THE BADGER YEAR 11 VOLUME 1

THE BADGER

The Badger is a fierce animal, very much respected and honored both in Northern American Native traditions and in European Celtic ones.

A badger will not let go and will continue tenaciously to look for another way to tackle his/her goal, just like a good healer will not let go his/her search until the best solution is found for the person in need. Badgers have their homes underground, so that they can go to the roots of things, the good healer does the same and keeps looking until she/he can find the most profound reason for a dis-ease or a psychological issue.

We use the term healer in the very broad sense of somebody who takes care of another person, be it a MD, a nurse, a psychotherapist, a physiotherapist, a masseuse, a spiritual healer. Whenever there is a person in need and somebody who takes care of her/him, that is a healer.

Sometimes the need is subtler and more profound than a simple medical intervention, the human touch is needed, and it really is the Panacea that cures all diseases.

We believe all artistic expressions in their beauty, science for everyday life, spirituality, philosophy, food and the healing arts are beneficial to restoring that balance, health and sense of worth that each and every human being deserves.

We offer you THE BADGER, the persistent healer, all the articles come from experts in different fields, each person has his/her own idea of what a balanced life is, they are here to pass on information, give inspiration, receive your comments, suggestions, contributions.

Each human being holds in his/her hands at least one of the keys, let's continue our quest!

THE BADGER YEAR 11 VOLUME 1

Dear Readers and Supporters,

We have big news in this volume, our work has grown and developed a lot in the past year, and I want to acknowledge it here.

THE BADGER is happy and proud to share with you that in 12 months we have produced and published 5 books, which is quite a lot for a new and small publishing house.

Three of our books were presented at the Salone del Libro di Torino 2025, the biggest book fair in Italy, it was a great adventure, and we loved the Badger to be there.

All our books come from our authors and are published both in Italian and in English, in paperback, hard back and in digital form. More will come soon, as we will announce them every time something new is produced.

We will continue to publish our twice a year volume of the Badger. This year, we are in the 11th years, as my teacher Joseph Rael always said: the numbers from 0 to 10 are human numbers, while the numbers after 10, from 11 onwards, are divine numbers. So, we fully expect wonderful surprises.

After 10 years of THE BADGER, I think that we have completed one part of our work. And now we continue in a different way, we want to become more real and closer to people. So, we will welcome new writers, thus opening the Badger to more readers and participants.

Thank you for reading us, thank you for being with us and thank you for spreading the information about the Badger and our books.

Antonella Vicini

THE BADGER Director

Lay out Antonella Vicini

Cover photo Lida Lodi Perry

thebadgerquarterly.com@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/THEBADGERQuarterlyMagazine/

FOLLOW THE BADGER BOOKS

Our first published book: a fascinating and practical journey along the Cakras, our inner Evolutionary Wheels, by Chiara Corte. This book is available in digital and paperback form on Amazon.

Our first novel by Antonella Vicini, a yearlong tale of growth and transformation, set in a school as a metaphor for life. It is also available in Italian (La Professoressa H e i suoi Allievi), both in digital and paperback from Amazon.

Our first book on aging, by psychologist Lida Lodi Perry, soon available in English as well (Aging with Joy), in digital and paperback from Amazon. This short, yet profound reflection on maturing, is full of suggestions, images, memories and tools for conscious aging.

Our first book in the esoteric field, a fascinating journey along the wheel of time and seasons across time and space, by Antonella Vicini, soon available in Italian as well (Mahakala, La Grande Ruota del Tempo, un viaggio personale), in digital and paperback from Amazon

Our first Anthology, the best of the years 2014 (volume 0), to 2018. Over 200 pages of great articles and photos. The Badger Anthology is only available in hardback in the original English, from Amazon. A wonderful gift to be remembered by.

CONTENTS

Smelling a Rose A.Vicini

Poetry R. Frost

Voices from the Stars L. Bottagisio

Genesis of a Book L.Lodi Perry

Nocturnal Lives D. Vici

Authenticity Paradox A. Levanti

Building Beauty everyday

G. Desideri

Byte of Enlightenment

C. Murgau

Jumping into Deep Waters

A. Vicini

The Authors short bios and photos

Thanks and links to previous volumes

Adverts products and services we believe in

SMELLING A ROSE

Antonella Vicini

Taking the time to smell a rose, equates to being in the moment, just adding an olfactory note to it! What else can we do at this point in life? So much is going on in the world that smelling a rose, taking the time to appreciate the small beauties of life is a revolutionary action.

There are more scholarly ways of saying this, such as Carpe Diem, seize the day (literally), because it will never return. Well, as humans we have reach a crossroad of great importance and momentum: we can either grow and develop the dormant possibilities inside of us, or we can selfdestroy in a war to end all wars, because there will be nobody left, or the few alive will need to re learn how to survive on a planet forever changed by our folly.

Here in Europe this threat is very present and real, it has become subtly the background over which we keep doing what we have done so far: we live, love, work, get sick and heal, die and continue on our light path, we rest and go on holiday, as if the fabric of this reality could be held together by the sheer will to hold on to it. Yet, we are all aware that this is not so, dreams and visions have been warning us for a long time.

So on the one had there are many people, all around the globe, who work for a cleaner and safer way of life: by living more frugally on the earth, respecting different customs, bringing together again different generations to live in the same place, reducing their imprint on earth by being off grid, feeling and acting on the harmony among all aspects of life. Yet there are so many who keep doing what we have been doing steadily since the industrial revolution: exploiting the earth for its gifts of minerals and/or farming – cattle, enslaving people into hard work or even highly paid jobs that give them no freedom, if not a mercenary one. Above there are those who just want power, raw power to reign above others….. whatever the cost!

Image created by AVicini with Mdjourney

Are we launching a ship that we cannot stop anymore? Is this really our destiny? And what is our destination?

I usually hate rhetorical questions, but these are real, burning questions in my mind and in my heart, they have entered my dreams, disturbing my nights.

During late spring I had a chance to visit many archeological sites and delve among magnificent remains of our ancestors’ genius. Who are we, as human race, when/if we forget our common roots? This is a question I have asked myself personally many times, yes looking back there is a risk of repeating, but only looking forward, as if nothing had happened or had been achieved before, is shortsighted and dangerous for our survival as human race.

Right now, I think that insects have far more chances than we do of developing beyond our current capacities.

Yet, I take courage from the many people around the world who silently and continuously, both in private and in public, keep working for the light and keep building peace, harmony, understanding and awareness with respect both for our ancestors and our great grand children to come, well beyond the 7th generation.

I want to open the pages of The Badger to these people: the builders of our present and future, who are usually out of the limelight.

In this volume I interview Gloria Desideri, a dancer, choreographer and teacher who has created a school in Italy for educating the body in all its aspects, so that people can move in space with more awareness and joy; besides her activities as teacher, she is creating beauty by promoting all the arts in her space, where she hosts exhibitions, installations, performances, concerts and lots more. She will be a great discovery, check her interview in this volume.

Antonella Vicini

Birch

I'd like to get away from earth awhile

And then come back to it and begin over.

May no fate willfully misunderstand me

And half grant what I wish and snatch me away

Not to return. Earth's the right place for love: I don't know where it's likely to go better.

I'd like to go by climbing a birch tree, And climb black branches up a snow-white trunk

Toward heaven, till the tree could bear no more, But dipped its top and set me down again.

That would be good both going and coming back. One could do worse than be a swinger of birches.

Robert Frost 1874 - 1963

From BIRCHES 1917

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost

From MOUNTAIN INTERVAL 1916

VOICES FROM THE STARS Neptune in Aries 2025-2039

Laura Bottagisio

In the heavens, the Plan for the evolution of Consciousness has been underway for some time, which does not only concern us and our beloved planet, but involves the entire solar system and far beyond its boundaries. The expansion of Consciousness pervades the entire universe; it is unthinkable that we too are not involved in this process of transformative growth.

This year 2025, Neptune, the planet of physical and metaphysical Waters, slides gently into Aries and will transit there until 2039.

Neptune, which does not have boundaries or limitations, accelerates its pace by entering the field of action of Aries, which is so little inclined to be shaped by the soft and accommodating Neptunian nature since, as the first sign of fire, it is always in turmoil with energy peaks of acceleration in promoting the New.

