Corinne Chacon

CORINNE CHACON

I am a butterfly mystic. During three decades in the nonprofit sector, I’ve worked as an administrator, graphic designer, technical communicator, network engineer and legislative professional. My work has afforded me the opportunity to support economic development in Mexican American and Native American communities. I have always written, whether in journals, yearly planners that always end in January, notes, backs of envelopes—and, yes, novels.

I have one published novel, “The Mystics of Reyesville,” which was recognized in four categories at the International Latino Book Awards in 2007. “Mystics” is the first volume of a three-part series. I just recently completed the second volume, “The Dreamers of Reyesville,” which I am publishing in weekly chapters on my Facebook page. I plan to issue an e-reader version for Kindle in December 2020.

A companion piece to the Reyesville series is the “Field Guide to the Map of Emotions.” I created the Map to serve as the cover of “Mystics,” and it began as a primitive little sketch with only a few locations. It emerged as a tour de force on the ways we behave when we don’t want to address our fears, disappointments, and wounds. There are currently over 300 locations/behaviors on the map. The cover, in fact, won Best Book Cover at the 2007 International Latino Book Awards. I refer to the “Field Guide” as FGME. It was completed in 2007 and I am working to publish an e-reader version for Kindle very soon. To follow the Map of Emotions on Facebook, find me on Facebook.

I am a highly intense person with a built-in radar that detects inauthenticity. That being the case, I really treasure close relationships and avoid superficial ones (unless I am scheming after something). I was born with the sense of carrying out a mission—of not really being from this planet. My own interests always took me to reading about non-conforming, humorous types of children and people. Some of my earliest favorite books were about The Mushroom Planet which was a science fiction series for children. These were published in the 1950s. I read them when I was 9-10 years old and deeply connected with the entire concept of off-world travel, of a paradigm where galactic travels were part of everyday life. This notion still seems quite sensible to me.

I have pretty much insisted on a policy of nonconformance with anything that did not seem rational. From the range of sports I grew up playing with my brothers and our neighborhood friends, to the highly gendered clothing I wouldn’t wear, to the vivid, internal world I inhabited where solitude was pretty much my preference—finding my own path has marked my life.

So, a thirst for knowledge about this world, about the mysteriousness of all these systems—in particular, about why women’s roles were so irrationally limited—has driven a lifetime of reading works about British, Spanish and Portuguese global domination, biographies of famous people, and, every branch of metaphysical thought that caught my fancy. These have included astrology, numerology, geomancy, Akashic records, explanations of human origins involving ancient astronauts (Zecharia Sitchin, Erich von Däniken ), Mayan cosmology, 2012, Mary Magdalene and Sophian gnosticism, reincarnation, time travel, quantum physics, etc.  The hidden stories of the mystery schools and how a thread of ancient wisdom regarding self-actualization was maintained through time periods of brutality and oppression were also profoundly impactful. Sometimes it seems as if information is stored deliberately during certain time periods (like during the Spanish conquest of the Mayan people) for the purpose of later revelation when the time period is appropriate.

I also read the brilliant works by Carlos Castaneda and the others who were in his circles, including Florinda Donner and Taisha Abelar—these were mind-boggling as they introduced me to the indigenous sorcery (energy/reality manipulation) tradition that is based in the Southwest and northern Mexico. Most recently, the work of Candace Pert and Joe Dispenza have linked our mystical reality to scientific discoveries based on contemporary neuroscience.

Along the way, my life has been guided by intense mystical experiences. For me, spiritual messages arrive in dreams. In these visions, I have experienced Don Juan (Carlos Castaneda’s mentor) and Don Genaro. More recently, I have also experienced Mary Magdalene. There have been dozens, but, not hundreds.

I was born and reared in Ysleta, Texas, my upbringing steeped in mysticism, public service, politics, history and mythology—set in the rich context of life in the international twin-city complex, El Paso/Ciudad Juarez (Mexico).

The Mystics of Reyesville is set in the fictional town of Reyesville, in De La O County, located in South Texas. In order to explore my favorite themes of mysticism, corruption, history and popular culture, I created De La O County and its inhabitants with the intention of writing a series of stories that follow their lives. As a student of history, I’m fascinated by the unique culture of the U.S. border from Texas to California—what I call the “Border Nation”—and the role that the nation’s southern border has played in this country’s development. Of particular interest is the symbolic nature of “the border,” as we all contain certain borders, those internal judgments whose parameters determine how we ultimately live our lives. Are souls with “border” issues attracted to “the border?”

And, then, there is the mystical reality of Reyesville. In writing the first novel, my goal was to explain the interconnectedness that characterizes my experience as a non-binary Chicana. I have always searched for “new definitions of fulfillment” as the norms seem a bit limiting to me. In creating the relationship between Anna and Sandra, I explored the theme without using any labels because labels, themselves, are all so charged. Viewing this from a cosmic perspective, all of the gender themes, in my opinion, become parochial in the extreme. A paradigm based on Earthly cultural norms, preordained or not, is still subject to discussion. It isn’t absolute truth—assuming that the interaction between the individuals involved is fully, truly consensual.

So, as to the mysticism. In my personal experience, mystical occurrences are highly-frequent. For me, the connection to a reality that is mysterious and spiritual begins as soon as I open my eyes every morning and return my consciousness to this earthly plane from the deep mystery of sleeping. You may take for granted that these occurrences are merely biological—I do not. There is much more “reality” than science can measure and, for the record, I do appreciate all that scientists are able to measure, document and postulate. Their work doesn’t tell us everything, though. My culture believes in the eternal nature of the soul.

As to my personal life, it is quite intense. Since pandemic, I’ve been caretaker to my elderly mother. My soul mate and I live with her. My soul mate is a pychotherapist and a thanatologist, and, like me, she is a dedicated social justice activist. Our individual and joint meditations are a constant source of energy, insight and connection to a mystical reality. In our household, which includes our three beloved poodles, I am pretty much consumed with logistics, meals, warehousing supplies, a semblance of cleaning, and running errands. This schedule makes the very limited time I have for writing, reading, meditation, social media, Facebook page management, design, consulting, and brainstorming incredibly precious. When times are stressful, I escape into historical fiction. When times are insanely stressful, that internal pressure emerges as art, design, and, sometimes, painting. I did a series of paintings in 1994 some of which can be seen at Artpal. My graphic designs are featured on my Uniquely El Paso Facebook page and you can purchase them at Redbubble.

Please feel free to email me at corinnechacondesign@gmail.com. I’m not prompt in responding, but, I do enjoy connecting with like-minded souls. Thanks for reading this!