On America’s 250th, a return to the whole we actually belong to.
Today marks 250 years since America’s Declaration of Independence — a big, strange, layered anniversary to sit with. Thinking about the birth of this country, and how we operate as a people, pulls me toward a bigger question: what are we actually part of? Not just a nation, but a body — Earth, and all of our fellow earthlings. This is my revision of patriotism: pride not in a border, but in our participation — in global health, in the whole. We are one intraconnected, interdependent body.
Normally we'd be gathered for Community Call today, but instead, TIC is taking this day off to rest and replenish. Sometimes the most relational thing we can do is pause.
In that spirit of pausing, I want to share something with you that has been sitting in my heart for a while.
This piece was written in a class called Earth Based Judaism, taught by David Mahfouda and Jayce Koester. David was my first crush in middle school — and is now studying to become a rabbi. He stopped by during Covid to tell me about this decision, mid-trip, riding down the California coastline. He's one of those people I've been traveling with through many lifetimes. Getting to learn from him, all these years later, feels like its own kind of full circle.
Oh! And if you make it to the bottom of this newsletter there's a lil promo code thrown in for our Practice Membership. The integration curriculum that's formed in this space is quite powerful, if I do say so myself. If you're moving through change, seeking to create change or in a psychedelic chapter, you need this.
Here is what came through in that class, written on November 15, 2023. Please enjoy...
Earth and Our Relational Framework
I invite you to get curious about this large body we all encompass together, Earth. There will be much desire for exploration! Enjoy your time here. Connect with your heart. All of your development will occur through your connection to the inner and outer environments through heart. Your body comes with sensors. The mind will predict what to do with these sensations. The more you investigate the sensations, the easier it will be for you to predict how to proceed.
Our bodies came from Earth and all that was before us. In your lifetime it is your responsibility to observe, learn from, collaborate with and most importantly Love your fellow Earthlings and all of our inhabitants. In order to do this it will also be your responsibility to hold awareness of your inner landscape, to observe and learn from your body's capacity to collaborate with the many cells, organs and systems keeping us alive.
The human mind will create patterns. Be sure your patterns are collaborative. Notice when competition within stirs up competition with those around you. This is your cue to pause and integrate a part of yourself that is attempting to dominate. We are built for reciprocal collaborative systems. If a part of you is fragmented, it will affect the relationship you have with the land and its inhabitants.
Revision of Patriotism
Fragmentation occurs when there is no validation of functionality or value for a part of the whole. All parts need to be observed, understood and valued before they can integrate with the larger whole. All disintegration aka disease and breakdown of the larger system (or systems within the system) comes from fragmentation.
The land is you and you are it. To help guide your relationship with self and Self (Earth) along the way….
Observe with Curiosity: Observe the development of many things. Babies, dams, bee hives, food, animal packs. First we must observe and understand before we can rightfully hold responsibility for land. Learn. Feel into. Listen with loving intention.
Understand Boundary: Boundaries help us to understand what you and your Selves (Cells) need in order to feel functional and safe for connection. Everything on Earth needs containment in which it has room to expand and condense... To filter what comes in and what stays out. This organization is inherent to the health of everything. Breathe with these boundaries. Notice the degree of flexibility and rigidity of everything around you.
Collaboration is Key: Competition comes when fear is present. Note, some fear is healthy and part of our ecosystem. Animals eating other plants or animals, fungi decomposing other earthlings, is part of our survival and part of our overall participation in collaboration with one another. If too much is taken from any system it will throw our collaboration off track. Give it time to replenish and always give back. Collaboration is a participation with your honoring of all parties involved.
Earth is holonic — meaning we are all self-contained and independent as well as part of a larger system and interdependent. Enjoy the expansiveness of our holonic network. We are not just greater than the sum of our parts, we are our parts as well as the summaries they create. The deeper we understand the summaries at each stage, the better we will be at predicting how to proceed with each moment that contains varying degrees of uncertainty. We are independent and dependent all at once. This gives rise to great power, but only in connection with, not over, another.
Play & Experiment: To deepen your understanding of self & Self, take your observations and interact with them. On a small scale begin to understand cause and effect wherever you can. Play with the interactions with your neighbors. Notice their responses. Notice if there's a positive or negative causality. Ask others to investigate with you. Always seek feedback. Seek multiple examples and opinions for a broader understanding. If divisiveness is created through your experimentation and play, you are not experimenting and playing with awareness of steps 1–3.
Create: Earthlings are incredible creators. We are creation itself. You will feel a need to create in order to deepen our capacities to collaborate together. Your creations will help you communicate what you've learned from your observations and will help you stay integrated. Your creations can help others interact with more ease. If your creations lead to strain on our resources, you must revise your creation. If your creations lead to pain and suffering of others, you must revise your creations. Everyone involved in constructing your creations must be in agreement of reciprocity. If there is not agreement, look to where fragmentation may be creating competition. See what part needs to be validated further.
It is also important to note: we have responsibility to ourselves and each other, to self and Self. But I'll repeat, our responsibility is not ownership over — it is to be in RELATIONSHIP with. For sustainable relationships to exist, we need to always be observing and listening. We must be mindful that everything on Earth moves and changes and grows with variability and interaction. No one owns anything here, not even our original creator. We may give birth to things that we hold responsibility for, but our responsibility comes with curious observation and relating to the differences that arise with each derivative of existence. Ownership is a fragmented construct.
Problems will arise when fragmentation occurs and when something is no longer in relationship with a larger body. All things can be fixed when we deepen relationship. If you enter land that is already inhabited by others, communicate to understand if there is something you can offer this stage of the Holon. Explore the reciprocal possibilities. There is room for everyone on Earth if we're mindful of the pacing of our growth. More is not always better.
Things to test on an ongoing basis (monthly / quarterly) to ensure functionality of the overall reciprocal, collaborative, relational dynamic with Earth. Check each for contaminants — they will give clues for where fragmentation or competition may have occurred.
Water
Air
Soil
For best results on a daily basis:
Feel
Notice
Reflect
Create based on feeling, or find a creation that matches your feeling
Connect with other earthlings — be sure appreciation is in the connecting
Sleep
Play
Focus
Move
Relax & recover
Organize
Absorb sunshine, water, food & love
Take up space by giving back
LOVE your way through each step of the process.
A quick note before we go: Conducting Your Symphony continues through July — come to class! Also note, as a gift to you all on this journey with us, here's a promo code for 20% off of the Practice Membership: WEGETTOBEHERENOW
We'll pick back up with Community Call in August.
August Community Call
Rest well today. See you soon.
With deep love & appreciation,
Victoria Sterkin, PhD