CELEBRATING LOU DESABLA
ories of Lou is of him hitting a drive deep into the woods and seeing the golf ball bounce all of the way out into the middle of the fairway; some people have the magic touch — that was Lou! One measure of a human being is the love that people feel for that person — my heart will always be filled with great affection when I think of Lou and the many good times we shared. Another measure is of the opportunities that the person offered to the world. Lou will be remembered as a guy who was in a league of the great ones in that re- gard. Aldous Huxley, in summing up his life’s wisdom, was quoted as saying, “Try to be a little kinder.” Lou DeSabla conformed to that won - derful advice in his own special way. Thank you, Lou, for everything. I hope that you’re hitting them straight in the fairways of Paradise. Dana Robinson lives in Easton, MD, where he continues to teach courses in Shamanic Studies. www.shamanism.org; www.shaman - tracks.com
FROM: MARLISE WABUN WIND A BROTHER AND A FRIEND
Lou DeSabla came to one of the Bear Tribe’s first New York Medi - cine Wheel Gatherings in 1982. After seeing how the weekend affected the more than one thousand participants, he talked to us about put- ting on a Gathering in the D.C. area. Lou was such a friendly, humble yet obviously successful and professional businessperson and publish- er that we immediately knew he would be the ideal person to bring the Medicine Wheel concepts to his part of the world. Quickly Lou became more than an organizer. He was such a warm and welcoming host he made us feel like part of the Pathways family. Sun Bear called him “brother” and always enjoyed the time we spent with him and his family. When you worked with Lou, he made his home your home whenever you were in the D.C. area. He always knew the most interesting people to meet, and the best off-the-beaten-track restaurants. I remember a wonderful night at the first, and only Ethi - opian restaurant I’ve ever enjoyed. It took me a minute to adjust to eating everything with my hands, but it became an unforgettable ex- perience. Lou had a way of making every event unforgettable, from the Medicine Wheel Gatherings to the dinners at diners the staff would go to after. We shared a love for writing and publishing, and I always admired how well he had done with his Pathways community. I remember Erin as a seven-year-old at one of the Gatherings. Her curiosity about and love of life was obvious even then. I am so happy she has decided to make the Pathway publications, and the communi- ty, part of her life. I’m sure she will do a wonderful job of continuing what Lou began and bringing it into this new time on the Earth Moth - er. Marlise is the co-author of THE MEDICINE WHEEL: EARTH AS - TROLOGY and twelve other books. www.marlisewabunwind.com FROM: DANA ROBINSON Lou was always such a vital guy, an embracive person, a great man. In my mind, he was always going to be there with his smile, his super positive outlook, his let’s-get-this-done attitude. The world is a better place because of Lou and his work. Had he not brought Michael Har - ner, the founder and director for many years of the Foundation for Shamanic Studies, to Luray, VA, in October, 1981 to present a power - ful weekend beginning training in shamanism, I probably would have followed a different path in life. It was there I met Lou and Michael. Lou brought Michael back the following year for a unique workshop in Grottoes, VA, the bulk of which took place in a wonderful cave. Mi - chael later wrote about his incredible experiences in that cave in his final book, Cave and Cosmos . Shamanism was clearly the right spiri- tual path for me to take. In 1986, during my attendance at the Foundation’s month-long training at Esalen Institute, Michael asked me if I wanted to join his small faculty of instructors. It was an opportunity that would be life changing — I would go on to teach trainings in shamanism to this day and meet thousands of wonderful people. The first shamanism workshop that I taught was held later in 1986 and was sponsored by Lou and Pathways. It took place at Pathways’ house in the hills near Strasburg, VA. So, Lou got the ball rolling for me as the saying goes. Through this workshop, Lou and I became friends and found we had the love of golf in common. For 2 or 3 years, we were golfing buddies playing at many courses in the DC area on a regular basis. We even took a golfing trip together to Pinehurst, NC. One of my favorite mem -
Lou at a Medicine Wheel Gathering in the early 80s.
FROM: MICHAEL TABOR Remembering Lou
I struggled for years trying to make sense of my grandmother’s practice of “Jewish Witchcraft’’ — mostly the use of herbs, cupping, and other home remedies — until I shared this struggle with Lou, who encouraged me to delve deeper into the practices. That began a long- time friendship in which we commiserated about the poor state of liberal politics in Takoma Park — how to speak truth to power — for almost 30 years. Lou’s insights and wisdom encouraged me to write a political col - umn for the Takoma Voice. Lou inspired progressives to run for local, state and federal office. He had a way of getting folks excited about democratic grassroots involvement in the political system. People seem to come out of nowhere! Lou planted these seeds of political engagement and was instru- mental in moving the political climate in Montgomery County in a positive progressive direction. Michael Tabor has been a farmer for the past 50 years raising sus - tainably grown vegetables and fruit, and marketing his produce in low and moderate income communities in Washington, DC. He has been a regional DC activist since 1963, having spoken out, protested and been arrested many times fighting for civil rights, against the war in Vietnam, and, more recently, congressional inaction on cli- mate change.
84—PATHWAYS—Spring 24
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