I think there was a typo there: “definitely real” is what I wrote.

Hi everyone, thanks for your patience with my radio silence this week. Here are the instructions for tomorrow's experience of imaginal co-presence (I'm letting go of "Ritual" ...)

Sharing Darkness

Today is, in many ways, the darkest day of the year. In the southern hemisphere, a total solar eclipse will cover Antarctica. In the northern hemisphere, it is the last new moon before the winter solstice. The instructions that follow are imagined as a generative sequence for an experiment in sharing this moment despite our geographically dispersed positions on the planet.

Note for @Robert Damashek and @Jennifer Damashek: I encourage you to do this separately, in different rooms.

Before 18:00 UTC

• Find something that you would like to bring with you that you feel a sense of interconnection with.

• Review the Cycle 4 scope

Preparing the space (begin at 18:00 UTC)

• Post a message in the #general channel of our discord to indicate that you are present to this exercise. This message can be as simple as "I am arriving now." If you would like to elaborate on how you are arriving, feel free to do so. Once you have done this, turn your device to silent mode.

• Clear a space for yourself to be for the next hour that is as clear from distracting stimuli as possible. For the duration of the exercise, you will only require:

  • Whatever you found earlier to bring with you

  • A means to record traces of your experience (this could be an audio recording device, pen and paper, computer with a text file open---whatever makes sense to you based on your circumstances)

  • A means of observing chronological time (e.g. a clock)

  • These instructions available for reference

Entering the space

• Find a posture to support yourself for the next half hour. This can be any posture (sitting, lying down, standing, etc.) that is appropriate for you to engage with your mind with as few obstructions as possible. "Not too tight, not too loose" might be a useful slogan to consider as you enter into this posture. Feel free to move and adjust as needed throughout the exercise.

• Take a few moments to reflect on your intentions for this cycle of our work together.

• Once you have some clarity, speak your intention out loud and listen for how it feels in your body once it has been spoken. Feeling into the resonance of your own speech, take another moment to reflect on your intentions for this cycle. If anything else arises, speak that out loud to yourself as well.

• If you feel compelled to do so, make a trace of this intention.

• Take another few moments to reflect on gratitude: what can you be grateful for that has allowed you to be here, now, participating in this experiment in mutual care and co-presence with five other people scattered across Europe and Turtle Island?

• Notice your body. Find a physical sensation that you are experiencing and practice bringing your attention to it, repeatedly, for a few moments. If you notice your mind attaching thoughts or a story-line to this sensation, allow yourself to gently let that go and return to the direct experience of the sensation.

Exploring the space

• Now that you are aware of your body's physical presence, through the experience of sensation, turn your attention to the fact that other people you know---your crew-mates---are also doing so simultaneously. If you become aware of of that co-presence, notice how it arises in your experience.

• Turn your attention towards whatever you have chosen to bring with you into the space. Bring it towards you, then offer it to the group. Imagine that you are placing it on a shared altar in front of you, along with everyone else's offerings.

• Once you have placed the offering, imagine that this action unlocks a portal into our shared space. As you move through the portal, notice what arises. Alternate between periods of imaginal exploration (an experience akin to daydreaming) and recording traces of your experience, at whatever frequency suits you. Feel free to explore how your own body's gestures and sounds influence the space. Notice how the space morphs and changes as you explore it.

• Maintain occasional attention to chronological time, noting that a space for debrief and discussion will be available from 18:30-19:00 UTC. Prepare to leave the space and end this experience whenever it feels appropriate to do so.

Leaving the space

• When you are prepared to end, return to noticing a physical sensation in your body.

• Once you have done so, move your hand to the ground nearby and feel the earth beneath you. Notice any energy generated by your exploration of our shared space and invite the earth to hold it.

• Reflect on gratitude again, noticing if your experience of gratitude has shifted from before.

• Get up from the posture you have taken for this exercise. Stretch and move your body vigorously to shake out any remaining energy.

• Take a few moments to rest in the experience before moving onto anything else.

Debrief and discussion

• When you feel ready to do so, you are welcome to join the Gathering voice/video channel on our Discord server. Alex will enter the server at 18:30 and hold space for anyone who would like to discuss or debrief what will have just transpired. This space will be available until 19:00 UTC.

