FISHBOWL MAGAZINE MARCH 2023

RE-IMAGINED – Transforming waste into art!

ArtSpring Gallery, March 14th - 27th

Making art from garbage? Yuk or WOW, what amazing works of art!

Salt Spring artists have created amazing new 2-D and 3-D pieces using waste that would otherwise have gone to the landfill. They will be showing these in the RE-Imagined Show at ArtSpring March 14-27th.

RE-Imagined started when the SSI Printmakers learned that the Hartland Landfill is, well, filling up. It’s a big problem! Since printmakers love to use garbage to create interesting textures and surfaces in their prints they leapt at the chance to create a new show. They knew that other artists would be excited to take part in the show. It turned out that the Capital Regional District was looking for creative ideas to support with small grants. Voila, RE-Imagined was born.

The artists in the Re-Imagined Show have used things like castoff building materials, pieces of plexiglass, paper products, old toy parts, insides of clocks, fabric bits and packaging waste. The results are incredible! You can marvel at their creations when you visit the show.

Students art works will also be on display. The Salt Spring Arts, Artists in the Class and the ArtStarts programs bring printmakers into the classrooms in schools to learn printmaking. In preparation for the Re-Imagined Show, students are understanding why we must practice the 5R’s – Reduce, Repurpose, Reuse, Recycle, and Repair. Younger children made prints using Styrofoam plates. Older students used mat board off-cuts and old packaging to create prints called collagraphs. The cover photo shows a plate using this technique.

A special challenge for the Re-Imagined Show is to create a mobile from waste materials. A second challenge is for local businesses to make a window display from either their own waste or from recycled

materials. A map is coming to show where you can see these creations.

Put the date in your calendar to visit the RE-Imagined Show, Mar 14-27! It is open daily from 10 am – 4 pm in the ArtSpring galleries. The opening reception on Wednesday, March 15th, 3 – 6 pm is family friendly. The show is free. Come and see how garbage can be transformed into art.

The SSI Printmakers are a group of 50+ members who meet and work in the studio at SIMS, host workshops, and sponsor shows. All levels of skill and knowledge are welcome. They use only non-toxic materials that make for a safe working environment. You can find more information at www.ssiprintmakers.ca.

Plates used for printmaking have a limited life. If a plate is used for what’s called an ‘edition’, protocol requires that it be destroyed after the prints are signed and numbered so that buyers know that they are not buying a print that could be endlessly reproduced.

In this case, collagraphs are made by gluing materials onto a board (the plate), inking the plate, and putting the plate and paper through a press. As this one is a somewhat fragile mat board off cut covered with a wide variety of waste materials, its life would normally be very short indeed. But in this case it will be displayed proudly in RE-Imagined!

About our Cover Artist

Nora’s passion is now printmaking, a career in environmental consulting now long ago in the rear view mirror. The combination of imagination and fun with hands on carving and building up plates gets her into the new studio at SIMS on a regular basis. She’s also discovered how much she enjoys mentoring new printmakers!

THE FISHBOWL is brought to you by publisher Genevieve Price Columnists: Seth Shugar, Mishka Campbell, Jen Redpath, Jessica Terezakis & Hannah Webb ND. Green Printing & Layout: Imagine That Graphics.ca

"forest magic" artist: nora layard

Price is Right

PRODUCT REVIEWS

by: Genevieve Price

Revlon

So Fierce Prismatic Eye Shadow Palette

I looked into Spring makeup trends and all the blogs say bold bright eyes, so I took the plunge and went out of my comfort zone with a bold palette by Revlon. So Fierce Prismatic, Slight Flex was the palette I chose. I watched a few tutorials and went for an intense eye, image included is not my eye, Ha! But is the colours I chose and attempted…

Unfortunately, without a primer the bright colour pigments faded, and quite fast after a couple hours I was left with some serious shine but not much else. So if you are like me and want quick and easy Pharmasave has several other options to hit the mark. This one gets a thumbs down from me.

Sponsored by

Salt Spring Arts welcomes Jesi Jordan as our 2023 Artist in Residence.

