Check out this post by Dr. Jean Shinoda Bolen the author of Like a Tree
What Is—is Now. What was—is no more, What Next is Unclear
Hello Everyone, May you stay safe, may you stay healthy, may you stay home! These are words of hope during sheltering-in-place in the San Francisco Bay Area which now enters its third month, as slowly, very slowly, what has been closed is opening. Where I live in Mill Valley, everyone wears masks when out and about for essentials, and count ourselves fortunate with nature around us. I do my private practice virtually, watch the COVID 19 numbers go up and up, listen to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s daily briefing from New York and wish that he could be the Democratic presidential nominee. Being in the vulnerable age group, I watched rather than participated in the ongoing night after night peaceful demonstrations which followed scenes of tear gas, military and police interventions, and replays of George Floyd’s last 8 minutes and 46 seconds. All of which is real, but from my perch on way my up to Mt. Tam. watching this on TV, it also seems surreal. I have been doing many virtual events, mostly on Zoom—with a lot of interviewer interest in Like aTree: How Trees, Women, and Tree People can Save the Planet. I did my first entire workshop virtually for the Sophia Institute in Charleston, SC without leaving my home. With Zoom, its possible to have breakout circles of three. I could do a guided meditation, and the ringing sound of my Tibetan Bowl with its vibration aftermath was carried over the internet to be felt at the heart chakra– linking us into a huge virtual circle from East coast to West and places in-between with those in Charleston. It felt like I was putting together quilt of various colored squares as I chose images and short youtube videos to share with you.
George Floyd MOMMA Poster
AmyWolfe of BeHeartNow.com got me on Instagram by posting about me, or for me, and most recently by “playing Call and Response” with me: she will send me photo-images—wants me to say something in response. This one zinged into my heart and I wrote: “At the moment George called Momma, he could be any and every woman’s dying son. Imagine the cry and feel it in your heart. I did.”
She added “Mother-bear outrage has been evoked… Women with an archetypal kinship with Artemis are called into action by outer events and an inner response to do something about them. This is what makes women— those who have suffered as well those who have not— come to the aid of others. Mother-bear protection rises to defend those who are being abused … Many more are rising to defend now
There a videotape circulating that uses the book jacket of The Millionth Circle and a photograph of me, both without my consent. It appears to be a pyramid scam with an inviting video that uses many significant symbols and images such as the indigenous dream catcher at the beginning, the millionth circle, the hundredth monkey, goddess spirituality, the four elements, and mandalas. Any woman who joins a circle with a large monetary gift as a requirement should be wary.
To be “taken in” by a circle of welcoming women and later find it was a scam can be much more costly than a loss of money, it can wound trust in women and undermine confidence in yourself; bitterness and cynicism can take over. It also can lead to becoming more discerning about people and make possible owning the shadow that got you into this.
‘Being Black in ‘Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood’
Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood was on PBS from 1968 – 2001. Gen X (born between 1965-1980) and Millennials (b.1981-1996) grew up with Fred Rogers, and their Baby Boomer and Silent Generation parents watched it with them. In 1968, after Martin Luther King, Jr. was assented, Fred Rogers brought Francois Clemmons, a black American to play Police Officer Clemmons as a regular on the show. In 1969, without comment, Fred Rogers broke a color barrier when he invited Officer Clemmons to join him and cool his feet in a small plastic wading pool. Among the multi-ethnic. multi-generational peaceful demonstrations following George Floyd’s murder, maybe Mr. Rogers and Officer Clemmons helped this coming together. After all, Fred Rogers helped children with their fears.
The Great Realisation After the Coronavirus Pandemic, after Sheltering in Place, after the Economic Recession, after this liminal in-between time is over … here in this short video is a positive What Next. Imagination is a precursor to real change, here this young father reads a bedtime classic about what happened in 2020 and we see the change.
How Trees, Women, and Tree People Can Save the Planet
Of trees and women. This book on the importance of trees grew out of Bolen’s experience mourning the loss of a Monterey pine that was cut down in her neighborhood. That, combined with her practice of walking among tall trees, led to her deep connection with trees and an understanding of their many complexities. From their anatomy and physiology, to trees as archetypal and sacred symbols, Bolen expertly explores the dynamics of ecological activism spiritual activism and sacred feminism. And, she invites us to join the movement to save trees.
