The Integral Warrior

A Cowardly Act by the U.S. Marshalls Office in Weastern North Carolina

2012-01-15T20:46:00.003-05:00

Regular readers of this blog will know that I am actively involved in the Occupy movement in Western North Carolina. I know....it's not like being at OccupyWallStreet, or in Oakland, Chicago, Boston, LA, or any one of more than 900 Occupy groups around the world, but you work with what you got, right? This is where I live, this is where I occupy....and, I believe the people of Occupy are at the leading edge of consciousness on this planet at this time.

What we are seeking in the movement was shockingly brought home to me over the past few days. OccupyWNC is one of many Occupy groups across the nation that is working with Move to Amend, a national day of action just one day before the second anniversary of the infamous Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which held that corporations (as people entitled to the rights of the U.S. Constitution) can spend unregulated and undisclosed sums of money in order to influence elections. [There are] over 80 rallies at federal courthouses around the country, including the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C.

On Friday January 20th, we are occupying the Bryson City Federal Courthouse, the closest federal courthouse to us.

We're in a rural mountain area where everyone, even if you don't know them, is your neighbor, so we have not used the same tactics that are sometimes used in bigger cities. We followed the rules in applying for our permits. The Bryson City Police Department was a pleasure to work with and I had a great talk with Chief Rick Tabor, and we had no problem securing a permit to demonstrate on the city sidewalk.

I then continued the process by contacting the Asheville GSA offices who manage the Bryson City Federal Courthouse. From there I was directed to contact Inspector Greg Erdley who is with the Dept. of Homeland Security Federal Protective Services. Needless to say, I was apprehensive about calling and getting involved with the DoHS. When Inspector Erdley returned my calls, he indicated I should talk to the Bryson City Federal Courthouse property manager, Michael Caldwell, with the Asheville GSA.

Initially, we connected by email and Mr. Caldwell sent me the application for the permit. I completed and returned the application by email (attached). A day later, I received a call from Mr. Caldwell and Inspector Erdley informing me of a court order over riding any permit the GSA might give us. They were kind enough to send me a copy of the court order prohibiting any kind of rally, demonstration, or parade on Federal property. Upon inspection, I was shocked to find that the court order was issued in 2003 and was apparently still active. Talk about legislating from the bench! Also, From the wording of the court order in the fourth paragraph, it appears that the U.S. Marshall may stop the rally altogether, even if we're not on federal property, even if we have a city permit. This is exactly the kind of inequality OWS is talking about.

Here I was, being denied my civil rights to demonstrate and address my grievances with the Federal Government of the United States of America, the land of the free. EXCUSE ME...it's not the federal government that owns these properties, it's we the people.

When I asked Mr. Caldwell and Inspector Erdley if we could include their organizations (the GSA and the Dept. of Homeland Security) on our flyer supporting Move to Amend, there was a deadening silence...The agent began to explain that as Federal employees they could not take political stands, and I said "relax, guys, I'm pulling your leg"...followed by a couple more seconds of silence and then they both broke out in laughter.....Both good guys, and I think we made a couple of friends. They were both polite, friendly, respectful, helpful, and, in my judgment, somewhat apologetic about the court order.

OccupyWNC is an affiliate with the national Move to Amend organization, and we had been directed that if ran into any problems with permits, to let let them know. Apparently, Move to Amend is working with the ACLU for just these kind of unconstitutional actions by the government. I prepared a letter describing what had happened, attached the court order, and sent it off to the legal team at Move to Amend.

Move to Amend and the ACLU has been successful in getting other like court orders overturned, but doubt they will be able to do it by Friday the 20th.

So, as our local Occupy group meets over the next few days to prepare for our rally at the courthouse, one of the things we'll undoubtedly be talking about will be whether to use civil disobedience and occupy the federal court grounds, anyway.

And we thought our "building bridges" tactics would work...Maybe locally, but apparently not with the feds. This all comes after President Obama signed the NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act) on New Years eve---while everyone was getting ready to celebrate and not paying attention---which allows American citizens to be indefinitely detained without the right to counsel (nervous laughter...here's where I joke about winning an all-expense paid vacation to a FEMA camp located somewhere near all of us).

So, here's my challenge to you: I know a lot of people want to create their own reality and don't want to think "negative" thoughts. But if you don't get up and join us, and stop this now, you will be creating your own reality, and you won't like it. Time to reach down and warrior up. Show up at the Bryson City Federal Courthouse on this Friday, Jan, 20th, from 11am to 2pm and stand with us.

Last, this: 2011 will be remembered as a year of revolution, the beginning of the end for an unsustainable global system based on poverty, oppression, and violence. In dozens of countries across the Arab world, people rose up against broken economies and oppressive regimes, toppling dictators and inspiring the world to action. Popular rejection of austerity measures and attacks on worker's rights brought millions to the streets in Greece, Iceland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, the UK, Chile, Wisconsin, and elsewhere.

Fueled by anger at the growing disparities between rich and poor, frustrated by government policies that benefit a tiny elite at the expense of the majority, and tired of the establishment’s failure to address fundamental economic inequalities, OWS offered a new solution. They built a People’s Kitchen to feed thousands, opened a People’s Library, created safer spaces, and provided free shelter, bedding, medical care, and other necessities to anyone who needed them. While cynics demanded they elect leaders and make demands on politicians, they were busy creating alternatives to those very institutions. They were busy creating the new model of what this country should stand for They were busy creating the world most of only talk about. "A revolution has been set in motion, and we cannot be stopped."

And if you don't show up, don't ever talk to me about change, again.....It's not like you have to camp out.

Thought of the Day

2012-01-11T15:42:00.002-05:00

"Patriarchy" is the consciousness of fear, and it is fueled by shadow. Men's lives are violent because their souls have been violated. It is past time for men to do their work.

Awakening the New Masculine: The Path of the Integral Warrior

"Awakening the New Masculine" is available on Pre-Order

2012-01-10T16:57:00.019-05:00

My Dear Friends, new and old:

Great news about my book, Awakening the New Masculine: The Path of the Integral Warrior:

I am finally to the point where I can see the "book publishing on the wall" and expect to have a published copy in my hand very soon! I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate your support, your comments, and mostly all the men who went through my men's process, The Integral Warrior, in 2011!

I'm very excited to announce that I am taking pre-release orders off my website for the soft cover version of the book at the Special Pre-Order Price of $11.87 + Shipping and Handling (retail value of $16.95)! There's also a hard cover version that can be purchased at a special price as well.

I so appreciate all of you who kept asking, "when's the book coming out?...I want to buy it!" Well, it's almost here! By pre-ordering the book now, you'll be one of the first to get it, you'll get it at a special price, and you'll be helping promote the book as I hand all of your prepaid orders to my publisher on the day it's released.

Not to mention supporting this work with men that is so needed on the planet today.

Not sure you want to move this fast? Want to wait to read some reviews? Well, here's what some of my friends and teachers—and my heroes— who are supporting the book are saying:

"Gary Stamper's vision of the new integral man is a refreshing departure from mythic visions of the past, but without abandoning their power or magic. — Allan Combs; Author of Consciousness Explained Better, The Radiance of Being, etc.

"Awakening the New Masculine is a brave, exciting and significant contribution to one of the most important aspects of our time- the birth of a New Sacred Masculine capable of being fiercely and tenderly protective of the world and human life."—Andrew Harvey, Author of The Hope a Guide to Sacred Activism

“Something very ancient and very new is being presented here! Gary Stamper is bringing together many disciplines, much experience, fine scholarship, and good writing style too.” — [Fr.] Richard Rohr, O.F.M., Author of Wild Man to Wise Man and Adam’s Return

Gary Stamper has done a masterful job of pulling together various integral and visionary shamanic approaches to assist the change that is greatly needed for not only men of all ages but also for the masculine that is ready to be activated within us all.” — Linda Star Wolf, author of six books, including Visionary Shamanism: Activating the Imaginal Cells of the Human Energy Field

My book tour will begin shortly after the release and I hope to see all of you at one or more of the book talks I'll be doing around the country as I try to live up to these great comments by these heroes. Another good thing... I love being on the warrior's quest for a noble cause...and in front of people talking about my passion for this work!

Come join me on this journey!

Gary

The Lifting of the Veil

2012-01-05T14:09:00.000-05:00

I have to admit I'm not a "feel good" kind of integralist. If you come to my part of the conversation for soft consoling words of comfort or pats on the back, you might as well stop reading now. I'm the kind of integral thinker that asks you to step into the abyss. Shaking things up is clearly part of my masculine purpose and the heavy warrior archetypes I carry.

It's interesting that--- more often than not---whenever I talk about what seems to happening in the realm of collapse, the conversation inevitably turns to the apocalyptic. When I talk collapse, people seem to hear "the end of the world." Andrew Harvey says it's rooted to a deep shadow fear of death that comes up for people. However, collapse is not necessarily the end of the world, although depending on which of several possibilities in this perfect storm of economics, ecology, and energy, it is one possibility. But rather than talk about what we can do about it, the conversations seem to usually go to the "end of the world" scenario. It's much easier for people to deny it when they frame it in that context.

My background with the Apocalypse was Southern Baptist, so I'm no stranger to the co-opted term used by mythic Christianity to scare the bejesus into us and to control us. I say co-opted because the original meaning is from the Greek (ironic, ain't it? See the next paragraph) meaning "lifting of the veil" or "revelation:" a disclosure of something hidden from the majority of mankind in an era dominated by falsehood and perception, i.e., the veil is to be be lifted. This term has come to mean, in common usage, the end of the world, but originally meant the end of an age. The lifting of the veil is happening all around us. As I said before, everything is transparent: The patriarchal powers that want to dominate us, the greed of Wall Street and consumerism, the politics of the right and the left who are becoming indistinguishable because we've opened our eyes, the idea that what's important can be measured by GNP instead of happiness ratios, the loss of our indigenous souls who once loved the planet....the veil is lifting.

I agree there's no way to tell if an impending collapse will happen suddenly or over a long period of time, and, whether it's slow or fast, it appears to largely depend on who you're talking to. Ask the people of Greece whether their "collapse" was sudden and unexpected or a slow decline that everyone could see coming. Another irony is that even the people who caused it and could see it coming were powerless to stop it in their greed and quest for power and control. Hence, we once again see the lifting of the veil. While everyone can see the problems that caused the economy to crash in late 2008, nothing has been changed except to further exacerbate the problem by not fixing the obvious problems, the continuing loss of jobs, record foreclosures, and the continuation of the greatest transfer of wealth ever to the very people who caused it, and who are now losing control. The veil is lifting. #Occupy Wall Street, and the satellite Occupy groups around the world--including the local Occupy group I work with--see this for what it is, and are calling it out. We threaten the infinite growth monetary paradigm money machine at all levels and are being pounded into evolving from occupying locations into occupying hearts and minds and into what looks like one of the leading edges of consciousness. But we're not just sitting around talking about it. We have far to many Caesars who are willing to fiddle while Rome burns.The thing about collapse is that it can no longer be talked about in future tense. It's happening all around us: government, politics, nations, economics, populations, climate change, weather, earthquakes, water shortages, peak everything, health care, employment....You name it...some statistics:

There are more hungry people in the world than the combined populations of the US, Canada, and the European Union
Hunger kills more people than AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined
925 million people do not have enough to eat and 98 percent of them live in developing countries. (Source: FAO news release, 14 September 2010)
Women make up a little over half of the world's population, but they account for over 60 percent of the world’s hungry.
(Source: Strengthening efforts to eradicate hunger..., ECOSOC, 2007)
10.9 million children under five die in developing countries each year. Malnutrition and hunger-related diseases cause 60 percent of the deaths;
(Source: The State of the World's Children, UNICEF, 2007)
3.575 million people die each year from water-related disease

I believe, based on several years of study and observation, that we are coming to the end of an age, and by definition, the beginning of a new one. So, the question begs to be asked: The veil is lifting, and what are each of us doing about it?

.... and if I hear "things are perfect just as they are" one more time, I'm going to lose my cookies! What a new age load of spiritual bypass that allows one to disconnect from the suffering in the world. If things were perfect, why would we want to change anything, why would we value cognitive dissonance, why would we pick up a child who wanders into the street? Zen quotes:

Don't wish for perfect health. In perfect health, there is greed and wanting. So an ancient said, " Make good medicine from the suffering of sickness."
Don't hope for life without problems. An easy life results in a judgmental and lazy ind. So an ancient once said, "Accept the anxieties and difficulties of this life".
Don't expect your practice to be clear of obstacles. Without hindrances the mind that seeks enlightenment may be burnt out. So an ancient once said, "Attain deliverance in disturbances". Zen Master Kyong Ho [ 1849-1912], in Thousand Peaks

Sometimes we're just too intellectual for our own good. It's time for us to stop talking and theorizing about integral and to be integral. To take what we've learned from the map and put into practice so we can see the rocks and trees, actually jumping in and seeing what's happening in our own interior and the exterior world. That we pay attention to what's happening in the physical world in front of us, what's happening in the breakdown of all of the systems in the LR quadrant, and the inevitable collapse of the LL cultures that comes with it. I'm among those who think we've already passed the tipping point, that we are in collapse, so for me, the question is now "how do we prepare the new systems to fill the void caused by the failure of the old systems?" And they are failing. It's one more reason why it's important for the integral community to move beyond competency of yellow's intellectualism into turquoise community, building new systems that support new ways of living our lives. And the first thing we must absolutely do is to get out of denial about what's happening, whether it's slow or fast.

The lifting of the veil is our opportunity to end 5,000 years of patriarchal rule and to be more fully human. The veil is lifting. Don't turn away.Occupy your heart.

Awakening Thought of the Day: Peter Pan and Post Modernism

2012-01-02T15:22:00.002-05:00

"We’ve created a world of Peter Pans, or puers--the eternal boys--who never grow up and want to marry trophies instead of wives, and girls who want someone to take care of them instead of bold partners. The current older generation of men, especially in the United States, has, to a great extent, not been mentored by their own fathers"--Awakening the New Masculine
*

Awakening Thought of the Day: Masculinity and Patriarchy

2011-12-22T17:02:00.000-05:00

With increasing awareness and understandable anger at centuries of patriarchal behavior, or false male power, we have come to believe that masculinity―and men―and patriarchy are the same thing. Consequently, we deny and repress the power and the gifts of the Divine Masculine.--Gary

Visit the website for my book, Awakening the new Masculine: The Path of the Integral Warrior.

Why I'm an Occupier, and why you should be, too....

2011-12-14T20:52:00.000-05:00

(Gary's note: this is a letter I submitted to two local papers, neighbors, and various FB websites. This is an example of how we reach across the memetic, political, and personal boundaries of the separation of duality.)

You've undoubtedly seen the news about #Occupy Wall Street and the other 1500 or so Occupy Groups that have organically sprung up around the US, including my home in Western North Carolina, and in 84 countries around the world.

What you may not know is that the vast, vast majority of people in the Occupy movement are not unwashed, incoherent, directionless, lazy, or very different from you and me in spite of how they are being presented on most news reports.

It may surprise you to know that I'm one of them. I'm a minister, a family man, a homeowner, a soon-to-be published author getting ready for a book tour, a workshop facilitator, and I care about my community, our constitution, and our country.

In Western North Carolina, we're your neighbors and your friends. As confessed members of the 99%, we care about the same things you do: quality of life, low taxes, opportunity, and equality, just to name a few.

I'd be willing to bet that you're part of the 99%, too, and in fact, there's only a 1% chance you're not!

Like most of us, you can't afford your own personal politician or judges, and you're probably feeling that your voice is being lost to big money, big banks, big religion, and big business and big crooks. We believe in a fair shake for everybody. We're not anti-capitalists, socialists, or communists, but we think people are more important than profit. We believe Jesus felt the same way.

But don't take my word for it. I'm inviting you to come to a local Occupy WNC meeting (or one in your town) and meet the people who care about the same things you care about. Maybe not all of them, but I'll bet you dollars to doughnuts we have more in common than differences.

What I do know is that if we don't stand together we'll fall apart. And that's just not acceptable. So, right or left, tea party or occupier, come find out for yourself what we're all about. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Mission Statement: OccupyWNC is a diverse and non-partisan coalition that acts to promote economic and social justice for the 99+1%

Open to all people -- we are the 99%
Consensus gained through shared leadership
Change unsustainable systems that benefit the few at the expense of the many
Use all possible non-violent means of action
Prioritize people over profits
Yes! We are united to preserve our constitutional right to equality.

We also believe in building bridges.

Image: http://morgaine.multiply.com/journal/item/249/Duality

A Rant About Penn State and the "Fake Warrior Culture"

2011-11-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

By James Howard Kunstler
on November 14, 2011 7:42 AM

"The intersection of America's fake warrior culture of football with the nation's fake moral and ethical culture is instructive. It has many levels, like a convoluted freeway intersection of on-ramps, off-ramps, and merge-ramps."

Read the whole article http://kunstler.com/blog/2011/11/-the-penn-state.html.

I love James Howard Kunstler. He has been absolutely prescient about where our society is headed in a world of finite fossil fuels, the suburban debacle, even the crash of Wall Street. He does this with a stiletto-sharp mind, a penchant for biting metaphor, and the best sense of humor in the blogosphere. Kunstler has long warned of the horrendous hangover we're going to wake up with after our "cheap oil fiesta," but he's not gloating as global instability and climate destabilization become the new not-so-normal. Unlike some dystopians, he's motivated less by the desire to say "I told you so" than by the hope that we might still manage to reinvent the American dream on a scale that better suits our current circumstances.

