From Lava to Lotus: The Volcanic Roots of Hedonisia
Mojo Mustapha’s life has been shaped by a relentless pursuit of balance, between masculinity and femininity, freedom and responsibility, culture and individuality. Born into Islam and raised in an environment where men and women were held to starkly unequal expectations, Mojo developed early questions about gender, power, and the human condition. At 17, he left Islam in protest of its restrictions on women. In university he studied Sociology and Women’s Studies at York, where he first encountered the confrontational edge of American feminist theory, an attitude very different from the collaborative, character-based values he believed in.
Mojo on Road 2 Weeks Before Volcano Destruction
His education, however, truly happened by traveling across 37 countries. Throughout the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas, Mojo lived in intentional communities, eco-villages, and urban subcultures. He observed how gender imbalance, wherever it appeared, created suffering for women and men. Entire societies struggled under distorted expectations. These lived experiences became the foundation for his lifelong research into gender, culture, sexuality, freedom of expression, and the shared human longing for connection.
In the 1990s and early 2000s, Mojo’s activism expanded through practical projects. He launched a reproductive rights website that has been accessed by over a million women worldwide. Later he created online resources for natural birth control, family planning, feminist entrepreneurship, sensual art, and sex-positive education. His outspoken writings on Islam, terrorism, feminism, and sexuality before and after the Islamic terrorist attacks of 9/11 brought him multiple death threats, deepening his commitment to the First Amendment and the necessity of free speech to be able to look honestly at societal challenges.
Pre-Volcano Mojo at Hedonisia Hawaii
In 2004, he founded what would eventually become the Hedonisia Hawaii EcoFeminist Community, dedicated to empowerment, environmental living, and what Mojo calls “pleasurable activism.” Hedonisia attracted visitors from around the world and became a unique experiment in gender cooperation and sustainable living. For 14 years it thrived, until 2018, when the Kilauea volcanic eruption destroyed the community, leaving Mojo suddenly homeless and destitute.
That crisis revealed one of the most defining lessons of his life. Mojo identifies as a "First Amendment Liberal", inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision that people should be judged “not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” He applied this principle not only to race but also to politics, gender, and religion. This is how a liberal, atheist, ecofeminist ended up forging genuine friendships with conservatives, including supporters of US president Donald Trump. Their politics, he admits, sometimes seemed “bat-shit crazy,” but their kindness, humor, and decency were real.
When the volcano destroyed nearly everything in his life, the difference between ideological allies and character-based allies became stark. Many progressive friends offered supportive words and sympathy. A few gave practical help and support. But the life-changing, material assistance came from conservative Republicans, people whose political views often clashed with his own. Their generosity, offered quietly and without judgment, carried Mojo out of suicidal despair and helped him in the process of rebuilding his life. That experience shattered stereotypes and reinforced his belief that character matters as much as, if not more than ideology. For Mojo, real connection depends on honesty, openness, and refusing to shut down conversation with accusations, even when people say awkward or imperfect things.
Post-Volcano Hawaii Property
After the eruption, Mojo relocated to Portland, Oregon. As one of the most progressive cities in the US, it was ground zero for America’s ideological battles, just as the #MeToo movement, the killing of George Floyd, the rise of Black Lives Matter, and the escalating conflict around transgender ideology pushed national polarization to new heights.
Then came the COVID pandemic. While America descended into fear, anger, and division, Mojo had already lost everything. The chaos around him felt strangely familiar. As he joked, “You think Armageddon is staying home and watching TV? Try getting hit by a million tons of lava!”
During the Covid lockdown, Mojo began writing the Hedonisia Book Trilogy. His goal was simple but ambitious: to help rebuild bridges in an era when political, cultural, sexual, and racial divisions threaten the foundation of liberal democracy. His books draw from decades of travel, intimate conversations, global observation, and contributions from over 50 volunteer editors, mostly women.
Today, Mojo divides his time between rebuilding his post-volcano home in Hawaii and living in Montreal, Canada. His Lava to Lotus web portfolio includes projects on reproductive rights, natural fertility, eco-sensuality, gender cooperation, and activist entrepreneurship.
Through his “Diverse People and Opinions” workshop, he teaches companies and individuals how to communicate across differences without fear, drawing from his personal experiences with political correctness, prejudice, and cultural conflict.
Across all these experiences, from surviving ideological backlash to witnessing real-world gender cooperation in multicultural communities, Mojo saw both the strengths and failures of different feminist traditions. Yin-Yang Feminism grew from this lifetime of lessons: a synthesis that rejects rigid orthodoxies and instead seeks balance, nuance, and a human-centered way forward for men and women.
One belief anchors his work: men and women need each other, and societies thrive when they choose cooperation over domination. Mojo’s online discussion group, Yin-Yang Gender Healing, is a vision of balance grounded not in ideology, but in research and lived experience. His life remains a blend of love, travel, activism, humor, and storytelling, a journey toward a world where pleasure and progress, freedom and responsibility, can coexist.
Hedonisia Membership
Enjoy access to three Hedonisia books for the price of one. As a Member, you gain access to our books and essays in their manuscript form as we prepare them for publication. Members are invited to be part of the discussions by offering constructive criticism or corrections. If accepted, members can receive credit for their contributions.
Hedonisia Book Trilogy
- Cougars for World Peace: Mature Women in Mentor Friendships with Young Men
- Warrior WoMan: A Yin-Yang Path to Pleasure & Peace for the Planet
- Talking Sh*t & Sugar: Pleasurable free speech and satire in a sensitive world.