The two natures, Neptunian water and Aries fire, in the fourteen years foreseen for this transit, will have the opportunity to get to know each other and transform each other to reproduce on Earth what happens in the heavens. The transformation will also happen in us who live on earth.

Water and Fire, two of the four Elements, meet...or do they collide?

Their alchemical symbols transfer their essence from the invisible to the visible and vice versa.

The triangle with the tip pointing upwards, symbol of Fire, means that from the most solid base we rise towards more subtle and imponderable realms, up to the apex to reach the very heart of the original Principle of reality, physical and metaphysical.

The triangle with the tip pointing downwards, symbol of Water, tells that the cosmic waters of the Universal Field, after multiple ‘frequency jumps’ downwards, manifest themselves in matter to generate life. We know very well that life on earth would be impossible without this element.

Their alchemical symbols transfer their essence from the invisible to the visible and vice versa.

The triangle with the tip pointing upwards, symbol of Fire, means that from the most solid base one rises towards more subtle and imponderable realms, up to the apex to reach the very heart of the original Principle of reality, physical and metaphysical. The triangle with the tip pointing downwards, symbol of Water, tells us that the cosmic waters of the Universal Field, after multiple ‘frequency jumps’ downwards, manifest themselves in matter to generate life. We know very well that life on earth would be impossible without this element.

In our psycho-biological life, water represents the emotional world. The three water signs represent the stages of transformation of our emotions from individual to universal.

Cancer, the first sign of the triad, is amniotic fluid, maternal water, which during the nine months of pregnancy transmits the genetic memories of the lineage into which we will be born. It therefore speaks to us of "visceral" family bonds and the resulting emotional rebounds, often characterized by anxiety and feelings of guilt. When we manage to distance ourselves from these emotional states by recognizing the family conditioning that "acts upon us," we activate the opposite sign, Capricorn, and are thus able to connect with the crystalline light of our heart, unleashing our creative potential and transforming emotional fetters into sensations that illuminate us from within. Addictions diminish in intensity until they disappear.

Scorpio is the water of unexpressed and repressed emotions, relegated to the shadows of the unconscious. It is that place within us where the consequences of trauma and suffering lurk, the residue that festers and poisons our thoughts. This water sign transforms and eliminates; it also requires us to seek out these experiences in order to escape from weakening emotional situations that block the blossoming of the innate qualities present in our soul. It is the alchemical process that heals and makes our earthly life sacred. When, like heroes, we allow ourselves to face our shadows, the opposite sign Taurus is activated, providing the necessary strength, the joy of living, and the ability to savor the beauty of feeling.

Pisces, the last water sign, which also closes the zodiacal sequence, speaks the language of the Soul, with which it is constantly in contact even without the consent or awareness of our personality. Contact and dialogue with our Soul risk being illusory if we have not first succeeded in "subduing" the personality that feeds on all those emotions not clarified in the previous two stages.

When the purification process of the Waters occurs, the personality learns to be guided by the subtler frequencies of the higher planes and accepts its earthly condition by welcoming celestial inspirations. Thus, the dialectic between Pisces and its opposite Virgo is activated.

Neptune, which rules Pisces, during its transit through the sign from 2011 to 2025, tried in every way suited to it, to teach us to listen to our inner world to cleanse it, purify it, ensure that we acquire the true vision of who we essentially are and then manifest it in the formal world in all its richness and beauty.

‘Dal

Mondo delle Idee – Collage Laura Bottagisio’

If Water is the emotional world and internalizes, Fire is an indomitable force of externalization.

The three Fire signs, Aries and Leo, activate the ardor that accompanies our actions in realizing those ideas that, from the fiery world in which they dwell, find their way to manifest our desire. The origin of what we desire determines the quality of its outcome.

At the beginning of life, our desires originate from the ego's primary needs, such as possessions, primacy, and prominence. The energy that fuels them is purely selfish and short-sighted. As we progress through our earthly experience, we develop the certainty that the acquisitions of these desires are ephemeral and not always satisfying.

Thus, fire needs to be counterbalanced by water, our attention shifts from the outside to the inside, and we slowly begin to listen to the voice of the Soul, which can finally be recognized. Its desires come directly from the Source, from the omnipresent and omniscient Spirit. Our fire then becomes the ardor that sustains Life itself in creating new forms that take shape through our actions as we make Heaven's Desire our own. Through this Presence, we unite Earth and Heaven in a loving relationship. Isn't this what we are here for?

In the visible world of Form, Water extinguishes Fire, and Fire vaporizes Water.

In the invisibile world:

“…the Fire Element has spirals that flow upward, while the Water Element has spirals that flow downward. The two different spirals, belonging to the two aspects of the same thing, meet and mutually revitalize each other, so that, magically, everything occurs in the most absolute normality of the lower astral/mental and higher mental planes the two Elements vivify and revive each other, and the Water Element becomes self-luminous.”

“When in your churches the priest takes Holy Water and baptizes children, it is self-luminous Water. Therefore, know how to respect Holy Water. It is the most mundane example possible to understand what is created by the union between the metaphysical Water Element and the metaphysical Fire Element.” (from a channeling by Eddy Seferian)

Water and Fire collaborate to "dress and nourish" the still formless Ideas, so that they can materialize thanks to the call of our soul's desire inspired by the Spirit.

What will Neptune's contribution be like in Aries?

Neptune, as the planet of the subtle worlds, invites us to build the bridge between the lower mind and the higher mind to make the quantum, frequency shift planned for Humanity in the Age of Aquarius.

Neptune-Water is the unlimited field of latent potentiality, present but still without a physical body of expression, which needs to be "sucked and precipitated" into the density of matter by the force of desire.

Aries-Fire is the activating spark that gives desire the strength to manifest.

We, as individual beings, yet part of Humanity, have the power to create the New World, making conscious choices that reflect the Divine Plan and bring it to life.

It is a Plan of Love, Beauty, and Harmony!

Laura

Bottagisio

Edited and Translated by Antonella Vicini

THE GREAT INVOCATION

From the point of Light within the Mind of God, let Light flow into our minds. Let Light descend upon Earth.

From the point of Love within the Heart of God, let Love flow into our hearts.

May Christ return to Earth.

From the point of Sound within the Throat of God, l et Sound flow into our throats. May humankind be co-creators of the Plan.

From the center where the Will of God is known, may a purpose guide our small wills, the purpose that the Great Beings know and serve.

From the center called humanity, may the plan of Light, Love, and Creation unfold, and may the original Unity be recomposed.

May Light, Love, and Power restore the Divine Plan on Earth. And so be it. And so be it. And so be it.

GENESIS OF A BOOK: A CREATIVE PROCESS

Lida Lodi Perry

It all began late last year during a zoom call with my friend and partner in The Badger Productions, Antonella Vicini, when she announced: “I have an idea!”

Every time she says it, I blanch and tremble, because it means that there is another project/vision/adventure in which somehow, I will be involved.

Her eyes sparkled with the anticipation of possibilities and, before I could complain, she pressed on with her vision. “A book could be the culmination of your years of work, a testament to what you’ve learned and witnessed,” she argued, her voice brimming with encouragement. The suggestion lingered in the air, electric and daunting.

For a moment, the idea seemed to hover beyond the reach of reason, suspended between inspiration and apprehension. I hesitated, feeling the familiar flutter of self-doubt mingle with a reluctant curiosity. Could I really translate years of conversations, insights, and anecdotes into something with pages and a spine? Was there a story inside me, quietly waiting for its chance to unfold?

My thoughts raced as I tried to imagine what this book might look like would it be a collection of memories, a guide, or perhaps something more fragmented and lyrical, echoing the patchwork nature of life itself? The very notion felt vast, yet strangely intimate, as though I was being entrusted with the delicate task of stitching together the invisible threads that linked my own experiences with those of others.

I was not mistaken.

“You need to write a book” she declared:

My first response was a very firm, rounded and direct “no”. I explained that I declined because the request was unrealistic, unsafe, unsuitable for The Badger Productions, and would cause me stress since I have no experience writing books.

When I pointed out that I would not know what to write about, she smiled and suggested that I could share my experience about the aging process, harvesting ideas and materials from my work with groups of women over 60 that I had started some time ago, and also from my own experience since I am in the “vintage phase“ of my life.

She countered all my arguments with facts: although I had published articles in The Badger Magazine and elsewhere, writing a book is a different challenge, demanding higher levels of expertise and creativity which was exactly my concern.