Jesi is a self-taught traditional animator from Canada. Jesi’s work comes from the perspective of an un-institutionalized artist where she uses metamorphosis as a form of surreal and abstract storytelling by illustrating the relationship between subjects by how they shift in and out from each other. Her work functions as internal dialogues and emotional x-rays.

Artist Talk + Reception

Frame by Frame: Traditional Animation by Jesi Jordan

Tuesday MAR 21 | 5:30 – 7:30 PM | Mahon Hall

Come meet Jesi and hear about her work and process. Jesi will be screening five of her previous traditional animation works and explaining the ideas, processes, and journey behind each.

Youth Animation Workshop – $10

Monday APR 10 | 1 PM – 5 PM Ages 9 – 14 | Mahon Hall

Come learnhow to make an infinity loop animation, frame by frame. A forever unfolding narrative with no beginning or end.

Open Studio | Screening and Talk

Sunday APR 29 |2 – 4 PM The Point

Jesi will be screening the work she created during her residency as well as the animations created during the youth workshop.

For more information about the residency and Jesi visit: https:// saltspringarts.com/air-artist/air-2023/jesi-jordan/

live on stage in MARCH 2023

A colourful medley of clown and circus artists, Japanese dance, piano and percussion, bluegrass, and an operatic masterpiece all bloom on stage this March at ArtSpring. Social calendars are bound to be busy!

On March 11, RAGMOP Theatre presents Hotel Vortruba a surreal, wordless physical comedy from Canadian clown and movement artist Nayana Fielkov and USA circus artist Matthew “Poki” McCorkle. Otherworldly room service, creaky floorboards, and giant rats confound a guest looking to confront the proprietor in this gorgeous, hilarious, and daring theatrical experience where magic lingers in every shadow. Accomplished dancer-choreographer-actor Hiromoto Ida skillfully merges dance, theatre, classical music, and voice to tell the story of as old man, raising a glass of sake to himself, in celebration of what will be his last birthday in Birthday Present for Myself on March 14.

Inspired by the subtlety and simplicity of Japanese Noh theatre through western contemporary dance and music, Hiromoto explores a touching shared moment through the inner world and emotions of the old man. In turn, audiences are inspired to find unexpected beauty in their own lives.

Percussiano3 on March 22 is a veritable pageant for the eye and the ear, bringing together a myriad of percussion instruments with one piano. The trio’s dazzling array of instruments and brilliant display of virtuosity delivers all of the excitement of a percussion ensemble without losing the classical touch of a traditional concert. The repertoire spans the best of Bach, Schubert, Ravel, Rachmaninoff, Brubeck, and Saint Saëns, as well as original compositions.

A swiftly emerging creative force, violist Radia a.k.a Ryan Davis joins the Gryphon Trio on March 25 in a slight change from what was programmed. Now they present Colour You Like, a luminous new musical experience, harnessing live looping and electronics that intertwine the sound worlds of classical, folk, electronic and hip-hop traditions. The program will feature Radia’s original compositions and visuals, as well as Dinuk Wijeratne’s stunning Love Triangle  for piano trio, concluding with Johanne’s Brahms celebrated Piano Quartet in g minor.

Canada’s Juno-nominated “bluegrass band to watch,” The Slocan Ramblers, take to the stage March 30th to close out the ArtSpring Presents month. Rooted in tradition, fearlessly creative, and possessing a bold, dynamic sound, The Slocans have become a leading light of today’s acoustic music scene. With a reputation for energetic live shows, impeccable musicianship, and an uncanny ability to convert anyone within earshot into a lifelong fan, The Slocans have been winning over audiences from Merlefest to RockyGrass and everywhere in between.

Adding to the Spring mix, The Met Opera’s Live in HD celebrates a soaring new production of Wagner’s masterpiece Lohengrin and Vetta Presents: The Joe Trio, with an inimitable and irreverent classical crossover style. Finally, ArtSpring’s Lobby and Gallery are awash in local colour with exhibitions from the SS Painters Guild and the Printmakers Exhibit.

