Dear Participants (and Anyone Else Who Cares to Read Them),

Following are “prescriptions” to ailments/burdens that were left with me in my ad hoc apothecary at Smoke Farm on September 6 – 7, 2014.  My ambition in offering these prescriptions was (and remains) to connect with people who were willing to become vulnerable with a complete stranger – to be witnessed and figuratively held by someone who cares deeply.

Please know that I am not a trained counselor or healer.  I am an artist.  I created a space and circumstances that I hoped would elicit an exchange of trust and connection between strangers thus creating a significant relationship, an “us”, if only for a moment.  I found that a majority of participants were willing to be incredibly forthcoming in sharing pain.  In my own experiences and in the feedback I have received so far, it appears that this experiment was successful. Connections were made. 

I was not able to fill all the prescriptions I received during “office hours”, therefore, I brought the project online. While I did not write prescriptions in numerical order at the festival, I will do so here until they are all filled.  You may note that many numbers are missing and that there is a pair of identical numbers (1).  The missing numbers represent prescriptions that were picked up during the festival.  In the prescriptions offered at the Farm, I gave a token “remedy” to be used in the prescription.  I am happy to offer tokens to anyone who wants them. Please contact me at info@wylyastley.com for instructions on how to receive one.

Thank you participants.  It is a joy to connect.

Love,  Wyly
(aka Dr. Good – “DG)

No. 1
“My heart is being smothered by my head. I need to be able to reach it.”

DG: Your heart is a magic, sacred place. It holds the truth. Your head wants to protect your heart. It despises pain and all things it doesn’t understand. Fear often masquerades as Protection. See the truth. Courageously take the reins from the fear. Take this [a] feather to the [a] river, hold it in your right hand and recite, “Fear – thank you for your energy. Your services are no longer required.” Release the feather (fear) into the river.

No. 1
“I am feeling left behind. Friends are marrying and moving away.”

DG: Now is a wonderful time to reconnect with yourself – to relearn what you enjoy and want to learn. Think back to a time when you experienced great joy when you were alone. What were you doing? Seeing? Tasting? Schedule a date with just you and try that thing again. Also, schedule a daily 15 minute walk with yourself. Do this for 90 days no matter the weather. While on your walk select and pocket a special rock you find along the way. Collect these rocks in a jar that you keep next to where you sleep. Let the weight of the stones help ground you and remind you of your commitment to befriending yourself.