---------- Forwarded message --------- From: GrassRoots RA/MC <grassrootsramccollective@204482322.mailchimpapp.com> Date: Thu, Oct 24, 2024 at 20:40 Subject: GrassRoots' October Newsletter To: <baffo32@gmail.com> The latest updates, articles, events, and resources from GrassRoots RA/MC Collective. View this email in your browser <https://mailchi.mp/dcd8139ac73f/grassroots-february-newsletter-12706911?e=4c34956ae3> [image: GrassRoots logo with the text GrassRoots RA/MC Collective in green and brown, and a small songbird sitting on a branch over the R.] <https://grassroots-ra-mc-collective.us21.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9690eac1a335d192057677e91&id=f756e8162f&e=4c34956ae3> [image: A wren sitting on a branch with a flower bud. Beside it is the text GrassRoots RA/MC Survivors' Collective Newsletter on a green background.] *October 2024 Edition* Meet the Members *Sharon Lynn Speaks took part in a fantastic project with Issue Box Theatre. Be sure to also check out Sharon Lynn Speaks’ bio and the See Me Project, under the heading Events by Other Organizations, further down in this newsletter.* Introducing the *five courageous survivors* who will read their poetry and prose at our *Poetry Reading* <https://grassroots-ra-mc-collective.us21.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9690eac1a335d192057677e91&id=d6c062ce90&e=4c34956ae3>, coming up soon on *November 16th*! Also introducing our *technical host* for the evening, *Majestik*! She will make sure Zoom works as it should, manage the Chat, and screen share. She also made the slides to accompany the survivors’ poems and artwork. Find out all the event details below their biographies. We hope to see you there! *Jayden and co, also known as FloweringForest system* We are a survivor of engineered mind control, GMC, child trafficking, ritual abuse, and a lot of types of abuse and torture, including around our twin and twinning. We are a big polyfragmented system living with a lot of consequences of the decades of abuse. We also are a poet, artist, somatic coach and peer support worker, resonance practitioner, and a person of many experiences that all come together to influence how we flow through the world. Some of our favorite things are lakes, cups of tea, cats, friendship, books of poetry, paintings, canoeing, being with the sky, and working towards a kinder and warmer world. We are constantly learning how to accept being an RA survivor and seeking to connect to this world in a way we never got to experience as children. *joanies* We are a retired elementary teacher who daily let our inner ones be with our kidlets at school, and because of that much healing occurred within. We, in our lifetime, have either owned or fostered 25 doggies. If prompted, we can recite each of their names. We currently share our home with 2 kitties who truly believe they are in charge… and they are... in most cases. We have found “our tribe” within the RA/MC community. We are a co-facilitator of CUPP of Hope, a support group for RA/MC survivors. *kate, host of the DID system of kellen&co* We have been diagnosed with DID since early 1995. Starting in 1994, poetry became our lifesaver... our way of telling our story without speaking it out loud. We didn’t know what we were doing with poetry as we had never written any before, but using what we later learned was the Acrostic style, poetry began flowing out like a swiftly moving river of pain and terror. I hope what we will share helps you in some way... whether in letting you know you are not alone, or enlightening you a bit in what it is like to have been so heinously hurt we became many living in one body. Thank you for hearing . *LivesInTruth * LivesInTruth is a creative and caretaker alter responsible for “speaking and living the truth.” Although she is not the only part that writes, LivesInTruth is the part chosen to represent a polyfragmented DID system which is known collectively as the Collaborative Galaxy. They have survived, from pre-birth, a lifetime of abuse, including procurement as an infant for human trafficking as a child through adulthood, governmental sponsored experimentation, ritual abuse and mind control, criminal organized abuse, child pornography and snuff films, all entailing physical, sexual, mental, emotional abuse, and severe chronic neglect and abandonment. Through much therapy and hard work, Collaborative Galaxy has learned that they created each alter and fragment with the hope of merely surviving every moment that truly was not meant to be survived. Three of our books are available on Amazon or Lulu.com: “Letters Between Us: Women of Today to Children of Yesterday <https://grassroots-ra-mc-collective.us21.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9690eac1a335d192057677e91&id=1a14efb587&e=4c34956ae3>,” “the fair captive - a survivor’s collection of poetry <https://grassroots-ra-mc-collective.us21.