Box Office – Tuesday-Friday 10am-2pm | 250.537.2102

Online Sales – tickets.artspring.ca

photo credit yoshimasa suzuki

Jen’ll Tell Ya Featuring

Jen Redpath & Jessica Terezakis

Mishka’s Book Reviews

with Mishka Campbell

The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida

by Shehan Karunatilaka

When you read the synopsis for this book it gives you, as it should, a loose idea of what to expect as far as plot goes. Set in Colombo, Sri Lanka, this novel tells the story of Maali Almeida, referred to as a “war photographer, gambler, and closet queen”. He awakens, dead, in what appears to be some sort of bureaucratic office for the afterlife and is made to understand that he has exactly seven moons (or days) to tie up loose ends (ie: discover who killed him, visit his loved ones etc) or he will not be given the option to move into the Light. To be clear, he could choose to move directly into the Light, but if he requires a sense of closure he only has seven moons to find it before the path to the Light is forever closed to him.

I found this teaser intriguing enough to pick the book up…well, that plus the fact that it won the 2022 Booker Prize. However, getting through the first chapter was a challenge for me. I appreciate magical realism, but because this novel opens in the in-between and because Maali is (understandably) confused and disoriented upon discovery that he’s dead, I did find it hard to follow. It didn’t take long for me to grasp the rhythm of the storytelling though, and once I did, I could not put this book down. It would be impossible to pack in as much vivid imagery as this book contains without expressing it in this unique way. Maali weaves stories of his past seamlessly alongside the memories he has of the events that led to his death, openly sharing his flaws. He’s a ghost, piecing together a murder mystery while also reflecting on the ways in which he’s chosen to lead his life (spoiler alert: those choices haven’t all been good ones). There’s a great deal of Sri Lankan politics and history shared here, much that I had been unaware of, but it is critical to the story and to understanding the dangerous worlds Maali moved in as a photographer who captured violence and injustice, in photos that some would rather never see the light of day. This novel somehow manages to be a whodunnit, a love story, a journey of self-discovery, and political satire; altogether serious, while never taking itself too seriously.

Hey Salty,

For many folks with vulvas, orgasms can be infrequent and for some, seemingly unattainable - which is hard to believe considering that the clitoris has over 10,000 nerve endings dedicated to pleasure! Studies have found that in heterosexual relationships, ciswomen have fewer orgasms than their cismale partners. Sex Researchers have even coined the term “Orgasm Gap” to describe this discrepancy.

So why might this be?

Researchers at Rutgers University found that due to having fewer orgasms (the orgasm gap), many heterosexual ciswomen put less importance on their sexual satisfaction and lessen their desire for orgasms. Deepening the gap and perpetuating a “cycle of orgasm inequality” (Wetzel et al., 2022, p. 456). Not to mention that throughout Western History, clitoral and vaginal pleasure has largely been associated with mystery, fear, and shame.

So how do we close this gap? We’ve got some suggestions for you!

Start by:

1) Exploring your body! Find what turns you on. There are some great resources both online and in books. Tools like sex toys, hands, or breathing techniques can also be a great start.

2) Communication with your partner is key.

3) Stay in the moment. If you find your mind wandering while being intimate with yourself or a partner, try acknowledging the thought and then letting it pass. Then return to the moment, thinking about what and where something feels good, how you feel, and ride that wave.

4) Be gentle with yourself and recognize that just like learning any new skill, this sort of thing can take time.

For partners:

1) Listen! Be open to what your partner suggests.

2) Recognize that it may be really hard for them to talk to you about something so intimate, so try not to pass judgment. That means both verbal and non-verbal (facial expressions, posture, etc..)

3) Be patient and humble when trying out new things. If something makes you uncomfortable, let them know!

This month’s article was written by our amazing Options volunteer, Alyssa. Much like the clitoris, Alyssa touches just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to orgasms. Check out these amazing resources if you are keen to dig a little deeper:

★ Come as You Are by Emily Nagoski, Ph.D. (Found at OPT!)

★ Becoming Cliterate: Why Orgasm Equality Matters by Dr. Laurie Mintz (Found at OPT!)

★ Wetzel, G. M., Cultice, R. A., & Sanchez, D. T. (2022). Orgasm frequency predicts desire and expectation for orgasm: Assessing the orgasm gap within mixed-sex couples. Sex Roles, 86(78), 456-470. (The study!)

Stay Sexy Salty!

