Following on from my last post - my summary run down of all the pieces of how I choose to work forward from now to a better future, in the ways that work for me - I'm expanding now on the first piece - Holding the vision. I could write much more on this, and I will, but for now I want to get on and share this, so I'll attempt to keep it short(er)! So for now I have one visioning to share that I find very helpful, and important, and just a little accompanying explanation, for now.
This visioning had its origin back in 2014, one night in the magical town of Glastonbury, as I walked along roads near the Tor, back towards my temporary home at Paddington Farm. As I walked, in the dark, I had a moment in which a kind of vision, or maybe a sense or a feeling, came to me. I almost saw it, glowing in the air before me, and I felt it, right through me. It was like hope manifested, and it was powerful and strong. Since then, many times, I have returned to this same vision or feeling.
I find that holding this vision, bringing my focus, and intention, to this vision, helps me to keep on course, to keep going, to keep working on the things that matter most, as we head towards the future. I also find it helps in the tougher moments, when despair, fear or anger rear and hope seems harder to find.
It was hard to put the full sense of the vision or feeling into words but I've been wanting to share it, and I keep trying to explain it, so I've done my best to capture it. My hope for sharing is that it could also be helpful for others to listen - hopefully that amazing powerful feeling it gives me translates. Or maybe it can also help others find or strengthen their own personal version of a similar kind of thing, to hold for focus, intention and direction, especially in those moments when the way seems hard to find. The vision, sense or feeling is more important than the words anyway, if that makes any sense.
You might already have your own visions that you hold, I would love to know about them if you would like to share. Or perhaps you have a stirring, waiting for full attention. I encourage you to allow space and time to nurture your visions to grow. I found it helpful when I explained my vision to someone last year and they suggested I try to hold that space every day. So now I am making extra effort to try to come back to it as much as I can. The more the better really!
So I hope that you might find it of value too. And please also enjoy the live and unorchestrated accompaniment by at least two kinds of frogs that live in our dam, further down the hill from where I sat, under my favourite big old eucalyptus tree, in the wee hours of the night, as I recorded. Listen close and you may hear other visitors, though some missed out on making it to the final recording - like the roaring koalas that made themselves heard several times. There was also a bird of some kind calling - perhaps an owl; another larger animal - maybe one of the koalas or possibly a kangaroo - moving about quite close to me, almost as if they were listening; and some different insects, piping in with their sounds, their movements and even their presence on my page as I read.
Last, but by no means least, there are many reasons for the timing of sharing this, and I will return more to this topic of timing later in a general sense, but meanwhile there is one aspect of the timing that must be acknowledged.
I recorded this yesterday, on 26 January, a very sad and difficult day for many people of Australia.
These words about 26 January are from Lidia Thorpe, a Gunnai/Gunditjmara woman and Indigenous Rights Lead for Amnesty International Australia, sent via the Amnesty International email list, to raise awareness and share details of Invasion Day Marches and Rallies. I felt it better to share Lidia's words directly rather than explain it in my own.
"While many Australians celebrate 26 January as Australia Day, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples it is a day of resistance, mourning, and truth telling. This day, which marks the landing of the first fleet, also signifies dispossession of my land, people, language and culture.
"Our history goes back well beyond 26 January 1788. It began over 80,000 years ago. Let’s stand in solidarity this Invasion Day to respectfully mourn the survival and resilience of the oldest living culture in the world. Let’s acknowledge that Aboriginal nations are Sovereign nations who never signed a Treaty and are united in the ongoing fight for our rights.
"We encourage you to attend Indigenous events on and around 26 January. We have created a national list of events so you can find one near you.
"We all want to be part of a nation which we can celebrate and be proud of, but that starts with addressing the trauma of colonisation and its impact today.
"With your support, we will continue to change and mature into a more inclusive nation."
And as one sign of all that is good, growing, attendance at Invasion Day rallies and marches grows every year - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other Australian people, standing together in acknowledgement of the true history of this day.
And at this time in history, the voices of First Nation people from around the world are ringing clear and strong, with all that is good, and growing; calling for respect and recognition of the long history of their cultures and connection with their lands, their Countries; calling for protection of the land and environment for all.
And at this time in history, the voices of First Nation people from around the world are ringing clear and strong, with all that is good, and growing; calling for respect and recognition of the long history of their cultures and connection with their lands, their Countries; calling for protection of the land and environment for all.
And so, in solidarity, I would like to respectfully dedicate this visioning that I am sharing, of all that is good, growing, to the Wathaurung people of the land on which I live, and to all First Nation people of this continent on which I live, and to First Nation people of all the lands of our world.
And on we go, together. All that is good, growing.
