Here We Are. What Now?

when the present moment is not a wonderful moment...

Sangre de Cristos mountains, Tewa homelands

November 15, 2024 / Full Moon

First — happy full moon. If you’re reading this that means that you and I made it through another lunar cycle, gifted with the breath of life. And that is no small thing.

Here’s the moon rising tonight just as I am finishing up this piece…

This is not the full moon message I planned to write.

I don’t know about you, but since November 5, my emotional landscape has been pretty wild. Despite my last new moon message which ended with a reassuring “We’ll be okay,” I have not been “okay” this past week. Territories I’ve visited have included…

• stunned (though it really shouldn’t have been a shock)

• sad to my bones

• angry

• sick and nauseous

• fear about what comes next

How about you?

The morning after the election, when I heard the news of the outcome, I was reminded what I felt immediately after the September 11, 2001, attacks: a deep sense of shock, dread, and instability, like my gut had fallen to the floor and there was no steady ground to stand on. In the case of this U.S. presidential election, though, the big difference is half the country probably shares that feeling, while the other half celebrates. At least on 9/11, we were all in it together. The cognitive dissonance I’m now experiencing is huge.

In my new moon message a couple of weeks ago, I noted that electoral politics is almost never the pathway to significant social transformation. I stand by that, and it helps me to remember that when I start falling into a pit of despair. Remember the Dakota Access Pipeline and Standing Rock happened under Obama’s watch. Biden fully funded Israel’s armed forces to decimate the Palestinian people, with no meaningful conditions placed on that support. Militarism and unchecked capitalism are baked into both parties. We have other pathways for change, and we need to turn the dial up on our usage of them. More on that below.

But there are differences between the two parties, and I am horrified that the majority of voters picked a leader who is reprehensible in every way, who has no ethical compass, whose guiding principle is his own ego and personal profit. Someone who is a convicted felon, who plotted to subvert the results of a fair election, who stood by while mobs rioted the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Even though there is much that is problematic about the Democratic Party, for those reasons alone this election should have turned out differently.

I have been sitting with what happened last Tuesday, intentionally practicing to not react, but also to not turn away. Mostly I’ve been quiet, turning toward the words and actions of other people that I deeply respect. These have stood out to me:

"No matter what they ever do to us, we must always act for the love of our people and the earth, rather than react out of the hatred of our oppressor."

-John Trudell

“A shooting star fell outside my window last night, and my stomach clenched because I realized my relationship to hope, to wishes, had changed utterly this week. And then I realized that all wishes now needed to be replaced with something closer to determination. We must make communities now of whatever size that support all those who have become radically more vulnerable. We must make micro countries of love inside this larger country of cruelty. Small communities that prioritize difference and expression and safety and joy. In other words, we have to do what we have always done, just more determinedly.”

- Pam Houston

And Joanna Macy’s recounting the legend of the Shambhala Warrior. Read the full account here:

I especially appreciate Indigenous people who remind us their ancestors have gone through much worse, over centuries, and they resisted and protected their lifeways, each other, and the Earth. We can learn so much from them. I highly encourage you to take time to read

Rowen White

’s “Faith in the Grand Re-Seeding.”

And so here we are. The present moment is perilous. The future is unknown, but many threats are clear. Those who decided a vote for Trump wouldn’t be a bad thing have opened a Pandora’s box, likely without realizing it. We can guess at the harm, chaos, and devastation that’s going to come out of that box in the months and years ahead, but we don’t know exactly how things will unfold. Much will depend on us, on our responses, our actions. A good deal of it is out of our control, in the hands of grace or God or Creator or whatever you see as that force greater than us.

So what do we do now? There is a long list of things that can be done but I’m always most interested in how we move through life and navigate challenges, more so than ticking off a checklist of “what to do.”

In the past, I’ve offered an online and in-person exploration of something I call The Four Ways of Engagement.

Inspired in part by the work of Joanna Macy, this holistic model reminds us that diverse approaches to activism are natural and even necessary. It draws on the concept of archetypes to help us tap into our inherent strengths. These are essentially four ways that activism can manifest, and the important point is all of them are needed. One is not “better” than another.

Here’s a very short summary of each one:

• Creator/Visionary has the courage to have a bold vision, to see what does not yet exist and help it come into being, to create new systems that embody the world we wish to see. The Creator/Visionary sees possibilities rather than limitations.

• Warrior carries protective energy, strength, and power (in the sense of power with, not power over). The Warrior fights for what is most important, and draws on inner power to stop harmful actions.

• Healer helps to make whole again. The Healer brings the essential energy of healing separations and divisions, both in individuals and in communities.

• Teacher is reflective, thoughtful, analytical, and conversational. The Teacher empowers with knowledge that leads to effective actions, works with information in a skillful way so that it inspires and informs rather than overwhelms.

You may want to consider which of those archetypes feels most resonant with your personality and the times were living in right now. Our most impactful actions will come when we can tap into the energy that is most alive for us.

(If there’s interest, I might put together another online journey based on these Four Ways; in the past, folks have found it very enriching.)

Most importantly, this is not a time to be alone. This is a time to remember how deeply we are connected, and how powerful we are when we live into those connections and organize around the things that are most important to us, including advocating for housing and healthcare for all, protecting body sovereignty and reproductive rights, stewarding the earth and waters with care.

One of the most impactful things we can do right now is to grow networks of support. Mutual aid is a tried and true practice that is about creating circles of care and generosity to meet the immediate needs of community members. It prioritizes solidarity over charity, and brings people together in a common struggle rather than letting individuals fend for themselves. Check out this guide on How to create a mutual aid network.

One last resource – this excellent article from Menominee author, educator, organizer Kelly Hayes explores “Collective Survival, Adaptation, and Direct Action.”

I have never met most of you in person, yet I feel that connection here. May we find ways to deepen it, and find each other in real life if we’re close by. We need each other, now more than ever.

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