Options for Sexual Health is open on Tuesdays from 4:30-6:30 pm. For appointments, please call (250)537-8786 or email opt.ssi@gmail.com

10 by 10 at Salt Spring Gallery

March 24th – April 13th

In the spring of 2013 a group of women sat in a circle on the floor of Ahava Shira’s studio near the top of Mount Maxwell. We had been together for several months working through an offering from Ahava called Loving Inquiry. We relished our Sunday get togethers, time to share our writings, to begin work on what came next, and to always enjoy a bowl of soup made by Ahava’s partner Gregory. Every woman had a journal, some large with blank pages and others with lines. These journals became filled up with our own words, our own stories and, yes, even some art. These Sundays were inspirational. We learned to step out of our comfort zones, to share our voices and our stories. We supported each other’s commitment to this journey while at the same time honouring ourselves.

As we neared the end of our time together Ahava asked each of us what we would like now. Did we have a dream, a wish, a desire. I stated that I would like to see my art on a wall. We spoke of this as a group and all decided that an art show would be great. And so it began with Pieces of Her Story, our first show. Besides creating our own artwork for the show we filled a journal with responses to seven questions, each of us having the journal for a block of time, each answering the same questions in words and images and art.

From 2013 until this year we have held a yearly show except for 2021, the year of covid. Every year the show seemed to expand with the additions of stories and poetry. The art filled the walls and sometimes the floors. We have had interactive pieces so that the public could be part of the show, part of the creation, part of the play of creativity. One year some of us took to the stage with stories, films, and dancing.

Every year we would come up with a few ideas for a theme and then agree on one. There has been: Pieces of Her Story, A Festival of Women’s Voices, Pieces of Her Story 2, She Said This is a Love Story, Unwritten Unspoken Unheard, She Said This is Who I am, Inspired by Words, Stories Told in Words and Images, Woman with Conviction. After a while people would call us the women of She Said and we liked that. There are a few of us who have been in every show since the very beginning: Ahava Shira, Sam Barlow, Charlene Woolf, and Premilla Pillay. Some of the women have moved on or are pursuing other ways of expressing their creativity. Every one of them is still a part of She Said.

This year we are celebrating our 10th show aptly entitled 10 by 10. Each artist will work on 10” by 10” panels without a specific theme to work from. The show will be held at the Salt Spring Gallery on McPhillips Avenue March 24th – April 13th, with an opening celebration on March 24th starting at 5:00 p.m. We hope you will come out and celebrate with us and perhaps, as we always wish, that you will be inspired. For the last six shows I have felt honoured to bring these women together, to be open to new members and to see what incredible art that is created from a one line prompt. Every year I am amazed at the art, the creativity and the sharing of our stories.

Sculptures by Janus on exhibit at Salt Spring Gallery

March 3-21

Janus creates singular, subtly emotive sculptures that embrace the symbiosis of anthropological myth and nature into a contemporary voice.

A visual bridge of cultures through the recognition of global similarities in ancient tales. Stories that tap into a collective unconscious and engage our similarities rather than our differences. Discover Janus' narrations through uniquely sculpted, hand held ceramics to large museum or public art bronze installations.

ARTIST STATEMENT

I live with forest, streams and ocean tides. Within the streams I found clay, within the clay I found my voice.

I create images of people who still live out their stories, images of those long past and images of myth that only imagination and the reality of honest experience can tell.

Arts council programs cast wide net Applications now open for multiple opportunities

Are you an active creator, an aspiring visual artist or performer, or someone who appreciates locally produced arts and culture? Salt Spring Arts is the local organization with the aim to help you get involved. Supporting access to and participation in the arts for everyone in the Gulf Islands school district, the community arts council offers multiple routes for exploring and expanding a creative life.

Salt Spring Arts’ 50-plus years in the community have seen it develop core programs while also creating special arts initiatives that are responsive, and reflect islanders’ evolving needs, interests and concerns. Bringing arts to the island is one role the arts council fills, ensuring our broad community has many ways to engage in arts and culture with a variety of free-to-access events and installations that are inspiring, engaging and sometimes provoking. Cultural/historical lectures and art talks, visiting exhibitions, mural installations and outdoor concerts in the park are just a few ways that Salt Spring Arts has been building local engagement in the arts over the past couple of years.