I promised that I would take the idea into consideration.

After the call I tried not to think about “The Book” but the idea had entered my mind and like a woodworm was working silently filling the space in my head with many questions.

What kind of book did I want to write? It's not fiction, an academic paper, or a psychological essay. My research suggests it could be a personal essay, allowing me to share my journey into the "vintage age."

I would write about my impressions, thoughts, adding some quotes from authors that had written on this subject, and excerpts from the numerous stories I had heard and documented while facilitating the groups on Aging.

This format seemed a good fit and it gave me a structure with which to begin to develop the content.

In my research I realized that there were very few authors that explored this topic as a process not only from a psychological perspective, but also from a symbolic and personal one. Much of the literature was focused on the physiological and symptomatic aspect of aging.

The message was to relay on my on intuition my introspection and my experience. I would write about aging as a Rite of Passage with many changes that affects all areas of our lives and seeing these changes under a different perspective might give it meaning and, often, reconciliation.

This part of the process was important, I had identified the territory to explore and a direction, albeit still very vague.

For days, my mind overflowed with thoughts and ideas as my unconscious shaped stories from past experiences into creative expression.

I had decided to write in my mother’s tongue: Italian. I come from a family where culture and a good grasp of the language were valued and nurtured

It was a wonderful and surprising experience to discover that, after many years of speaking and writing in another language, I had not lost the fluidity, the richness of the vocabulary, the pleasure of feeling the stream of words blend and come together in a harmonious flow. I felt that my language expressed not only my thoughts, but also the energy of my emotions which underlay the entire text.

I stayed in this creative zone for several weeks, and during this time something interesting happened.

I usually wake up early in the morning and during this period I noticed that I would come out from a deep sleep and entered a twilight state and there I would write an entire chapter of the book. When I woke up, I couldn't remember my thoughts, so I started keeping a notebook by my bed to jot down ideas from my creative dreams as soon as I woke up

During the day I felt totally immerse in this process and was also functioning well in my daily reality. It was almost anticlimactic when I realized that I had completed the first draft.

Then the second phase began, mostly taking care of details, the editing, the decision about the font, the cover, the final image of the book, they were all new conversations and decisions.

Finally, the book was published.

It was not the end of the journey.

Antonella had other plans. The Badger Productions would participate at Torino’s (Italy) Book Fair, the biggest and most important in Italy. There we would present our books. One more challenge for me. Face the public and stand behind my work.

Looking back, it was exciting, exhausting, and challenging.

After returning from the book fair, and a hectic week in Milan with my family, I felt noticeably more energetic and refreshed, even after a month of intense activity.

I realized that writing the essay was a great achievement. I am grateful that the book is bought and used as tool for readers to reflect on their aging process. Most importantly, I take personal satisfaction in knowing that at my age, I could be courageous, creative, and generous in sharing and writing about my experience and process.

This Rite of Passage has brought many changes and challenges to my life, along with many rewards. It has made me aware that it is never too late to overcome our limitations and fears, and to discover infinite possibilities and gifts.

Thank you, Antonella, for challenging my perceived limitations, opening new doors and trusting my potential!

Lida Lodi Perry

MY NOCTURNAL LIVES

An installation by Donatella Vici

Antonella Vicini

Like light, dancing shadows, they are dressed in white.

They move through space only with their voices, voices of different languages, of different people, from different eras, messages completely different from one another, united by one thing: the incredible, profound, and delicate sensitivity of a great artist.

Donatella tells us about her nights and her nocturnal lives, not one but many, and all the different layers of our consciousness when, at night, we encounter the unconscious, when we have no clear plans, but we let things happen on their own.

The installation, created in Tuscania by Donatella Vici, is truly a delicate, powerful, graceful, and elegant image of these nocturnal visions, these nocturnal lives, when the soul seeks to bring order: and everything comes out together, simultaneously.

Indeed, the voices speak simultaneously: high voices, low voices, voices linked to the everyday and voices linked to the sublime. Their messages are all equally important because they are all part of the artist.

It was a beautiful visit, with her delicate contact and touch, harmonious in its cacophony, and much needed, thank you, Donatella.

From Donatella’s presentation booklet:

The site-specific installation is linked to memory, matter, and its transmutation, to the unconscious through an investigation of the dreamlike space linked to the night. The artist, using intimate and personal materials (her vintage pure linen nightgowns), starts from a dream and invites us to quietly meet the different declinations of our dream activities. With sometimes blurred, sometimes very clear outlines, the presences that inhabit the exhibition space aim to show us a precious and immaterial path that we can use to develop our awareness.

Here, faint presences stand in space. They are candid and shadowy, talkative and silent, isolated and close, entrusting us with their voices that speak of dreams.

As in dreams the white creatures stage the theater of the mind, they set up the show of the psyche by evoking and not reproducing facts and events, but by making us enter the placeless and timeless suspension of our nocturnal life. (Ada De Pirro)

When Donatella first mentioned her project, I was immediately attracted to the idea of these vintage white nightgowns telling us stories in different languages and inviting us to remember our ethereal dreams.

I was honored to be asked for a specific contribution, since out of our conversations on being awake and being in dreaming, Donatella asked me to read something in Sanskrit on this topic.

After much reading and research these are the lines chosen by Donatella:

When a man is asleep his soul takes the consciousness of the several senses and goes to rest with them on the Supreme Spirit who is in the human heart. When all the senses are quiet the man is said to be asleep. Then the soul holds the power of life: breath, voice, eye, ear, and mind, and they rest in quietness.

When the soul is in the land of dreams, then all the worlds belong to the soul. A man can be a great king or a great brahmin and live in conditions high or low. And even as a great king of this earth takes his attendants with him and goes about his dominions wherever he desires, so the soul of man takes the powers of life with him and wanders in the land of dreams according to his desires.

(From BrhadAranyaka Upanisad, Mantra 17, (II.i,17) and Mantra 18 (II.i.18) translation quoted from The Upanishads, translation Juan Mascaro’, Penguin Books, 1983)

Antonella Vicini

In the next pages, you will find some photos of this site-specific installation by Donatella Vici, the photos in color are by the artist herself, the black and white photo is by Cristina Fiordimela.

Soon there will be a video of the installation.

THE AUTHENTICITY PARADOX

Why “Being Yourself” Isn’t So Simple

Annarita Levanti

It was a grey Tuesday morning, and I had barely slept the night before. I walked into a meeting, laptop in one hand, coffee in the other, trying to look composed. As I sat down, someone looked at me and asked with a smile, “How are you?” I paused for half a second then replied automatically, “I’m fine.”

But I wasn’t. I felt overwhelmed. Exhausted. Disconnected. And yet, there I was, smiling and performing “fine” like it was just another line in a script I had rehearsed for years.

Have you ever done that? Pretended you were okay not because you wanted to lie, but because being honest felt... too much, too difficult?

Sound familiar?

We Say "Be Yourself" But Are We?

“Just be yourself.”

It sounds so simple. So natural. And yet, how many of us truly know what that means in our day-to-day lives? We repeat phrases like “show up as your true self” and “don’t be afraid to be you” like mantras of modern life and yet, behind closed doors or in professional meetings, we still find ourselves slipping into roles.

Saying “yes” when we mean “no,” smiling politely while something inside contracts, or silencing our real opinions to avoid conflict or judgment.

We become skilled actors in the performance of life not because we’re dishonest, but because we’ve been taught that approval often comes at the cost of authenticity.

Somewhere along the way, in trying to meet expectations and fulfil responsibilities, many of us lose touch with something essential: our own voice.

And this raises a powerful question: If authenticity is just being ourselves… why is it so hard to do?

Understanding the Cycle of (Un)Authenticity

Figure 1: How we lose ourselves and how to break the cycle

Before diving into what it means to live authentically, we must first understand why so many of us struggle to do so. The diagram above, “The Cycle of (Un)Authenticity”, illustrates a pattern that many people experience often without even realising it.

It begins with good intentions:

1. Embrace Roles – We acknowledge and accept the different roles we play in life friend, parent, colleague, leader. These roles are a natural part of being human.

But soon we find ourselves in 2. Perform Roles, where these roles become scripts. We act according to what society expects, not necessarily what we feel.

