Welcome back to the Ancestors' Writers Room! This is episode 2 of our podcast drama mini-series, weaving together the big movements and the small things.

In this episode, Shaunga asks her Ancestors' Writers Room a Big Question: what are the roots of genocide? If we can understand the roots, maybe we can learn enough to dig them up and plant something new. An Ancestor named "Lyra" steps forward to answer this question, telling us a story from deep within the heart of the Multiverse.

"Without looking at the dictionary, define the word Monster."

This journal prompt is from Kai Cheng Thom's beautiful recently published book: "Falling Back in Love with Being Human: Letters to Lost Souls."

Shaunga started reading this book on the first day of an Ancestral Artist's retreat, on October 8 2023. She had her phone off, hadn't seen the news at that point and had no idea what was going on in the world. She was, however, in direct conversation with her Ancestors who are always very aware and tuned in. Shaunga began journalling and writing poetry inspired by Kai Cheng's journal prompt. The line that appears in this episode is the first thing she wrote down while answering this question.

Without looking at the dictionary, define the word Monster: "A Monster is an Otherworldly Giant, a Planetary Priestess, and/or a Wicked Witch, living in a world that doesn't know she is one."

From here, Shaunga began channeling this entire project, "The Ancestors' Writers Room" (that did not exist in this way before October 8) - a project that seeks to share Ancestral wisdom intimately intertwined with the freedom movements erupting since then, including Free Palestine.

*This episode / cosmic folktale, is another version of a similar story Shaunga shared at Otherworldly Giants' "galactic new year" event on July 26, 2023.

SHOW NOTES:

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Check out Kai Cheng Thom's website and amazing books!!

https://www.kaichengthom.com

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/716349/falling-back-in-love-with-being-human-by-kai-cheng-thom/

READ EPISODE TRANSCRIPT HERE