Helping people realize richer lives through the arts can also mean direct support for visual artists and makers, such as providing an exhibition and sales venue for more than 100 islanders every summer at the Artcraft Gallery. It can mean funding innovative arts educators for sessions in local classrooms. Or it can be small one-time grants that help islanders realize their community art projects.

Community members who are wondering how they can be part of these programs will find lots of information on the organization’s website, saltspringarts.com. Check out the Artist Calls section this month to apply to the 2023 Artcraft show, and/or to submit an exhibition proposal for the 2024 Showcase season. Online application forms are also now open for Artist in the Classroom instructors and workshop proposals for the 2023-24 school year.

Salt Spring Arts’ spring funding cycle also opened on March 1. Look for the Grants and Awards page under Programs to access application forms before April 30. The available awards this period include scholarships for graduating high school students who are going into the arts, and a grant for professional development assistance through the Susan Benson Fund. Grant applications for local projects are also open until the end of April.

Visit https://saltspringarts.com/calls-for-artists/ for more details.

The thyroid is a small but important gland that sits at the front of your neck. The role of the thyroid is to secrete hormones that set the metabolic rate of your body. It determines your body temperature and plays a huge role in your energy levels. It also affects your digestion, your cellular metabolism, hair growth, how much you sweat, your weight, and your mental health.

This means that if your thyroid is under-functioning, you may feel fatigued and experience some combination of weight gain, constipation, depression, hair loss, or dry skin. You may also notice feeling cold all the time or being especially sensitive to cold weather. You could also have muscle weakness, heavy menses, memory problems, and painful joints. Of course, not every patient has all of these symptoms, but experience some unique combination of the above list.

As you can see from the symptoms listed above, having a properly functioning thyroid is REALLY important. And it is not only thyroid disease that is important to address, but also an under functioning thyroid. This is quite common, especially in women – one can have thyroid function that is not outright ABNORMAL on labs but suboptimal relative to what would support a person feeling their best.

Thyroid testing involves assessing TSH (or thyroid stimulating hormone), the hormone that comes from the pituitary in the brain and sends the signal to the thyroid to start working. If it is high, the signal is loud and it is trying really hard to tell the thyroid to start working. The thyroid may not be listening and responding well, and this is a sign you have a thyroid issue.

In the conventional medical world TSH is typically the only thyroid test that is run. However, this test does not provide a full picture. it is also helpful to test T3 and T4 (or triiodothyronine and thyroxine), which are the hormones that are produced by the thyroid. This is important because these can out of range even if your TSH is normal.

In addition I also like to test for autoimmune antibodies against the thyroid. This is a common cause of thyroid issues and known as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. I test these antibodies because with any health imbalance I always ask the question “WHY is this happening?”. If it is an autoimmune cause, we can begin to work on strategies to balance your immune system and reverse this process.

If there is no autoimmune condition I explore other causes. In many cases certain nutrient deficiencies can impair thyroid function. This is something I see often in my practice, and gentle treatment with nutrients and herbs can make an important difference in helping a person feel better.

If you have a thyroid condition your health can be affected in a variety of profound and diverse ways. If you would like to learn more about thyroid health, I invite you to get in touch!

Friday, March 3 - Sunday, March 5, 2023

Meet the Filmmakers at the Film Festival!

Local filmmakers and film guests will be in the spotlight as they present their films at the Salt Spring Film Festival from March 3 to 5 at Gulf Islands Secondary School, along with visitors from as far away as Toronto, Whitehorse and North Carolina.

The local housing crisis is addressed in a new film co-directed by Kajin Goh, spokesperson for the Warming Space, which last winter provided an ongoing refuge despite repeated evictions from public parks. IN FROM THE COLD explores the particular challenges of rural homelessness, interviewing service providers and local residents experiencing housing insecurity. Goh will be joined by one of his co-directors, Community Services Operations Manager Rob Wiltzen, along with Executive Director Rob Grant, for the World Premiere of this very topical film.