This leads to 3. Seek Approval we strive for validation, trying to be liked, accepted, or recognised.

Eventually, we 4. Lose Touch with our real selves. We forget what we value, desire, or believe because we’ve been too busy fitting in.

And finally, we arrive at 5. Question Authenticity, wondering why, despite doing everything “right,” we still feel misaligned or disconnected. The cycle then begins again unless we consciously choose to step out of it.

Rewriting the Script

At some point, I began to feel the weight of a question that refused to go away:

“If I’ve done

everything I’m supposed to do why do I still feel disconnected?”

That question marked the beginning of a personal shift the moment I began to see authenticity not as something to perform but as something to reclaim.

Rather than continuing to “show up” for the world according to old expectations, I realised I needed to show in a phrase I use to mean turning inward, toward my own essence and truth. It was no longer about how I appeared on the outside it became about how aligned I felt on the inside.

And that return began with a deep reconnection to my soul to what we call anima in Italian. This was not about becoming someone new, but about remembering who I had always been, before the scripts, before the roles, before the need for external approval. This inner reconnection became the turning point of my personal transformation.

The Journey to Authenticity

Figure 2: The journey home to your authentic self

The diagram above maps out the three essential phases of reconnecting with one’s true self:

1. Soul Connection

The journey starts inward with silence, reflection, and presence. This is where we remember our own rhythm, our core values, and what truly matters to us. It’s the place where the noise of external opinions fades, and we reconnect with our anima.

2. Rewriting Life’s Story

From that soul connection comes a natural shift: we begin to reinterpret our past, reframe our present, and reimagine our future. We stop living according to inherited scripts and begin to write new ones with our own voice and vision.

3. Embracing Self-Direction

Finally, we move forward not by default, but by design. We take the director’s seat in our own story. We make choices that align with our inner truth, rather than others’ expectations. We lead our lives with intention, not obligation.

This isn’t a linear journey. It’s more like a spiral we return to each phase, again and again, deeper each time.

And once I understood this process, I knew I needed a daily practice to support it. A simple, structured way to stay aligned with my authentic self even when the world around me tried to pull me off course.

That’s where my framework, “I AM”, came to life.

I AM – A Daily Framework for Authenticity

To make authenticity sustainable, I created a three-step framework: I AM. It’s a simple, powerful practice that helps me return to who I truly am.

I AM Intend. Align. Make a Choice.

� I = Intend

Each morning, before the world rushes in, I pause and ask: How do I want to show in today? This sets the tone for the day from the inside out.

� A = Align

When opportunities or obligations arise, I pause to consider: Is this aligned with who I am, my true values and my core beliefs? If it isn’t, I remind myself that “no” is a complete sentence.

� M = Make a Choice

When I feel the pressure to perform or please, I come back to the question: Do I choose to be liked by others, or do I choose to be me? And I choose accordingly even when it’s uncomfortable.

Figure 3: Empowering questions of the I AM framework

A Practice for Returning to Yourself

Today is the day you can choose to stop showing up and start showing in.

Authenticity isn’t about being loud or bold. It’s about being real.

And it’s a practice you can begin or begin again any time.

�

� � You are the director of your own life.

�

� � You are the creator of the story you want to live.

Before you move on, pause. Take a breath. And ask yourself:

• Will I choose to step into my own director’s seat today?

• How will I show in for myself gently, honestly, fully?

• What would shift in my relationships, my work, my inner peace if I lived from my truth every day for a year?

• How does it feel to imagine that?

These are your moment-of-truth questions. But the real change begins when you move from intention to action.

And that’s where the I AM framework becomes your daily guide:

� Intend – How do I want to show in today?

� Align – Is this aligned with who I am, my true values and my core beliefs?

� Make a Choice – Do I choose to be liked by others, or do I choose to be me? Every day. In every moment.

Because your most authentic life isn’t waiting. It’s ready and it begins with the next breath you take as yourself.

Annarita Levanti

BUILDING BEAUTY

A conversation with GLORIA DESIDERI

Strolling through the streets of the ancient village, just outside the tufa walls, you come across a modern building that simultaneously breaks up the landscape and embraces it. A harmonious and pleasant structure, open and welcoming: Casa Nave alle Mura.

Stepping onto the terrace, you truly feel like you're on the deck of a ship ready to set sail, leaving the surrounding green hills behind to reach unknown and inviting seas.

And that's exactly what Casa Nave does every day: it welcomes teachers, artists, and the public who attend courses or performances like a home, like a ship opening new horizons to participants in its various activities. From my first visit, I felt it was a precious place of encounters and exchanges. I attended classes, listened to many concerts, saw performances, and each time, I returned home deeply nourished in my soul.

This time, I bring you the tireless work of an exceptional woman; you will read her words and experience her quiet enthusiasm.

A.Vicini

Leben Nuova is the leading organization in Italy for promoting somatic movement education, specifically Body-Mind Centering®. From its very start, in addition to and with the School for Body-Mind Centering® licensed training programs as a fulcrum, Leben nuova has worked on building a sense of community among people who share the somatic experience. It networks among students, graduates, professionals and the public of different fields and social-health services where the Body-Mind Centering® approach is applied. Leben nuova also places special attention in connecting local realities with experiences from other countries by organizing meetings, workshops, and international conferences, and by collaborating in international research projects.

(from Leben Nuova website)

AV: Tell me about your path from dancing to your body awareness work.

GD: My first true passion, one I was genuinely talented in, was music. But around the age of 18, due to personal and family reasons, I gave it all up completely: piano, guitar, singing. I didn’t know yet that I would eventually become deaf, but perhaps I was already withdrawing instinctively. At around 20, I began studying dance seriously and joined professional companies in Rome. I danced professionally until 1984, but deep down I felt a sense of restlessness, a search for meaning and direction in life. That search led me to New York.

Not long after moving there, I suffered a serious injury in a ballet class and thought my dance career was over. Instead, that moment opened the door to something new. A dancer friend introduced me to Elaine Summers and her method, Kinetic Awareness, which completely changed my relationship with movement and towards the body. I began letting go of effort-based dance techniques and started listening to my body from within.

I experienced several methods in the field of Somatics, but at some point, I discovered the BodyMind Centering® approach of Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen. Meeting her in 1986 was a turning point I knew immediately that I wanted to study with her. Since then, I’ve never looked back. Leaving the stage and performing was easy for me. I had found my path my mission, perhaps. Body-Mind Centering® isn’t a technique or a method; it’s vast research, an experiential study for exploring the body-mind connection and expanding one’s consciousness. For me, it has become a living philosophy, a way of being in the world.

AV: How did you go from dance and choreography to becoming a teacher of BMC?

GD: As often happens, it was an injury while dancing in the old fashion way that I had learned and practiced for years that led me to discover a new way of caring for my body.

At first, I sought out sessions to heal my injured leg. Then I heard about a woman named Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, who was working with a new approach to the body called Body-Mind Centering®.

After attending my first workshop with her in New York City in 1986, I realized I had found my path. During her class, she demonstrated on me something about the spine, and I instantly knew, I had found what I had been unconsciously searching for: a way of moving from the inside out, rather than imposing movement from the outside in. A way that could lead me to be free of pain and help me to better express myself.

When I finally began training with her, four years later, I made a clear decision to leave both dance and choreography behind. I felt I was finally addressing the deeper questions in my life, so I no longer needed to do it through dance.

It was a revelation. Even though I had received recognition and awards for my choreographic work, I never looked back.

AV: How did you develop the idea of realizing Casa Nave alle Mura?

GD: After spending 15 years in the U.S., I returned to Italy and soon settled in Tuscania Rome wasn’t for me. I’d always dreamed of building my practice in a small community and connecting it to the wider world. After six years working with the Infant Neuropsychiatric Unit of the Viterbo Public Service, where I introduced BMC® in projects for children with severe disabilities and their families, I founded Leben nuova srl, the organization authorized by The School for Body-Mind Centering® to offer certified BMC® training in Italy. I’ve been directing these programs since 2006, and Tuscania has since become a center of study for BMC® students from across Italy and abroad.

For 13 years, I rented various venues around and outside Tuscania; at the end of 2017, following the loss of loved ones and feeling like the last survivor of my family, I used a small inheritance to imagine a permanent home for BMC® in Tuscania. That dream became CasaNave alle Mura. When I first saw the property, it was love at first sight. I brought in an architect friend to help me shape the vision

Construction and renovations began in fall 2019, right before the pandemic. I relied on mortgage relief and loans to push through the crisis, and by July 2021, CasaNave, though still unfinished, opened to the local community, students, friends and relatives with a joyful celebration.

