Comments for New StoriesNew Stories

Comment on Am I optimistic? by Sandra Bellingham

Sandra Bellingham — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 13:11:26 +0000

On optimism–

I have the privilege of belonging to a shamanic drum circle in Bozeman, Montana, that meets each week for two hours. For many years, we have journeyed to non ordinary reality for knowledge and healing for ourselves and others. When we have asked spirits and teachers in non ordinary reality about the state of the earth and what we are to do about it, we are repeatedly directed to focus on two things. The first is to heal the soul of humanity, starting with ourselves. The second is to love what is, no matter what “is.”

Hope and optimism are perhaps not quite the right words for the circumstances, yet we long for them because we are so overwhelmed by those circumstances. If you are reading this post, you probably know that we are only beginning to comprehend the depth of our interconnectedness to everything, everywhere. What any one of us feels and does relates to the whole.

So, as we in our drum circle have learned, doing our own work matters. Loving this present moment and all that is in it matters. Informing all that we do from this place of soul work and love is an ongoing and challenging practice.

Comment on Is Avatar a New Story? by nik

nik — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 19:02:25 +0000

If we recognize film as a new medium of the mythos, Avatar is perhaps a parable no different in it’s story from many that have gone before as I think you suggest.
The medium however is changing – rapidly.
What struck me most deeply in this visually lush film, was the capacity we have to imagine (and therefore create) beauty – that luminous forest, those elegant people – are among us of course. I have seen and felt deeply, if through a shimmering veil, how much beauty is present if we chose to see/co-create it.

Perhaps the purpose of any story (new or old) is to hold up a mirror to reveal our choices. If this is an old story in a new medium – it’s a good one, hopefully waking us (read a brainwashed mainstream) up to the possibilities.

The machines you mention, I think are tools, like the printing press, or the internet, or transportation – can be used for common good/expression or for coercion/manipulation. It’s the mindset of the old-school patriarchy, the corporation, that we might sidestep to avoid being complicit, by decentralizing and supporting one another in community locally and globally – a new era of partnership? Let’s dream it!

Comment on The Magic of Council: Creating a Sacred Structure for Soul Communication by nik

nik — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 18:27:07 +0000

Thank you for this eloquent and insightful overview of THE key to the resolution of ALL conflict on earth – that is communication.

As Confucius said: To put the world in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must cultivate our personal life; and to cultivate our personal life, we must first set our hearts right.

or as above, so below – and it starts with self-respectful in the mirror of communication

Comment on The Nature of Story by Craig Limpach

Craig Limpach — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 17:59:46 +0000

” I pledge allegiance to the Earth, and to the ecosystems that give it Life, one Planet in the Universe, indivisible, with liberty and Justice for all.”

Comment on The Nature of Story by Craig Limpach

Craig Limpach — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 17:31:14 +0000

We have the power to choose which stories shape our lives. Will we trust in the old story of economic growth that determines our collective wellbeing, one that says the Earth is simply a collection of “natural resources” to be exploited or one that celebrates Earth as our home,a living system, a natural community of which we are an integral part? The old stories require a suspention of disbelief, or faith. One only look to nature to see that all is related. We yearn for something real. A tangible reality we can touch, smell, feel and wrap our arms around.
Bhutan is a small asian nation that has chosen to gauge its wellbeing by a measurement called “Gross National Happiness” that extends to all living beings. The trees, birds, animals, water, mountains and its people are recognized as integral parts of the whole whose well being is recognized as just as important as the aspirations and the ambitions of a few. Compare that to our standard, “Gross National Product”, in which we just our well being by how much we produce, a process that reduces our people and their existance, the Earth and its respective functions and inhabitants to a dollar figure. Alienation, addiction, war, restlessness, poverty and the prevelant use of anti depressents are the fruit of our national belief system.
Make a better choice.

Comment on The Magic of Council: Creating a Sacred Structure for Soul Communication by Eileen Jackson

Eileen Jackson — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 15:14:58 +0000

I found a most helpful and usable form of council in the work of Christina Baldwin, of PeerSpirit. Christina’s book, Calling the Circle, The Once and Future Culture was one that I used to lead symposia ever since in first encountered Christina in 1996. Students shared stories as their eyes and hearts were opened in my courses on the anthropology of the family and the anthropology of woman. Council has been a blessing in my life for many years as well.

Comment on The Nature of Story by Eileen Jackson

Eileen Jackson — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 14:54:24 +0000

When I face the fear that life as we know it is coming to an end, I recall how many times civilizations have fallen before. Basically all civilizations soon or later come to an end. And out of the ashes a new beginning… I look around today and there are the descendants of the survivors of all previous civilizations, in most cases they have created smaller more humble states of being. Contemporary Mayans work in our fields, Japanese, Egyptians, Italians, Brits, French, Portuguese, Spaniards, Vikings, Chinese are all alive today having been created because generations of mothers and fathers, with hearts of lions, bore children who lived long enough to create another child. Are we strong enough and smart enough to prepare for what we know is coming. Are we wise enough to feed our selves and our neighbors who will in turn feed us. I think so, at least because I believe it I remain strong enough to live each day and share my story of how we have been here before and made it through each time without knowing what the future held.

Comment on Am I optimistic? by Ron Dean

Ron Dean — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 14:45:30 +0000

Greetings .

Am I optimistic ? Of course . Why ? Cause my understanding of our history , shows positive
growing . I am not going to be an adult , of the generation , that gave up , after billions of
years of positive development .

My thoughts are , that Mankind cannot destroy Life on this beautiful planet , but our modern
technologies and weapons , can . So , whoever is driving , or controlling those technologies and
weapons , may choose a 21st century pathways forwards , that nurtures our great grandkids
future .

If we have developed over the billions of years Timescale , our species ancestors , were born in
the water , to crawl onto the land , and now we can walk upon the Moon .

2010AD . We can create light , at the flip of a switch . We transmit images , TV , like telepathy .
We can fly . We can live in submarines , beneath a polar icecap . The World Wide Web , lets us
talk , as though I am present on every continent , at the same time .

Spiritually , I am connected , to every member of my Vertebrate Family . And every other living
thing , has been my ancestors neighbor , who struggled for survival , sometimes eating each
other , to survive to bear offspring today .

The growing tree of Life , gives me strength , to draw nutrients from the Earth , energy from
the Sun , and Water , to continue our positive development . How cool is that ?

At the times when I feel lost , I look back to my roots . I ponder and wonder , about my
ancestors , say a thousand years ago . Or a thousand million years ago . They found the
spirit to meet their challenges , an never gave up . Why ? Cause we do it for the kids .
So that they can enjoy , what we are born onto . It’s a pretty basic feeling ‘

Love always . Ron .

Comment on Is Avatar a New Story? by Christina Baldwin

Christina Baldwin — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 04:41:49 +0000

thank you for this thoughtful look at Avatar. I agree with a lot of what you said… I thought for all the money in special effects, it would have been a better movie if the Na’vi had become real people instead of symbols: the maiden, the medicine woman, the chief, the rival… I lay awake a long time that night thinking of the film and realized I didn’t know the name of any of the Na’vi, and I sure wanted the characters developed more–what was the medicine that they understood??? How did the tribe govern itself? –I guess I am still in Lord of the Rings mode, where the books give us a world to explore with languages and cultures and different habitats and landscapes and talents for survival (and destruction) that have to work together to succeed for good or ill. Now, was that a new story? Or war of the worlds in a different landscape?

Anyway, I am thinking along with you.