An outspoken advocate for the inclusion of women in adventure sports, Salt Spring resident Debora De Napoli is profiled in Darcy Hennessey-Turenne’s lively THE DEBORA EFFECT, which follows the indefatigable De Napoli returning to mountain biking after a lifealtering brain injury. Equally indefatigable is DAISSI Board member and Community Response Network Coordinator Jean Burgess, who will introduce Ondi Timoner’s deeply moving LAST FLIGHT HOME to address the importance of keeping end-of-life decisions in the hands of individuals, with support from friends and family.

Four short films with Salt Spring connections are part of a water-themed program entitled SALISH SEA STORIES, including local free-diving photographer Flossy Roxx’s filmmaking debut, FELLOWSHIP OF THE SEA, profiling the Salt Spring Seals and their dedication to year-round ocean swimming. Whitehorsebased multimedia artist Joyce Majiski returns to Salt Spring to present SONG OF THE WHALE, in which she painstakingly reproduces a full-sized humpback whale skeleton from oceansalvaged Styrofoam.

Local self-taught stopmotion animator Ryan Haché is joined by co-director Ritchie Hemphill to present their delightful claymation film TINY, illustrating the mostly cheerful and sometimes harrowing recollections of Ritchie’s mother, Colleen Hemphill, Chief Negotiator for the Gwa’sala- ‘Nakwaxda’xw Nations, as she reminisces about growing up on a float house on northern Vancouver Island. Rounding out SALISH SEA STORIES is a short film on the importance of protecting Salt Spring’s watersheds. Directed by local photographer and filmmaker Alex Harris, FRESHWATER SALT SPRING features renowned local author Briony Penn, John Millson of the Water Preservation Society and Indigenous water defender Sulatiye’ Maiya Modeste

Among a number of films on Indigenous issues at the Festival, Victoria-based filmmaker Leslie Bland and co-director Harold Joe from Duncan will present A CEDAR IS LIFE, on the centrality of cedar to West Coast First Nations, and TZOUHALEM, on the legendary 19th-century Cowichan Chief.

Award-winning filmmaker Teresa Earle will join us from Whitehorse to present VOICES ACROSS THE WATER, which she wrote, produced and edited and which was directed by her partner Fritz Mueller, about the disappearing Indigenous art of traditional canoe construction. Also traveling south is Texada Island textile artist Deborah Dumka, the subject of her daughter Claire Sanford’s short film VIOLET GAVE WILLINGLY, which screens in a package of shorts entitled THE WORDS UNSPOKEN.

This powerful trio of films includes FINDING MY FATHER, directed by Toronto multimedia artist Maziar Ghaderi and produced by Patricia Marcoccia, returning to Salt Spring three years after presenting their controversial feature THE RISE OF JORDAN PETERSON, one of the most popular films at the 2020 Festival. Joining them are Maziar’s parents, Hossein Ghaderi and Pari Kaveh, who are featured in the film. Maziar will also present Nahid Persson’s BE MY VOICE, along with special guest Maryam Malekpour, a Vancouver-based Iranian human rights activist who freed her brother Saeed from an Iranian prison after 11 years of captivity.

An award-winning film on Vancouver’s drug crisis, LOVE IN THE TIME OF FENTANYL will be presented by film subject Ronnie Grigg, Founder and Executive Director of Zero Block Society. Also from Vancouver are filmmaking duo Hayley Gray & Elad Tzadok, presenting UNARCHIVED, on the efforts of marginalized communities to fill in the blanks in the historical records of BC. And traveling from farthest away is Jamie Berger from Raleigh, North Carolina, who wrote and produced THE SMELL OF MONEY, on the environmental hazards of the American pork industry.

Returning to Gulf Islands Secondary School for the first time in three years, the Film Festival features over 40 documentaries from around the world, opening with STILL WORKING 9 TO 5 on Friday, March 3, at 7 pm, preceded by a Gala dinner at 5:30 pm. Full Festival passes are available in advance at the ArtSpring Box Office; other tickets and passes are sold only at the door.