AV: When and why did you decide to add performances and shows to your activities?

GD: Although the idea of a "home" for BMC® in Italy was the primary motivation for the CasaNave project, from the beginning I nurtured the dream of giving Tuscania and the surrounding area a place of excellence also dedicated to cultural, artistic, social, and community activities. These activities have been carried out over the years by the Kinesfera Association, founded in 2014 with a group of student colleagues, which often used the spaces rented by Leben Nuova for BMC® courses. Kinesfera was very active from 2015 to 2019, promoting conferences, workshops, and community events, both in the field of special educational needs and in artistic and cultural activities. In 2022 CasaNave was entirely completed, I then realized that Kinesfera needed to focus on a specific area: the choice fell on promoting musical activities, with Maestro Tullio Forlenza as co-artistic director with me. Tullio and I began organizing small, themed events, with a concert a month, taking advantage of our friendships with musicians who came to play at varying levels of cost, and thanks to the audience who donate when they attend a performance. Two years ago, I organized a crowdfunding campaign that helped a bit, but without real funding, public and/or private, it's certainly not easy to continue. However, I'm proud to have hosted top-level musicians and musical programs. Thus, thanks in part to the beauty of CasaNave, the excellent acoustics, and the care I take in welcoming guests, a dedicated audience has begun to form, while new people continue to enjoy wonderful musical and convivial evenings.

AV: What are your plans for the future?

GD: Good question! I'm preparing an exit strategy that could last up to three years, but it will ultimately lead me to conclude this long tenure of directing BMC® training courses, return the brand and license, and pass the baton to others who wish to take over. Next year, I will celebrate 20 years of Leben Nuova and my work as Director. In spring 2026, as long planned, there will be an in-person meeting in Tuscania to coordinate all the Directors of the BMC® centers worldwide. On that occasion, and at the end of the week's work, I would like to create a livestream for anyone, especially those abroad, who would like to participate in a brief celebratory moment. In September, however, I hope to hold an in-person two-day celebration entirely dedicated to the Italian BMC® community. This coming fall, I turn 72. I don't feel old at all, but the time has come, a time more suited to reaping than sowing. I want to end up on a high note, to recognize what I've accomplished, and to make myself available to facilitate a new cycle that younger people will carry forward. I also would like to write.

Regarding the Kinesfera association that promotes the cultural activities at CasaNave, it will be crucial to focus on planning and co-planning, thus creating partnerships, to secure funding and financing. Above all, my hope is to meet someone with a strong entrepreneurial spirit who will fall in love with CasaNave, take over its management, and be able to make it run smoothly. In the immediate future, I'm organizing this year's next music series, which will open on September 20th with a concert by the young rock band that won last year's contest. I'm evaluating other proposals that have arrived for the coming months.

AV: What would you like to write about?

GD: I'm eager to share various aspects of my experience: certainly, that of having lived between two continents and two cultures. My mother had carefully saved the letters I wrote to my parents over the years. They're in a box I've never opened. But perhaps the time will come... Other themes concern my experience as a BMC practitioner and teacher. And more recently, the growing passion for the East, especially Korea, where I've developed friendships and where I plan to go next year... For a long time, I was very focused on the American culture, now I’m attracted by the East. I studied Taoist philosophy and still practice Tai Chi, but my current interests are very concrete and based on interpersonal relationships, as well as immersing myself in Korean traditions and history (in addition, of course, to the K-dramas and films that I regularly devour...!).

There's another topic I'd like to write about, if I live long enough and have the energy: my deafness and what it taught me about perception.

AV: What are the ideals and goals that have guided you all along?

GD: My entire life is a journey of integration. Music, dance, interest in social and political phenomena, care for oneself and others, the development of consciousness, knowledge of the body, the sense of community... There are many aspects of life that resonate within me. Integration doesn't mean mixing everything together, but rather carefully differentiating each aspect to discover and recognize their various interrelationships and connections. In this process, I draw heavily on the resources that BMC® offers, and its vast array of functional principles, practices, and tools deeply rooted in the body. But, above all this, it may sound a bit vague and simplistic, but honestly, the fundamental guiding principles that have always accompanied me are the feeling of Love and the sense of Beauty.

A Comment

A courageous woman who left Italy to follow both love and her intuition about the development her art and personal life could achieve away from her loving, yet too present family. She spread her wings in New York City, experimenting with traditional ballet, contemporary dance and movement, until – due to a personal incident whole dancing – she started to look for other ways to move in a more conscious way. This new awareness led her to a solid and intense 4 year-long training course in BMC and a complete change in her career, as well as continent. She returned to Italy, and, with time, she went from the pure therapeutic practice to the teaching and organizing of courses that has kept her very busy and well-known all-over Europe. Gloria has really taken all the events of her life, the good and the bad, the losses and the gains, as ways to test her approach and delve ever deeper into this vast and profound set of practices that allow people to move from within with new knowledge about their bodies/minds/emotions/spirit in a grounded and real way.

Her apprenticeship periods in NYC during her course well exemplify the width and scope of her subsequent work: from supporting children of different ethnic groups thrown together in a sort of child care for public workers, to the old Italian American ladies who had never moved before she invited them to try out their bodies in space, to the just born babies in a intensive care unit for premature or problematic birth babies. All these experiences were faced with grace and a sincere desire to do her best, to create harmony and balance where there wasn’t any.

Her apprenticeship was completed when she returned to Italy and was entrusted with people with handicaps (both mental and physical) by the local Regional Health System.

Listening to Gloria, you can imagine the joy, beauty and harmony she brought to her groups, her sincere smile and open eyes almost made me see the people she was describing. One of the things I was impressed with the most is her total lack of self-importance, Gloria does not need to appear, she just goes on her path, she really walks her talk. She left the stage, where she was an appreciated dancer and choreographer, she left NYC a hub of culture and a crossroad of many inspirations, to come here in a small town, apparently in the backwaters, but in reality, creating a strong beacon of light that will continue to influence positively. She never looked back, but only forward to the next goal and now she may find the time to write about her experiences and what she has learnt.

A.Vicini

BYTE OF ENLIGHTENMENT

Claudiu Murgan

The bird perched on the weathered post of the fence surrounding the farm seemed to be frozen by an invisible winter blister.

Dark blueish feathers, dipped into striking white and faded yellow, barely moved in the gentle south-west morning breeze.

Wolf couldn’t recognize what type it was, maybe a new species that bred in the nearby mountains from an interspecies accident, or a lonely migrator looking for a friendly respite.

It was too big for a sparrow and smaller than a Blue Jay or a robin.

Wolf’s eyesight was lacking focus lately; the self-cleaning mechanism of his reticular camera was not something he was specialized in. The regular support provided by the robotics company from the town down in the valley had ceased a while back, by his estimation, twenty-four months, three weeks and two days ago.

Wolf kept his locomotor functions in check with the little supplies the technicians left behind each time, as a precaution, just in case their service would lack consistency for whatever reason. Ever since the power grids went down during the Solar Storm Migration, no supply chains ever came back online.

This timeframe coincided with his late owner’s decision, Mr. Hance, to drive into town for supplies. News about social unrest and looting were now common all over the country, and his introvert character could not have handled any in-person confrontation.

With a flip of his fingers, Wolf pushed his cowboy hat towards the back of his head, copying the gestures of Mr. Hance. A replica of a Winchester Model 94 that could fire six rounds of 30 mm slugs was tightly held under his right armpit.

Target practice was not part of the morning routine, but the immovable bird on the fence post gave him an itch to swing the rifle and mimic the release of the deadly load. If only it was loaded. If only his model, Neuroforge Atlas-9, production year 2029, had self-defence routines. Then he could have come up with the excuse that the bird tried to attack him.

‘It could be a drone,’ he said out loud. The government, or whatever was left of it, ‘could sneak on you at any time,’ Mr. Hance used to say. There was nothing left for looters anyway.