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9690eac1a335d192057677e91&id=b95fa3d3e1&e=4c34956ae3>,” and “Voices of Truth: An Anthology by Survivors of Ritual Abuse <https://grassroots-ra-mc-collective.us21.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9690eac1a335d192057677e91&id=1e74f29459&e=4c34956ae3>.” It is our hope as a system that our writing and our voices might one day help other survivors know that they are not alone in this world. *Majestik and the Rainbows (System Name)* We go by Majestik most of the time. The body is 46 years old and we are married to a great man named Merlin. Have lived in California our entire life. Through our journey we have adopted our cousin who is 34 now. Had our own beautiful Special Needs daughter who never was supposed to live past a month and just turned 21 years old which is an awesome milestone in my eyes. We live day-to-day following a motto my mother gave us. “I look forward to looking back on this.” *wildhorse* We are wildhorse. We are a wife, mother, co-facilitator of CUPP of Hope drop-in support group, and a survivor of RA/MC. We like horses, dogs, trees, sparkly things, blankets, music, writing, and doing art. We especially like being in and feeling the warmth of the sun. Poetry Reading - The Inside Scoop [image: A piece of blank, white paper on a wooden table, with a sprig of small blue flowers on one corner of it. There are 3 colored pencils lying beside the paper: blue, red, and green.] <https://grassroots-ra-mc-collective.us21.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9690eac1a335d192057677e91&id=e3228d8a7d&e=4c34956ae3> *Survivors of Extreme Abuse Read Their Poems of Suffering and Healing* <https://grassroots-ra-mc-collective.us21.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9690eac1a335d192057677e91&id=6b23bcc48c&e=4c34956ae3> *Saturday, November 16, 3-5 pm (Pacific Time)* *Fun Fact: *Our upcoming Poetry Reading, *co-hosted by Rivers and Jean*, is the *sixth poetry event* GrassRoots has offered on Zoom since 2001. Unlike other GrassRoots events, Poetry Readings are not only for ritual abuse/mind control survivors, they are open to friends, supportive family members, therapists, pastors, etc. *Everyone is welcome at our free Poetry Readings* and you can *register online* <https://grassroots-ra-mc-collective.us21.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9690eac1a335d192057677e91&id=2d73cc9430&e=4c34956ae3>. Attendees may keep their webcams *on or off *during the event. The poets were chosen from a four-session writing group held mid-summer. *Majestik *will provide technical support behind the scenes. You can check out all of their bios in our Meet the Members section, above! *The poems and accompanying artwork are intense. Please plan ahead for ways to soothe yourself and stay grounded. * After the reading, there will be time for a *Questions and Answers *period with the poets. *A preview of the poetry you may hear at the Reading:* *Ponder* Silence vomits out of our mouth And confusion runs down our cheek We inhale deeply: shame As we violently ponder What if? How? Why? What does it matter? *By wildhorse* *These are two stanzas from a series of a haiku poem: * *Nature Attacked* The pine trees watched all. Tears soaked the roots of the oaks. I weep for the trees. All nature senses Evil has been here tonight Attacking its soul. *By Kate17 of kellen&co* Groups and Workshops *For descriptions and to register, see our **Events* <https://grassroots-ra-mc-collective.us21.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9690eac1a335d192057677e91&id=ed86c9b172&e=4c34956ae3>* page.* *CUPP of Hope Drop-in Support Group* Mondays and Wednesdays 5:00-7:00pm PT *For questions, please contact the facilitators at **cuppsofhope@gmail.com* <cuppsofhope@gmail.com>*.* *Open Studio* 4th Sunday of each month - October 27, November 24, December 22 Noon-3:00pm PT *Informal Coloring/Creative Arts* Second Saturday of each month - November 9, December 14 1:00-3:00pm PT Events by Other Organizations *Issue Box Theatre, “I Want You To See Me” Project * [image: A poster from Issue Box Theater advertising I Want You to See Me, with a series of faces of all ages and genders side by side.] <https://grassroots-ra-mc-collective.us21.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9690eac1a335d192057677e91&id=8826e405a1&e=4c34956ae3> "I Want You to See Me” is a short film series amplifying the voices of marginalized experiences. These two short films share fifteen real and diverse stories of resilience, discovery, and growth from storytellers across all walks of life. These films challenge the viewers to see the world from another perspective, and invite them to find a deeper sense of empathy. *STREAMING NOW* <https://grassroots-ra-mc-collective.us21.