i wrote you a letter.

analogue tendencies

One of the Buddhas found on the path. They are tucked into the trunk of a tree. There are hand-drawn goldens lines surrounding them. The right side of the photo is comprised of snow, snow snow.

If you would like to support this work, in the spirit of generosity, please consider becoming a paid subscriber.

I barely know what day it is. That’s why I wrote you a handwritten letter this month - so that I could do something tactile and grounding. It is likely full of typos. I won’t have a chance to transcribe it just yet. If you are receiving this directly in your inbox, you’ll receive the full analogue experience. If you’re just stumbling across this Substack at some future time, my hope is that this letter will have been transcribed below for you. I appreciate the space you offer me to show up in this way, wherever you are joining me in the space-time continuum.

Slowly, Slowly

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Here are some of the things I reference in the letter.

1. My dear dharma friend, Elaine Su-Hui, sends out a handwritten, riso-printed newsletter called Earthworm Stories.

2. I tend toward papanca.¹

3. The sign-off in the letter and below and in the print offering references the “Suffusion with the Divine Abidings”. I first chanted this with Thanissara and Kittisaro and it continues to show up. It is growing to be one of my favorite returning places.

January 27: During, January 28: After. Sharing work, the cycle of joy and depletion and (undocumented) replenishment. Left photo credit: Avery J. Savage, IG: @jaysav

xo Jessica

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I AM THE EARTH AND THE EARTH IS ME zine. Printed with Secret Riso Club and presented at Head Hi. The zine is held on a small wooden presenting platform. To the left is a clear vase, the bottom filled with water and the top with branches and some light pink foliage. The background is a blank white wall and the foreground includes a marble countertop and the cover of a bright green publication.

For existing paid subscribers.

slowly, slowly remains free. However, I would like to send a special Thank You to those of you who have supported me as a paid subscriber. Whether you’re a past paid subscriber or a current paid subscriber, I hope you’ll respond to this newsletter with your mailing address so that I can send you my I AM THE EARTH AND THE EARTH IS ME zine, along with a little note.

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A sheet of printer paper has an image of a garden plot with a newly planted tall native plant in the middle. There is text above and below the image. The sheet is held against the black rails of a fire escape. Riso-Printed at Wendy’s Subway.

For new paid subscribers.

And! The tiniest of promos - for the next eleven new paid subscribers (monthly or yearly), I would love to send you the I AM THE EARTH AND THE EARTH IS ME zine as well as a little riso-printed poem (seen above). Some of the prints will have printed texts and others will be hand-written (that’s just how the riso-printing day worked out). Ty - always - so much - for your support.

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Hands reaching toward each other. The left hand is a light skin town and the right hand is a darker tone. The left hand sleeve has a patterned white and dark red floral pattern. The right hand has a dark solid red cloth. The background of both hands is gold.

An Inner Fields Update.

After 4 years of offering meditation gatherings online, and almost 8 years of meeting and organizing as a sangha, it is with some sadness that we have now decided to close our monthly online space. Many changing conditions have led us to this decision. Our beloved, longtime sangha organizer, Amira Pierce, stepped down from her role at Inner Fields last month, and the difficulties of organizing across 4 different locations and 3 different time zones has inevitably become too great. 

The good news is, with the release of our online space we now have the capacity to create more localized, in-person events! Darlène is seeking interest in establishing a sangha in Pittsburgh. Jessica (me) has offered eco-workshops at 462 Halsey Community Garden in Bed Stuy. Chelsea is deepening her engagement and offerings with SourcePoint Therapy. Elaine will be creating a listening event at the Philosophical Research Society in LA later this year, and is starting a Palestine support sangha in Sydney. There will be opportunities to practice with us again in New York as well. You can find updates with details of these gatherings as they arise by following our Instagram (@innerfields_ny).

💛 Thank you for creating Inner Fields Sangha with us. We have been nourished and nurtured by this online community just as much as you. We look forward to practicing in person with you soon. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions regarding these changes, or are seeking alternative online sanghas to practice with. 

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Work with me.

You can find me weekly at Heal Haus, five days a week at Arena, intermittently at Inner Fields and often at 462 Halsey Community Farm.

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1. A more thorough explanation of papanca here: https://tricycle.org/article/papanca/