This is The Tipping Point: Giving Death

2011-11-13T16:57:00.001-05:00

by Anyaa McAndrew and Gary Stamper

A couple of years ago we lost Anyaa's fifteen year-old Westie companion, Miss Lily, a shamanic healing dog if there ever was one. Miss Lily had already been through a couple of "shamanic deaths" where we almost lost her, but this time there was no saving her. Anyaa felt strongly that Miss lily was ready, and she made the heart-breaking decision to gift Miss Lily, and our community, with consciously "giving death' to her. In a beautiful ceremony at one of Miss Lily's favorite places, we gathered community, many of Anyaa's Priestesses, the circle of men that were at the Cove, and with the help of our vet, Tami Shearer, we all said our goodbyes as we ushered in the conscious passing of this beloved friend, as the painless process took place. There was not a dry eye to be seen.

It seemed as if Miss Lily understood the process and surrendered to it, as we all did. Her passing was her last living gift to us, although her gifts continue to this day for all who hold her memory.

We all now face similar challenges, only on a global scale never before seen.

Classic Shamanism, as opposed to Core Shamanism, is generally entirely involuntary. The individual is chosen by the spirits, often with no warning, and is not allowed to refuse the "gift", or they will suffer illness, and/or insanity, and/or death. Classic Shamanism is nearly always accompanied by a traumatic death-and-rebirth experience, after which the personality is radically changed.

Core Shamanism, on the other hand, is generally entirely voluntary. The individual chooses the path, rather than being chosen for it by the spirits. Although the seeker may feel "drawn" to shamanic practices, they are not in danger of illness, insanity or death for refusing to follow a particular path. They may choose their own human teachers, and they may stop at any time; although their lives may be poorer for it, they will not usually be penalized by the spirits unless they have made specific bargains.

Our "Collapse" will be approached through both paths. We must choose to change or the change can choose us. One is consciously "giving death," and the other is entirely out of our control.

Anyaa and I have chosen the marriage of the two paths to help birth in a new world using a process we're calling "Integral Shamanism." From the Integral path, it requires the widest perspectives possible, which means that we absolutely must step out of denial about what's happening today: the collapse of the industrial age and the battle for control of the planet. From the Shamanic path, it means we must welcome and mid-wife in the death of the old so the new can emerge.

There's a strong tendency around denial to think that if we just envision the future we want to live in, that we can make it happen, and to a degree, that's true. We need a vision of where we want to go, but it cannot happen through reform or incremental change. Because our culture is so death phobic, and because we don’t really relish losing our lifestyles, we don’t want to focus on the death of the old. It's important to understand that we must also die in the process, and that this deathing process is good and right. It frees us from the tyranny of a debt-based, consumerism at the expense of the rest of the world lifestyle that keeps us stuck and far from free. Once we can really get that, we can cheer on the coming demise of the old way, we can re-learn from the shamanic traditions that death has a season and a cycle and is our ally. We can learn from death, and grieve, and then begin to move on into regeneration and rebirth with the new energy that we have gathered in the process.

The time is now and the cycle is complete. We need to "give death" to the old power structure that has controlled the planet, and we cannot give up or stop standing for what we believe. This is where the Integral Warrior lives. The reason we now have the ability to do this is because those power structures are crumbling through their greed and their actions are becoming more and more transparent by the minute: FEMA camps, GMO foods, vaccinations, surveillance, giving up our rights for safety, the outright theft of trillions of dollars going to the elites as they attempt to push the rest of world deeper into global totalitarianism. We recommend the recently released film "Thrive" to see the whole picture from a compassionate and well-informed perspective. Those who have bought and sold our country have been openly talking about "The New World Order" for quite some time. Even with all this information that is available to us, because of our denial, we still cannot stop thinking about these things in terms of conspiracy theories. We don’t want to seem ‘crazy’ or like some kind of extremist, and we don’t want to think that the power elite could really be that malevolent, so we put our suspicions away and go back into a semi-sleep. That's their plan: to keep us asleep long enough to implement their plans.

Our job now, men and women, as Integral Warriors, is to fight them with everything we have. We cannot stop with only a vision of the future, we must gift the planet with the death of patriarchy and the power elite. We must be actively giving death to an already dying, but not dead, empire. By consciously entering into our planet’s Dark night of the Soul, we engage the SacredActivist as championed by Andrew Harvey as expressed in his recent book, “TheHope".

The spark was ignited in December of 2010, following Mohamed Bouazizi'sself-immolation in protest of police corruption and ill treatment. A series of protests and demonstrations across the Middle East and North Africa has become known as the "Arab Spring" even though not all participants in protests identify as Arab. To date, three governments have been overthrown as a result of the Arab Spring. It's not hard to include the current OWS movement, first in the US, and now spreading across 80+ counties, as part of a greater whole, the hundredth monkey, the tipping point so desperately needed to shift us into the creative power of the next structure of consciousness that wants to emerge on the planet. As the Nation magazine points out, "After decades of exploitation, murder, and fraud, the corporate state is facing a genuine uprising of the people." It's about time.

Now, not all of these movements want the same thing. In the Arab Spring, most people want more freedom, better wages, and a chance at a middle class lifestyle. It doesn't take a genius to understand that 7 billion people are not going to enjoy the same version of the middle class that we in the U.S. are in the process of losing. In 2004, the United States accounted for 4.6 percent of the world's population and 33 percent of global consumption--more than $9 trillion U.S. dollars.

Our role, as integral thinkers at the Strategic level of consciousness, or higher, is to first mid-wife in the death of the elite power structures, to hold the vision of those corrupt systems crumbling, and do whatever is needed to help them along as quickly as possible. Don't be an observer in this drama. Don’t go back to thinking that we just need some good reforms, some band-aid fixes to help us hobble through to the next crisis. We have gone far beyond that, folks. Instead, if you are not informed, if you are avoiding reality, commit yourself to seeing the biggest possible picture of what is really happening on the planet. The number of information resources out there is staggering. Jump on board this very fast-moving train of consciousness, and don’t get lost in utopian visions of the future just yet. The time is NOW to help the shamanic deathing process. We must engage, because it's only through sheer numbers of consciousness that we can break through to the other side where we have a chance to do everything differently.

We are winning, as is evidenced by the fact that the power elite can no longer hide anything from us, but we have to open our eyes and be willing to look at it. The outcome is not settled, and we can't give up, and we can't yet focus on the rebirth. We must focus first on Giving Death to the old ways. If we act quickly, we may be able to mitigate some of the pain of powering down as opposed to collapsing.

In the meantime, we must remember that we can only help others if we first take care of ourselves. We are reminded of this every time we fly when we get our emergency flight instructions before taking off: "Put your drop-down oxygen mask on first." In other words, give others the gift of your presence and wisdom in the new frontier....whatever that may look like.

Graham Nash and David Crosby of Crosby, Stills, and Nash, like Roger Waters from Pink Floyd, are part of the celebrity voices that are starting to speak out. Listen to what they have to say about the #Occupy Movement.

Gary and Anyaa live and work in the Great Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina. Gary's Book, "Awakening the New Masculine: The Path of the Integral Warrior," is scheduled for release in January 2012.

An Integral Approach to Consciously Collapsing

2011-11-11T13:05:00.004-05:00

Something is glaringly absent in the Integral Community. As I point out in the introduction of my book, Awakening The New Masculine: The Path of the Integral Warrior," here is the precipice humanity is teetering on:

"Never before in human history has humankind been this close to a global psycho-social and spiritual awakening. At the same time, never have we been in such danger of being swept into a global totalitarianism, potentially more oppressive than any system known before. Technology, at the hands of little boys pretending to be men, has led us to this new geopolitical reality."

What's missing is paying attention to and addressing the biggest event that mankind has ever faced: The Shift. As a result of this obvious omission, couched in multiple perspectives of first-tier thinking and shadow, I find it difficult to to think of the Integral Community as...well...integral. Even what might be the first stage of second-tier thinking, Integral, or turquoise in Wilber's model of altitude, or yellow, in terms of Spiral Dynamics, with one of its primary focuses on competency, lacks the compassion needed to empathize with the depth of pain that the coming changes are going to bring to the planet and the billions of people who will suffer through these times.

While the world, unions like the EU, nation states, and the people contained within these structures begin to feel the pain, and as things are speeding up, looking like a giant sink with the plug pulled with the accompanying whirlpool sucking everything down with with it, the Integral Community seems to be mostly ignoring the bigger picture.

There are exceptions, but they are not really being paid attention to. As Andrew McDonald points out in a posting on Integral+Life, "......the integral world seems to be floating above this global problem emerging down there in the lower right quadrant. There are exceptions - Jim Garrison and Steve McIntosh for example and perhaps others - but there's an emphasis on theory out of step with the worry, concern, and genuine suffering in the economic downturn."

I agree completely with Andrew, but things don't just collapse in one quadrant.

He also says, "Integral sometimes appears as it it's living on a plane that won't be directly affected personally by the implosion of the economy when and if that happens. Are most integralists wealthy or out of touch with where Main St. is. Or in denial of it?"

But collapse is not just financial, although that's where the focus seems to be. It's energy, environment, and economics, and they are all connected.

One of the responses to Andrew's thought-provoking questions was typical of the flawed new-age perspective of "The Secret" and the magical feel-good thinking that says we control our own reality that allows us to disassociate from the pain that's already going on in the world. This perspective is nothing more than an ego-centric worldview that says as long as I'm not suffering, the world is okay. I've said more about this in an earlier posting. What this response is actually saying is that it's someone else's problem (reality), not theirs, and is the kind of spiritual by-passing and up-and-out mentality that infects so many of us.

In stark contrast to what appears to be denial in the larger Integral Community (the denial is actually the fear of death), stands Spiral Dynamics integral, where discussion of what is happening in the world is not being ignored, but openly courted, and the prognosis is definitely leaning toward "some kind of collapse." It's clear that none of us have a crystal ball, but we can, and must, take a memetic approach and specifically tailor and apply our approach to collapse in all four quadrants.

At this time, green is seeing life conditions it cannot solve from it's level of consciousness (hence, the lack of a concise message from OWS). The Tea Party, on the other hand, has a very absolutist approach to how they'd fix the problems we face. Both are reacting to problems they have helped to create. Given the ultra-polarized political environment in the U.S., it doesn't appear that collective second tier solutions are going to happen.

With this in mind, how are we going to avoid an actual collapse? Can we? How does a growing economic disaster impact climate change or energy needs? The news is not good, and it's out there for all to see if we're paying attention.

What second tier should be doing

If we are going to be able to successfully navigate (whatever that means) the coming chaos, then we must first get out of denial and into acceptance that it's happening. Denial could kill you. This requires that we pay attention to what is actually happening in all four quadrants, in the interior, exterior, individual, and collective quadrants.

In the upper left quadrant - the quadrant of thoughts, emotions, state of mind, and human behavior - we must pay attention to our spiritual and emotional needs. We need to know how to step out of paralyzing fear. Using all four quadrants, determine what you think are the most likely scenarios, and then prepare for them the best you can, given your resources and abilities, and your awareness of what is arising in the other quadrants. This gives us the ability to step into calm acceptance, knowing that no matter how hard we may try, we can't possibly prepare for everything, and then let it go.

We do this in several ways. We find like-thinking others with whom we build community (lower left-quadrant), with shared values and meaning, who can support us as we support them. They don't need to be second tier. We only need to have more that brings us together than separates us. In our newly forming community, "Conscious Transition WNC: A Network of Grace," we're emphasize that we're not concerned about "why" collapse is happening - blame - but that it is happening, upon which we can all agree upon. In other words, we openly encourage - and insist - that everyone brings an openness that is accepting of all viewpoints. This allows multi-perspectivalism to develop, and this emerging process allowseveryone to hear other viewpoints without having to defend their own. Community is an absolutely essential part of getting through whatever is coming. Otherwise, you're just a lone-wolf survivalist. Second tier leadership provides the guidance and context that allows this to happen. Find and form your community.

We're also intensely aware of the geopolitics of collapse: what is happening, and how - the lower right and upper right quadrants, respectively. In the upper right, what is happening? The cold hard facts without interpretation. What can I see, touch, observe scientifically in time and space? What are the physical facts? We have to know because decisions need to be made based on those facts. For instance, watching what's going on in Europe at this time with banks and countries already collapsing gives us insight as to how it might unfold in the U.S. if the global financial markets are as connected as they appear to be. When should I think about withdrawing cash in case there are bank runs here as is already happening in Greece and Italy (and the U.S. as the wealthy flee with their money to what they think are safer havens)?

In the lower right quadrant, how is it happening, what systems and networks are failing and in what time frame? How do they affect other systems? Technology? Government? Finance? Energy? The natural environment?

We simply must look at these issues through the 4-quadrant lens. As we've heard time and time again, anything less is partial, narrow, and fragmented....and there's already too much fragmentation in the world. That's what got us here. It won't get us out.

What then?

None of this guarantees that any of us will survive through what is coming. People don't want to hear that millions perhaps billions of people could die. Guess what? Millions are already dying and what do you need to see that will convince you that we don't have the capacity - energy and finances - to stop what is already happening? Collapse cannot be talked about in future tense, it's already happening.

What we can do is approach collapse in the most conscious manner possible. To be present to it as each moment arises, do what we can to improve how we come through this, however long it takes, and be more conscious individually and collectively than when we started. It's obvious that a lot of technology in the form of unbridled capitalism has not made our lives better. Maybe we'll be happier by getting smaller and living in the arms of gratitude. My sense is that it's by developing community, meaning, and sustainable systems that support all life on this planet. Maybe the way up is all the way down.

Where do the Integral leaders and community stand on collapse?

Five Shadows Slowing Down the Great Shift

2011-10-26T08:08:00.005-04:00

Anyaa and I just spent an amazing two days with mystic and spiritual teacher Andrew Harvey, author of The Hope, one of my favorite books this year.

Andrew is one of those teachers who is not all light and love. Don't get me wrong, he is light and love, but he's also a no-bullshit kind of teacher who understands, like Ken Wilber, that true transformation doesn't happen through new age platitudes like The Secret, avoiding negative thoughts, and not facing one's fears. Andrew takes people apart so they can be put back together again with new perspectives and awareness by being "in your face, disturbing you, terrifying you, until you radically awaken to who and what you really are." David Deida is also one of those teachers. Andrew is simply one of the most authentic teachers around.

Wait for the video to load or visit http://youtu.be/SgK_pywP-84

Andrew believes, and Anyaa and I agree with him, that everything is collapsing; That we have passed the point where what passes for civilization can be "fixed." It's too far gone. He also believes that the whole concept of collapse is a necessary event for the new human to be born, for humanity to move to the next level, a more evolved human. I've shared this belief for a long time, and history shows us how major shifts in consciousness take place, and it ain't by wishful thinking. It happens by getting down in the muck and doing the work, and we're about to see a lot of muck, in ways that we can't even begin to imagine.

Harvey talks about the Five Shadows of Collapse, shadows we need to face and come to terms with, or we're just spiritually masturbating to make ourselves feel good and dull us out through light polarization and Spiritual Puffery.

The first Shadow is disbelief of the immensity of what is happening on the planet and how bad it will be, perhaps even beyond our comprehension to understand. All true change comes from standing in the fire, not from feel-good pats on the back or the saccharin "sweet path of stress reduction and egoic comfort."

The second shadow is Denial: The more ugly things get, the more I deny what I see and feel can be real. My denial allows me to detach from the suffering of others because it's not touching me....yet.

That leads us the the third Shadow: Dread. Immense dread. You cannot believe in "the oneness of all" and ignore what is already happening to millions of others. Collapse isn't a future event for 4 billion people on the planet. it's already happening, and it reveals the true nature of humans: all of us. We've ignored the warnings of 50 years and we've chosen to ignore them. It's all of our responsibility, and we've done it because of the dread we feel about losing our comfortable lifestyles.

The fourth shadow then becomes Radical Disillusion with human nature: The systemic explosion of horror on every level. We are profoundly paralyzed by our own lack of substance. We've almost run out of fantasy and our schizophrenia has turned into psychosis. A mysticism that doesn't embrace the darkside of God is not real, and it's not sustainable.

The fifth shadow is the Death Wish - collectively and individually. The desire not to be here at all. I've heard over and over from people that id things get as bad as I think they'll get, that they don't want to be here at all. They'll just kill themselves. Collectively, we're already committing suicide, and individually we've each contributed - by our lifestyles, our belief in infinite growth on a finite planet, and our total consumptive mindsets. We have to own that we are doing this.We don't realize how our inner suicide claims our lives, and that we need to befriend that inner suicide.

Once we face and own our shadows around collapse, there are five things we must do to navigate these times so that the new human can be birthed :

1) Get real. Get out of denial and do what you must to transform;

2) Develop practices and shadow work to help you cope;

3) Be of service to ALL sentient beings;

4) Think Globally, act local;

5) make your vote, your expenditures, and energy congruent with the new birth.

Don't wait. Start now, There's not a lot of time.

Thank you, Andrew, for your powerful teachings.

See the rest of Andrew's videos in this series at http://www.andrewharvey.net/sa_videos3.php

Sometimes I wish I'd Swallowed the Blue Pill....

2011-10-21T09:58:00.002-04:00

Those of you who have followed my blog for any length of time know what my long-time perspective is on what's happening on the planet. I've not been shy about making my views on "collapse" known for several years, and a quick review of those blogs will show that I've apparently been listening to the right people.