The robotic models following his, all had the same height of 6 feet 4 inches, a light-weight carbonfiber frame powered by a solid-state hydrogen battery pack and loaded with adaptive deep-learning algorithms to navigate hazardous environments, plus advanced sensors for thermal imaging, LIDAR, and a multi-spectrum camera array. All encapsulated in a silicon membrane hardened by basalt particles.

The chat room he connected to in the past was buzzing with the excitement of the newer models about the emotional algorithms uploaded to the quantum clouds which the privileged models hooked up to.

He heard that word before, love, when the family he was assigned to was still living on the property.

At his peak strength, the wheat crop was in the barn on time, the chickens’ and the ducks’ coops cleaned and moved around timely on a fresh patch of grass, the horses’ stables mucked out, and the horses groomed, and their hoofs trimmed properly.

Those were the good old days with the children running around, dirtying in the mud and splashing his optical ends.

“I love this” or “I love that,” a statement the family used constantly, and after a while, Wolf started to use it too, to the delight of everyone.

His basic movement coordinates restricted him from crossing 10 yards beyond the property fence. Mr. and Mrs. Hance had considered that there was nothing of value to protect on the fields, the valleys, and the patches of forest comprising the entire 65 acres.

Etna and Tom, the 5-year-old twins were Wolf’s first priority, coded into his subroutines the moment he was delivered, three years ago. The parents were on the second position, then the three horses. The dogs, Flute and Harpe, could take care of themselves. The ducks, the chickens, and the only goat, were considered food, so they were left out of his coding priorities.

Wolf couldn’t explain why, but the demise of the farm happened in the exact opposite order.

Men with guns showed up in the dead of night targeting the birds’ coops and pulling the goat along. Shots were fired in the air just to convey the message that it is safer in the house than coming out to fight.

Wolf had no coded combat experience that could have hurt other humans. He used basic defense moves when either Etna or Tom would simulate brazen attacks with sticks, toys, or throwing certain objects.

He was charging anyway at that time, and incapable to react and act even as a scarecrow.

The loss of the main sources of food caused devastation for the family. Wolf helped by planting multiple rows of tomatoes, potatoes, and squash, despite his own common-sense programming that clearly stated that the planting season is overdue by two months and the probability of a consecutive annual successful crop barely edged twenty-seven percent.

Hope was another favourite word that, soon after the attack, toppled the word love Wolf spent significant time in the garden, hoping to see the results. The shoots came out relatively fast as the warm weather sided with the tried family.

Mr. Hance gave up reprogramming Wolf to a more aggressive version of himself after the laconic reply from Neuroforge Robotics “You bought the cheapest model we had. Cannot be upgraded to what you are asking.” The family had no money to purchase an advance model, not even they would have traded Wolf in.

So, Mr. Hance charged Wolf during the day and kept him outside during the night, close to the stables as a potential deterrent of another invasion.

Only that the second time the marauders came during the day. More than before. On ATVs and electric bikes.

Mr. Hance yelled and threw his hands in the air while threatening to discharge the Winchester Model 94 on anyone crossing the fence. The invaders called his bluff. They jumped over and walked calmy towards the stables, coming out with the horses that seemed a bit nervous.

That scene blew a fuse in Mr. Hance’s brain, as Wolf heard later Mrs. Hance explaining it to the children, and he pulled the trigger. The horses neighed and almost escaped the hold.

The stable wall got a hole in it, as well as Mr. Hance’s right shoulder from the return fire. Emotions and vitriolic language returned to acceptable levels when the leader of the thieves raised his hands and spoke mellowly, condemning the violence.

He had some words of advice for the family “You have no food left. We won’t come back any time soon, but when we do, I hope to not find you here. If y’know what I mean.”

Wolf didn’t know exactly what the big, hairy guy meant, but by analyzing Mrs. Hance’s visual expression and uncontrolled sobbing, he correlated it with a less positive outcome.

She also looked at him and sneered “You metal piece of shit!” as if it was Wolf’s fault for their poor buying decision of a Neuroforge Atlas-9 model.

Days after the attack, Mr. Hance’s medical condition worsened as the fever couldn’t be controlled with just herbs and fervent prayer. Wolf had not dared to enter the house again after he barely averted the impact of a metal pot thrown at him by a hysteric Mrs. Hance. The children were scared too. And got thinner by the day.

With the last bag of potatoes gone and the new crop still in the ground, Harpe, the she-dog, got sacrificed first. Wolf didn’t know Mrs. Hance had such mental strength, but he assumed that both her survival and motherly instincts kicked in at the same time, giving her the determination to provide food for the family for a few more days.

Of course she blamed it on Wolf. “Why did you leave the main gate open? Who knows what happened to poor Harpe,” she said, tearing up. The children changed their attitude towards him, more distant, less playful. They kept busy with Flute by throwing sticks he could chase and patting him for extensive periods.

At first, Wolf could not understand or was willing to take the blame for something he knew he didn’t do, but deep inside, that convoluted code running his hardware touched a sub-routine that opened a new perspective of his own consciousness: the safety of the children was not only physical, but psychological as well. So, he played along, head down as he wanted them to see him feeling guilty. He wasn’t sure if when Mr. Hance was playing with his GUI options, he had stumbled upon a defective sub-routine, but Wolf felt different. Something new emerged within himself as his pre-programmed priorities were changing to a level he couldn’t comprehend yet.

Small sips of water was all that Mr. Hance would accept. His body was shutting down under the desperate watch of a loving family. When he finally passed away, Wolf dug the whole at the back of the house and carefully placed the body inside. He did it by himself while Mrs. Hance and the children were praying inside for the departed soul.

Wolf really liked the monotony of the sound made by the prayers. He perceived it like a vibration that put him into a calm state. But he was never anxious or unsettled. Where did this idea of a sound calming him come into his conscious programming?

Wolf arranged the dirt neatly over the tomb and placed on top a bouquet of wildflowers given to him by Mrs. Hance. He couldn’t shed tears or mourn but he kept one knee on the ground as his way of showing respect.

Sometimes he looked back at that experience of him spending time alone with Mr. Hance having the impression that he was being entrusted with an important task.

Grief was still hanging heavy on the family when Mrs. Hance decided to go hunting. Wolf’s main priority didn’t change: take care of the children.

Holding the rifle didn’t bring much confidence to the woman’s posture and overall attitude. She mumbled encouraging words to her kids, advising them to listen to Wolf, and to him she squeezed a quick “I’ll cut you into small pieces if anything happens to them.” He knew she would do it if given the right tools. After she left, he searched for those devices that he deemed dangerous for his own safety and hid them under a heavy bale of hay that only he could move.

While Mrs. Hance wandered through the nearby forest, Wolf plugged himself in while not taking his optical ends off of the children.

Mrs. Hance returned hours later, scratched, muddy and holding a bloody rabbit by its limp feet. There was a bit of a cheery atmosphere that night around the diner table. Flute was allowed in the house; Wolf was still not. He didn’t mind. Watching them through the windows, he hoped that love for him would return to their hearts soon.

He felt lonely now that the children kept their distance and there were no more chat rooms available to meet similar models and listen to their stories. There was no more work around the house for him and the children seemed to take care of themselves.

Over the following days, Mrs. Hance made a habit of going out foraging. Wild bee honey, mushrooms, roots and herbs were her bounty. No other living creature fell for her poor hunting skills.

And one day, she started to go out with heavier packs. Kids clothing. On another day, pots and kitchen utensils. And the trips became repetitive, each time the house becoming emptier, until the day when she took the children and Flute along. No goodbyes, no ‘I am sorry,’ no ‘I hope we will be back soon.’ She looked at him with an empty gaze incapable of saying anything.

Wolf assumed that the indirect thread of the big guy resonated with her deeper than expected. He was not sure if he should be worried as well or just go with the flow of the day.

He followed them through the gate and ten more yards. He couldn’t advance. He was hitting a wall while Mrs. Hance and the children were getting further away. Etna looked back, waving at him, careful not to be seen by her mother. The forest swallowed and Wolf stayed there all night, pinned in one place, hoping that they would come for him. ‘To do what? he asked himself.’ He couldn’t protect them anymore and another unusual thought clicked into his circuits: ‘They are better and safer where they are.’ The moment that thought completed, he found inner peace.

This is how Wolf ended up with the cowboy hat, the unloaded Winchester rifle, and a whole house all to himself.

Without the children around, he had no purpose. In fact, it gave him the opportunity to observe the odd bird on the fence post, the sun setting behind the mountains, and the passing seasons.

