Visioning a New World

Last week I wrote of the rage and despair that I and millions of other women are feeling after the loss of Roe V Wade. It is a festering wound that invokes feelings of helplessness and hopelessness in me.  It is a visceral loss that raises ancient memories of witch burnings and slavery. Control of women’s bodies is the ultimate overreach of patriarchal power.

But overturning Roe is not the only display of patriachy. Overriding environmental protections, refusal to do anything about gun violence, overturning voting rights – these are all based in a patriarchal system that denies and denigrates the Divine Feminine. It shows up in the idea of conquest, machismo, greed, control, and holding onto power at all costs. It is deeply destructive to our earth, women, people of color, indigenous people, other-gendered people, and to those who are not part of the patriarchal power structure.

As I face the chaos caused by this blatant power grab, how do I, as a spiritual being stay rooted and grounded? How do I deal with the overwhelming feelings of loss and betrayal in a way that can usher in real change? I have been deeply pondering these questions as I have found myself in the darkness of these days.

As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, creativity and community are essential ingredients to give us hope that a better world is possible. Out of the chaos, I am called upon to imagine a new world order and to give voice to that new vision at every opportunity. People cannot envision what they have never seen, and it is up to us to create a new picture of what is possible.

I am usually a glass half-empty kind of person who tends to imagine the worst-case scenario instead of the best. Instead of seeing gloom and destruction, I need to begin to envision something entirely new – a world where everyone has enough, a world where our earth is tended to with loving care, a world where people are respected for their hearts, a world where men and women are equal partners, a world where greed is not the order of the day. I need to see that vision clearly and hold onto that vision no matter how difficult that may be.

I then need to creatively open myself to the possibilities that make that hope come alive. I need to create a new space in my soul that radiates that new vision. I need to lovingly create something new, to manifest love in everything I do, to make my own space a sanctuary for others. The chaos and despair then become catalysts for building something entirely new. Whatever I create in love moves out into the world in ways that I cannot foresee. The lotus blossom grows from the muck, and the phoenix rises out of the fire.

But I can’t hold that new vision by myself. I need to build a community which can share that vision, a community in which we uplift each other and live out our vision for a better future for all. Together we can create that ripple effect that will help build a new world order based on love and reciprocity. Together we become a strong force for change and growth out of the darkness of patriarchy and into a world of wholeness and balance.

I invite you to creatively vision a new world and to share it in community. Every other Sunday afternoon, I meet by Zoom with a small community of women who are spiritual seekers. If you are interested in joining us, contact me, and I will share our meeting times.

Barbara Garland
July 2022