Starting in mid-2007 with this blog, I began to wake up about the geopolitical realities that had already begun shaping the world we inhabit. In October of that same year, quite by accident, my world view on where we were headed shifted, again, into a deeper understanding about the "perfect storm" of the "Three E's:" - Environment, Economics, and Energy. That shift resulted in posting this blog about Peak Oil.

There were more articles, here, here, here, and here, just to point out a few.

Okay, so I could see what was happening as far back as 2007, have written about it a lot, and have been shown to have pretty much nailed it. I wasn't ahead of the curve, I was at the back end of the leading edge, but that put me ahead of about 99% of the population.

This is the Red Pill from The Matrix. Once you go down the rabbit hole, you have to go ALL the way down, embracing the sometimes painful truth of reality. There is no unlearning what you've discovered...unless you take the Blue Pill of blissful ignorance of illusion and go back to sleep with no knowledge that anything is wrong.

Why do I sometimes wish I'd taken the Blue Pill? Because it would have been so much easier. The community we live in and some of our friends and family wouldn't think of us as "whacked-out end-of-worlders" (a term we've never used).

Last night, we watched an amazing video of Chris Hedges calling everything out, no bullshit, no pulling punches. Chris is an author and was a war correspondent for the NY Times until he got fired for speaking out against the Iraq war. In this powerful video, he offers a poignant and insightful analysis of the psychopathology of American society/culture; and how this "dystopian society" systematically drives its citizens to despair, disillusionment, and ultimate insanity.

Chris Hedges: The Psychological Death of the West - Full Speech

Welcome to the Red Pill.

This is why Sacred Activism is the ultimate path of the Integral Warrior. Third stage Masculine ("Yellow," second tier consciousness in Integral terms) is no longer searching for freedon, but embodies freedom in their very being. The third stage man IS freedom, and third stage man cannot abide by any kind of tyranny (todays Fascism in the US) that constricts that freedom towards a man's highest purpose. This tyranny is the marriage of corporatism and government that rules the US today. This marriage results in corporate "terminators" who value nothing but profit, greed, and power, and third stage masculine, and all conscious beings, have a moral imperative to resist, no matter what the cost.

From the opening lines of my book, Awakening the New Masculine:

It is clearly time for men to wake up. Just a little over one decade into the 21^st Century, finding ourselves in the biggest struggle of our existence - a struggle where the outcome is still unknown - It is time for men to stop acting like little boys.

No longer faced with mere territorial struggles, the consequences humankind faces today are global, and we are faced with the very real possibility of our own demise as a species. To be sure, these are issues of patriarchal power and the light and the dark forces on the planet facing off against one another. It is the oldest story on the planet. It's time for the patriarch to be disassembled and for its sons to grow up.

Never before in human history has humankind been this close to a global psycho-social and spiritual awakening. At the same time, never have we been in such danger of being swept into a global totalitarianism, potentially more oppressive than any system known before. Technology, at the hands of little boys pretending to be men, has led us to this new geopolitical reality.

Never before have we been called to wake up on the scale that is required today."

Don't talk to me, I need to keep a positive attitude...

2011-09-22T08:06:00.000-04:00

In her book, Sacred Demise, Carolyn Baker frequently receives emails that say something like, "I'm unsubscribing from your email list because your website is filled with negativity and I need to stay positive." Carolyn describes this perspective as "righteous," or a false sense of doing the right thing. The problem with a (self) righteous attitude is that it leads to detachment from reality. It's a "new agey" way of keeping a positive attitude so we never have to feel badly about what's actually happening. They're actually saying that it's someone else's problem (reality), not theirs.

I know just what she means, because I see it all the time and from people that I'd least suspect it from. I've been shocked and disappointed that it comes from people who are awake on so many other levels. The addiction to a "positive attitude" in the face of the end of the world as we know it is beyond irrational. It is a uniquely human-centric obsession. I mean, what delusional person would argue that we're not killing the planet?

This disconnect and closed thinking often shows up for me with the words, "please don't share this with me...I don't want to hear it. I believe we create our own reality." For me, this is like ignoring abuse in a dysfunctional family and we and the planet are the family. We humans have been ungracious guests on this planet the moment we disowned our indigenous roots, and from that moment on, "civilization" has been trying to rid itself of the indigenous inherent in all of us.

As a culture, we're in extreme denial. We don't believe, it's not a problem, someone will fix it, or it's useless and we've given up..

Carolyn Baker points out that what "all forms of positive thinking about collapse come down to is our own fear of death." I've got bad news for some of you: We're all going to die. This doesn't mean that we can't plan for a good outcome, or that we can't sometimes effect the outcome, but the truth is, we can't always, and how we react to what is happening is really the only thing we have control over. The phrase "I believe we create our own reality" is the ultimate conceit and narcissism.

Not too long ago in meeting I was in, we were hashing out some issues around sustainability and possible collapse and one person was very uncomfortable talking about the whole subject and he uttered the words ""I believe we create our own reality, and what we think, we create." Seeing how disturbed he was, I asked him, "then why are you at this meeting? Did you create this reality with your negative thinking?" This is, unfortunately, all related to magical thinking much like the movie The Secret. Sometimes shit happens. We desperately need to come to terms with and accept the limits of our general powerlessness. Once we can accept this emerging reality, we are empowered and no longer need to resist.

It's not my intention to make others wrong. They are entitled to believe what they want. But when people hold rigid beliefs in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, it truly becomes a pattern of denial. It's essential that we stay present with what's going on in the world and stay available emotionally, spiritually, physically, and mentally. Our survival may depend on it. Anything else is just checking out, and that is not being conscious.

Get the book Sacred Demise. It is a gift to us all.

"Collapse" is already happening, and it's speeding up.

2011-09-21T11:38:00.001-04:00

What is it, if anything, you need to do to prepare for the changes it will bring to our lives? How will you thrive?

Here are some of the things going on in the world just from today's headlines (Mostly NOT in the Lame Stream media) that are going to drastically affect how you live and who you are.

Japan's death agony continues (Collapsenet.com) Typhoon Roke will pass right over Fukushima - 1 Million may evacuate.
TEPCO says up to 500 tons of groundwater already flowing into Fukushima Power Plant (japantoday.com)
China cannot save Europe when it's defaulting on it's own debt (Forbes)
China Pulls The Rug From Under Europe, Halts French Bank Transactions, Makes Good On Trade War Ultimatum (ZeroHedge.com)
Saudi King heralds the dawn of the new World Order (Yahoo Business)
The new most dangerous cities in America (BusinessInsider.com) There are 25 of them....
Eurozone crisis coukld push Britain back over the edge (independent.co.uk)
There will be peak oil (Acklett's Energy Mix)
Palestine: The move to vote on statehood begins Friday. I'm trying hard to imagine an outcome that won't trigger war or uprising. Pres. Obama has said the US will veto statehood (haaretz.com)
Europe's Central banks load up on Gold (theglobeandmail.com)
Global energy use to jump 53% (CNN) The question is, how?
The corporate bank run has begun (zerohedge.com)
Mayor Bloomberg says world social unrest will hit America's streets (bbc.co.uk)

I could go on and on. The point here is not to be negative, but to be aware of what's happening on the planet. I'm not negative, but I am alarmed (as if that were an inappropriate reaction, and is a much better place than denial). Few of us are eager to contemplate, let alone truly face, these looming changes. Just the threat of losing chunks of the comfortable way of life we’re accustomed to (or aspiring to) is a frightening-enough prospect. But there’s no avoiding the current facts and trends of the human and planetary situation.

From The Waking Up Syndrome by Sarah Anne Edwards and Linda Buzzel:

What’s going on may or may not be inevitable, but we don’t have to speed it along. We can do at least one thing to ease or lessen the negative impact of these changes. We can join an environmental action group, plant a tree, bike to work, help with a protest march or write letters to our congressperson. Just doing our little bit to limit the damage eases the psychological distress we’re feeling, even if we’re not “saving the whole world.” Taking even a small stand for what Joanna Macy calls “the life-sustaining society” (as opposed to the life-destroying one) gives us back our dignity and sense of agency.

Raise our level of consciousness so we can maintain some serenity and not burn out in the midst of all this change. We might adopt a spiritual practice of some kind, take up meditation, expand our understanding of ecology or history, or spend time reconnecting with nature, learning to live our lives in harmony with the rest of the earth.

To Learn More

Books

Circle of Simplicity: Return to the Good Life by Cecile Andrews.
World as Lover, World as Self: Courage for Global Justice and Ecological Renewal by Joanna Macy.
The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community by David Korten.
The Long Emergency: Surviving the End of Oil, Climate Change and other Converging Catastrophes of the Twenty-first Century by James Howard Kunstler.
Middle-Class Life Boat, Careers and Life Choices for Staying Afloat in an Uncertain Economy by Paul and Sarah Edwards.
Permaculture: Principles & Pathways Beyond Sustainability by David Holmgren
Peak Everything: Waking up to the Century of Decline by Richard Heinberg.
Powerdown: Options and Actions for a Post-Carbon World by Richard Heinberg.
Reconnecting with Nature by Michael J. Cohen.

Documentary DVDs
The End of Suburbia: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of the American Dream. www.endofsuburbia.com/previews.htm
Escape From Suburbia: Beyond the American Dream
The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil
What a Way to Go: Life at the End of the Empire. www.whatawaytogomovie.com/
Crude Impact
Collapse

Organizations

The Post-Carbon Institute www.postcarbon.org

Photo credit: Jos van Wunnik

Foreword by Ken Wilber to Andrew Cohen's book "Living Enlightenment"

2011-06-06T11:01:00.000-04:00

(Gary's note: My ego doesn't like Andrew's ego, but I do love what Ken has written here, and will be buying the book)

When it comes to spiritual teachers, there are those who are safe, gentle, consoling, soothing, caring; and there are the outlaws, the living terrors, the Rude Boys and Nasty Girls of God realization, the men and women who are in your face, disturbing you, terrifying you, until you radically awaken to who and what you really are.

And may I suggest?: choose your teachers carefully.

If you want encouragement, soft smiles, ego stroking, gentle caresses of your self-contracting ways, pats on the back and sweet words of solace, find yourself a Nice Guy or Good Girl, and hold their hand on the sweet path of stress reduction and egoic comfort. But if you want Enlightenment, if you want to wake up, if you want to get fried in the fire of passionate Infinity, then, I promise you: find yourself a Rude Boy or a Nasty Girl, the ones who make you uncomfortable in their presence, who scare you witless, who will turn on you in a second and hold you up for ridicule, who will make you wish you were never born, who will offer you not sweet comfort but abject terror, not saccharin solace but scorching angst, for then, just then, you might very well be on the path to your own Original Face.

The largest virtual men’s gathering of elders, teachers and luminaries in history

2011-05-29T17:47:00.003-04:00

Are you ready to be a 21st Century man (or empower the men in your life to be one)?

I’m excited to share that more than 75 remarkable global leaders such as Robert Bly, Jack Canfield and Sam Keen are coming together for an historic Ultimate Men’s Summit to chart the path forward for us – all for free.

As men, we are waking up to our true gifts – and stewarding the emergence of a new era. We’re evolving a new form of masculinity – one infused with integrity, authenticity, generosity and virtue. And we’re living more purposefully and finding ways to serve a cause greater than ourselves.

It’s not an easy path. We’re learning as we go – transforming our past, exploring our inner truths and expressing our strengths in new ways. We’re learning to lead boldly without dominating, feel fully and freely, and use our power to protect instead of destroy. And we have further to go – both for the sake of our liberation and the world’s.

That’s why I’m thrilled to invite you to attend the Ultimate Men’s Summit – a free 10-day teleconference June 10-19. I’m one of the presenters at this historic virtual gathering of more than 75 teachers, authors and elders who will offer their hard-earned, no-holds-barred wisdom about manhood, masculinity and personal development.

Click here to sign up now for this FREE virtual event - the largest men’s summit ever:
http://ultimatemenssummit.com/feature/Gary-Stamper

You’ll also learn from inspiring and transformational trailblazers like Neale Donald Walsch, Gary Zukav, Dan Millman, Hal Stone, Andrew Harvey, John Perkins, Claudio Naranjo and Gay Hendricks (plus a few great women such as Riane Eisler).

I hope you'll join me for the Ultimate Men's Summit. It's a fantastic opportunity for you to take part in accelerating the transformation of men into a new era, which will also help you achieve the ultimate version of yourself - successful, fulfilled, generous, awake and strong.

Of course, the Summit is open to women as well, who are warmly welcome to join us and learn more about 21st Century Masculinity. It’s clear we need to work together with women, hand in hand, to create a new Earth.

Each speaker will offer their deepest insights about what it takes to mature and grow as a man, and they’ll give you specific practices you can use to move your life forward. They are making it very practical and real – not just talking heads – helping you to accelerate your growth, evolution and expression as a man in the world.

The link again to register is:
http://ultimatemenssummit.com/feature/Gary-Stamper

I look forward to seeing you at the Ultimate Men’s Summit.

Warmly,

Gary

P.S. The Ultimate Men’s Summit gives you live, personal access to the following leaders:

Robert Bly, Jack Canfield, Sam Keen, Kokommon Clottey, Neale Donald Walsch, Claudio Naranjo, Dan Millman, Gary Zukav, John Friend, Andrew Harvey, Satyen Raja, John Perkins, Hal Stone, Gay Hendricks, Derrick Ashong, John Robbins, Matthew Fox, Bill Kauth, Riane Eisler, Jed Diamond, Michael Tamura, Bill Plotkin, Saniel Bonder, Stephen Dinan, Caroline Casey, Lawrence Ellis, Arjuna Ardagh, Gordon Clay, Gordon Wheeler, Alison Armstrong, Brian Johnson, Steve Bhaerman, Gabor Mate, Michael Dowd, Ocean Robbins, Tom Pinkson, Keith Merron, Rick Phillips, Richard Strozzi-Heckler, Lion Goodman, Michael Taylor, Stuart Davis, Jim Channon, Terry Patten, Michael Scheisser, Craig Neal, Robert Augustus Masters, Tim Kelley, Brad Leslie, Michael Gurian, Warren Farrell, Herb Goldberg, Michael Kimmel, Ed Tick, Barnet Bain, Chris Kyle, Jayson Gaddis, Raz Ingrasci, Robert White, Gary Stamper, Tripp Lanier, Richard Platt, Bert H. Hoff, Mark Schillinger, Owen Marcus, William Harryman, Carista Luminare, Demetri Velisarius, Jim Benson, Paul Dobransky, Britta Johnson, Jeffrey Leiken, David Richo, Mikki Willis, Bryan Bayer, Martin Ucik, Dan Doty, Ronn Landsman.

Event Co-Sponsors:

The Shift Network, The ManKind Project, Men's Divisions International, The Shift Movie, MaestroConference, The New Living Expo, Tribe of Men, Heartland Circle.

Ken Wilber on Conscious Love

2011-05-10T06:19:00.010-04:00

Anyaa and I just returned from a weekend in Boulder with Ken Wilber where, for the first time in 21 years, he spoke of his experiences around Conscious Love in his relationship with his wife, Treya, and their battle with Treya's Stage 4 cancer diagnosis ten days after their marriage, and their struggle around it.

The weekend was primarily scheduled around Cynthia Bourgeault's amazing book, The Meaning of Mary Magdalene: Discovering the Woman at the Heart of Christianity, and was billed as "Mary Magdalene and the Path to Conscious Love." it was a great opportunity for both of us to meet Ken Wilber for the first time, and for Anyaa and I to share more of her work around Mary Magdalene.

The Reverend Dr. Bourgeault spoke eloquently Friday night about her book and Mary Magdalene and and her role in Christianity that is been suppressed for so many centuries. Bourgeault's intriguing portrait of Mary Magdalene recognizes her distinct, yet intertwined roles as Jesus's disciples, apostle, and intimate beloved. Mary Magdalene's unique contributions to spirituality invite us all to discover a revolutionary path of transformation through love. She explored the relationship between Jesus and Mary, meditation, and kenosis (self- emptying love), and the uniquely Christian non-dual wisdom practice.

Cynthia and Ken have both personally experienced intimate relationships that forever shifted their spiritual practice. Her relationship with the Trappist monk, Brother Rafe, taught her how to embody a living Christian contemplative path; Ken's account of his loving relationship with Treya as she succumbed to cancer has touched millions in his book, Grace and Grit. By weddng the spiritual and the intimate, not only do these relationship have striking parallels to each other, they also embody the relational path of love modeled by Jesus and Mary Magdalene. The most radical claim of this path of conscious love is that it's open to all.

When Anyaa and I first met online, one of the things we immediately had in common was a love of Ken Wilber’s book “Grace and Grit.” It was, frankly, one of the things that attracted me to initially contact her. Ken’s reading from Grace and Grit, on Saturday afternoon, tearful and passionate, later spurred more conversation between Anyaa and I about why we came together and what our Sacred Purpose is.

We talked about how amazing it was that we initially came together partially because of Grace and Grit, how it had helped form our own paths into conscious relationship, and how incredible it was that we were in Boulder to hear Ken speak about his own experiences after 21 years of silence. It was difficult to think that this was just a coincidence.

Very early in our relationship, we had several conversations about the state of the planet and what we thought was unfolding, mostly around unsustainability, and that what was unsustainable, would eventually collapse. This was a test for us, to see if we shared what we thought was, and still do, a realistic shared worldview.

