through the desert - pt.1
I first met Jupiter at a full moon ritual dinner I hosted, at which he was pulled into my orbit with lots of laughs and plenty more wine. It wasn’t long after this night he asked me to join him in the desert for his week long artist residency, to which I obviously obliged. The following is a collection of adapted journal entries from the week, along with supporting stories, dishes and photography. I pray you enjoy the following as much as we did <3
July 9th, a bit after noon
A salted honey Mezcal margarita takes on water from the ice before my eyes in the desert heat - sitting here at El Rancho in Joshua Tree, being occasionally blessed by a gust from an oscillating fan. I’m sharing the blessings of this vintage tabletop fan with my week long desert companion, Jupiter Locket. A beautiful soul, filled with soul, will create works on cardboard here in our stucco abode. We hit the road yesterday with an arsenal of cooking supplies, paints, brushes, produce, olive oil, natural wine and plant medicine for the nine hour trek in to the desert.
We woke up this morning in a similar fashion - long stretches in the sunlight and plenty of silence, only to be broken by groans and very limited small talk, pour over coffee, and burned herbs, followed by mediation and granola with blueberries. As I watch Jupiter, (starting to feel as good as I do) dance and paint I’m impressed by and grateful for his tarot card reading this morning, which i believe set the tone for the entire week. There’s a reason the two of us somehow collided. We’ve got some work to do together on some level, in some life. Jupe paints a bathtub on a blue, gray and mustard background while the speaker thumps along some sexy jazz bass line - likely a Miles Davis track. Of course. Miles fucking Davis…the man.
A break from writing and painting involved a THC/CBD back massage from the hands of Jupiter, who yelled at the nasty shit within the fibers of my muscles and expelled tension and adhesions with strong, intuitive hands. When I woke from my mildy psychadelic entrancement I had to take a bit of time to come back to earth. I have a back? What back? The pet-nat should help.
This afternoon’s snack is a product of the relentless, unforgiving heat. Tomatoes, garlic and blistered jimmy nardello peppers were slowly stewed until the garlic was cooked and all the the loving liquid and been drawn out to create a bit of a stew. After cooling in the fridge it will be met with cold cucumbers, stupid big chunks of feta, and basil blossoms.
July 10th
Today we discovered that watermelon mezcal margaritas are the new house drink. Jupiter has been inspiring the artist within me, very reassuringly so. Watching him paint, more so watching the flow of inspiration, turn to fastidiousness work, then breaks away for a change of scenery and a joint reminds me of my own creative flow. There’s a bit of toil with the eyes from afar followed by a great realization. A jolt of “YES I KNOW WHAT THE FUCK I’M DOING NOW. OK”.
It’s now Friday and I feel we’ve very easily mapped out each other’s energies. Last night we sat by the fire under the stars with Blue Lotus. She took us in to a deep state of meditation as we sat together, exposed to the illuminated cosmos above. I felt a nearly overwhelming oneness with the elements around me as I ushered my mind into a state of surrender to the divine. I thought of the earth, particularly stone and boulder - crystalline playgrounds turned pink by the sunset I had witnessed at Indian Cove. I felt the fire, the wind, the earth and the stars and my place in all of it. I woke to Jupiter in tears next to me. The wind had become his mother, reassuring and loving and he curled into my arms. After reflection we danced under the stars.
Today Jupiter paints Lady Liberty and also, hopefully, Uncle Samantha. I’ve just deployed an ant trap in our “backyard” with the ol’ honey towel and made sure not to place it anywhere near my sun-dried tomatoes in progress, which have been on an accelerated course in this punishing desert sun.