Signs of the solar panel’s deteriorating performance allowed him to assess a slight malfunction of the solid-state batteries that charged him. He might have only months to act like he owned the place.

Now and then the sun light, filtered by what he thought were bends in linear reality, curved in shapes he couldn’t recognize, or opened slits through which the light’s intensity blinded him. Wolf searched his own sub-routines for an explanation. He came back empty. He called them space anomalies. They always happened at sundown and beyond the ten yards enforced limitation.

One day, to his surprise, the space anomaly happened within his side of the fence. The light came through at an angle this time, dissipating in the air like a layer of magical bee pollen. Wolf approached it slowly, moving his right hand up and down through the coat of light. The slit of intense brilliance became wider and made the same calming sound of prayer he loved so much.

There was nothing to analyze or assess. Wolf stepped in hoping to find his family. His silicon-andbasalt composite body became weightless, and he didn’t register any of the flashing messages: “System error. Directive null. Emotion… unknown.”

Claudiu Murgan

created by Antonella Vicini with Midjourney

Images

JUMPING INTO DEEP WATERS

AT SAL TO 25

Antonella Vicini

In May 2025 THE BADGER took a deep dive when the 2 co-founders and writers, Antonella Vicini and Lida Lodi Perry, landed in Turin for the annual Book Fair, the biggest in Italy.

We just had no idea how big and popular the fair would be: with its 321.000 visitors we were flooded with people of all ages and all walks of life. It was both an exhilarating, maddening and tiring experience and, I am not yet sure, I am over it yet!

The hundreds of daily events, the famous names from the entire world of literature, not just Italian, but foreign as well, the musicians, actors, performers coming to present their books or to support some other books/events, were so many that everywhere we were surrounded by celebrities of an intellectual and cultural nature.

It was magnificent to be among so many active and thinking brains!!!

We managed to present our books and sell them, meet with some of our favorite authors and feel star struck during book signing event, when we could finally express our admiration and appreciation for other authors’ works.

We met many other new authors and new publishers who, just like us, were as overwhelmed and tried to navigate these wide and deep waters.

There were many occasions for professional meetings as well, also a pre-fair workshop on A.I. in writing and publishing, touching the core of our work: who is responsible for the content if it is generated by AI?

We have learnt a lot, and we are still digesting the lessons from this first experience, we have now made our work public for the first time in Italy, since our magazine is read more abroad than here, we are now “born” in this market as well and the future looks exciting!

A.Vicini

Here below you can find the press release for each of our first 5 books:

THE BADGER PRODUCTIONS

proudly present our first book (August 2024, Glastonbury, UK)

CHAKRAS EVOLUTIONARY WHEELS By Chiara Corte

Chiara has written an amazingly profound and yet easy to follow set of instructions for an engaging and unusual inner journey via our chakras in an evolutive perspective: this is what is needed right now.

Walking with Chiara from the base chakra to the top one is like ascending the mountain of our hearts, where all the secrets are kept, the portal to infinity that contains the countless possibilities of healing and transformation.

This is a short manual, yet it is rich in information and deep love as well as awareness of how difficult the path can be, how much time and energy it may take, because the Author has taken the time, the energy and the passion to investigate and trod on new paths, following her intuitions backed by her studies and practice to make her body the alchemical furnace of change.

The explanations are supported by drawings you will find at the end of the journey; they are an integral part of Chiara’s vision for her manual. The information collected here originally appeared in form of articles for THE BADGER, they were first written in Italian and then translated into English, for this reason we have chosen to have a bilingual book, with the drawings in the center of our book.

Enjoy the lessons contained here and practice the sequences suggested for a harmonious connection of body – mind – emotion – spirit.

This book is available both in English and in Italian.

THE BADGER PRODUCTIONS

Proudly presents our first novel (October 2024, Tuscania Libri, Italy)

MRS H AND HER STUDENTS by Antonella Vicini

A teacher leads her students to the doors of knowledge: learning then becomes the most precious adventure of the soul.

They meet in the space - time of the classroom, suspended between childhood and adulthood. This is, perhaps, the only safe place where they can begin to know themselves and explore the world.

Using the metaphors of the circle and square cultures, the author invites us to visit the roots of our western approach to life, thus rediscovering the reasons for our choices as human beings.

Follow the adventures of this unusual teacher and her young students across time and space, told in classical story telling style.

This book is available both in English and in Italian.

THE BADGER PRODUCTIONS

Proudly present our first book on aging (May 2025, SalTo 25, Turin, Italy)

AGEING WITH JOY by Lida Lodi Perry

This small manual contains reflections, personal experiences, stories and quotes from illustrious authors who have written on the topic of old age.

The psychologist and psychotherapist Lida takes a journey through her relationships with her body, now a little worn out, her mind, her emotions and her spirituality.

For each theme, the author asks questions and suggestions for appropriate actions, adding various testimonies that help a deeper understanding of the aging process. This new self-knowledge leads to the awareness and joy of being who you are.

This book is aimed at women and men who are approaching this period of life, to make the journey more satisfying and joyful.

Using her long experience of listening and observation, also aimed at herself, the author wants to guide readers in this process to deepen their experience and find, with new and symbolic reading, not only the deepest meanings, but above all their own wisdom to leave as a legacy.

This book is interesting and intriguing for all ages, since we all face the same path in life, young people will learn how to cope with their elders, and older people will know what to ask for from their relatives with awareness and grace.

This book is now available in Italian, from October 25 it will also be distributed in English, in paper and hard back as well with colour photos.

THE BADGER PRODUCTIONS

Proudly present our first esoteric book (May 2025, SalTo 25, Turin, Italy)

MAHAKALA, Great Wheel of Time by Antonella Vicini

A Journey

The Author chose an ancient Sanskrit word as the title for this exploration of the medicine wheel because she believes all traditions are part of our ancestors’ legacies, therefore we can take inspiration from all the paths that have blessed our lives.

Since antiquity, people have honoured the directions, the seasons and the elements according to the time of the year, so it seemed an appropriate title for this work that does not want to be a treaty on Native American spirituality, nor a scholarly study of oriental religions.

This book represents the Author’s understanding of the ever-unfolding spiritual life.

This book is now available in English, from October 25 it will also be distributed in Italian, in paper and hard back as well with colour photos.

THE BADGER PRODUCTIONS PRESENT

THE BADGER ANTHOLOGY 2014 – 2018

(May 2025, SalTo 25, Turin, Italy)

The Badger is a fierce animal, very much respected and honored both in Northern American Native traditions and in European Celtic ones. A badger will not let go and will continue tenaciously to look for another way to tackle his/her goal, just like a good healer will not let go his/her search until the best solution is found for the person in need. Badgers have their homes underground, so that they can go to the roots of things, the good healer does the same and keeps looking until she/he can find the most profound reason for a dis-ease or a psychological issue.

We use the term healer in the very broad sense of somebody who takes care of another person, be it a MD, a nurse, a psychotherapist, a physiotherapist, a masseuse, a spiritual healer. Whenever there is a person in need and somebody who takes care of her/him, that is a healer. Sometimes the need is subtler and more profound than a simple medical intervention, the human touch is needed and it really is the Panacea that cures all diseases.

We believe all artistic expressions in their beauty, science for everyday life, spirituality, philosophy, food and the healing arts are beneficial to restoring that balance, health and sense of worth that each and every human being deserves.

We offer you THE BADGER, the persistent healer, all the articles come from experts in different fields, each person has his/her own idea of what a balanced life is, they are here to pass on information, give inspiration, receive your comments, suggestions, contributions. Each human being holds in his/her hands at least one of the keys, let's continue our quest!

After 10 years of volumes, we have decided to start publishing an anthology of the most significant articles received over the years. This first volume, available only in a printed form, covers the pioneer years between number 0 in 2014 and 2018, when we created 4 volumes a year, following the rhythm of the seasons.

You will find here all the themes that are dear to THE BADGER: the keys to well-being in all aspects of life. We wanted to give you something permanent, an object of beauty to cherish and keep, to share and discuss with friends and family.