Anya had no desire to be with another New Age Guy and wanted to be with a spiritual warrior. Someone she could grow with through the coming times. Gary wanted to be with a powerful conscious woman in community where they could build the base to survive and thrive through those coming times to help plant the seeds for the much-needed next stage of consciousness to emerge on this planet. Having done many past life regressions together where one or both of us had died for what we believed in, we have chosen to no longer be martyrs, something I'm sure many of you can relate to. And while we are still willing to die for what we believe in, we also believe that it's a higher strength and consciousness that challenges us to live for what we believe in.

We believe that part of our sacred purpose as a couple is to help usher in that new dimension, and that we are called to that by not only surviving and thriving, but assisting others to our own Full Moon Sanctuary Ministry. We've been further inspired by Andrew Harvey and his path of Sacred Activism and Networks of Grace, and by Carolyn Baker who does transition counseling as her main practice through her book Navigating the Coming Chaos: A Handbook for Inner Transition, with forward by Andrew Harvey and highly recommended by Carolyn Myss.

Anyaa And I highly recommend ALL of these life-changing books.

The Myth of Mercury Retrograde

2011-04-22T09:52:00.001-04:00

Gary's note: Here's another perspective on Mercury Retrograde. I'm posting this because I'm not buying into the idea that there are certain things we should not do when it's in effect (i.e, enter into contracts, buy a computer, etc.). It's got too much of the same stuff The Secret is made of. My example: If I wait to buy a specific car three days from now, when Mercury Retrograde is over, my chances of having problems with it are greatly reduced...that something has magically changed.

Feared, disparaged, and despised, the Mercury Retrograde is rapidly becoming the most maligned phenomenon in popular astrology. Without justification, this event stands among infamous superstitions such as stepping on cracks, breaking mirrors, and opening umbrellas indoors. The purveyors of astrological fear have managed to give the world a reason for all its woes, but who can blame us for accepting a ready-made scapegoat? Now broken cars, miscommunications, and botched performances are no longer the fault of human error—rather, they’re just a few of the many ills that belong to the irresponsible antics of Mercury.

This kind of thinking takes astrology back 100 years, when the planets were seen as evil forces that bore ominous warnings.

Many practitioners still echo the voice of the old soothsayers. They proclaim Mercury, the planet of communication, is moving backward, and then warn us not to sign or buy anything during this retrograde. It’s likely we’ve heard that warning more than once—which is why we can’t get rid of the gnawing sense of caution every time we hear about the Mercury Retrograde.

When using astrology as a tool to guide our lives, it’s important to recognize the issue of self-fulfilling prophecy, that unconscious desire to ensure we get the outcome we believe we will. In other words, if we proclaim that since Mercury is going to be moving retrograde, bad things will happen, then there’s a good chance they indeed will.

Why Retrograde?

All planets (with the exception of the luminaries: the Sun and Moon) go into what’s called a “retrograde phase.” Some go retrograde every year, while others may only do so every few years. Retrograde means that from the Earth’s viewpoint, the planet in question visually appears to pause and then begins to move backward through its normal path across the sky. (Of course, the planets don’t actually change direction.)

When a planet goes retrograde, the issues it reflects as it travels back through the sign (or signs) tend to have you revisiting the experiences you had when it moved across that point in its original forward movement. You see, prior to moving backward, a planet must first pass through the retrograde territory in direct motion. Because it will return to this point during the retrograde phase, this is called the “pre-retrograde zone,” as it allows you to take note of issues that may emerge before the actual retrograde. After the planet has gone through its retrograde, it then moves forward, traversing once again the same course it did while traveling backward. This is the “post-retrograde zone,” and since it occurs afterward, it often brings closure and clarity to those issues experienced throughout the earlier phases.

A New Perspective on Mercury Retrograde

In truth, Mercury Retrogrades allow us to tune in more closely to our intuition, heighten our senses, and gain a larger overview of our lives. Rarely has there been a Mercury Retrograde that didn’t assist in uncovering mistakes that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. This opportunity for reappraisal may account for why so many successful businesses were launched during the retrograde cycle.

Let’s try thinking of the Mercury Retrograde period as a big contemplation cycle. Contemplation is how we connect to our higher mind—and disconnect from our daily distractions—in order to look at life from a broader perspective. Certainly decisions made while in such a state are bound to be supported. It’s a time of review, and an opportunity to enhance decisions that we’ve already made. What other time of our lives do we get not just two, but three chances to make something work? This is the best time to look at our relationships and speak what’s on our mind. Mercury embraces communication—it encourages it. It’s time to take charge of our life and learn to live it fearlessly. Let’s move to make the Mercury Retrograde our comrade in wisdom:

Change those old beliefs that keep us in fear.

8 Reasons to Welcome the Next Mercury Retrograde

I’ve made the following list of ideas to help you navigate and even look forward to Mercury Retrograde. So, the next time you hear that a retrograde is coming, return here and review the list.

More than 50 % of the top 100 Fortune 500 businesses were started under the Mercury Retrograde. Imagine what you could do:

Now, thoughts that have been lost to you can come back renewed and ready for consideration.
Finally, you can slow your obsessive mind down and start feeling your life.
You can now meet with (insert name of boss, friend, co-worker, sibling, parent, child, or what have you) and clear up that misunderstanding.
You can abandon your routine in favor of spontaneity.
This is a great time to re-examine that important decision.
Your mind is less attached to things—now you can release that “bad” habit without fear.
It’s time to give attention to your car, that toothache, or new computer.
And if you’re tired of the same boring vacations, Mercury Retrograde is ready to show you a good time!

Remember, this could be a time of celebration and grandeur, or of fear and isolation…you get to choose. (Hint: One choice is a lot more fun than the other!)

Mark S. Husson is a man with a lifelong interest in the inner workings of the mind. Mark's astrological classes and workshops enabled psychotherapists, psychiatrists, psychologists, and lay persons to become aware of astrology's ability to empower themselves and their clients. Visit: www.12house.com.

What does a 21st century priestess really want in a man?

2011-04-02T14:33:00.007-04:00

A guest blog by Sherri L. McClendon, MA OM

Gary's note: Sherri is a Priestess through Anyaa's Priestess Process, a dear friend, and one of our excellent marketing gurus. Find out more about Sherri at the bottom of this post.

What does a 21st century priestess really want in a man?

First things first, I’d really like to turn in my penis.

I like men, I really do. I enjoy the company of men, and I’ve even been known to adore them on occasion. But there’s a problem. After plenty of life experience, I just don’t trust them as a species.

Yes, I agree with our friend Gary that women as well as men must “heal their own masculine and feminine essences before they can come together in sacred union.” Yes, I’m responsible for balancing and integrating the masculine aspects of my own psyche, hence the need to give up my “penis.” Given what passes for masculinity at the dawn of the 21st century, please forgive me if I have yet to come to full acceptance of this task. Forgive me if I am still working on forgiveness.

The reality is I frequently encounter wounded warriors, an archetype which no longer holds attraction for me. I’d like men to dress and heal their own wounds, thank you very much, not wait for me to staunch the bleeding of their hearts, or pull marrow from my soul to make them feel whole again. Neither am I the Morrigan to whom the wounded warrior may look to be carried from the field of battle into shadow, nor am I the spoils of war to be pillaged for another’s gain. These are not my roles; please do not ask me to bear this mantle. Women are wounded, too, and some of us are angry.

Back in the heyday of ancient Rome, the eyes of the world were turned toward Capitoline Hill where the goddess Moneta and her sister Minerva, enjoyed equal status to the male godhead, Saturn. Given Moneta’s association with the flow of money and protection of resources, Minerva’s mastery of sustainability through ensuring the cycles of the year, and Saturn’s gift to the two of substance, it seemed a balanced act.

But the Romans had other ideas. The warriors of the day, bent on competition, accumulation, and power over others, dug a secret tunnel to the mint beneath the Moneta temple, where they removed the money created in order to fuel their war machine. Each New Year, they’d visit the temple womb of Minerva and “nail” the ending of the old year above the entry. Thus, they originated the version of the conquering warrior hero that is the dominant figure in Western culture’s coming of age stories for men. Women, it may be noted, do not have a coming of age tradition, and though we are taught the hero’s journey, men are not reciprocally given women’s stories. Instead, our society is left with men who exhibit Saturn’s over-reliance on structures, who cling to old thought forms of authoritarianism and righteous discipline in lieu of a better way of relating with their world. In order to receive Saturn’s gift of substance, many women have found that we must hand over our power to become chattels rather than partners, relegated to trophies, subordinates, or priestess/princess whores. In each of these cases, women have been deliberately disenfranchised to ensure the power of the masculine over and above the feminine. We became punished by our own consent to play by Saturn’s rules.

Those times, thank Goddess, are on the wane. Men and women today call forth a path of service in the evolution of the species on Earth as a living, embodied, divine expression of Spirit. When I read Chaucer’s “Wife of Bath’s Tale,” from the Canterbury Tales, or its modern interpretation in Mel Gibson’s portrayal in “What Women Want,” I understand the need for communication between the masculine and feminine, reconciling across time, space and dimension.

So, what does a 21st century priestess really want in a man? After all, the concept of the new masculine is integrating, grounded, loving. Priestesses everywhere are opening to its emergence.

First, the New Masculine male must be secure enough in his wholeness to hold space for divine feminine evolution. This means his king, warrior, lover, and magician archetypes reconcile. His path of service through his work and actions aligns heart and mind, and exemplifies purposefulness. Almost certainly, his travel into shadow enables his return to the light. As a partner, he is a loving, present co-creator and able, ready, and willing to step into sacred union with the feminine both within and without.

Essentially, as a 21st century priestess, I seek to be fully partnered, not husbanded; self-determining, not stewarded; mated, not married. Gratefully, I mother a beautiful divine masculine child, now 5, and hope he may evolve consciously, fully into manhood. I celebrate the emergence of the Integral Warrior, the brave transformation for the future. Finally, I celebrate a world where strong women don’t have to grow penises – or emasculate men - in order to survive the prevailing winds of change. It’s a new Earth, and a new day. So be it.

Sherri L. McLendon, M.A., O.M., of Professional Moneta™, is known as Your Moneta Marketing Mentor™ and creatrix of the Moneta Movement™. She is a long-time advocate for the evolution of Gary Stamper’s work with the New Masculine and the Integral Warrior process. As a divine feminine marketing coach, she uses co-creative communication strategies, to assist spiritual, holistic and conscious entrepreneurs in the realization of their highest and best potentials. Find out more at http://www.professionalmoneta.com, or check out the done-for-you copywriting and publicity services at McLendon Bylines at http://www.sherrimclendon.com

Whose Fear Is It, Anyway?

2011-03-13T11:48:00.004-04:00

I've been accused, more than once, of being in fear.

Wikipedia defines fear as a distressing emotion induced by a perceived threat. It is a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to a specific stimulus, such as pain or the threat of danger. In short, fear is the ability to recognize danger and flee from it or confront it, also known as the Fight or Flight response. Fear is a distressing emotion induced by a perceived threat. It is a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to a specific stimulus, such as pain or the threat of danger. In short, fear is the ability to recognize danger and flee from it or confront it, also known as the Fight or Flight response.

Fear is a 200,000 year-old finely honed gift of evolution, and when we experience fear, we need to pay attention. Fear can be related to future events, such as a worsening of a situation that is unacceptable, or an instant reaction to something presently happening.

There two types of fear: External fear caused by something outside of you which you are strongly motivated to avoid - like spiders or heights - and internal fear, such as fear developed out of low self esteem.

I've been accused, more than once, of living in fear....and I think it's an unfair accusation. I am also unapologetic. Let me explain.

The accusations of fear directed toward me are in response to all of the events of the world, what appears to be a perfect storm of conditions, mostly induced by ourselves, humanity, all bearing down on us at the same time. I've written and reported about those conditions on this blog several times (here and here).

Here's what I do fear, some of which is already happening: Massive population die-off due to starvation, the collapse of what America could have been, instead of just another nation-state-empire, deepening economic collapse, continued global warming, water, oil, and food wars, and much, much more. It is an external fear.

But even as I own my fear and that I am in fear, I am not fearful.* From an earlier blog:

I struggle for balance in the face of all the negativity thrust upon us as a result of increased awareness through being able to hold the "unholdable" perspective, and as a result, being more conscious than the average comatose individuals who have been intentionally lulled to sleep (the average people I know don't have a clue about what's going on or are in denial).

I look at these events with a belief that these are not random, meaningless events, but, rather, are occurring for the distinct purpose of waking us up, to stretch us into new territories of awareness. For me, that waking up is the profound realization that what we are now doing, as Americans, and as humanity, is simply not sustainable, and that there will be a shift, and things will be very different than they are now.

Things are going to change, and I hold that they will change for the better...but not at first. I believe things are going to get much worse before they get better, and that it's possible that "better" may be decades, or possibly centuries, away, mere specks in time. I don't believe that some magical shift is going to occur and suddenly everything and everyone is going to be "conscious," and that those of us who are able to hold the higher vibration will survive while others will not. That feels like a"new age" version of mythic religion's "end-times," or "rapture." Look up "End Time" on Wikipedia and see how how ingrained these themes are in our collective consciousness.

The term "higher vibration" will be interpreted at the level of conscious of the person using it, and will obviously mean different things to people at different levels of consciousness. For me, that "higher vibration" means being aware and conscious enough to see what is coming, to step out of denial, and to be as prepared as is possible, also knowing that you can't possibly prepare for everything.

When I hear people saying to me that, when I talk of these things, they hear a message of fear, what I believe they are experiencing is not my fear, but their own fear in response to what I'm saying. Where I'm at today is a place of getting as ready as possible by getting out of the city and being as self-sustainable as possible.

Once I've recognized the possibilities and done as much as I can do, I surrender and step out of fear, knowing that whatever happens, I've done what I can do. And surrendering is the key to freedom, regardless of how things unfold. What's coming is an ending...and a beginning, and no one knows what it will look like.

*'Fearful' in its original sense means full of fear in the particular sense of being afraid to do something wrong, almost in a sense of respect. Imagine a situation where you have to be careful about what you say, what words you use because if you say the wrong word, you will be in trouble. This describes the state of being 'fearful' as in: He was fearful of saying the wrong thing and as a result upsetting her.

image credit

The Integral Warrior Men's Introductory Weekend

2011-03-12T20:26:00.006-05:00

Are women really better at almost everything than men? Dan Abrams seems to think so.

"The evidence here will show, however, that women are living longer and evolving better than men.” It takes a lot for a man to admit his own weaknesses (there’s a chapter on how women tolerate pain better), so we wondered why Abrams would make the case for women. Turns out, it’s a man’s job.

So what does this have to do with men's work? It shows that we've got a lot of work to do, and I challenge you to step into that work!

I have two introductory weekends coming up in the next month: One at Isis Cove on March 19-20, and one in Cincinnati on April 2-3. It's possible these could be the last introductory weekends of the Integral Warrior/Shamanic Priest Process this year. These circles will extend into September and in October, Anyaa and I are going to be touring with Andrew Harvey, author of The Hope.

The introductory weekend gives men a chance to experience the process, to find out more about how it can benefit them, and to decide if they want to continue the other five weekends spread out over 5 months. Read what one man had to say about the intro weekend I just did in North Carolina:

"I have worked with archetypes before and done shadow work but never worked with the two together, releasing one while embracing the other. I feel this is very powerful work and just what I need at this point in my life. I feel that when we complete this series of workshops that I will finally become the man I was meant to be. Thanks again and I look forward to this journey with you and my new found male friends." - John

We are all intensely aware that we are in the midst of the global shift humankind has been waiting for. At the very time this huge Global Awakening is going on, we're also in the midst of our darker side trying to gain control. It's why everything is breaking down. It's the oldest battle on the planet, and why it's more important now than ever for men to step up and embody the New Masculine as Integral Warriors following the path of Sacred Activism.

So I have two questions for you:

What's getting in your way and preventing you from living your purpose and your passion and being the man you know you can and want to be?

What would you give to shift from your present level of consciousness into an entirely NEW WAY OF THINKING in just a few months time?*

I know....that's a huge claim for anyone to make. Normally, moving from one stage to the next is a five year process, and with intense practices and focused meditation, it might take two. But don't believe me....read here (almost at the bottom of the page) what men (and even a wife!) are saying about THE INTEGRAL WARRIOR men's process.

And more! Read what an initiated Mankind Project man from Cincinnati has to say about the process! Here and here!

I'm inviting you to take action to break through whatever might be holding you back in your personal, professional, spiritual, and planetary evolution.

Join me and other conscious men in Sacred Space as we explore the inner and outer workings of our being for the benefit of ourselves, our loved ones, and the planet!

Attend the first weekend and then decide if you want to complete the entire process.

For more information, visit The Integral Warrior website or email me at garystamper@yahoo.com or, call me at 206-779-5870 with any questions you might have.

Bodacious Blessings and Joy,

Gary

*The Integral Warrior is a proven process that moves men toward later stage consciousness and assists in our ability to hold ourselves as embodying the New Masculine. Using a cutting-edge Integral and developmental approach combined with the Wisdom of the Shaman (altered-states consciousness), Jungian Archetypes, Initiation and Ritual, we create a new paradigm of learning that greatly accelerates our growth.

Click on the flier to see a full-sized image.

Are Women Really Better At Almost Everything?

2011-03-06T18:22:00.002-05:00

Dan Abram's book, Man Down, is the latest in a series of articles and books that challenge many of our long-held beliefs about women, and what it means to men. Having not read the book, yet (I ordered it yesterday), I don't know what it means to men in terms of the Abram's research, but I'm beginning to get a picture of how some men are reacting to it, which seems strange, since it's obviously a book meant to amuse, not prove.

