers. Lodge ourselves in there and see what lies hidden, waiting, wanting to emerge into the light of our perceiving of them.

Often, at the end of a telling, the teller will ask - Where do you find yourself in the story? What meets you? What has grabbed you by the scruff of the neck? What has gently offered up an open palm? I want to take us into those moments and see where we end up, ignoring the little compass in the corner of our screens to wander the paths of bramble, briar and nettle instead.

The Unmapped Places.

Will you join me?

It begins with an unexpected tandom telling when the delicious Tracy Chipman asked me to be a guest on her own new Substack Series for A Year and a Day. It is with such delight that I share the first in individually conjured new cycles of Substacks for both Tracy and myself. Tracy's rich and sweet offering 'The 13 Moons of Womyn', and the preciously wild experimentation of my own Sitting (deep) In (the belly of) Story.

Who goes there?

We have no idea, but join us with curiosity in your heart as we tread, stumble, blunder, skip, intentionally step upon a path...

It was such a deep honour, and immense joy to be the first for the new cycle of her podcast. Tracy is one of the most incredibly thoughtful, sacred, connected, playful and true story carriers I know, linger in her presence if you can - https://www.tracychipman.net/