We are honoured to have lasted so long, to have had such illustrious authors among us, it has been a pleasure and endless source of learning for me, as editor in chief, to meet and discuss all these topics.In the form of anthology, you will be able to spend more time on each series of articles and appreciate the scope of the topics offered by THE BADGER. Thank you and Happy Reading!

www.thebadgerproductions.com

thebadgerquarterly.com@gmail.com

Some Photos from Turin 2025

Our first day and first presentation!

To the last flyer!

All our Books together at Salto 25!

Chiara Corte signs her book

Our Last Presentation

Time to leave SalTo 25

Frog Fun!

AUTHORS

Antonella Vicini

Writer and editor of THE BADGER, author of Mrs H and her Students (2024) and Mahakala (2025). Steeped in classical and Indological studies, I have spent all my life learning from people as well as from the ancient texts that keep revealing their immortal, thus contemporary teachings. I am happy when I can share new visions and face new challenges. I am a professional rebirther and trainer (since 1987), Reiki master since 1991, stress management and leadership trainer, writer and visionary. I also lead workshops on shamanic journeying and soul healing. I am deeply grateful to all my teachers and elders. Badger Medicine Spirit

Laura Bottagisio www.laurabottagisio.com is an astrologer and seeker. She started studying astrology at the beginnings of the 80's with Lisa Morpurgo, she later worked with the Cosmos Institute of Milan, where she learnt about the theory and practice of Vibrational Waters. She has attended seminars with gerard Athias and Jp Brebion on new medicine and bio analogy. She shares her discoveries in her blog. She also creates tableaux with recycled materials, in this way she creates images out of emotions and inner worlds.

Lida Lodi Perry

https://www.facebook.com/lidaperry?ref=profile

Lida was born in the North East of Italy (Vicenza) after graduating from a teacher Institute she came to the USA, where she continued her education at the University of Massachusetts with a degree in Psychology and later a Master in Social Work. She worked for many years at a drug clinic in the local hospital. In 1984 she went back to Italy to work with abused children as a director of a residential facility. She moved on to work as a supervisor and Psychologist at Milan Cancer Institute where she is still consulting, while having a successful private practice as psychotherapist. She was also cofounder of the Rebirthing Institute with Antonella Vicini, she became a Reiki Master in 1992, she is still active with the local and international Reiki community.

Claudiu Murgan started writing Science Fiction when he was 11-years old. Since then he met remarkable writers that have helped him improve his own trade. Claudiu's experience in various industries such as IT, renewable energy, real estate and finance, helped him create complex but real characters that brought forward meaningful messages. Claudiu is one of the co-founders of the Immigrant Writers Association in Toronto, and the Vice President of Authorpedia.org, the world's only encyclopedia for authors. You can hear the radio and TV interview Claudiu gave in the last 12 months on his website www.claudiumurgan.com

100% made in Italy and now residing in England, Annarita Levanti is a telecommunication engineer with a passion for personal development and giving back. Since starting her personal development journey in 2016, she has been dedicated to exploring and sharing these concepts.

Annarita is the founder of A Tale Treasure, a brand focused on creating illustrated books for children that promote personal development through storytelling. These books aim to help children uncover their true potential and navigate life's challenges with emotional intelligence, creativity, and resilience.

Annarita Levanti

Thank you for reading our magazine, our tribe of committed Badgers is growing steadily

Thank you!

I want to thank the new and old authors who have added their voices and experiences to this great adventure, so that we can be better heard and received. Our next issue will be online at the Winter Solstice 2025

If you want to keep in touch with THE BADGER, please send your questions, comments and creative contributions to:

thebadgerquarterly.com@gmail.com we also have a Facebook page, please join us there:

https://www.facebook.com/THEBADGERQuarterlyMagazine

Here are the direct links to our previous issues:

https://issuu.com/antonellavicini/docs/the_badger_december_24

https://issuu.com/antonellavicini/docs/the_badger_2024_vol_1_ed

https://issuu.com/antonellavicini/docs/the_badger_june_2023_new?fr=sYjlhNjM1MzQ5Nw

https://issuu.com/antonellavicini/docs/the_badger_autumn_winter_2022_2023

https://issuu.com/antonellavicini/docs/the_badger_march_2022_new

https://issuu.com/antonellavicini/docs/the_badger_autumn_winter_2021_-_2022

https://issuu.com/antonellavicini/docs/the_badger_spring_summer_2021

https://issuu.com/antonellavicini/docs/the_badger_autumn_winter_2020

https://issuu.com/antonellavicini/docs/the_badger__spring_summer_2020

https://issuu.com/antonellavicini/docs/the_badger_autumn_winter_2019

https://issuu.com/antonellavicini/docs/the_badger_spring_summer_volume

https://issuu.com/antonellavicini/docs/the_badger____june_2018

https://issuu.com/antonellavicini/docs/the_badger_march_2018

https://issuu.com/antonellavicini/docs/the_badger_january_2018

https://issuu.com/antonellavicini/docs/the_badger_october_2017

https://issuu.com/antonellavicini/docs/the_badger_june_2017

https://issuu.com/antonellavicini/docs/march_2017

https://issuu.com/antonellavicini/docs/the_badger__year_3_volume_1__januar_633706ba22eabb

https://issuu.com/antonellavicini/docs/the_badger___year_2_volume_4

https://issuu.com/antonellavicini/docs/the_badger_june_2016

https://issuu.com/antonellavicini/docs/the_badger_march_2016

http://issuu.com/antonellavicini/docs/the_badger_january_2016

http://issuu.com/antonellavicini/docs/the_badger_october__2015

http://issuu.com/antonellavicini/docs/the_badger_june_2015

http://issuu.com/antonellavicini/docs/the_badger_year_1_volume_2

http://issuu.com/antonellavicini/docs/the_badger_year_1_volume_1_correcte

http://issuu.com/antonellavicini/docs/the_badger_number_0

ADVERTS

At the end of our magazine we dedicate some pages to support products, services and important events, please contact us if you are interested in appearing in these pages.

This is a service, but we reserve the right to accept the material you send us for this section.

You can find some of our choices in the following pages:

Badger supports Books

Badger supports Services

Badger supports Products

Badger supports Events

For more information on how to place your ad in our pages, please contact us at:

THE BADGER PRODUCTIONS present SPEECHLESS?

NO MORE!

Speak in Public with Joy

The Natural Speaker

We are all natural speakers, this course will support the rediscovery of your innate skills and your real voice

The world needs your clear voice, whatever your occupation or level of study, being able to communicate and be understood in public situation has become the norm at every level of education and in any job.

From shy to shining, from silence to fully express yourself in a confident and professional manner, these are the goals for our beginning course in Public Speaking. Whether you are still in school or looking for your first job, adding your voice as an asset will make you stand out, because you will be a Natural Speaker.

When I was an adolescent, I was shy and hypersensitive, but when I chose to become a tour leader and I was placed in charge of a tourist group, suddenly I had to find ways to give the best service possible and make sure that they all had a good time, there was no space left for my concerns. In this course I offer you my solutions and the steps to take in order to pursue this path.

In our 10 online lessons we will discover: the power of stance with our body and breath the scope of our vision with our mind the strength and resilience in our life with our emotions the deepest values that identify us with our spirit. All these approaches applied to communication techniques will make you a Natural Speaker.

Watch our trailer video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1w82uM_RqYU and contact us at the

QUILTING AWAY

Quilting is the art of creating very colorful quilts, using small pieces of fabrics stitched together preferably by hand, in different colorful and amazing patterns.

My Quilts are stitched and quilted by hand to assure a more precise assembly and even thickness. It takes time to create a quilt: for a single bed at least 3 months are needed.

https://www.facebook.com/lidaperry/?fref=ts

BEAUTIFUL PAINTED ARROW

VISIONARY ART CARDS

THE PATH OF THE RED ROAD

A Powerful Tool for Transformation

Through these beautiful and unique cards Joseph Rael (Beautiful Painted Arrow) shows us the Path of the RedRoad. A great wisdom teacher, Joseph Rael, imparts a personal message to each of us in the individual revelations of the cards.

Beautiful Painted Arrow (Joseph Rael) helps us understand through the blending of two languages, two separate realities, that we each come as a gift to life. . . . His use of sound in the practices he offers is very illuminating and special.”

Brooke Medicine Eagle on “Beautiful Painted Arrow”

www.millichapbooks.com

THE BADGER

If you want to download every volume, you can subscribe for one or two years so you can read with leisure.

In this way you will support the continuous growth and freedom of