Kajin Goh

Sulatiye’ Maiya Modeste

Leslie Bland

Harold Joe

Teresa Earle

Deborah Dumka

Patricia Marcoccia

Ronnie Grigg

Hayley Gray

Maryam Malekpour

Maziar Ghaderi

Jamie Berger Elad Tzadok

Rob Grant

Debora De Napoli

Jean Burgess

Joyce Majiski

Ryan Haché

Alex Harris

Colleen Hemphill

John Millson

Ritchie Hemphill

Flossy Roxx

the Sweet Spot

The Interpersonal is Political

One of the most inspiring movements of social change in human history had its roots in the way a husband and wife navigated the intimate injustices that characterized the early years of their relationship.

Gandhi is often credited with formulating the method of nonviolent resistance that he first experimented with in South Africa before implementing it to help overthrow British rule in India, where the method inspired the Civil Rights movement in the US and a multitude of other movements since. But Gandhi himself repeatedly gave the credit to his wife Kasturba. “I learned the lesson of satyagraha [“truthforce” or nonviolent resistance] from my wife,” he said. “She became my teacher in non-violence. And what I did in South Africa was but an extension of the rule of satyagraha she unwittingly practised in her own person.”

So how exactly did Kasturba become Gandhi’s teacher in nonviolence? There were four fundamental hallmarks of her approach to interpersonal transformation, each of which would be echoed in Gandhi’s approach to societal transformation.

1) Determined Resistance: From the very beginning of their arranged marriage at the tender ages of 13, Kasturba boldly stood up to Gandhi.” “I used to be a tyrant at home,” Gandhi openly admitted. “I literally used to make life a hell for her.” Raised to regard himself as, in his words, “lord and master of his wife” he set about trying to “bend Kasturba to my will.”

How did she respond? With what Gandhi called “determined resistance.” When he demanded Kasturba ask permission to leave their house, he says “she made it a point to go out whenever and wherever she liked.” When he tried to throw her out of their house for refusing to clean the outhouses, she appealed to his sense of shame: “Because I am your wife, do you think I have to put up with your abuse?” The situations changed but the message remained the same: “This is wrong. It must change. I won’t stand for it.” And it is no coincidence that this is the very same message Gandhi repeatedly conveyed to a string of patriarchal oppressors during his campaigns in South Africa and India.

2) Loving Resistance: Yet despite Kasturba’s determined resistance, she rarely retaliated or escalated their conflicts, choosing instead to remain a fierce guardian of connection. Her “disobedience,” in other words, remained largely civil, which is to say respectful, supportive and compassionate. She was fierce yet tender, assertive yet supportive, indignant yet forgiving, boundaried but benevolent. And very much like Kasturba, Gandhi would go on to carefully maintain friendships with the various oppressors he sought to reform. After being imprisoned by General Smuts, for instance, he famously made a pair of sandals for the very man who had imprisoned him.

with Seth Shugar

3) Patient Endurance: But of course, standing up firmly but warmly to Gandhi’s patriarchal conditioning did not magically change his behaviour overnight. No, it took years. Years of bearing with him through his outbursts. Years of clinging to the truth while continuing to see what was good in him. Years of voicing her opposition to his mistakes while silently encouraging him to live up to her respect. And this too became one of the hallmarks of the relentless campaigns Gandhi led: Kasturban levels of fierce yet loving resistance and persistence.

4) Visible Suffering: While both resisting and enduring Gandhi’s “stupidity,” however, Kasturba did not hesitate to let him see the suffering his behavior was causing her. When he tried to throw her out of their home in South Africa, for instance, she cried at him through tears, “Have you no shame? I have no family to take me in.” And seeing the suffering he was causing his wife eventually touched Gandhi’s heart and, he said, “made me ashamed of myself and cured me of my stupidity in thinking that I was born to rule over her.”

Gandhi would later come to call this phenomenon “the law of suffering” – the observation that to truly transform another’s behaviour you must not only satisfy their reason, but also move their heart and open up their “inner understanding” by letting them see your pain. This became another one of the hallmarks of Gandhi’s approach to social change: letting the world see the innocent blood, broken bones and dead bodies that littered the way of love.

Gandhi’s method of societal transformation began at home in his most intimate interpersonal relationship. Which is why, when people complained to him that it was too difficult to love this or that leader, he encouraged them to “start where you are,” which is to say at home, in your family, with your friends. And continue working outward from there.