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9690eac1a335d192057677e91&id=5fc6ba74c6&e=4c34956ae3>* -- with no viewing fee -- until December 31st, 2024.* Please consider donating what you can to support the longevity of the See Me Project so that future storytellers can share their voice and reclaim their story. *Sharon Lynn Speaks*, a longtime community member of the GrassRoots RA/MC Survivors’ Collective, is one of the story tellers in this current See Me Project. We are honored to give Sharon Lynn Speaks a shout out for their courage and creativity in participating in this project. They have graciously shared the link to their portion of the video titled “*Secrets No More* <https://grassroots-ra-mc-collective.us21.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9690eac1a335d192057677e91&id=eed9fe31c5&e=4c34956ae3>.” You can contact Sharon Lynn Speaks at sharonlynnspeaks@gmail.com <SharonLynnSpeaks@gmail.com> *Sharon Lynn Speaks shares about their experience:* *About myself:* Born into a multigenerational family of cult ritual abuse, my awakening came at about age 30. Since then, my recovery and healing has spanned 40 years. I would say, “I’ve got it figured out. It’s over.” Turned out to be an invite for another layer. Personal growth and empowerment is lifelong. I was naïve to think otherwise. *About GrassRoots:* When it came time to find others like me with similar experiences, GrassRoots appeared and I have been with them ever since. Attending and sharing my experiences in the CUPP of Hope support group is validating. Hearing others share and bearing witness has anchored in that these bizarre horrific memories really did happen, wiping away the denial. *The Why of making the film – A collage from different parts:* “I want to say what a wonderful experience this has been and still is, as speaking up filters down the line. We are one yet not… so it takes time.” “I didn’t want to do this at first… the video, but glad I did. I saw… it gave me a new perspective… the prison… all of us in prison… not just the singular cage. By stepping out of the cage it opened all the prison doors. Huge thanks.” “I, too, didn’t want to do it. None of their damn business, but glad I did. It gave me hope, freedom from the secret.” “I couldn’t wait to squeal on them. About time. Everyone… the world needs to know this exists today. Happening right under their noses.” At the 2023 International Human Trafficking and Social Justice Conference, I selected a variety of presentations on ways to express myself. The Issue Box Theatre presentation really fit for me. Especially when I heard the offer to help with the tech end. Having full ownership of the video; full artistic control over my message, images; their support of the process with my needs paramount; and if at any time I chose to stop or not show the video it was okay to do that. I felt safe and would do it again. The video became so much more than I could have imagined. *Composite Sharon* *An Infinite Mind Speaker Series* <https://grassroots-ra-mc-collective.us21.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9690eac1a335d192057677e91&id=d90e7643cd&e=4c34956ae3> *Descriptions of past Zoom presentations are at the bottom of their page.* Second Sunday of each month 4:00-5:30 pm Eastern Time ($10.00 USD) The *2025 Healing Together Conference* <https://grassroots-ra-mc-collective.us21.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9690eac1a335d192057677e91&id=aabcd68472&e=4c34956ae3> is in Orlando, Florida, *February 14-16, 2025*. *Scholarship applications* <https://grassroots-ra-mc-collective.us21.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9690eac1a335d192057677e91&id=6c0986d732&e=4c34956ae3> are available until *December 1, 2024* *Dissociative Writers* <https://grassroots-ra-mc-collective.us21.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9690eac1a335d192057677e91&id=ff59a62c62&e=4c34956ae3> This non-profit offers a wide variety of free writers’ workshops on different days and at different times. Resources (Non-GrassRoots) *Multiplied by One: Trauma and Dissociation Resources* <https://grassroots-ra-mc-collective.us21.