This autumn, the founder and host of the Ecology, Cosmos & Consciousness lecture series, David Luke, is on sabbatical in the wilds of Wales. He’s passed the baton on to yours truly to bring you some stimulating Tuesday evening salons at the October Gallery in London.
First up, next Tuesday 24th September, is Daniela de Armas, a London-based Priestess of Ochun in the Lucumi tradition, and director of the London Lucumi Choir. Lucumi (also known as Santeria or La Regla de Ocha) is a syncretic religion of West African and Cuban origin, influenced by and mixed with Catholicism. Daniela will talk about how her stroll along the Lucumi path connected her to God, Nature, and Spirit, and hopes to dispel some myths about this tradition. She particularly wants to look talk about how this religion can be important in connecting with Spirit in an urban environment, and how balance, good character, and a relationship to ancestors are central to the philosophy of Lucumi.
If you can RSVP on the event page on Facebook, we can better anticipate numbers (you’ll have to request to join the Ecology, Cosmos & Consciousness group first). But you can just turn up if you want—all tickets on the door. It’s £7, £5 concessions. Arrive 6pm for a 6:30pm start.
There’s two other lectures lines up. On 29th October we’re lucky to have renowned anthropologist and film-maker Hugh Brody, author of the brilliant The Other Side of Eden and director of Tracks Across the Sand, talking about his life working with hunter-gatherer cultures. And on 26th November we’re equally lucky to have artist and musician Amodali, formerly of pagan industrial band Mother Destruction, introducing some of the themes from her forthcoming book The Marks of Teth, which documents 25 years of research and practice within the sphere of female initiatory magical formulas and praxis.
Hope to see you there!
Photo of Daniela by Nadjib Le Fleurier; peacock feathers image, CC licensed by Rose Mendoza