Seth is a Registered Clinical Counsellor, Marital and Family Therapist and Board Certified Life Coach. He works with individuals and couples in private practice. You can reach him at sethshugar@me.com or book a session at www.sethshugar.com

March Offerings

Please register at staroftheseassi@gmail.com

All our programmes are held at St. Mary’s Church, 2600 Fulford-Ganges Road, unless otherwise listed.  Donations for participation in these events are welcome. For details, visit our website at www.staroftheseassi.ca

Tuesday, March 7

2:00 pm – 3:30 pm with Clark Saunders

What’s in a Name? Are our names anything more than a convenient handle? How do you feel about your name? How did you come by it? Do you still have the name you were given at birth? If it has changed, how did that come about? Historically, cultures and religions have ascribed significance and meaning to names – and to the changing of names. What issues of identity, control and power does the subject of names raise for us?

Tuesday, March 14

7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Spiritual Conversation: Virtue, morals, ethics: why do they matter ? with Brian Day and Heather Martin. All traditions share the guidance to increasing levels of morality and it’s associated attitudes and behaviours. What has this to do with spiritual experience and living a life of spiritual awareness? This is a regular programme, offered on the 2nd Tuesday evening of every month.

Thursday, March 16

2:00 pm – 3:30 pm with Lolla Devindisch

The Role Of The Creative Process In Our Spiritual Journeys

Throughout the history of humanity, we have been driven to explore countless avenues of creative expression, both culturally and in our lives as individuals.In this time together we will focus on our personal journeys and discuss how the arts and other creative pursuits have influenced and guided our spiritual quests or provided the alchemy for healing.We will also consider how the creative force of others has enhanced our lives and enabled us to relate in ways beyond intellectual understanding.

Monday, March 20

7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Gospel, Kirtan, Vespers, with Marilyn (Em) Walker on guitar, percussion, vocals; Edgar Hann on button accordion; Adam Huber on guitar, vocals; and Terri Wyllie on tabla/drums, vocals. They draw on various spiritual and cultural traditions and faiths.The blend combines the musicians’ personal backgrounds in spirituality and religion while opening up new venues of devotion for the participants. Song sheets are provided. This is a regular programme, offered on the 3rd Monday evening of every month.

Tuesday, March 21

7:00 pm – 8:30 pm, online on Zoom

Sacred Poetry: Poetry as Prayer and Praise, with Lolla Devindisch

This is a regular programme, offered on the 3rd Tuesday evening of every month.

Sunday, March 26th

10:00 am – 1:00 pm

Taking Time to Connect: A workshop to re-connect with ourselves and others, led by Marcia Burton

This workshop draws from the Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) training and the Hakomi method. No experience is required... only an openness to connect with yourself and others. Marcia Burton is a Hakomi Trainer and MSC Teacher, and a Registered Clinical Counsellor, in private practice for 25 years. Fee $25.00.

Scopes

of “Ya Righta”

 Aries

Don't believe anything you read today.

 Taurus

You’ll finally realize a dream you’ve had since childhood when a huge scary monster comes out from under your bed and eats you all up.

 Gemini

Although the majority of those born under Gemini are good people, like any star-sign or chicken coop, there are also bad eggs.

 Cancer

Your mind is filled with thoughts of sexual inadequacy and hey, maybe you're right.

 Leo

Harmless fun may come back to harm you over the coming weeks.

 Virgo

The thought of you losing your mind is making you lose your mind. If you ever get out of that hole, the chances are that you're still going to be a neurotic plague of badness.

 Libra

The colours you see around you are intended to give you an idea of three dimensional space. Close your eyes and let the world unfold around you.

 Scorpio

Whilst you may think that this horoscope is completely useless... I have to admit - I have a very guilty secret. You see, all horoscopes are completely useless.

 Sagittarius

Position yourself well, for the revolution is almost here. Your tinfoil hat is also crooked.

 Capricorn

Lifting heavy objects may cause you pain later today. Beauty and misery are a package pair for you today.

 Aquarius

You don't have the right to tell anyone what to do, that’s my job and I take it very seriously!

 Pisces

There - I said it.

Brought to you by our own in-house astrologer who now goes by her numerologically correct name