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9690eac1a335d192057677e91&id=22468c93bd&e=4c34956ae3> Multiplied by One is an international organization based in Canada. The inspiration for its name came from the fact that any number multiplied by one is still the same number. And a person with no matter how many parts is still a whole person. This website has hundreds of resources. Some are specific to a particular group (men, people of color, and LGBTQ+, for example), while others are useful to all. Books, podcasts, crisis lines, free mental health apps, movies, and TV - all sorts of resources are listed. They also offer online support groups for C-PTSD, Dissociative Disorders, and loved ones. One is “DID-RAMCOA (Organized Extreme Abuse, OEA).” Groups meet weekly. One group a week costs US $7.50, two cost US $11.00, with a discount if paid annually. Full scholarships are available. Sheppard Pratt Closes, Blog Remains Sheppard Pratt was a world-renowned in-patient Trauma Unit. For decades, under the leadership of Dr. Richard Loewenstein, survivors of extreme abuse received superb treatment and lasting healing. There is no longer any place that can come close to its standard of treatment. Luckily, one grateful patient wrote down the clinical knowledge, tools, exercises, and resources she received from the program developed at Sheppard Pratt, so that we may adapt them to our own needs. *Nel *publishes them in her blog, *Discovering Serenity* <https://grassroots-ra-mc-collective.us21.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9690eac1a335d192057677e91&id=96ec7e56dc&e=4c34956ae3>, and she talks about what made Sheppard Pratt so special in this *post* <https://grassroots-ra-mc-collective.us21.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9690eac1a335d192057677e91&id=5f5b9aeca5&e=4c34956ae3> . New Resource Link - Worth a Look We don’t normally highlight links we add to our Resources page in our newsletter. There would simply be too many. However, one of our GrassRoots’ community members, *J9*, sent this one to us and we thought it was worth sharing in a larger fashion. Although the information in this Ted Talk could be extremely helpful to just about anyone, we feel it could be especially useful in healing from sexual abuse: *Emily Nagoski: The truth about unwanted arousal* <https://grassroots-ra-mc-collective.us21.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9690eac1a335d192057677e91&id=820bc6be69&e=4c34956ae3> Sex educator Emily Nagoski breaks down one of the most dangerous myths about sex and introduces us to the science behind arousal nonconcordance: when there's a disconnect between physical response and the experience of pleasure and desire. This video is also listed on our *Resources* <https://grassroots-ra-mc-collective.us21.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9690eac1a335d192057677e91&id=eeffbb89a2&e=4c34956ae3> page under Webinars, Videos, and Podcasts. Quote of the Month *Ula*, a GrassRoots Community Member living in Poland, offers this quote that she heard at a workshop. It reminds her of how important the present moment is, for all humans and other life. Every day is a holiday, every place is a temple, and everyone is a guest. *Author unknown* *If you have any favorite affirmations or quotes you would like to share, please **Contact Us* <https://grassroots-ra-mc-collective.us21.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9690eac1a335d192057677e91&id=6bb3530c6e&e=4c34956ae3>* and we may put one in a future newsletter!* *If you like this newsletter, please pass it along to others. * They can *subscribe here* <https://grassroots-ra-mc-collective.us21.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9690eac1a335d192057677e91&id=bc4f8110d8&e=4c34956ae3> . Please note we rarely check the mailing address at the bottom of this email for mail. If you have something you’d like to share with us, please *Contact Us* <https://grassroots-ra-mc-collective.us21.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9690eac1a335d192057677e91&id=9841b43a55&e=4c34956ae3> . *We always love to hear from you!* Contact Us! <https://grassroots-ra-mc-collective.us21.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9690eac1a335d192057677e91&id=28d188f710&e=4c34956ae3> [image: GrassRoots logo with the text GrassRoots RA/MC Collective in green and brown, and a small songbird sitting on a branch over the R.] <https://grassroots-ra-mc-collective.us21.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9690eac1a335d192057677e91&id=1ebe315082&e=4c34956ae3> Copyright © 2024 GrassRoots RA/MC Survivors' Collective, all rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. Our mailing address is: GrassRoots RA/MC Survivors' Collective 3505 Camino del Rio S Ste 212 San Diego, CA 92108-4016 Add us to your address book <https://grassroots-ra-mc-collective.us21.list-manage.com/vcard?u=9690eac1a335d192057677e91&id=9337ede86c> Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your profile <https://grassroots-ra-mc-collective.us21.list-manage.com/profile?u=9690eac1a335d192057677e91&id=9337ede86c&e=4c34956ae3&c=b0f2c53dfc> or unsubscribe <https://grassroots-ra-mc-collective.us21.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=9690eac1a335d192057677e91&id=9337ede86c&t=b&e=4c34956ae3&c=b0f2c53dfc> from this list. [image: Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp] <https://grassroots-ra-mc-collective.us21.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9690eac1a335d192057677e91&id=12c79db5cb&e=4c34956ae3>