Havdalah #16: Water, Tarot, and Agenda 47

Hello all, and welcome to Havdalah #16 —

It’s a contemplative sort of week. Easter’s over, and Passover’s not quite here, and coming up the RI Legislature hasn’t scheduled hearings for any of the bills we’re tracking (so far). Lee has a lovely contemplation on tarot in Sidebar and how to use it to get back in touch with ourselves and the world. Whatever your opinion on the practice (and we certainly run the gamut), they describe a wonderful framework to get un-stuck with ourselves.

That doesn’t mean things have stopped happening elsewhere, though, as I’m sure you can tell by watching the news. The Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day is April 24th, and it’s worth spending some time learning about it, both as a memorial in its own sake, and because of its continuing political ramifications. We have a FashWatch roundup, and some interesting events in our Education and What’s On. Take a look, and see how you can get in touch with the world.

Goodnight, and mind how you go —

Katherine

Lecture on the Capitalist “Border Crisis” & the 2024 Elections

• When: Sunday, April 14, 4:00pm

• Where: Red Ink Community Library, 130 Cypress Street, Providence, RI 02906

• Join Independent Socialist Group and guest speaker Dr. Bryant Sculos from Texas to talk about the socialist response to anti-immigrant rhetoric in the 2024 election cycle.

• Capitalist “Border Crisis” Event Info

Tomaquag Museum: Water is Life! Virtual Program

• When: Monday, April 22, 12:00pm-1:00pm

• Where: Online, Zoom

• In this presentation, the Tomaquag Museum will be exploring the cultural significance of water and the Indigenous led movement to protect it.

• Join the Tomaquag Museum for a monthly virtual presentation on Indigenous history and culture. Grab your lunch and take a break with them!

• Tomaquag Museum Virtual Program Event Page

Weekly Mutual Aid Distribution with the John Brown Gun Club

Every week, folks meet at Kennedy Plaza to distribute food, hygiene supplies, harm reduction supplies, and more, usually for about 45 minutes. JBGC has been doing these weekly distributions since 2018 and helps about 30 people each week.

To make a donation, visit their mobile-friendly website that has links for direct donations, Amazon wish list, and the Etsy store where 100% of the proceeds fund mutual aid distribution.

JBGC Mutual Aid Donations

If you have questions about the distribution or ways to donate, you can reach out to them on their Instagram (@jbmutualaid) or Twitter (@rijbgc).

If you’d like to help with distribution, the JBGC asks that you wear an N95 mask and be up to date on boosters and flu shots.

Image, Catalyst

Lee (they / she)

Sometimes, my thinking gets stuck in a rut, ruminating over the same ideas, the same unsatisfying options. Sometimes, I have a question, and my mind goes blank, no answers. One of my tools for getting un-stuck is tarot.

The tarot is a deck of 78 cards with images based on various stories and archetypes. Some people use tarot to try to predict future events or to connect with spiritual guidance. I find myself in a place of content ambivalence: I have no way of proving or disproving whether spiritual entities can send messages through cards, but either way, a tarot card can help get my brain clicking.

I figure out what my question is, what I’m wondering about. I pull a card from the deck. I look at the image and see what it brings to mind.

Personally, I don’t ask for predictions or ask about other people. I typically ask open-ended questions about how I might approach things, questions like, “What am I overlooking in this situation at work,” “What energy can I bring to the conversation I am going to have with my friend,” or simply, “What might I pay attention to today?”

When I see the Five of Swords, I notice the harm caused by conflict and by misjudging the power dynamics in a situation. It serves as a reminder to be humble, to feel the guilt that is coming up, and to learn to approach those around me with more care. The Ace of Pentacles reminds me to tend to the seeds of possibility in my life. The Seven of Swords shows me how I am attending to too many things at once and need to let some things go.

Even if my associations come just from my neurons responding to colors, well, my neurons have been shaped by my ancestors and by our world. So one way or another, pulling a tarot card feels like a way of connecting with what I learn from others as well as with my own values and understanding.

But tarot is not everyone’s choice. What works for you? What tools or spiritual practices help you get un-stuck? If you feel like sharing, you’re welcome to respond to this email or leave us a comment on Substack. Regardless, wishing you whatever support you need as you navigate these days.

Needle Drop: “Traveling Shoes”, Caroline Herring

News Roundup

Representative Morgan disrupted the committee hearing of her own bill (April 10, 2024) (from Steve Ahlquist’s substack)

Anti-trans legislation is not “benign” bigotry. The intention is genocidal. (April 7, 2024) (from Steve Ahlquist’s substack)

Pod Recs: It Could Happen Here covers Trump’s 2025 Policy Proposals

Agenda 47: Trump’s Plan for Education (April 8 episode)

Agenda 47: Trump’s Border and Immigration Plan (April 9 episode)

Agenda 47: Trump’s Plan for Trans Kids (April 10 episode)

Agenda 47: Trump’s Plan for Big Pharma (April 11 episode)

Agenda 47: Trump’s Plan to Invade Mexico (April 12 episode)

Strike for Gaza, Picket Textron!

• When: Monday, April 15, 11:00am-3:00pm

• Where: Outside of Textron, 30 Westminster Street, Providence, RI 02903

• All day, join a national strike led by Muslim and Palestinian organizations: call out of work, walk out of class, abstain from spending, or participate in whatever way you are able.

• Between 11am and 3pm, Join PSL RI to picket from the Textron building up Westminster Street. No business as usual during a genocide!

• Picket Textron Info

Continuing Actions for Palestine

Power Half-Hours for Gaza

• When: every day, Monday through Friday, 3:00pm EST

• Where: online

• Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) is holding Power Half-Hours for Gaza every day — join us as we channel our fury and sorrow into collective action to stop genocide.

• Power Half-Hours for Gaza Registration

JVP RI Weekly Flyering

• When: Every Wednesday, 5:00pm-6:00pm

• Where: Providence Train Station, 100 Gaspee Street, Providence, RI 02903

• JVP RI invites all to join them in their efforts to spread the word about their work and simple actions people can take to demand an end to the genocide in Palestine. They meet on the Statehouse side of the train station.

Weekly Kaddish

• When: Every Sunday, 1:00pm-1:30pm

• Where: Michael Van Leesten Pedestrian Bridge, Providence, RI 02903

• JVP RI and allies will be hosting a weekly gathering on Sundays to recite the Mourners Kaddish and communally grieve the Palestinians murdered by the Israeli military. You need not be Jewish to attend; all are welcome to participate.

Ceasefire Today Toolkit

• This toolkit has a variety of links, including call scripts, groups accepting donations, phone banks, petitions, and more.

• Ceasefire Today Toolkit

News Coverage

• As always, especially when getting news from social media, be aware of who is sharing information and why they’re doing it.

• Al Jazeera Coverage of the War on Gaza has continued to be a reliable source.