Abrams is a legal analyst for ABC News and a former lawyer, and says he approached the topic as a defense attorney, using evidence that already exists to debunk popular myths about women.

“In nearly every field, statistics and studies show that women are better collaborators, are more cautious and more adept at navigating treacherous terrain,” writes Abrams in his book’s opening statement. “I am not convinced that women as a group play basketball or read maps better than men. The evidence here will show, however, that women are living longer and evolving better than men.” It takes a lot for a man to admit his own weaknesses (there’s a chapter on how women tolerate pain better), so we wondered why Abrams would make the case for women. Turns out, it’s a man’s job.

The book touches on a lot of silly things, but apparently ignores the more serious questions like violent crime and child abandonment, much more stark differences between men and women. It's not a book about who's better.

The feedback I'm getting from men seems to come from two different directions.

The first, an egalitarian and relativistic perspective that seems to say that no one is better than anyone else, and that we are all one, and that comparisons create the illusion of separation. This approach, in my opinion, is a self-permission for men not to look at where they need to do their work. Improve? But we're all perfect just as we are! It's an unwillingness to look objectively at what's going on and a shadow move to change the subject.

The second approach is defensive and reactionary, all the while making arguments that actually support Abrams' findings. The remarkable part of this approach is that it uses assumptions to argue against what it sees as assumptions. Have you read the book?

But the facts are undeniable: Women are surpassing men in leadership positions, valedictorian addresses, graduation rates, jobs after graduation, and even salaries. Women seem to have found their adaptability muscles, and men seem to be struggling with change. My experience is that women are better at evolving than most men. I've never been approached by a man and been asked, "where are all the conscious women?" On the other hand....well, you get the picture.

One of the reviews on Amazon called this book called it the perfect gift for your favorite male chauvinist.

So to wrap this up, let's move away from the book and take a deeper look at what's going on with men today - especially American men. This isn't about better, or some imagined hierarchy of right and wrong. This is about centuries of patriarchy, where even though most men were also victims of it and not perpetrators, it has numbed us as men. It's time for us to wake up. Those of you who are offended by what appears to be the duality and separation of what feels like a contest-like mentality demonstrated in the book need to back up and take a look at your shadow around this. Instead of Abrams' Man Down, maybe its' a wake up call to New Man-Up.

Here's the full title and a link to where you can buy the book: Man Down: Proof Beyond a Reasonable Doubt That Women Are Better Cops, Drivers, Gamblers, Spies, World Leaders, Beer Tasters, Hedge Fund Managers, and Just About Everything Else.

For a more serious look at what's going on with men today, read the first chapter of my book, "Awakening The New Masculine."

Awakening The New Masculine: The Video Promo

2011-01-18T07:37:00.001-05:00

This is the promo video for my book, "Awakening the New Masculine: The Path of the integral Warrior." It will be submitted to the Next Top Self Help Author contest on February 1st.

I'll be asking for support by way of your vote and will let you know when and how when it's time. Meanwhile, thanks to all of you who have commented to me via email on the first two chapters here. The support has been absolutely wonderful!

Gary

My Father Died This Morning....

2011-01-13T16:53:00.005-05:00

Wayne E. Stamper, 1919-2011

I got the call from my sister on the West Coast, about 9:15 their time. She told me our father had passed away in his sleep between midnight and 1am. We knew it was coming, and soon. He turned 92 last Friday and had been in the care of Hospice for a few months, and took a turn for the worse a couple of weeks ago. The cancer they couldn't find for several years had turned up in his stomach, and it was bad. They had him on heavy morphine for the last two weeks.

I've been calling him almost daily. His voice had been getting more raspy for the past few years, but the morphine had made it almost impossible to make out his heavily slurred words. Our communications over the past couple of weeks had been limited to "I can't hear you" from him, to "I'm sorry, Dad, I can't understand you" from me. There were a lot of silences where we just stayed on the phone knowing we were connecting without having to say anything. It was hard, though.

We thought we were going to lose him a few months ago when the doctors told my sister it was time to call the family in, that his kidneys had failed and he probably wouldn't make it through the night. When he did, I jumped on a plane, flew to Sacramento, rented a car, and got up to Redding where he was in the hospital. He didn't die. Hid kidneys somehow restarted amazing the doctors. We got to spend two days together. He was in and out of consciousness, and we got to talk about life and death. He wasn't afraid to die. I told him how different cultures and religions viewed death and about some of the philosophies around dying. We got to talk about his life, about my childhood, and I got to honor him - deeply - for his gift of great fathering, expressing my deep gratitude to him for being the father so many never get to experience in this world of under-fathered and over-mothered boys.

He was born in Comers Rock, Virginia, in 1919. The house he was born in, built by my grandfather, Peyton Stamper, a farmer and a Baptist Minister, still doesn't have indoor plumbing and is in pretty bad condition. It's pictured above. We got to visit it on our honeymoon last August, when I took this photo. I found it on Google Earth. He was the second of seven children, and only two survive now. He was a depression teenager and had pleurisy. At 17, knowing he had to get well and out of the Virginia hills, managed to con his way into the Navy. He did get well.

A Pearl Harbor Survivor, he was showering when the klaxons sounded, and he thought, "what a time for a drill." He dressed, and got up on deck just in time to see bullets from a Japanese Zero strafing the deck in front of him. He was a turret captain on the USS St Louis, and they were the first ship out of Pearl harbor after the attack, as a decoy, where they knew the Japanese submarines were waiting for them. The photo below shows the St. Louis, at the right, underway out of the harbor. The St. Louis saw a lot of South Pacific action in WWII and became known as "Lucky Lou, the ship that couldn't be sunk."

He went on to teach naval Science at the California Maritime Academy in Vallejo, California, not far from Mare Island Naval Shipyard, before retiring as an honorary Lt. Commander after 20 years in the Navy as a Chief Gunner's Mate. Knowing he had two children to send to college, he became a successful businessman, first owning his own businesses and later in Real Estate.

My dad was always my best friend. We never had the problems many of my friends had with their parents. He was a loving, kind father. He wasn't perfect, but who is? He was perfect for me. He was a great role model while I was growing up and remained the same when I became a man. I could always talk to him, and he to me.

If we are truly able to choose our parents for the lessons we need to learn in this lifetime, then I chose very well. I got to tell him I loved him many. many times over the years and in the past few months and days. I will miss him, and I will always carry him with me. I am disappointed he never got to read the book I'm writing, Awakening The new Masculine: The Path of the Integral Warrior. He would have loved it.

'We do not know where death awaits us: so let us wait for it everywhere. To practice death is to practice freedom. A man who has learned how to die has unlearned how to be a slave." - Montaigne

I love you, dad. Travel well.

My sister Suzy, My Dad, and me, 2001

Awakening the New Masculine: The book

2010-12-14T20:57:00.005-05:00

Dear Readers and Friends,

I've been writing in this format for five years, and have always had the intention in the back of my mind that it might turn into a book one day.

Well, that day has arrived, and the book is well underway along with the working title, Awakening the New Masculine: The Path of the Integral Warrior, and is based on my workshop, The Integral Warrior." Here's the link to the introduction and the first two chapters. It is a pre-submission in draft form for your review and suggestions. It will be submitted to "The Next Top Self-Help Author" contest along with a short video (coming soon) on the 1st of February, 2010.

Right now, I need your help. Please read it and let me know what you think, do you like it, not like it, what can I do to improve it, any glaring errors you might see (don't worry about proofreading), etc. Please comment by emailing me at garystamper@yahoo.com with the subject line "Top Author."

I also want to elicit your help, as the publisher, Conari press, wants to see how much support I can gather for it, and I will be asking you to vote for it and my upcoming video in February. I'll be sure and send you the link when it's time.

I hope you enjoy it. I'm having a ball putting it together and writing it.

Love,

Gary

Off to Cincinnati, Again....

2010-12-01T15:56:00.002-05:00

I leave tomorrow for Cincinnati again, for the The Integral Warrior workshop for men.

This is the 5th weekend in the 6-weekend series. This weekend we re-integrate the King Archetype, after "killing off" the Shadow King the 1st weekend and spending the 3 weekends in between integrating our Warrior, Lover, and Magician archetypes.

To anchor the cognitive work we do around the healthy King, we will also spend a day with the Shamanic Breathwork Process. You can read more about that here.

In addition, I'll also be facilitating a stand-alone men's Shamanic Breathwork on Friday, before the Integral Warrior workshop resumes on Saturday.

Nice 7-hour drive to get there, and another Sunday night to get home. Good thing I love talk radio and my Sirius satellite radio!

I have a new series of The Integral Warrior firing up at the end of January at our Retreat Center in the Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina. Click here for more information.

Claiming and Embodying the Magician Archetype

2010-11-19T10:50:00.002-05:00

The magician weekend in Cincinnati was the most powerful one, yet. This whole process of The Integral Warrior keeps unfolding, and all I have to do is get out of my own way and be a conduit for what wants to emerge.

After we dive deep into each archetype, we examine and own both the light and dark sides of our archetype. We anchor the awakening with both cognitive and experiential realms, through gross, subtle and causal states of consciousness, enabling us to fully grasp and comprehend how these aspects play out in our lives.

Only now, they begin to play out consciously, giving us choices around how we respond rather than react.

These initiation statements are where the men claim their ownership and embodiment of the archetype.

I was so blown away by the initiation statements the men wrote for the Magician Archetype, the 3rd Initiation, that I asked for permission to share them anonymously. I was incredibly touched at how deep the men went in their processes and the results show in these statements. They said yes, and although I haven't received all of them, yet, here's a couple of samples....I'll add more as they come in.

"I am the Magician and the Shamanic Priest and I vow to utilize that powerful aspect of my masculine being for the betterment of my global tribe. I will continually refine those magical powers and apply them at every opportunity to increase awareness in others to better understand the magical powers they have. In doing so I will strive to raise the level of consciousness of the collective – beyond the corporate world and the obsolete and destructive patriarchal rulers of this world. My intent will be to guide where and when I can to demonstrate that we are all one with each other and that it is only in one unified spirit we will be able to transition into a better place."

"It is with Love, Compassion, Integrity and Honor I enter into this contract and invite the universe to present the opportunities for me to give back. I now welcome those opportunities and will not make excuses to pass them up. It is my time!"

"I claim the Magician archetype. I claim the knowledge that the Magician has access to and the power to unlock it. I uphold the power of the mediator and communicator of hidden knowledge, the healer, teacher, and contemplative. I keep my inner eye fixed on the Self and the "Diamond Body" we each have within us.

I seek the power of the shaman to obtain my full expression of the Magician archetype, as guardian of esoteric knowledge and technician of sacred power, I agree to accept the powers to solve the problems that arise before me. Like the King I will save space to have the capacity to care, like the Warrior I will have the capacity to fight and like the Lover I will have the capacity to value someone enough to fight for them.

When the Magician energy manifests, I will begin to quest for knowledge, growth, expansion for m self and to model myself for others as I go through life and I will claim my rightful place as an elder of the community and teacher."

I acknowledge and embody the archetype of the Magician. The seeker who fearlessly enters the dark place in search of knowledge, truth and transformation. I claim that part of myself that seeks out ever deeper levels of wisdom to transform the unknown into beliefs and ideals, and then moves forward into true knowing by experiencing.
I acknowledge that part of me that discovers my gifts, then immediately employs them for the good of mankind. That guides, and leads, ad initiates others by example and purposeful action.

I vow to more fully explore and develop this magical aspect of my self to know without question that this lifetime made a significant contribution to mankind’s evolution.

I claim the Magician archetype. I claim the knowledge that the Magician has access to and the power to unlock it. I uphold the power of the mediator and communicator of hidden knowledge, the healer, teacher, and contemplative. I keep my inner eye fixed on the Self and the "Diamond Body" we each have within us.
I seek the power of the shaman to obtain my full expression of the Magician archetype, as guardian of esoteric knowledge and technician of sacred power, I agree to accept the powers to solve the problems that arise before me. Like the King I will save space to have the capacity to care, like the Warrior I will have the capacity to fight and like the Lover I will have the capacity to value someone enough to fight for them.
When the Magician energy manifests, I will begin to quest for knowledge, growth, expansion for m self and to model myself for others as I go thru life and I will claim my rightful place as an elder of the community and teacher.

I am honored and humbled to carry this work forward...work that is so desperately needed at this time on the planet.

Image from the Arthur Sussman Gallery

Archetypes and the Tea party Women (or, Being Female Does Not make You a Feminist)

2010-11-01T12:15:00.001-04:00

I saw a great bumper sticker the other other day: it read, "it's the stupidity, stupid." No where does that seem more evident than the current crop of women Tea Party candidates: Uber-conservative, fanatically religious, most of them completely unqualified to hold office, and dangerous.

The conservative right is happy for 'sexy' female candidates so long as they don't demand abortion rights, maternity leave, equal pay and equal sexual pleasure. The 2010 Republican campaign is an attempt by the old order to reinstall its rejected program. Key to this effort is the promotion of “sexy” female candidates, the “new” conservative woman, whether Tea Party or Republican. She is a showpiece, a fig leaf, covering the impotence at the heart of the Tea Party’s politics of rage.

When, and how, did it become fashionable for women candidates to start being creepy? Women like the anti-masturbation candidate Christine O'Donnell, Sharron Angle (who tells Hispanic students they might be Asian and encourages Hispanics to stay home from voting), former WWE wrestling Exec Linda McMahon, to name a whacked-out few, and the self-promoting Sarah Palin who broke her vow to the Alaskan people by resigning as Governor so she make money....lots of money. When did candidates like Meg Whitman, who is spending $140M of her own money on her California Gubernatorial bid, and Carly Fiorina, the ousted HP CEO who left with a $21M severance package suddenly become "outsiders?

What's going on here, and how do these women fit into our collective shadow?

There are a couple of archetypes at play, here. One is the Concubine to the Shadow King, with the female candidates playing the role of the concubine to the Shadow King, who is really the patriarchy. The Shadow King manipulates from the background, and the concubine plays out her role by allowing herself to be manipulated. In David Deida's model, this is the eternal first-stage woman, who models herself after the men she serves, but is only granted power through those men. She may or may not be fully aware of her role, but she has also assumed the mantle of the patriarchy. She does what she is told to hold on to what she thinks is her power. As long as she follows the rules, she can stay in "power."

The second archetype showing up here is the active and passive shadows of the Magician. The active shadow is the manipulator, or the Sorcerer's Apprentice. They have not mastered their technology (in this case, knowledge) or themselves, and their partial development is capable of wreaking havoc (example: Christine O'Donnell's claim of being a constitutionalist, but being unaware of Separation of Church and State). Although the magician archetype is neither masculine or feminine, the manipulator is the epitome of first-stage feminine.

The passive shadow is the Denying Innocent One: one who wants the power but who refuses to accept the responsibility inherent in the role of the magician. The Magician's power needs to be controlled and channeled by the other archetypes: the discipline of the Warrior, the compassion and values of the Lover, and the big-picture capacity of the King. If it isn't, then the magician becomes the charlatan.

This why I believe "men's work" is so important. First stage men, including candidates who are no better, with their hyper-masculinity, is what these women are emulating. Second-stage men, with their overly-feminized masculine are of no use, here, either. Until we have third-stage men embodying and modeling what the mature masculine looks like, in it's many emerging forms, with hearts wide open and their own fully integrated inner masculine and feminine, women will continue to model the only form of masculine they have in front of them: The patriarchy.

And ultimately, we, you and I, are to blame. We fell for this crap. We have successfully been dumbed down. That's why I started this out with the bumper sticker, "It's the stupidity, stupid."

Men's Work Is Dead

2010-10-05T16:03:00.001-04:00

"This past weekend 40 men’s leaders and 6 women answered the call to be a part of the Evolving Men’s Conference. The context? Some of us thought it was to “evolve masculinity.” For others, the hope was to plan a bigger conference next year. Others didn’t know what the context was."
So begins the article at the Evolving Men’s Conference blog/website. In it, the author of the article,Jayson Gaddis, declares "mens' work is dead," and goes on to say:

"The old way we have been doing and selling men’s work is toast and no longer sustainable. Some men will continue to “do men’s work” and even call it that. For me, the associations are too linked to the past of “wound worship” and drama. Men’s work has been synonymous with support, therapy, and other “wimpy” stuff most men simply don’t buy, nor are they interested in hearing about it.
Moving forward, most of the men there will be “selling” their product and services with a lot more awareness (see below). To me, this is a huge win because ultimately it will mean more men are drawn to inner work through channels and subjects that actually interest them.

Whether or not men’s work continues, remains to be seen."

I beg to differ with Jayson and am reposting my reply on the Evolving men's Conference website:

I’m sorry I missed what sounds like a great weekend and want to state my intentions to participate next year. I can’t believe I didn’t even hear about it!

About Men’s Work being dead: It’s a great attention-getting headline, but It seems to me that presumes that everyone is at the same place in their evolutionary development – an assumption that just isn’t true! Some men still need the “men’s work” that Robert Bly, John Lee, and others are doing. It feels like saying, “well, women are equal now, we can stop pushing.”

Just because men don’t want to hear about it doesn’t mean they don’t need it.
Plus, if we think we’re done with our shadow work and don’t need to go there anymore, we’d better think again. That sounds like “spiritual bypass.” It’s only by confronting, owning, and bringing (our shadows) to the light that we find our true masculine power, however that might be defined by each individual man.
Instead of shouting “men’s work” is dead, perhaps we need to put it into an evolutionary context and say “men’s work was the first step, and now we need to create the next one.”

