Join the Women’s Visionary Council on November 1 for A Day of Remembering: Honoring Psychedelic History. This afternoon gathering will honor elders, ancestors, and those whose lives have shaped our shared history in the psychedelic community. At this time of year, many cultures pause to acknowledge the dead and to reflect on what their lives and work have left in our care. We will bring that practice into our own context, listening to stories from those who lived through formative moments in this field and whose experience offers a record that will not be replaced once it is gone.
Susannah Cahalan, author and journalist, will speak about her book, The Acid Queen, a revelatory biography of Rosemary Woodruff Leary. Alicia Danforth, clinical psychologist and researcher, will speak about her recent scholarly work. Roger Walsh, professor of psychiatry, philosophy, anthropology, and religious studies will speak about the convening that resulted in the publication of Higher Wisdom: Eminent Elders Explore the Continuing Impact of Psychedelics. Medrith, The Eldest of the Elders, is a part of the silent psychedelic underground described in Rachel Harris' book Swimming in the Sacred, and has been guiding journeys secretly since long before the current psychedelic renaissance.
There will be time for questions, an altar for remembering, and a postcard-writing table where participants can contribute their own words to the record. This is an opportunity to be present with living witnesses to the history of the psychedelic movement, to carry forward their knowledge, and to recognize that the act of remembering is itself a form of cultural continuity.
This event is in-person and streamed online. A video recording of the event will be sent to everyone who registers.
The Women’s Visionary Council (WVC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to amplifying the voices of women in the fields of psychedelics, visionary culture, and healing. Since 2007, WVC has hosted intergenerational gatherings that center lived experience, ethical leadership, and creative expression. The work honors the legacy of elders while bridging their wisdom with the next generation of visionaries.
The WVC is led by a board of directors that includes educators, researchers, cultural workers, artists, and activists committed to creating equitable, inclusive, and deeply meaningful community spaces.
