If we are to move forward, we need to know where we are going. We have to have a clear image of what kind of future we would like to leave to our descendants. We then need to express it clearly so that we are all “on the same page.”
This doesn’t mean we all have to agree on one vision. Everyone’s blueprint for the future will inevitably be different. This is a good thing because we need as many perspectives as we can get. What we need is for everyone to think about what we do in ways that express as specifically as possible how they translate into a better future, whether it is research, community-building, ritual, artistic endeavors, or whatever we are currently involved with. Truly, as a popular chant used in women’s spirituality says, “the ocean refuses no river.” We are all part of this greater effort that can, together, bring about a better world.
It is also essential to bring into our future-making circle as many people as possible, to find commonality and share our experiences and insights. I have found that when I talk about the values that are important to me with people from all walks of life, generally there is agreement on the need for peace, justice, equality, compassion, and other elements of the better future we are all looking towards and working for.
If it looks as if I am saying that most of anyone reading this blog-book, probably all, are doing some form of envisioning the future already, you are right. But, if we consciously speak of what we do in terms of saying “this is what a good future will look like,” we can be even more effective. My drumming teacher always says, “if you can say it, you can play it.” If you can articulate a future vision, whether in words or deeds, you can make it happen.
This is hard work, but there are some tools that can help:
The Earth Herself has an impulse towards renewal. We can join with Her and gain strength from this force of nature.
Renewing Our Spirits in the Wilderness
We can be inspired by generations past who have worked hard for the same kind of future. Here is a story about how the love and support of these ancestors is all around us.
We can learn to ask bold, sacred questions, the kind that illuminate the truths that have been right in front of us, but to which we have been blinded by assumptions and expectations.
I hope this blog-book has been of help, and I welcome your thoughts!
You may go back to previous chapters using the links below, or back to the Library using the link in the menu above.
Finding Women’s Spirituality All Around Us
Goddess in a Teapot 