We spent the day amidst shale and quartz.
The quartz was pressed so profoundly into the sandstone that surrounded it that it was nearly as hard as diamond.
Or so the lovely young guides told us.
Yesterday, I was a chaperone for the fourth grade trip to Sam's Point at the southern tip of the Shawangunks in New York’s Minnewaska State Park Preserve.
The original Lenni Lenape name of this tremendous promontory has been lost, but you have to imagine that this place held a deep significance for the original people of this land we now call the Hudson Valley.
The Unending Conversations with Stone
Never was there a more fitting time to speak of the special origins of what might easily be dismissed as mere stone.
For several years, the magic and story of stone was a regular part of my work week.
Six years ago, I met Royce Fitts. In our first conversation he described a would-be, could-be book project inspired by his recent hike along England’s Ridgeway National Trail.
Soon, I was walking beside Royce on his road to authorship.
As his writing coach, I was asked to hold space for the big vision, help to create (and recreate) the book’s structure, tease out the big themes, and work through the long, terrible, beautiful editing process. And, of course, offer encouragement in the longest hike that is bringing a book idea to life.
Over phone calls and comments in the margin of that ever-lengthening Google doc, Royce and I spent a good deal of time talking about spirituality, culture, and how to share personal stories without feeling too exposed.
We also talked a lot about rocks.
Witchy type that I am, sacred pebbles and enchanting crystals have long been part of my magic.
When supporting a writer in the creation of a book called Geography of the Soul: Dreams, Reality and the Journey of a Lifetime, however, the rock conversation reached a whole new level.
Royce is a creature of dreams, and you might say that this mystic-wizard-shaman has his head in the clouds. You might say that, but you’d be missing the flint and the ore, the granite and the clay.
The earth and the stuff that makes up this life on earth matters to Royce. That means he’s as engaged with questions of politics and ecology, as he is with Process Philosophy and the Family Systems approach to psychotherapy. (Royce is licensed marriage and family therapist and holds a doctorate in ministry.)
And it means he takes his rocks rather seriously.
In one memorable editorial session, I gently challenged several paragraphs devoted to flint.
At this point, I admit I am losing interest in flint...
This section is so rich in story and metaphor. Have another pass through it while keeping in mind that the reader cares about what you learned from flint, not about the flint itself.
Royce took my ideas under consideration. He cut back a bit on the geological musings, but stayed true to his own vision and experience.
Now that the book is out in the world, I think the meaning of flint is vivid on the page, and sedimentary rock enthusiasts will also recognize a kindred soul in this author.
The Geography of the Soul & the Spirit of Iona
It is important to note that Geography of the Soul is about so much more than looking down. Royce’s KnotWork story of meeting the divine feminine energies of the Scottish island of Iona prove that brilliantly.
Here’s an excerpt:
Iona, that tiny piece of earth’s crust floated from somewhere, or many somewheres, upon the vast tectonic plates of our planet to rest where she is now. On Iona, barely three miles in length, you’ll find some of the oldest rock on earth. This three billion year-old rock is found almost nowhere else on the planet and you’d have to travel all the way to Australia to find geologies that are older. Iona has played host to the beginnings of earthly time. She, this old and sensual Crone, is a place of genesis.
Join us for the Book Launch
In addition to supporting Royce through the book writing process, I also had the honor of writing the foreword for Geography of the Soul.
And now, I’m so glad to have been asked to be part of the online launch event on October 25, 2023.
I’ll join Royce and others from his publishing team to talk about his author journey and how we collaborated through the dreaming, drafting, and editing process.
I hope to see you there!
PS: After all this, I am guessing you will not be surprised to hear that Royce found a publisher called… Flint Hills Publishing.