And, I really support what Jayson and others are doing here. here's a video of Jayson inviting other men to the conference.
I can't believe I missed it!

The Lover's Relationship to the Other Archetypes

2010-10-03T12:06:00.001-04:00

The Lover archetype, one of the four major archetypes (the others are the Warrior, the Magician, and the King), is probably the most misunderstood of all of the archetypes. The Lover, accessed properly, gives us a sense of meaning in our lives. This sense of meaning is, I believe, the essence of Spirituality, no matter where one might fall on a developmental evolutionary scale or map.

The idealist and the dreamer are two examples of The Lover, deeply immersed and connected to the energy of the universe. The Lover is also playful, sensual, tuned into their physical environment, passionate and compassionate, joyous and creative, living in every moment.

The Lover appreciates and surrounds themselves with beauty, whether it's art, music, relationships, food, their home, and their very life, treating it all as art.

The Masculine Lover keeps the other masculine energies human, loving, and related, helping the King, Warrior, and Magician to harmonize with each other and prevents detachment in them. Each of the other archetypes needs The Lover to keep them from becoming sadistic.

The Lover needs the other archetypes, as well:

The King defines limits and boundaries for The Lover, bringing structure and preventing The Lover from becoming an addict, one of the The Lover's shadow sides;
The Warrior helps The Lover act decisively so that The Lover can detach from immobilizing sensuality and prevents fixation and obsession, an easy place for The Lover to go to, appreciating beauty as they do;
The Magician keeps The Lover's emotions in check, brings objective perspectives and helps The Lover see the bigger picture and the reality beneath the seeming.

Accessing the Lover:

If you want to develop your Lover archetype to its fullest possible expression, express appreciation of beauty; open your eyes and your heart to the beauty that surrounds you in everyday life; take dance lessons, do sensual practices, turn sex into art. Listen to music that moves you and move with the music. Make music and art a "practice of presence." Learn to play an instrument....sing.

Most of all, do what you love...or, do more of what you love; Learn to love what you do, or, learn to live with what you do...or, if it comes to this, Leave what you do.

Develop your compassion and Creativity Quotients.

"All of the spiritual traditions of the world agree that compassion is the ultimate expression of our better selves, of human morality" - The Hidden Spirituality of Men by Matthew Fox.

And always remember: Beauty is immortal but beautiful things are not.

What's the Matter with Men?

2010-10-02T10:32:00.001-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, I received an email from a man on the SeattleIntegral online discussion list, a group I founded several years ago that is still going strong. Rather than explaining it all, I got his permission to repost his email here. My response can be found below his email.

Hi Gary,

I am not replying to the SI group because I currently do not have time to sustain a discussion that might result. I appreciate very much your making these points about men hurting (Men Are Hurting) in our culture. The fact of the prevailing male population of prisons is a fact of deep significance and I have made this point on several occasions. Men, while supposedly dominating the society, are also profoundly uncomfortable inhabiting it within the full truth of their being.

The thing I do not understand is why ritual and initiation are the keys to the solution. Maybe your materials shed light on this. On first glance I would say that suitable life practices that occur with some regularity would be a solution. Yoga, dance, etc? Our society seems to provide initiations - men are initiated into a sort of career business warrior while in college. It is unbalanced but so it was unbalanced in prior cultures where the warrior was the prevalent archetype - because it was the most productive way of using men for the survival of the group. So the business warrior achieving material success in the world is the dominating archetype and this causes certain men to subjugate others.

Integralism seems to make a value out of balancing the quadrants or you make a value of balancing the 4 male archetypes. What is the basis for that? What is in your view the genuinely masculine contribution to the value of life - a contribution that women really cannot make? Answering this question would perhaps allow you to solve the problem of men.

The dominance of the mother in upbringing of boys, the fatherlessness of boys is I think a specifically American phenomenon. It is related to women having a take-charge attitude stemming from the settler frontier days of America.

Thanks for posting - i hope to get more active soon within the Seattle integral,

-Thomas

Thanks for this email, Thomas. It gives me a great opportunity to share some more about why I'm so passionate about The Integral Warrior workshop.

It's certainly true that men are profoundly uncomfortable inhabiting our culture while "supposedly dominating the society," and I'm sure there will be many women, and some men, who respond, "Give me a break."

For years, the media have delivered the direst of prognoses: "Men are in decline." This summer, The Atlantic's Hanna Rosen went so far as to declare that "The End of Men" is upon us. Newsweek followed suit on September 27 with an article entitled "Men's Lib," which addresses the idea of why, "it's time to reimagine masculinity."

I won't go into the statistics addressed in these articles as they are there for you to read. Suffice it say that, indeed, men are hurting.

Ritual and Initiation are not the "keys to the solution:" They are part of the solution, but only a part. There are many parts that go to making up a more complete "whole," and what initiations our culture does provide are pretty weak. Yes, there's graduation, Bar Mitzvahs, baptism, military basic training and the like, but there's also getting drunk or laid for the first time, Fraternity hell weeks, getting your driver's license, your first hunt, a gang member beaten badly in an initiation, and such, and yet, the perplexing question still remains: What does it mean to be a man?"

"Most men long for the support and nurture of other men to help in the journey toward masculinity, maturity, and a deeper experience of the Divine. Through the ages, many cultures have helped men by means of initiation rites and vision quests." - Richard Rohr, Adam's Return.

In The Integral Warrior workshop, we spend a full weekend on each of the King, Warrior, Magician, and Lover Jungian archetypes, culminating each weekend in a ritual ceremony of the men claiming and owning both the positive and negative (light and shadow) aspects of each archetype. I call this The Four Initiations. Interestingly, and this is important, this is, as far as I know, the first time in history when men are able to initiate all four of the major archetypes into their being. This assures that all of our archetypal being, and therefore the man, is balanced.

The importance of balancing the archetypes is critical so that none dominates the other - because without balance, the Lover becomes the addict, the Warrior becomes brutal, the Magician behaves as a charlatan, and the King becomes the tyrant.

Today, with all of the challenges facing us, including our very survival, we need enlightened and transformed Magicians, Lovers of life and beauty, and strong non-violent warriors to produce truly big-picture men - or Kings.

Add in Integral and Developmental systems and the altered-states technology of the Shaman, and the combination of all creates a new paradigm of teaching, healing, and learning.

Lastly, Thomas, to your question, "What is, in your view, the genuinely masculine contribution to the value of life - a contribution that women really cannot make?"

Let me quote what Matthew Fox says in his book, The Hidden Spirituality of Men:

Soul and Spirit are not the same thing. In Latin, "spirit" (spiritus) is masculine and "soul" (anima) is feminine. An awakened soul seeks spirit, but an asleep soul may distort spirit, so that spirit is all "sky" energy with no "earth" energy."

The contribution men make is Spirit to the Soul and is "holy marriage," or hieros gamus, which includes an intimate union of opposites. And this time on the planet, in the midst of the greatest shift we've ever seen, what could possibly be more important?

Image from Dancing the Divine

A New Integral Spirituality and Integral Religion

2010-09-21T11:43:00.001-04:00

An Integral Religion? Heaven forbid (pun intended)! I can hear all the people wounded by religion in past lives and today saying, "no way".....Especially those at scientific rational and relativistic levels of consciousness.

But religion is not going away, and whatever claims we make around "Spiritual, not Religious," anyone else looking in is going to consider it religion. So what would the next step in the evolution of religion look like? It certainly won't be the gods of nature or tribalism. Nor will it be the wrathful power god of the old testament, the mythic god of an absolutist consciousness, a rejection of anything metaphysical by the rational/scientific level of consciousness, or a sensitive new-age egalitarian deity that says we make everything up as we go, locked in a pre-trans fallacy of magic and myth.

I came across a very long article on the Integral World website called Integral Religion, Uniting Eros and Logos by Dan Araya, a graduate student in Toronto examining instructional technologies and values development within Education, and the Director and co-founder of The Institute of Integral Evolution, located in Toronto, Canada.

Araya's article points to where an Integral Religion must go in order to be considered integral, and in doing so sets up some parameters of that emerging religion. By definition, Integral Religion must marry east and west, Science and Religion, Eros (Ascent, Many to the One) and Logos (Descent, One to the Many), and Eros (the masculine) and Agape (the feminine), and much, much more.

In the article he quotes Auribindo in the Ideal of Human Unity:

A spiritual religion of humanity is the hope of the future… A religion of humanity means the growing realisation that there is a secret Spirit, a divine Reality, in which we are all one, that humanity is its highest present vehicle on earth, that the human race and the human being are the means by which it will progressively reveal itself here. It implies a growing attempt to live out this knowledge and bring about a kingdom of this divine Spirit upon earth. By its growth within us oneness with our fellow-men will become the leading principle of all our life, not merely a principle of cooperation but a deeper brotherhood, a real and an inner sense of unity and equality and a common life.
-Chapter XXXV, p. 307 (July 1918)

Araya concludes by saying:

"Whether we ascend to the Apex of Consciousness through meditative practice or serve Spirit's teleological drive towards emancipation, we are participants in a single spiritual evolution. Always we must remember that in integral religion it is wholeness that we seek: the integral embrace of immanence with transcendence, of Ascent with Descent, of humanity with God, and of enlightenment with the divine kingdom come."

My sense is that Integral Religion isn't something that we can decide to do or not do, validate or invalidate, it's something we must do if we are to lay claim to the term "integral," and it's already emerging. It is time for us to grow up. As Wilber points out, an integral religion must grounded in pluralism (SES), and [an] emerging religion must transcend and include religions of the past.

Another Review for the Integral Warrior in Cincinnati

2010-09-03T20:32:00.001-04:00

I received a great review from Larry, one of the men in my Cincinnati Integral Warrior men's group. You can read that here. Larry sent out another review to the men in his MKP (Mankind Project) i-group that he was kind enough to share with me, and so I'm sharing with you. My hope in sharing is that it will encourage other men to step into this life-changing and transformative process.

Here's his review of the second weekend of the 6-weekend process. Thank you, Larry. It is such a pleasure to have you in this group.

Gary - Laughing White Horse

Men,

I know that one or two of the men were interested in hearing about the next six Integral Warrior workshops with Gary Stamper, so I thought I would just send my account of it to everyone in our i-group. (Participation in the rest of this workshop is already closed, but I suspect that Gary may be persuaded to repeat this series again next year in Cincinnati if enough men show interest.)

This weekend the workshop was held in an idyllic setting in a home in the woods overlooking a bike trail and a small river. The weather was perfect. The Warrior weekend was the first of four initiations that the six men who have chosen this workshop will experience (Warrior, Lover, Magician, King). Gary basically takes the MKP's approach to the four main archetypes to a much deeper level. In this workshop, we explored the passive and active shadows of the warrior and how those shadows showed up for each of us. I was able to clearly define my own weaknesses and struggles that appear whenever the warrior in me is repressed, much as we did in the MKP initiation. Going much deeper than MKP work, Gary also guided us through a study of the states and stages of masculine development in order to discover our deepest purpose and our mission. He used both Spiral Dynamics and Integral Theory (the most comprehensive map of human consciousness yet devised) to guide us to our warrior gold.

Gary is one of the most powerful facilitators that I have ever met. Using Spiral Dynamics, he is able to eloquently and artfully provide the framework for tracking the historical evolution of the world's cultures, from primitive man to the present, and show how it applies as well to organizations and individuals. His explanation of Integral Theory and Practice brought simplicity and clarity to this rather cumbersome subject. And he brings his own gold -- integrity, humility, and the open-hearted gift of his mission to the weekend.

For me, the workshop was the perfect blend of the cognitive (with the stimulating discussions about how individuals and cultures move from one level of consciousness to the next) and experiential (with the Shamanic journeys that he led with an almost hypnotic intensity). A final ritual ceremony (which we designed ourselves) allowed me to declare my ownership of the warrior archetype and all of its shadows.

I am looking forward with renewed zeal to the next three archetype workshops and the final ceremony next year for my emergence as an Integral Warrior, embracing and balanced by Lover, Magician, and King. Apparently I may also choose at this time to accept the mantle of Shamanic Priest, although personally I don't feel comfortable accepting this title -- I just don't feel the need for titles to bring my gifts to the world. This ceremony will be witnessed by family and friends, much like the priestess workshop that my wife and the other fifteen woman completed a few weeks ago with Gary's wife Anya. I'll keep you posted as to the date. Here's a link to his webpage that describes his work in more detail: http://www.garystamper.com/integralwarrior.htm.

I seem to remember that he will be facilitating a two-day Shamanic Breathwork weekend for men on October 9 & 10. Here's a link to that:http://www.garystamper.com/breathwork.htm. I will look for some more details on that and send it along separately. I think Bob Wuest was going to help promote that one.

Larry
Bear Hug

Developmental Lines and the Integral Psychograph

2010-08-07T12:13:00.001-04:00

I'm introducing basic Integral Theory in The Integral Warrior workshop, and in it, we're doing an Integral Psychograph. The Integral Psychograph looks at and individual's "Lines of Development," one of the Five Aspects in the Integral Model. The others are the four quadrants, types, stages, and states. These are different kinds, or types, of intelligences. There is no one measurement of intelligence...rather, we are made up of many different kinds of "intelligences." The ones we're most concerned with for an Integral Psychograph are:

1. Cognitive: thinking clearly and rationally, reasoning capabilities, solving...able to sort things out, make plans, see multiple perspectives. The cognitive sets the stage for all of the other intelligences.
2. Interpersonal; Interaction with others. People who are highly developed here tend to be extroverts. seen in how we notice distinction among others; in particular, contrasts in their moods, temperaments motivations and intentions.
3. Psychosexual: development of the individual's sexuality as affected by biological, cultural, and emotional influences from prenatal life onward throughout life.
4. Emotional: four types of abilities: Perceiving, using, understanding, and managing. (link) describes the ability, capacity, skill to identify, assess, manage and control the emotions of one's self, of others, and of groups.
5. Moral/ethical/values: the capacity to understand right from wrong; it means to have strong ethical convictions and to act on them so that one behaves in the right and honorable way
6. Kinesthetic or physical: control of one's bodily motions and capacity to handle objects skillfully; are generally good at physical activities such as sports or dance. They may enjoy acting or performing, and in general they are good at building and making things.
7. Aesthetic/artistic: may be music, art, writing, love of beauty. the ability to produce, express, communicate and appreciate in a compelling way inner, spiritual, natural and cultural realities and meanings. (This can include aspects of verbal, musical and spatial intelligences.
8. Spiritual: Sometimes called the ultimate intelligence and the guide for all the other intelligences, It is the soul's intelligence, the intelligence of the deep self. It is the intelligence with which we ask fundamental questions and with which we reframe our answers.
9. Empathy/compassion: Those with high empathetic intelligence do well at commiserating, ‘reading’ others, making themselves ‘likable’ as well as persuading and manipulating. The emotionally intelligent know what reactions their own actions will produce in others before they act.

These are but a few of the "lines of development," one of the 5 aspects of the integral model. So why are these important in our development? I believe that to be fully evolving, we need not only to feel and have (state, or temporary) experiences, but that knowing how we evolve aids us in our rapid transition to later stages (permanent structures) of consciousness, and that knowing this allows us to consciously participate in our own evolution. To do this fully, we must consider all five of the aspects of the Integral model.

So we do the cognitive work which prepares us for a deeper understanding of the experiential elements (like meditation, journeying or Shamanic Breathwork) which, together, help us shift by allowing us to interpret these altered-state experiences from the highest perspective possible.

Click on the image to enlarge

The Global Political Awakening and the New World Order

2010-06-28T15:42:00.001-04:00

Sobering article on the tipping point we find ourselves at by Andrew Gavin Marshall on the Global Research, Centre for Globalization website.

The Technological Revolution and the Future of Freedom, Part 1
By Andrew Gavin Marshall

Conclusion: So, the Technological Revolution has led to a diametrically opposed, antagonistic, and conflicting geopolitical reality: never before has humanity been so awakened to issues of power, exploitation, imperialism and domination; and simultaneously, never before have elites been so transnational and global in orientation, and with the ability to impose such a truly global system of scientific despotism and political oppression. These are the two major geopolitical realities of the world today. Reflect on that. Never in all of human history has mankind been so capable of achieving a true global political psycho-social awakening; nor has humanity ever been in such danger of being subjected to a truly global scientific totalitarianism, potentially more oppressive than any system known before, and without a doubt more technologically capable of imposing a permanent despotism upon humanity. So we are filled with hope, but driven by urgency. In all of human history, never has the potential nor the repercussions of human actions and ideas ever been so monumental.

Suddenly, global elites are faced with the reality of seeking to dominate populations that are increasingly becoming self-aware and are developing a global consciousness. Thus, a population being subjected to domination in Africa has the ability to become aware of a population being subjected to the same forms of domination in the Middle East, South America or Asia; and they can recognize that they are all being dominated by the same global power structures. That is a key point: not only is the awakening global in its reach, but in its nature; it creates within the individual, an awareness of the global condition. So it is a ‘global awakening’ both in the external environment, and in the internal psychology.

This new reality in the world, coupled with the fact that the world’s population has never been so vast, presents a challenge to elites seeking to dominate people all over the world who are aware and awakened to the realities of social inequality, war, poverty, exploitation, disrespect, imperialism and domination. This directly implies that these populations will be significantly more challenging to control: economically, politically, socially, psychologically and spiritually. Thus, from the point of view of the global oligarchy, the only method of imposing order and control – on this unique and historical human condition – is through the organized chaos of economic crises, war, and the rapid expansion and institutionalization n of a global scientific dictatorship. Our hope is their fear; and our greatest fear is their only hope.

