Hi Friend,

There’s a moment when the seed turns in the soil, so the roots can go down, and plant the shoots can go up.  A time of seeking both sunshine and soil nourishment. A time to prepare to transform sunlight into life-force energy.

Some say the ancient Celts believed that this was the moment of Imbolc, a holiday around Feb 1,  the midpoint between the winter solstice and spring equinox, between the stillness and the birth of spring, in that part of the world that cycles through four seasons, turning now from winter to spring.

What does it mean to orient oneself?

It is a question that I love asking alongside people.

When I was studying at Union Theological Seminary, I was much affected by an article by one of my professors, Dr. John Thataminal, who argued that thinking about orientation might be a better framework than the term ‘religion’ to support people studying and practicing outside of the Abrahamic traditions. ‘Religion’, after all, is a term uniquely European, and embedded in the colonial process. Most cultures don’t even have a word that translates to ‘religion’. ‘Orientation,’ though… can help us have deeper conversations.

I just spent nearly two rich weeks in New Mexico leading a lunar new years retreat (ReJoyvenation) using our circular time calendar methodology. And bringing circular time work to environmentally minded organizations seeking integration as they re-orient themselves.  And visiting: friends, communities, artists, rivers, rocks, and mountains. All of it was beautiful.

In the sessions with people and organizations, I saw the particular value of working with various stretches/tensions/paradoxes. That to grow up you have to go down. To sink deeper you need more sunlight. That not every seed planted will grow. That paradox is essential to life.

This month, we are releasing two podcasts, both of which embrace paradoxes. The first is with my friend Robin Cook Roth, who just recently stepped down as CEO of the British-based company, Traidcraft. We go deep into the paradox of releasing hierarchical power in order to its a conversation based on his experience shepherding his organization into holacracy.  This conversation came about because of how many friends and clients were talking about the challenge of building organizations whose structures reflect their values.

We are using a coral reef image here in this cover to convey how natural systems, like coral reefs, work beautifully well for the whole without a hierarchical power system. 

I hope you enjoy this episode!