The Gramsci Gap & tools to cope in 'a time of monsters'

Get in; we're going coping

obsessed with making collages and this one specifically.

Vu Le wrote about the Gramsci Gap this week in his blog Nonprofit AF: “The old world is dying and the new world struggles to be born. Now is the time of monsters.”

He brilliantly tied this philosophy to the Year of the Wood Snake, weaving a message of resilience and hope.

Since it is the Year of the Wood Snake, I think about the significance of this animal. The snake is often associated with evil, cunning trickery, and ruthlessness: hypnotizing people, envenomating them, persuading the naive into…eating fruit, and so on.

But in some cultures, they can be symbols of good fortune, fertility, transformation, and renewal. The Egyptian icon the ouroboros, for example, depicts a snake eating its own tail, symbolizing the eternal cycle of destruction and rebirth. Snakes often shed their skin, leaving them behind.

Read the full piece: Amidst cruelty and chaos, a world that’s on her way

Here are some other things that have been bringing me a measure of hope.

‘Wonder is a Liberation Practice’

Cole Arthur Riley

You probably know Black Liturgies from Instagram. Among other things, she has a healing series called “Staying Human” on the Ritual app. I highly recommend finding a way to listen to the second installment “Seeing Wonder & Beauty.” (I’m not sure if you need Ritual’s premium account to listen).

“We have a responsibility to bear witness to the beautiful with precisely the same gravity as we attune to the tragedies of the world.”

Praying the Prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

And there’s a song!

Embrace Different Healing Models

This is from Pauline Boss’s Ambiguous Loss Theory [sparkle emoji].

non-linear models for the win.

Make an Intuitive Collage

Create a Space of Healing for Each Other

Starting in February, I’m hosting a Sacred Stories Circle the third Friday of every month. Come together with a small circle of women as we co-create a healing space to name, notice, and nurture each other's stories. Something powerful and even mystical happens when we practice intentional healing presence. Sign up.

If a group setting isn’t for you, I offer 1:1 spiritual direction (and it’s free for the next few months as I work toward my certificate). I’m so passionate about spiritual direction because it’s the one place—sometimes I think in the whole world—where you don’t have to fix or strive or have a single expectation placed on you—or place a single expectation on yourself. Learn more.

Try Reiki

Reiki is a gentle Japanese technique that promotes relaxation, reduces stress, and supports healing of the mind, body, and soul.

I’m so excited that my friend Lizzie is launching a reiki practice—and she’s doing it out of Juniper House! Collaboration station. Learn more and sign up.

Attend a Retreat

Because I’m the luckiest girl in the world, I also get to collaborate with my friend Jennifer, who creates the safest spaces in her retreats. She’s hosting some contemplative circles in the coming months that I highly recommend. Explore!

Spend Time in Nature

Need I say more? But actually, do check out Mary McCallum’s forest bathing sessions and Kristen Mastel’s various offerings to help you reconnect with nature. You can also explore nature journaling.

Make a Playlist

Here’s one I made that started with three songs I found I was listening to on repeat every morning on my drive to work.

Thanks for being here.