• Feel free to share any other traces that you made of your experience with the group by posting a comment in this Loomio thread at any time after the conclusion of the experience.

Yesterday we gathered during the darkest moment of the year. @Ronen Hirsch seemed to be going through a "dark night" with all the personal mess around, and sad for not sensing a pulse during the last few weeks. I arrived with a completely different perception; sensing the crew more active than ever. @Robert Damashek t hosting a Kumio experiment, @Jennifer Damashek an offer and needs experiment, @Josh Fairhead and @Ronen Hirsch on the github/obsidian experiment, @Alex Rodriguez a ritual experiment; me daring to write for the first time two GS for the space and working on the aftermath of the gathering with Sergio. All that requires reflection, work, and dedication. It is true that the thread of the last gathering was unusually quiet, which I interpreted as the calm before the creative storm, because the gathering was inspiring and because the crew was very active.

In addition to what I already said about all this during the gathering, and the difficulty of signaling needs, I encourage everyone to watch this extraordinary video (it is also on any podcast platform, but I think that the faces of the hosts are worth watching the entire session): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq3C9R8HNUQ

Also, as a first step, I asked @Alex Rodriguez to write together the post of the gathering with Sergio. More dyad and triad work will help, as well, to feel the pulse of the crew, and probably will be more interesting. In short, I think that I will try to work less alone / by myself during this cycle.

Side note: It is the darkest moment of the year. Maybe is the darkest moment for some of us. But the point of celebrating the solstice, or the Sol Invictus like Mithraism said, is because the sun is coming back, again, stronger day by day. Invictus.

Springtime is coming :-)

Thank you, Toni, for your comments and reflection on the encounter yesterday. I'm curious about why exactly you invited us to watch the podcast with ALOK? I'd like to know more about why this interview especially moved you.

I watched the podcast and I enjoyed it. I admire and respect ALOK and other non-binary and transgender people who speak out in similar ways as ALOK. I'm fortunate to have close relationships with transgender and non-binary people.

I also have close relationships with people who are uncomfortable with messages like ALOK's and who don't have personal relationships with people who have similar backgrounds and histories.

I feel that ALOK is correct that transgender people are leading the way to a more free world for the rest of us and I'm grateful. I also feel that there are certain issues related to the movement to support transgender rights which require careful thought.

I also want to say that the issue of transgender rights is one of the most divisive in the United States right now. In my county, Loudoun County, Virginia, it is causing violence. One of the many things I ask myself regularly is how exactly can issues like this be approached so they don't cause violence and anger? Is there a way? If so what is that way?

For me, the power in ALOK's message is in their authenticity. It gives me courage to be my authentic self, even when it may not feel safe. And, there were things that ALOK said that I question...things they were saying about history that didn't have the accuracy in details I think is helpful for subjects that are challenging for many people.

I honor differing points of view about topics like this.

We are aware from the very beginning of the very little diversity in the crew. In terms of gender, your arrival has made a big difference. Since we are talking (and not talking) about money and needs, there is a strong bias in terms of how these topics affect men. I think that negative gender patterns haunt the crew. The video came to my mind when I realized that it took a darkness ritual and a long conversation to the need of signaling the pulse of the crew to emerge. I see this as a pattern in the crew, not of just one individual. A simple example, by reflecting on how I signal or not at Discord, I realized that I do not participate in the hedonistic shares at Discord. I think it has to do with some kind of unconscious worry of how my contributions will be judged. Mine would look vulgar / less sophisticated. Silly? You bet! This is not a competition of good taste. My reputation won't be significantly damaged. Whatever. Yet, I think it happens. I will try to break this dynamic now I have spotted it...

Thank you for the encounter, Alex. I appreciated the time and space to feel in my body what my intention is right now for my involvement with the crew. I appreciated the invitation to imagine meeting with our personal items, and I appreciated hearing reflections from everyone on what the experience was like. I appreciated hearing what is going on for others right now in our personal lives.

It increased my sense of connection here, and my sense of safety.