Every once and a while humanity gets the opportunity to sort it self out. Rise to the occasion. Get our shit together and make huge changes that make the world a better place for everyone. If your not awake yet, take a slug of coffee or tea…. brace yourself…. this means you. We have all been slogging along in the muck of the last few years hoping some thing or some one will some how magically bend time and space to shift the ugly and horrific in to beautiful things and such… It isn’t going to happen that way.
What we have is us. Look around. We are every where in all the diversity of natural design and the abilities. Our survival successes can be mapped all over the globe. Of course some of these successes were not brilliantly thought out and there are consequences for that. Some have become the opportunities for significant change we are facing now.
When I was in the desert this winter, I listened to the earth. I watched the passage of time each day. I witnessed the diversity of a place weave together a process of success and survival. It was through the symbiotic relationships of plants, animals, insects, water, air, earth , etc…. it was through this pause in my travels that I was able to comprehend the next steps to make in bringing balance to this world in my small capacity.
What I became aware of were the separation of long cycles from short cycles. Long cycles are all about how we adapt to the earth, climate, seasons, weather, nature, etc…. Short cycles are the ones that encompass the choices we make in a life time. These are social and politically based. They are the ways we create laws to govern civility and social structures. Which is finite and often an abstraction based on the projection of a community’s needs in relation to nature. They aim to control long cycles with short term goals.
If we look at the long history of humanity we can see the issues this has created. Encapsulating our survival in a bubble of fragile safety on the earth. These short cycle methods also bring violence. Comodifying resources… the false stability of economics as a social, political, and humanitarian foundation. This is today the rotting footing where we stand. Poverty is one of the largest products produce by short cycles. Cultivated with all it’s associated issues.
Our crisis point today has come at the mercy of a successful participant of long cycles. A virus. It’s contagious. It’s hardy and aggressive. It is really happy with the way we have created the perfect environment for it’s proliferating. This virus is part of a lineage of similar viruses that share the same genetic material. They have learned to adapt and recognize long cycles. They figured out the “for the next seven generations” thing…
I started this by stating we are facing a great opportunity. I mean that. We have the ability to shift course and make changes that offer connection to longer cycles and deeper intimacy with nature. I’m also not saying we need to give up our techniques or good fruits of evolutionary success.
Diversity and adaptation have always been the strength of a successful species. Investing in relationships that are meaningful with each other and to the planet. We need more kindness in the world. The product of kindness is love.
With the spread of Covid-19 we are being ask to pause in the daily movements and social activities. This is for some the first opportunity to reflect and be still on the current affairs of this country. We have been bouncing around from one crisis to the next without much time to sit in the stillness. Finding time to reflect. Feel. Listen.
We can use this time to begin building a plan for change. We will get through this together by embracing our humanity. Discovering our richness of spirit. Taking actions that bring us closer to the longer rhythms and cycles of rhe climate and of this earth. Humanity will changeand. We have to roll with it. We are part of all this. We are all responsible for it.
Shaman @ Large 