Inflamed Reflections -Meeting Replay, Resources, & Calls To Action
Book Coven is a free virtual book club dedicated to empowering members through literature as a tool for both personal and collective liberation. learn more
Dear Book Coven,
Thank you to everyone who joined our powerful and empowering discussion and review session for Inflamed by Dr. Rupa Marya and Raj Patel. This gathering felt like a deep exhale and a collective remembering—of our agency, our anger, and our responsibility to each other.
A huge thank you to Dr. Rupa, who joined us for this conversation and showed up with such clarity, fire, and care. Her unwavering commitment to justice, truth-telling, and community care was palpable—ten toes down the whole way through. We are so grateful for her presence and her work.
If you missed it or want to revisit the conversation, you can watch the replay here:
Passcode: X@di&23m
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A special thank you to Alannah, who generously took notes and gathered the resources shared during the meeting. You’ll find those linked below.
Books on Community Care + Mutual Aid & Those Mentioned During The Meeting
During our discussion, several folks asked for reading recommendations around mutual aid and collective care. Here are two essential reads:
Let This Radicalize You by Kelly Hayes & Mariame Kaba
Mutual Aid by Dean Spade
Viral Underclass by Steven W. Thrasher
Disposable by Sarah Jones
We Will be Jaguars by Nemonte Nenquimo & Mitch Anderson
A Call to Action from Dr. Rupa
Dr. Rupa shared a powerful and specific action we can take in our local communities:
Go to your local hospital and request a list of employees who have served in the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces).
If the hospital refuses, consider contacting local media or news outlets.
Here’s a script you can use:
“Hello, I’m a concerned community member. I would like to request a list of current hospital employees who have served in the IDF. I believe in transparency and accountability in healthcare institutions, especially in light of the ongoing genocide in Gaza. If this information cannot be provided, I will consider sharing this concern with local media outlets.”
Staying Safe While Taking Action:
• Go with a friend if you can—never alone.
• Document your interaction, but check your local laws about recording.
• Stay calm, firm, and respectful.
• Know your rights in public spaces and when making inquiries.
Resources Shared During the Meeting
Thanks again to Alannah for taking these notes and compiling the following resources:
Herbalism: This is a link to an herbal mutual aid directory put together by Lorna of Herbalista Free Clinic in Atlanta. It's a good jumping off point for potentially finding someone doing herbal collective work near you:
And this guide is specific to WNC:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NLj0W87Pe0RzSnP4VqyWKlEwr8xG2pTDUcqA7Bx1kJI/edit?tab=t.0
Food Not Bombs in my area, we make community meals once a week, and when we can we prepare food for people who are participating in protest and share mutual aid requests. There are chapters everywhere across the country.
If you're looking for a good source for low cost heirloom seeds, you should check out
https://www.freeheirloomseeds.org/
Solidarity Apothecary is doing a PTSD course with a sliding scale and no one is turned away: https://solidarityapothecary.org/ptsd-solidarity-places/
Irish easter proclamation: https://cain.ulster.ac.uk/issues/politics/docs/pir24416.htm#:~:text=POBLACHT%20NA%20H%20EIREANN.&text=TO%20THE%20PEOPLE%20OF%20IRELAND,and%20strikes%20for%20her%20freedom.
Long Covid Resources
information for dealing with long covid: https://thesicktimes.org/resources/
This is a marathon, not a sprint. Rest when needed, rage when you must, and return when you’re ready. We are stronger together.
With love, Juliet
BOOK COVEN
Welcome to Book Coven— Book Coven is a free virtual book club dedicated to empowering members through literature as a tool for both personal and collective liberation.
I’m so grateful you’re here. This is more than just a book club; it’s a Coven for those who believe in the power of literature to create change, heal, challenge, and transform. Whether you’re here to deepen your personal journey or to connect with a community dedicated to collective liberation, you are in the right place.
Rooted in Literary Activism At its core, Book Coven is about more than books—it’s about action. We believe literature has the power to spark change, and we are committed to using this space to amplify urgent causes, share calls to action, and keep each other informed. Together, we engage with stories that challenge systems, honor voices too often silenced, and imagine new possibilities for ourselves and our communities.
Join us
What You Can Expect
As part of the Book Coven community, you’ll receive:
• Monthly Reads – One book each month (with extended time for longer reads when needed).
• Curated Book Guides – Reflection prompts, discussion questions, reading schedules, and deeper resources to enrich your experience.
• A Private Chat Space – Ongoing conversations, insights, and support.
• Monthly Virtual Gatherings – Discussions where we come together to share thoughts, questions, and reflections.
• Guest Author Visits – Whenever possible, we invite the authors of our chosen books to join us for conversations.
• Polls to Help Shape Our Selections – You’ll get a say in what we read next.
• Event Announcements – Be the first to hear about upcoming virtual and in-person gatherings.
Note: You’ll receive the registration link for each virtual meeting directly in your monthly book guide.
Thank you for being part of this journey. I can’t wait to read, reflect, and grow alongside you.
With appreciation and solidarity,
Juliet Diaz (Founder of Book Coven)
By Juliet Diaz:
Juliet Diaz is an Indigenous Taino and first-generation Cuban American, as well as an award-winning and internationally bestselling author and literary activist. Her writing is rooted in liberatory and decolonial themes, empowering others to reclaim their voices, align with their truth, and embrace their innate magic and humanity.
As the founder of the Literary Craft Society, she leads a revolutionary writing community dedicated to fostering change, healing, and liberation through the transformative power of words.
Her works, including Witchery: Embrace the Witch Within, Plant Witchery, The Altar Within, the Seasons of the Witch Oracle Deck series, and the Earthcraft Oracle Deck, have inspired thousands across the world to create meaningful change within themselves and their communities.
I have my own newsletter:
A monthly community newsletter: The Altar Within—notes on life, magic, and liberation.
“Writing is a way of making sense of the world, of uncovering what’s hidden and reclaiming what’s ours. Here, I share reflections on life, the unseen forces that shape us, and the ongoing work of liberation—personal and collective. No fluff, no pretenses—just honest writing as a tool for deeper understanding and transformation.”