Festival for Symptoms

with Gena Corea and Helen Hawes
September 3-5, 2010

Existence is so grim for our poor symptoms! We speak badly of them, try to banish them, haul them off to the hospital where doctors and technicians poke, prod, x-ray and subject them to scary, painful procedures. What a life! This festival provides a happy excursion for our backaches, migraines, tumors, eczema, irritable bowel syndromes, and heart conditions. It gives them a break from being viewed always as a problem, an enemy, something to be solved or conquered. At the festival, our symptoms can have a good time. They can sing and dance under out music tent, play in the game circle, draw and paint at the art booth, or eat bratwurst and drink beer at one of our concession stands. They can express themselves (maybe it's our symptoms who are "the artist within!") and be listened to with interested curiosity. We'll hold them by the hand, buy them cotton candy, and watch them as they ride the merry-go-round. We can be with our symptoms in a gentle, loving, accepting way (or not), develop a more complex relationship with them, and experience much from the unseen reality.

Gena Corea • genovefa@sover.net • 802-257-3099
Helen Hawes • helenrhawes@gmail.com • 802-254-6881
PO Box 42 • West Dummerston, VT • 05357