As Charles Dickens once wrote, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” That has never been so true as it is today.

To read the entire article, click here

Just Your Everyday, Run-of-the-Mill Apocalyptic Shamanic Breathwork Journey, Part Two...

2010-06-22T18:16:00.000-04:00

In my previous entry, "Just Your Everyday, Run-of-the-Mill Apocalyptic Shamanic Breathwork Journey, Part One...", I laid out a little background on this entry. In one way, I've been a little fearful about writing this down and speaking publicly into my breathwork vision experience. As I said, it's a dilly...

I don't personally know anyone who isn't shocked and dismayed about what's happening in the Gulf and the very real sense that it is a tipping point of some sort. If it isn't at least a tipping point in waking people up to what we are doing to ourselves, then there seems very little hope that anything will wake us up.

As I prepared for my breathwork journey, the news around the spill grew worse. It turns out there are three leaks from the well, not one, and two of them are from casing failure and damaged strata far below the ocean floor: Scientists are now saying the amount of oil leaking in the gulf could be 3-4 times more than admitted by BP or the US Government; Tremendous amounts of methane gas is being released along with the oil, which has the very real possibility of creating huge "dead zones" in the gulf, and spreading who knows where. Last, because of the "doomsday scenario," they can't shut the well down because of pressure buildup and the danger of underground blowouts in the rock formation. There are more disasters waiting.

What does it all mean? We don't know. Uncharted territory.

In an earlier breathwork vision several years ago, I was shown planets all over the universe who were not able to move in into higher awareness that had literally killed themselves off, and was told by "Spirit" that we had very little time to shift. If we didn't, our fate would resemble the other planets who had committed species suicide.

In this new breathwork, which happened just last week, I was "shown" that we have exceeded the tipping point where we had an opportunity to save ourselves: that we have passed the last opportunity to salvage our existence on the planet. At first, I was overcome with grief around our stupidity, then I tried to get out of the vision, looking for some way to escape, some way out of the vision that was being presented to me.

I couldn't.

Then, finally, surrender. I just let go. I still carried the numbness from the vision, but rested in surrender until the music finally took me out of the process. I then created a mandala (the illustration at the top of this entry) of what the planet might look like should the "doomsday scenario" take place. For the rest of the day and early evening, I was literally in shock.

It wasn't until later that evening that I was able to find some resolution around the vision: I had to "shift my perspective," stand in another place and view it from a different angle. What I found was this:

What if the shift so many of us have been working and preparing for doesn't look anything like we've imagined it? Existing stages of consciousness never really know what the newly emerging stage is going to look like. What would the effect be on the universe if 6.8 billion souls were pretty much dumped into the sixth "Bardo" at the same time? Sometimes referred to as the "store-house" consciousness, or the aggregate of consciousness which administers and yields rebirth, what impact might that have on consciousness itself? What impact might that have on the shamanic consciousness of death and rebirth?

From this point of view it is because the store-house consciousness, while being originally immaculate in itself, contains a "mysterious mixture of purity and defilement, good and evil" that the transformation of consciousness can take place and enlightenment can be experienced. In this analysis, mental and physical manifestations are nothing but discriminations of Mind and all aspects of the first seven physically enumerated consciousnesses are just the reflections of the store consciousness.

Maybe this is the shift, and maybe we are the ones we've been waiting for. Maybe it won't look anything like what we thought it would look like. Maybe we need to move out of this "little picture" consciousness, walk over here a few paces and look at it from a new perspective....

Hey, I don't know. What I do know is what we're doing isn't working on so many levels.

Partial image of mandala image by Gary Stamper

Just Your Everyday-Run-of-the-Mill Apocalyptic Shamanic Breathwork Vision, Part One....

2010-06-16T17:05:00.000-04:00

Shamans have always been able to "walk between the worlds," access the unseen, and experience visions in altered-state consciousness. In fact, the shaman is the master of subtle states of consciousness. The Shamanic Priest is the highest expression of the Magician Archetype, and I am a Shamanic Priest

I do not claim to be a shaman, although, like all of us, I do believe there is a "shaman within" each of us, and I do use shamanic techniques to access these altered states of consciousness for my self and others. As of yesterday, I am officially a Certified Breathwork Facilitator.

Visions are not new territory for me as I've had several over the past few years, mostly while doing Shamanic Breathwork, some in dreams, and one in broad daylight. A couple have actually come true, and most have not.....yet.....So, I've had visions and I've helped others access visions, as well.

So I approach these experiences with an open mind and a touch of skepticism, wondering how much of these altered-state visions are really visions and how much are actually constructs, created by my ego? Now, Shamanic Breathwork is supposed to get our ego out of the way so that our soul can talk to us. When I'm able to fully access my soul's purpose, or source, I consider that I have also accessed the sacred. I honestly believe that it does happen....I also believe there are times when I'm unable to get my ego out the way and that I "make stuff up."

Jung's Active Imagination process is an example of this, and is still used today. The point is, what is "made up" and what actually comes from source? And, is there a difference? Where does creativity come from, anyway, if not the Divine? Many, including me, agree that it stems from the causal state of consciousness. I believe, for example, I can tell what is and is not made up by the intensity of my breathwork experience and whether I have to "think things through" or not. In other words, am I in control of the vision, or is it in control of me?

One vision I had a couple years ago involved the collapse of the financial system. Because of that vision, I moved to North Carolina three months earlier than originally planned so Anyaa and I could get our new house financed. We got our construction loan closed two weeks before the collapse. We would not have acquired that loan after the collapse.

I've had a new vision and it's a dilly.....

This whole blog article is to set up my telling of this "dilly" of a breathwork journey, and subsequent vision during that breathwork, of a few days ago. I've created a mandala around it, and processed and integrated it with my teachers and fellow participants. I am convinced, if it isn't a true vision of something to come, it's at least a dire warning of what's to come if we don't get our act together on this planet very, very soon....if it's not already too late.

Next: Just Your Everyday-Run-of-the-Mill Apocalyptic Shamanic Breathwork Vision, Part Two....

A Review for the Integral Warrior in Cincinnati

2010-06-09T07:59:00.000-04:00

Several of the men who attended the Integral Warrior Introductory weekend in Cincinnati are initiated men. That means they have gone through the Mankind Project New Warrior Training Adventure. One of them, Larry Brown, wrote this review of the weekend for other MKP men in Cincinnati, encouraging them to attend the Integral Warrior workshop.

I am honored an humbled by this review and give credit to opening my heart and my crown chakra and allowing Spirit to move through me. I reproduce it here with Larry's permission

Gary

Men,

I promised to deliver a description of Gary Stamper's weekend workshop that I attended up in the Miami Forest area in Oregonia (forty minutes north of Cinci).

This is a weekend that I would urge any initiated man to attend. It is especially useful to MKP men because we have already been trained in some of this material and are better equipped to make best use of it than men who have not done MKP work. Gary is an intitiated MKP warrior and speaks from both the head and the heart. The location was positively idyllic and the sessions were worth every penny of the $260.00 fee.

Gary is repeating this introductory weekend on July 17th and 18th at the same location. Even if you don't do the follow up workshops, it is one of the best introductions to modern men's work that I have had the privilege to attend.

One caveat--most of the work was cognitive rather than experiential, that is, except for the Shamanic journey, it involved lengthy discussions and dialogue instead of processes. I usually fall asleep at lectures, but Gary's speaking skills are so sharply honed that I was fully engaged most of the time. This was a big surprise for me with my A.D.D.!

Basically, the weekend consisted of two very long days that looked closely at the Jungian Archetypes. An in-depth examination of the Lover, Warrior, Magician and King, including discussions of both the active and the passive shadows. This went far beyond the MKP's discussion of the archetypes and helped me to look much more closely at the shadows of each in my own life. Gary also led us on a Shamanic Journey to banish the King shadows, and this turned out to be a surprisingly powerful experience for me. He describes this as: DEATH OF THE OLD KING How is the Patriarchy affecting Your life? What are you willing to let die?

Some other topics that he covered included two of the most talked-about works in the men's movement today:

1) States and Stages in history and how we evolve. This was based on Dr. Clare Graves' pragmatic history of consciousness. Starts with a brief analysis of the last ten thousand years of human history. It describes how waves of consciousness emerged and flowed through individuals and groups throughout different periods of history. It was a sort of mini-course in Spiral Dynamics and encouraged me to research it a bit more on the net.

2) Introduction to Integral theory and the Integral Warrior.

The Integral Warrior process is both fascinating and useful. Here's Gary's description from the brochure: "It combines Jungian and emerging archetypes, cutting edge Integral and developmental systems theory, ancient Shamanic wisdom traditions of altered-state consciousness like Shamanic Breathwork and Journeying, meditation, guided imagery, Shamanic death and rebirth, ritual and deeply thought-out initiations. The result of the process is stretching the boundaries of what is possible, holding space for the feminine, nature, body, spirit, integrity, authenticity, wisdom and heart."

One last thing: I have always been wary of what I call "woo-woo" new age mysticism and I was a little apprehensive about attending this workshop, but it turned out to be a concise, informative, and, more importantly for me, an engaging look at some of the men's work that can improve the quality of my life. Simply put, I feel it will accelerate my growth in the i-group and all the MKP projects. I strongly recommend making room for this weekend on July 17th and 18th in your busy schedule!

Thank you, Larry.

Men Are Hurting

2010-05-23T20:03:00.000-04:00

It was my distinct honor this weekend to emerge a group of men from the Integral Warrior Men's Process. I was asked by the men and by their friends and family to furnish them a copy of the welcome speech I gave before the men self-initiated men themselves as Integral Warriors and Shamanic Priests.

Here is the text of my presentation.

There is no renewal in the universe without a preceding loss. Even the sun is dying every moment. If anyone tells you that you can be reborn, saved, go to heaven, or be born again, and does not first speak to you very honestly about dying, do not believe them. You cannot be reborn to the new if you aren’t willing to die to the old first. There is no such thing as a “prosperity gospel.” Death and life are an eternal embrace, two sides of the same coin. It is the one common theme in every initiatory process, in every initiation rite. Any initiation process that does not teach this mystery is not an initiation at all.

There's an old blues song by William Bell called, “You don’t miss your water until your well runs dry”…Unless a man has been involved in the human struggle, he probably won't know what is missing in his life, because we can only miss what we have experienced. Not only is classic mens' initiation sadly missing from modern and postmodern life, but postmodernism has completely deconstructed the initiation process.

Even our animal brothers make it clear that juniors need elders ….Humans and animals are imitative and mimetic. Several Years ago National geographic did a special on elephants, focusing on at a pack where all the elder bull elephants had been killed. The younger bulls, who had not developed tusks, began acting out, crushing cars, knocking down fences and huts, damaging crops, and more. The solution? Older bull elephants were helicoptered in to the herd, and because they would charge the younger elephants, trumpeting and bluffing, the younger bulls stopped acting out.

In the human realm, using archetypal terminology, if there are no kings, warriors become brutal, magicians behave as charlatans, and lovers are soon addicts.

Young men do not become responsible men without boundaries and identity.

We are not a healthy culture for boys or men. Not the only reason, but surely one reason, is that we no longer have a culture of elders who know how to pass on wisdom, identities and boundaries to the next generation. Most men are under-fathered and over-mothered – now even more in an age of single parents. We are a society without fathers.

We’ve created boys who never grow up and want to marry mothers instead of wives, and girls who want securing and affirming daddies instead of risk-taking partners.

The current older generation of men in the United States has, to a great extent, not been mentored by their own fathers. They were usually given necessary messages either in quick male style or translated through the experience of women. Women have been training boys to be their version of men, or men who have not been mentored have been modeling at a teenage level of development. Neither is what we need.

Men can only pass on what they themselves know. They can only lead their sons and daughters as far as they have gone. Men who lost their fathers at an early age may do fine with their own sons up to that age, and then often lose self-confidence in their parenting abilities.

The patterns of failure in young men are staggering and frightening: Level of depression, suicides, drug abuse, alcoholism, and violence are all exponentially rising. 94% of all inmates are male. Men live an average of 7 years less than women, suffer far more from ulcers and stress-related disease than women, and are more likely than women to die from the 15 leading causes of death.

Over 80% of all suicides are men. In the 20-24 age bracket, males commit suicide six times as often as females, and over the age of 85, men are fourteen times as likely to commit suicide as women.

Men are hurting.

For the past twenty years we’ve been told our education system favors and is based on success of boys, but the results appear to be exactly opposite. Women are surpassing men in leadership positions, valedictorian addresses, graduation rates, jobs after graduation, and now, even saleries.

In his book, “The Biology of Transcendence: A Blueprint of the Human Spirit” – Joseph Chilton Pearce say we have 5 brains altogether and that they build on one another at years 1, 4, 7, 11, and 14-17. at each of these milestones, there occur brain surges where all past experiences are stored and secured, or myelinated. He reasons we transcend each brain stage by being around models of higher brain functions, and if there is no modeling, neural pruning occurs and millions of brain cells die off. This is what’s happening to boys of all stages who don't have the next developmental stage modeled for them.

Despite postmodernism's search for unisex everything, feminist denials, anger at maleness in the past few decades, and even men’s doubts about themselves, the grand nature of the male soul is self evident. We like it, hate it, we fear it, we disseminate it, we push against it, we take it for granted.

So many people are so angry at Patriarchy, or false male power, and rightly so, that it makes them afraid to recognize the good power and the good passion of men. We have all found love at the male banquet. Maleness is half of the mystery, and if we do not enjoy it, we are missing half of who we are, whether we are a man or a woman.

Robert Moore and Douglas Gillette have found that the characters in male myth, legend, and story – the universal images that attract men – invariably circle around four constellating images, which some call archetypes or ruling images. Images of a king, a warrior, a lover, and a magician or wise man, seems to be four parts of every man, our primary fascinations, the major quadrants of our souls…..they challenge us, they fascinate us, threaten us, and yet we are unable to totally ignore them. When we do, or when we over identify with one or the other, they invariably take on dark and compulsive sides. But the mature man honors and integrates all parts of his soul. They seem to naturally balance and regulate one another, and they make a man whole and Holy. It has been called the very shape of masculine holiness.

Each of the men that have gone through the Integral Warrior Mens' Process have completed the four initiations, called in and claimed their king, their warrior, their lover, and their magician, so that none of them dominates the others, but rather, balance each other in perfect masculine harmony.

This is a remarkable achievement in that, historically, most cultures only affirmed one or two parts of a man - usually the Warrior or the Magician. Our job today, as Integral Warriors and Shamanic Priests, is much more difficult because we must affirm, educate, and validate all four archetypes, letting them simmer and grow together to create a full man. Now we need enlightened and transformed magicians, lovers of life and beauty, and strong non-violent warriors to produce truly big-picture men - or kings.

In the Emergence weekend, men who complete the Integral Warrior Men's Process, will self-initiate one more time, proclaiming their gift, as men in service, to the world: they will emerge from the process in front of their family and their friends, as Integral Warriors and Shamanic Priests, and claim the big-picture masculine that is every man’s birthright who is willing to die to the old and be reborn to the new as these men will have done.

Note: Much of the information, and even some phrases were taken directly from Richard Rohr's book, Adam's Return: The Five promises of Male Initiation. Get a copy. It's excellent!

Developing the Postmodern Shaman in the Male Psyche

2010-05-18T19:28:00.000-04:00

The task of the post-modern Shaman/Magician initiation is more challenging than ever before in human history – and more important for the human future: our very survival as a species depends on it.

From Robert Moore and Douglas Gillettes' book, The Magician Within, here are seven ways men can develop the shaman, better known as The Magician in the realm of the four primary masculine archetypes:

1. Schedule into your life times of retreat and reflection on a regular basis. Consider it life-maintenance to keep your energy and development on track. The magician/shaman must have time to re-energize.

2. Begin to work toward finding and ritualizing your own Sacred Places and times for inner work. Do you have an altar in your home? Special retreats away from home?

3. Work toward a disciplined utilization of dream interpretaion and active imagination (see Robert Johnson’s excellent book Inner Work). I use The Inner Guide meditation to develop and ongoing relationship with my wise man within.

4. Begin to keep a personal Journey as an ongoing container for your work. Don’t like to journal? Consider starting a blog.

5. Find an ongoing men’s group that is seeking to develop masculine potentials in its members and that is not afraid to experiment with creative ritualization. The Mankind Project is an excellent place to start. For keeping one grounded, there's no better place than a mens' group.

6. Defy those that would shame your intellectual abilities or who would seek to limit the scope and/or depth of your studies. Claim the two-million-year-old mind that is your birthright!

7. Keep your “bullshit detector” in good working order. In the coming years, you will need it like never before.

Mature shamans in the future must seek the wisdom and vision to be EarthShamans. Anything less will be a betrayal of our species.

Photo by DrugArt

The Integral Warrior Facebook Page

2010-04-24T18:32:00.000-04:00

I've just created The Integral Warrior facebook page.

Join me and committed men and women everywhere as we learn how to embody The New Masculine, the Divine Masculine, Eros, integrate and call in all perspectives into BE-ing with fierce awareness, stretching the boundaries of what is possible, bravely holding space for the feminine, nature, body, spirit, integrity, authenticity, wisdom and heart. Using new Integral and Developmental Systems Theory, breathwork, and traditional archetypes, initiations, and ritual, you’ll learn how to align your true purpose and the full embodiment of presence for the highest good of all beings.

