DILDO DECORATING, MYTHOLOGICAL WRESTLING + INTENTION SETTING
3 events that sum up my week (and personality)
It has been a MINUTE y’all ~ I am so sorry for my radio silence !! Those of you that follow me over on Instagram know it’s been a particularly wild time - I flew to Croatia to visit the US embassy to secure my visa for my upcoming events in LA and then prepped liked a racehorse for a masters interview - it has been absolutely CRAZY but still I should’ve sent you some memes, a cookie recipe, SOMETHING!!!! But we are BACK and my god I am buzzing to share some updates with you <3
For this newsletter I’m writing about my week (a few weeks ago now lol) and WHAT A WEEK IT WAS. I attended 3 quite diverse events (and had a blast at all 3).
First up I NEED to tell about Mythos: Ragnarok - a wrestling show based off of NORSE. MYTHOLOGY. Because it blew. my. MIND. Let me be clear, I am not a wrestling gal by any definition - I did not grow up watching WWE and I have never ever seen a live wrestling show (the closest I’ve come is binge-watching that Netflix show GLOW). I cannot stress this enough, I was by no means predisposed or prepared to enjoy this show (I drunkenly agreed to this double date because the other couple are delightful and my partner seemed keen), but goddamn I was ENTHRALLED. Cut to me screaming “GIVE LOKI THE CHAIR!!!!(???)”
Masterminded by Ed Gamester, @thustheguild on Instagram, the Mythological Theatre is all about bringing the drama, the intensity and the otherworldly physicality of myths to LIFE. It was unbelievably entertaining; I was doubled over with laughter for at least half of it, but it was also very moving?? I nabbed a pamphlet and whilst reading it one point really jumped out at me - the events (or collisions) we see in ancient mythology are so immense, so violent, so EPIC (pun absolutely intended), so wrestling actually does a brilliant job of depicting the countless battle scenes, especially those that involve divinities. I love a wanky play that lilts with sophistication, don’t get me wrong, but there was something so GRATIFYING about seeing these characters just THROW each other AROUND because that’s so much of what is described! It also added so much emotional depth to Norse mythology for me -it’s not normally my area but god it made me so curious to learn more (especially about the goddess Hel bc her onstage return from the dead brought me to tears). Also the cast were so damn passionate and it really came through <3
I mean look at them!!! :’) such a deserved standing ovation goodness me.
Now onto the Resonate Dinner at Wild by Tart <3
The Resonate Dinner on Monday was a bit of a SHIFT from the mythological smackdown I witnessed on Sunday…
THIS was a glorious celebration of femininity, connecting with each other and ourselves, indulging in such delicious, nourishing food amongst such a wonderful, diverse group of women. Personally, I sometimes really struggle with reflection, with letting things ~ settle ~ and actually taking a hot minute to think, process and plan, so this evening was a welcome antidote to my frequently frazzled noggin. These events are curated by Steph Cabrera (who I first met at Fude with Charlie Ann Max) and Rupa Bodhani, and they both did a fabulous job. Steph MCd the evening, taking us through breathwork, and Rupa prepared all 3 inventive, mouth-watering courses. Aisha Paris, the guest speaker, took us through mindful intention setting, creating a warm, open space for all of us to share our vulnerabilities and our hopes. I went with my sister, which was fabulous, and the group was so friendly and sweet - it was such a joy to share an evening like that with so many vibrant, fascinating people (seriously, one woman was describing IN DETAIL her husband’s gift of a sex machine, whilst another regaled me with rave reviews of magic mushrooms, these ladies had RANGE).
Also the venue and table scape were both STUNNING of course. Why are candles not getting shoved into cabbages more??
Last, but CERTAINLY not least, we have DILDO DECORATING! Also known as the Studio Sexus Self Pleasure Parlour hosted by Allison England, Adele Brydges, and Alix Fox.
Again, a bit of a SHIFT from both wrestling and an introspective dinner BUT the group was so fun and chatty and the actual crafty, collage part was certainly meditative! This intimate workshop was a dream from start to finish. We dove straight in to the dildo decorating ~ Adele showed us the ropes and shared her stunning/staggering array of decals with us and off we went! I’m literally obsessed with mine (I was also SO bad at the fiddly stuff so thank god Adele was there to literally and metaphorically hold my hand through it).
Then we moved to tea-drinking and discussion with Allison, who brewed her downright delicious Aphroteasiacs for us (god I’m a tart for wordplay), and took us through her own array of pleasure tools to inspire us (yes, I took notes). Alix Fox concluded the event by discussing a wiiiide variety of strategies to reignite one’s personal pleasure, to spicily spark yourself up. It was great. I took more notes. This whole event was so special (and informative!) but a real highlight for me was seeing these three women working together, not shying away from their expertise or authority, whilst simultaneously cultivating such a mellow, un-intimidating space for all us newbies.
So THAT was my WEEK. Just outstanding. No notes.
Okay maybe some notes. My main note IS sometimes I think the events I offer might be a bit TOO diverse (collaging, cocktail parties, poetry readings AND naked dinners?? Am I well??) but attending these three events and getting so MUCH out of each and every one of them in spite of their variety, or, rather, BECAUSE of their variety, was a wonderful, much-needed reminder that diverse, surprising, even challenging experiences are just what the soul CRAVES! Getting out of your comfort zone or saying yes to something you are wildly ambivalent about (I have literally NEVER watched WWE, I cannot stress this enough), can just put you in a room, connect you with a group or open you up in a way that will astound you.
Speaking of wildly unrelated events… (these two are actually a little less haphazardly disparate than others but STILL) I have TWO events coming up, The Fude Experience with Charlie Ann Max on the 26th of March in LA, and Dildo Decorating with Adele Brydges on the 1st of April in London. Head to the links (the underlined bits) for more info / if you’re keen to say YES to something that’s a smidge out of your comfort zone and/or if you’re wanting to frolic and learn amongst glorious, likeminded people.
<3 <3 <3