Paying Homage to the Spirit of Asheville

On the evening of Sept. 25, 2024, a contingent from the Holomovement team was dining with newly made friends in Asheville, North Carolina. Although it was raining heavily outside, the atmosphere at the dinner was joyful and optimistic.

We had just finished a preliminary reconnaissance for holding the next Holomovement Wave in the local area in May of 2025. We had initially chosen the location because we knew it was a power spot of high energy and had drawn thousands of spiritually-inclined people into a conscious community. Our visit confirmed all this and more. The venues were great and the people inspiring. Our decision to bring the Wave to Asheville was a definite go.

We walked back to the hotel in the increasing rain. Yes, we knew that Hurricane Helene was about to hit the coast of Florida, and we were also aware that the storm’s path inland might take it over Asheville, but it seemed unlikely that the storm would have severe consequences. Hurricanes in the Appalachians occur very rarely, if they ever happen at all. Until they do.

After a restless night with pouring rain beating on the windows, my wife Laura woke me up at 5am and said “Dear, we need to leave right away!” Flood and hurricane warnings were flashing on our cell phones. The prognosis had turned dire.  

We packed our things, checked out, and then Laura, fellow team member Susan Belchamber, and I headed for Charlotte Douglas International Airport in our rental car. Even with the windshield wipers at full speed, I could barely see through the torrential rains. I drove for over two hours with total focus, white knuckles on the wheel, as the road flooded with landslides behind us and was eventually closed. We made it to Charlotte safely, and managed to get one of the last flights out that day.  

Unfortunately, the fate of Asheville was a different story. The storm dropped 15 to 30 inches of rain over two days, and the local French Broad River rose 25 feet. Entire communities were wiped out, and over 200 fatalities were reported across several states. 

It was the deadliest mainland U.S. hurricane since 2005's Hurricane Katrina.  Asheville was left to rebuild without essential food, water and services. It was a nightmare scenario.

In the aftermath, we collectively sent our prayers and healing intentions to Asheville as they struggled to rebuild their lives. Hours of reflection, meditation and discussion ensued as we called upon the Implicate Order for divine wisdom. Finally, in mid-December, running water and other services were restored, and the levels of toxicity in the land had diminished to the point that we deemed it would be safe for visitors to come there in May. 

Four of the core team members, in a consultation with the I Ching, received essentially the same message: after some difficulty at the beginning, holding the event would be a propitious thing to do. Although not exactly a celebration, we could surely show our love and support for the community.  

Although Asheville at that point was quite low on anyone’s list for a spring visit, we were determined to lean into the Holomovement core values and support this extraordinary community in their time of need. We increased our budget to bring as many inspirational speakers and musicians as we could manage. Not only did the show need to go on, it needed to go on in a way that would bring as much joy as possible to the people of the Asheville community.

As it turned out, the Wave in Asheville was an incredibly rewarding and joyful experience. The people of Asheville showed up with love and appreciation, and that energy was palpable in the air. At our previous events in Sedona and Ibiza, the core team had been calling this energetic experience the “Holomovement Effect.” Asheville was this and more. 

The Holomovement Effect is felt as the result of a collective rising tide of goodwill, joy, openness and spiritual presence, to name a few of the qualities in the field. After all that Asheville had gone through, there was an uplifting sensation of deliverance and gratitude. It was especially evident when I looked around the auditorium and saw tears of joy from spectators enjoying the production of the “Overview Effect” accompanied by the Holomovement anthem.  

One couldn’t help but feel good. And it sure seemed to me that the 400 folks who participated in the Wave were enjoying themselves.

There is, however, a lot more to it than having a good time, because whatever this energetic experience is, it is sustainable. The Holomovement Effect is not just singing and dancing to the tune of a great musician (although there was plenty of that!), but rather the feeling that such inner, excited, yet grounded, spiritual vigor can grow and endure.  

For this love-in-action and elevated consciousness to last, we need community. After all, how meaningful can any experience be if it is only happening inside of our own mind. It requires an aligned network of support to sustain the effect and help it grow. And that is just what we saw as the participants followed up by creating active groups of Holons that brought a commitment to enhance their spiritual practice while supporting their community.  

All new species that appear in nature require an eco-system that will provide the environment for them to survive. Levels of human consciousness are no different. We need a home where higher frequencies can thrive. We call that home a “Holon.” 

A Holon is defined as being simultaneously a part and the whole. Holomovement Holons are small communities of three or more people working together for a common cause, a specific project or passion, that nourishes the wider eco-system. They are brought into being to sustain the transformative effect and energetic high of the Holomovement Effect. 

Happily, we are already seeing Holons emerging from the Holomovement Waves and keeping this Effect in motion. The Asheville Community Holon is a glowing example of what is possible when people align in purpose and compassion. Their energy and vision is, in a way, a microcosm of what our team felt on our first visit to Asheville. Their creativity and resilience in their work to protect the rivers and forests of the surrounding area is making transformative ripples. It isn’t just members of this specific Holon. So many members of the community who joined us at the Wave continue to showcase what is possible when we collaborate and collectively engage in positive action.

As we approach the anniversary of Hurricane Helene, it is time to pay homage to the resilient and spiritually sparkling people of Asheville, who continue to rebuild and re-energize the area. We want to say thank you to this beautiful community in the forested foothills of the awesome Appalachians, where the spirit of both its natural surroundings and in the hearts of its residents abounds.  

Our deepest gratitude goes out to all of those who attended, participated and experienced the Holomovement Effect at the May 2025 Wave event. We extend special thanks to dozens of local residents who volunteered their time to make the Wave impactful and life-changing in so many ways.  

Big hugs go out to Kate Priest, Vinit Allen, Adora Winquist, Paul Mills, Daniel Schmactenberger, Francesco Garri Garripoli, and so many others, who helped ride the Wave ashore in Asheville. We love you and look forward to reuniting in our holonic home of the future. 

‍