I was going to get up the nerve to follow up on the archetype thing, but instead, I realize today that the issue of "community" seems to have more resonance. I have recently discovered, through social media primarily, that there are many other people "out there" who are on a journey toward creating new paradigms, spiritually, socially, medically, financially, and in every area of human endeavor. For so long (through the '90's and '00's) I felt alone ahead of the curve, a "scout" as a friend of mine so kindly put it. There's nothing wrong with the role, until you begin to buy into the idea that this solitude is glamorous and heroic -- and permanent. Since I didn't really own a computer until a little over a year ago, I had few opportunities to discover whether there might in fact be a few other people on my wavelength, people who were also finding it difficult to operate within established systems.
Since last summer, I have found that there are intelligent on-line forums not only for people who love choral evensong as much as I do (yay!) but also for people basically questioning everything, such as Charles Eisenstein's "A New and Ancient Story." He brings together a remarkable set of contributors. On another site, I listened to an introductory video called "The Abundance Code." Featuring a number of prominent self-help gurus, the video explores how each one experienced a serious crisis leading ultimately to a new career and sense of abundance. I can't speak for the class this video is promoting, but just hearing a whole lot of 50-plus-somethings speaking about their burnouts -- and their subsequent new directions -- was so encouraging. The recent Hay House World Summit was also valuable exposure to dozens of speakers on the cutting edge. That so many of them are women thrills me.
The world is evolving more and more quickly, and although I may have some hermit-like tendencies, I don't want to be permanently isolated as change swirls around me. Very few people do. We all need community. We need to figure out who we are, then discover the others who share the same passions, joys and goals as we do. We all need help sometimes, and moral support, and to be supportive in return. Even as we change as people and nations -- especially as we do -- and even as the major transformation must come from within -- may we remember that we don't always have to go it completely alone.
