This may be easier for those of us who never decided to try having children of our very own. Not easy, but easier perhaps. I don't recall knowing about Carolyn Baker on that topic.
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Subject: WOW new from Carolyn Baker "The New Sacred Activism" + 30 min video
I am grateful to have been among the recipients of Carolyn Baker's announcement of this just an hour or so ago. I have taken time to read it, some parts more closely than others I admit, and to think about it.
Here are some critically important quotations, with some thoughts of mine that I hope will not be too painful to my good friend Carolyn Baker.
".... [T]he fundamental issue is that we are being challenged to move beyond the triumphalist assumption that we can and must, through our activism, defeat capitalism, catastrophic climate change, economic corruption and collapse, and yes, the extinction of species, including our own. Indeed, our current predicament compels us to transcend the binary inference that if we do not conquer a diabolical system, we are only colluding with it and exhibiting shameful cowardice. [emphasis added LAS]Those words are important. This isn't so much about my words. That said, with utmost respect I don't think Carolyn Baker is correct at the end there about the latter path having to be painful. Maybe that's just me. But I do try, even I am not crying all the time. But then in the next paragraph it seems that she makes it better. You can go read it. I recommend doing so.
"Contrary to our cherished assumption of vanquishing all forms of injustice, we must ask ourselves if we are willing to put love into action even if we don’t physically survive. The extremity of the crisis does not limit Sacred Activism, but rather expands it because we make ourselves available to 1) Bearing witness to the likely irreversible horrors of climate chaos and 2) Commitment to compassionate service to all living beings who suffer with us. This requires unwavering engagement with serving the earth community and practicing good manners toward all species in order to make their demise, and ours, easier. Taking one’s own life or succumbing to escapist self-medication is easy. Commitment to a life of service and fortifying one’s own connection with the sacred, thus deepening one’s sense of meaning and purpose, constitute a far more daunting and painful path."
Moving on...
The mythology stuff that follows--under "The Hero Archetype" is utterly interesting--I studied it once a few years ago, but/and I don't think you need to get bogged down in it right now, somewhat useful as it might be. I hope Carolyn Baker will forgive me--I'll be sending it to her--I think you can maybe read just from the last paragraph
"What we need now is not heroic victory but, again in Andrew’s words, an “astringent maturity,” an entirely new level of adulthood that acts in ways that bring forth optimum joy, optimum healing, and optimum beauty which will leave seeds for whatever life might remain as most species on the planet face their demise. The sacred inspiration we require results not from false hope or finding solutions, but from a state of active being in which we voluntarily enroll in radical psychological and spiritual training. There are in fact various ways to go about finding that training if you need help with your self-discipline."I would add that there are in fact various ways to go about finding that training if you need help with your self-discipline. I know some of them. It is clear that Carolyn Baker knows some of them. You have learned or can learn the same or different ones. I go on and on all the time. I recommend taking a close look and thinking about what she says and maybe connecting with her directly if you can. She has that "Life Coaching" and I saw some good comments when I looked awhile back. Something is shown about that on the right side of the page where the video is, when you get to it. I start talking about that down near there bottom here, after some things from the written article.
The rest of this "The New Sacred Activism" piece is all interesting, very much worth reading. You can decide for yourself how critical it is for you. I think the priceless parts are what I've quoted above. My great respects to Carolyn Baker once again, and I imagine you remember that that is not for the first time.
The article is not about climate change science. However, there are research links down toward the bottom. You and I are familiar with some of these scientists. I for one have not followed all of the the links (yet).
I wrote everything ahead of this before watching any of the 30 min 42 sec conversation with Andrew Harvey April 16, 2014 video that she cites near the beginning.
It is a great privilege to get to hear Carolyn Baker's voice and hear just how she is able to speak on this subject. I am sending this having heard only the first nine (9) minutes, knowing that it is going to be too much for me to write about especially when it's right there for you to watch without me getting in the way. At one point in what I've heard so far, she agreed with Andrew Harvey in being condemnatory of humanity's behavior in general. I do not find it necessary to feel that way. But that's a minor point overall, I think.
Be well,
Larry