Change is the Only Constant in the Universe

2010-04-04T17:47:00.000-04:00

I first heard the title of this post in the 1980's when I was recruited into a network marketing business. I jumped into it passionately and was making pretty good money when the company folded unexpectedly, leaving me and about 200 of my down line hanging out there. Change.....

This blog is undergoing another change. I first started writing here several years ago with the blog title "Integtral in Seattle." I was, at the time, the founder and leader of what has grown into one of the largest integral salons and communities in the world. When I moved to North Carolina a couple of years ago, I changed the name of the blog to " Beyond Integral," a reference to what felt as, and still does, a shift from the cognitive aspects of Ken Wilber's Integral Framework, into a broader, more expansive view of the the Integral Model.

I'm changing the title of the blog again. For those of you who have followed my writing for the past few years, you can see it represents another shift: in what I'm doing and and how I'm writing about it. The title, "The Spiraling Universe," represents how I see human consciousness, and the universe, unfolding.

For instance, much of my writing has been about integral philosophy and how it has impacted my life. Now I'm moving into bringing more of my work into the world, work that I believe is necessary. That work, of course, will always be informed by the integral model and Spiral Dynamics Integral, but is no longer the focus of my workshops and writing, but rather, an integral part of the larger picture which is all about how and why people shift in ever-increasing expanding circles of evolutionary consciousness and complexity.

The main focus of my work is with mens consciousness because the vast majority of men in this country at stuck at David Deida's first stage masculine, with about 20-25% at second stage, and maybe 1-2% of men are emerging into third stage masculine (read about the model here). Until we can reach the tipping point of approximately 10% of the population at third stage, the patriarchy will continue to dominate the planet. I do this work by combining and integrating the ancient wisdom of the Shaman, death and rebirth cycles, altered states, and new sciences of integral and developmental systems, creating a new paradigm of teaching and learning.

But the reason men should do this work that prepares them to transform into third stage masculine is because it empowers us. Not in a patriarchal sense, but from the perspective of our own freedom.

Welcome to "The Spiraling Universe."

What IS the Integral Warrior/Shamanic Priest Process?

2010-02-20T11:57:00.000-05:00

We have the ability and tools we need to improve our lives, the lives of our loved ones, and the planet. The big question is, “Do we have the will?”

The Integral Warrior is a six weekend men’s process that takes place over several months time. The process combines Jungian and emerging archetypes, cutting edge Integral and developmental systems theory, ancient Shamanic wisdom traditions of altered-state consciousness like Shamanic Breathwork and Journeying, meditation, guided imagery, Shamanic death and rebirth, and ritual and deeply thought-out initiations.

This combination of new and old, available to humanity for the first time in its fullness, creates a new paradigm of learning and healing that creates new awareness of who we are, why we do what we do, and where we’re headed. The process helps men move toward new structures of consciousness. By building a stronger existing foundation, we create the platform that allows the New Masculine to begin emerging in just a few months, a process that generally takes years to unfold, if it is to happen at all.

We have what we need to be the models for this emerging consciousness. As the sayings go, “If not now, when…if not you, who,” and “we are the ones we’ve been waiting for.”

Here’s a brief overview of the six segments:

Integral Warrior Weekend Segments

Introductory Weekend: Weekend One is a special introductory weekend designed to allow men to experience the Priest archetype within and the Shamanic Priest Process before committing to the entire journey. It consists of introductions to the major Jungian archetypes, King, Warrior, Magician, Lover. What is the Divine Masculine and why is it so important? Introduction to Integral Theory (the most comprehensive map of human consciousness yet) and the Spiral Dynamics developmental model. Learn about how the masculine grows, and why. A guided Shamanic Journey into our psyches. A beginning exploration into the King archetype, what is initiation and why are they so critical, and an overview of the remaining process and weekends.

At the end of the introductory weekend, men will have an opportunity to decide whether or not they want to experience the full process consisting of an additional six weekends.

Weekend Two: The first of the Four Initiations, The Warrior Archetype, and Initiation and emergence of the Spiritual Warrior; Finding your purpose, integrity, authenticity, standing firm for what you believe is right. Deeper into Integral Theory, Lines, States and Stages, and Spiral Dynamics. Guided imagery on Warrior past lives and the shadow of the warrior. Discovering your deepest purpose and your mission. Nine steps to becoming the Spiritual Warrior. Claiming the Spiritual Warrior archetype through ritual and Initiation.

Weekend Three: The Lover Archetype, finding your Inner Beloved, balancing masculine and feminine energies. Learning how to embody the Lover. Developing empathy and compassion through Open Heart practices. The Shadow of the Lover. Still deeper into Integral Theory. Big Mind, Big Heart: Shifting awareness of your inner landscape, experiential awareness of non-dual realization. Claiming the Lover archetype through ritual and the Second Initiation.

Weekend Four: The Magician archetype, and why the Shamanic Priest is the fullest expression of the Magician. Balancing the seen and unseen dimensions, Priesting to the world. Accepting the Mantle of Spiritual Leadership, Creating and holding sacred space. The Magician’s relationship to the King and the Lover. Discovering what you need and what’s needed on the planet at this time. Claiming the Magician archetype through ritual and the Third Initiation.

Weekend Five: Using Shamanic Breathwork, Sacred Art, and Initiation, travel between the seen and unseen to clear the blockages that prevent your King from emerging in his fullest manifestation, balancing and integrating the other archetypes so that each is fully accessible as is needed. Death of the Old King ritual, and the Fourth Initiation of the New King. Shamanic Breathwork Process is a powerful healing process using the breath to create an altered state of consciousness that inspires individuals to remember and reconnect with their own inner healer.

Weekend Six: Preparation for a self-proclaiming ceremony for the Emergence of the Shamanic Priest and Integral Warrior. Emergence Ceremony of the Integral Warrior/Shamanic Priest witnessed by friends and family.

In addition, each of the weekends is rich with our own personal stories, life experiences and histories of our relationships with the archetypes of the King Warrior, Lover, and Magician.

The Integral Warrior: On it's way to Cincinnati?

2010-02-13T13:48:00.000-05:00

Anyaa has recently begun facilitating the Shamanic Priestess Process in Cincinnati to a large group of women, and we've just contacted them about the possibility of bringing the Integral Warrior-the masculine mirror to the Shamanic Priestess Process-there as well. We have been pleasantly surprised at the number of responses.

So I thought I would take some time to give an overview of what the Integral Warrior process is all about, and over a series of these articles, explore what men can expect from the program, and how the process will enhance and enrich their lives. I also want to let men everywhere know what I need to be able to bring the process to wherever they might live.

This committed program comes through the lineage of my friend and teacher, Brad Collins, the founder of the Shamanic Priest Process and one of the founders of Venus Rising Institute of Shamanic Healing Arts, which is headquartered at Isis Cove in Western North Carolina, the intentional community Anyaa and I live in. We have a workshop space in our home called Half Moon Temple.

Into this process I learned from Brad I have added cutting edge integral and developmental systems theory and other elements and processes I've picked up over the years from being associated with Integral communities.

The process begins with a stand-alone Introductory weekend, full days on Saturday and Sunday, that gives an overview of the entire process, as well as an introduction to the masculine archetypes with an emphasis on the KING archetype, an introduction to Integral Theory (the most comprehensive map of human consciousness yet) and the Spiral Dynamics developmental model. We'll also learn about how the masculine grows through three distinct stages, take a guided Shamanic Journey, and spend some time processing that journey.

The introductory weekend gives men a taste of what to expect from the remaining six weekends. At the end of the introductory weekend, men will have an opportunity to decide whether or not they want to experience the full process, which is spread out over several months so that everyone has an opportunity to integrate the realization of each weekend, and to make it as affordable as possible. The process is intended for men who are already on the leading edge of consciousness and not for everyone, even though it's accessible to anyone who wants to do the work. It's a party with an open invitation for anyone to attend.

Here are a few links, most from this blog, that will give you a bigger picture of my approach and what the Priest Process is all about.

My website
The Integral Warrior
The Shadow of the Spiritual Warrior
New Archetypes for the Masculine
Numen, Old Men
What is the new Masculine?

In order to bring The Integral Warrior to a city or town, it's necessary have to first have a date and a local coordinator, someone who can help with the local marketing and pretty much knows the lay of the local land. Sometimes that coordinator also provides a venue to hold the process, and a place for me to stay, often the coordinator's home. Generally, this man attends the full weekend series at no cost in exchange for being the local coordinator. If the coordinator doesn't have the room for 10-12 men to gather , it may be necessary to rent a venue, generally from a local spiritual community or the like.

Once we have a coordinator and a location in which to hold the series, we need men to attend, so the availability of local mailing lists of like-minded people is a huge plus. Depending on the circumstances and the quality of a mailing list, the person who has the mailing list can also attend in exchange for that list.

If you do any traveling, you know how expensive and demanding it can be. In order to make the Integral Warrior possible, we would need a minimum of 8 paying men, preferably 10-12, and some scholarships may be available if there are enough men. If you've ever put together a workshop you'll understand that these are very demanding to facilitate and a lot of work goes into putting the series together before anyone ever meets.

In my next article, I'll spell out exactly what we'll be doing each the seven weekends, including the Introductory Weekend, and layout approximate costs and expectations, and in a separate article, I'll address why some men should absolutely be doing this work.

The Integral Warrior: Final Men's Group

2009-10-12T09:51:00.000-04:00

The introductory weekends are over. Two of them held in August and September have produced six men who are willing to step into the complete process of learning how to more fully embody The New Masculine over a 7 month period.

So what is this "New Masculine" that this process helps emerge? Both the bully and the new-age sensitive guy are archetypes that need to be transcended and morphed into a new arena of cooperation, or collective individualism. We need a fresh new way of looking at the issues that face us. The many ways we've been acting are not working.

More and more people are talking about the need for this next wave of thinking to arise as the only way we're going to solve the massive problems that are all converging on us at once, created by old paradigm thinking. These paradigms have left us with the problems of a crumbling world economy, peak oil, culture and the coming water wars, climate change, over population, and famine, just to name a few.

Just think how impossible it seems to change our crumbling financial and health/insurance systems. It pains me to think of the money we're throwing at the financial system to keep it afloat, in spite of it being unsustainable in it's present form. It won't be until the systems more or less collapse that we'll get any kind of meaningful change: when enough people wake up to "it just isn't working." The hope is that we don't totally collapse into the most basic of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

Just as the old paradigms must die before new forms can emerge, so must men "die" to the old before they can emerge to the new.

By doing work around archetypes, shadow, initiation and ritual, men can dive deep into their own psyches, figure out for themselves what is no longer working for them, and how to emerge into a new way of being, what David Deida calls "3rd-stage masculine," that opens their hearts into a subtle, authentic way of living and loving that gifts the world with their presence.

Six men have agreed to take responsibility for their own evolution, fearlessly facing their inner demons, so that they may grow, mature, and step into the masculine role that the world so desperately needs at this time on the planet: that of the Integral Warrior, the Spiritual Warrior, the Shamanic Priest, this New masculine with integrated consciousness and awareness, loving themselves, their loved ones, and the entire connected planet.

I'll be doing a make-up session before we begin in late November for other men who would like to participate in this cutting-edge work around the New Masculine. I have room for four more men and I invite you or your loved ones to join us.

To find out more about The Integral Warrior: Embodying the New Masculine, click here.

The Shadow of the Spiritual Warrior

2009-09-01T22:03:00.000-04:00

I've been wrestling with the shadow of the Spiritual Warrior. I've been wrestling with myself, as well, trying to define just what is the highest response to this unholy alliance between right-wing political ideologies and right-wing Christian movement in the United States today that confuses soldier and warrior, prophet and soldier. What's the highest conscious response from a moral, ethical, and spiritual place of being available to me?

Twenty-five years ago, when Pat Robertson and other radio hosts and televangelists began talking about a new political religion to create a global, Christian empire, Dr. James Luther Adams, a former ethics professor at Harvard Divinity School, who fled Germany in 1936, warned of the coming rise of American fascism and religion's role in that rise.

As one example among many, the Christian men's movement, The Promise Keepers, and it's founder, Dr. Tony Evans, a Dallas minister, talks about creating a Christian state. He teaches that America should be governed by biblical concepts and that "dominion" has been given over the "elect" to rule the Earth and America in particular. Dominionism has also found a home with George Bush, Tom Delay, Pat Robertson, and Zell Miller, and more recently Sarah Palin. Pat Robertson has stated, "our aim is to gain dominion over society."

Within the dominion context, Christ is portrayed as a warrior and is very appealing given the loss of manufacturing jobs, lack of affordable health care, the lack of educational opportunities and poor job security. The ideology is appealing because it offers hope and sanctifies their rage. One only has to look at the birthers showing up at town hall meetings, shouting everyone down and sometimes carrying guns, all with the intention to shut the other side up and intimidate.

Other manifestations of this pathological warped warrior ideology are America as Empire, anti-scientism, the popularity of the apocalyptic Left Behind novels (60 million copies and counting), the attacks on gays and lesbians reminiscent of early Nazi Germany, and the promulgation of the patriarchy in all elements of culture, religion, business, and politics.

In his book, The Hidden Spirituality of Men, Matthew Fox writes:

"Examining the the situation in Nazi Germany, Adams was very critical of liberals who talked of dialogue and inclusiveness and lacked the backbone to confront what was really going on. "The power and allure of evil and the cold reality of how the world worked was being ignored by such platitudes." He also criticized prominent research universities and the media in Nazi Germany; he considered these institutions too self-absorbed and compromised by their coziness with government and corporations, so that they were completely unwilling to raise the moral questions of justice and inequality."

It is this mentality that seems to be showing up in our own media, our own legislators, and, disappointingly, perhaps even in our president, who seems to think he can still pull everyone together in a well-meaning wave of bipartisanship. Unfortunately, the right-wing Christian Political movement has no intention of engaging in any kind of meaningful discussion.

Chris Hedges, Adams' student and a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist writes:

"All debates with the Christian right are useless. We cannot reach this movement. It does not want dialogue. It cares nothing for rational thought. It is not mollified because John Kerry prays or Jimmy Carter teaches Sunday School."

The biggest danger, he believes, is our complacency.

Also disappointing, from my perspective, is the the complacency I see within the Integral community. I fear we have not yet evolved far enough into a second-tier perspective that says, "while we recognize the essential contribution and value of each level of consciousness to the overall spiral of development, we also recognize that we must stand up and speak out against pathologies and shadow that threatens others."

Instead of a false war waged on a shadow projection of "secularism", what if we, as a nation and a world, made war on poverty, global warming, racism, and on forces that would co opt the true meaning of the spiritual warrior substituting hate for justice and love? There are plenty of injustices for real warriors to wage.

What are we waiting for?

(note: My deep thanks to Matthew Fox who contributed so much to this post through his book "The Hidden Spirituality of Men" and helped me formulate my thinking)

A channeled message from Sri Goji

2009-08-27T12:07:00.000-04:00

(Gary's note: lately I've been channeling a semi-enlightened teacher who calls himself "Sri Goji." Goji is apparently from a small eastern country somewhere between India and Pakistan, although he refuses to be specific. He says he is always berry, berry happy to be anywhere. Sometimes he completely takes me over and makes me do stand-up in front of audiences...totally embarrassing me. Recently, he channeled this message for the people of America, while holding the Sacred Book, The Innaghadadavitta. It is said that Sri is my altered-ego)

My friends in America: I am in much distress over the ever-widening chasm developing between your citizenry. Your bad vibes are entering the cosmic stream, infecting the unconscious consciousness of the entire universe, and you're starting to piss some other beings off. You must realize that what you are going through is a test, and so far you're not doing too good, so they are getting testy. You are setting a bad example. Stop it!!

So many in your country are acting idiotic, being diabolic, nationalistic, moronic, dogmatic, absolutistic, evangelistic, fanatic, horrific, illogic, homophobic, imperialistic, jingoistic, nationalistic, problematic, sadistic, ethnocentric, and going ballistic with traumatic results!

Can't you see that's way too much "IC(k)?"

You don't cut it out, someone's going to go apocalyptic on you!

Here's what you need to do, it's berry, berry simple: You have to change your "IC(k)" to "I SEE."

You need to be more optimistic, organic, authentic, realistic, synergistic, dynamic, tantric, enthusiastic, ecstatic, world and universe-centric, galactic, strategic, and mentally orgasmic.

Do you "see" the lack of "IC(k)" in these words? They are "I SEE" oriented!

You know who you are. knock it off. It used to be the men who were doing this stuff, and it now palins....oops....get the "L" out....pains me to see this behavior from women, too. Get smart and live. Stay stupid and die off. It's your choice.

I'm going to have a corona.

Your friend and teacher,

Sri

(Gary's note, con't: Sri will be performing at the Priest-ess Convergence happening in Kansas City in September)

New Archetypes for the New Masculine

2009-08-02T11:31:00.001-04:00

It's a bountiful universe in here. I've been thinking about traditional Jungian archetypes and how - and if - they fit in with the concept of the New Masculine, and suddenly, Matthew Fox's book, The Hidden Spirituality of Men, shows up.

In it, Fox explores ten archetypes, or metaphors, that he believes speak to a revival of the healthy masculine, "indeed, the Sacred Masculine."

"The authors of the classic work Green man point out that for Jung, 'an archetype will appear in new form to redress imbalances in society at a particular time when it is needed. According to this theory, therefore, the Green Man is rising up into our present awareness in order to counterbalance a lack in our attitude to Nature.'

Each of the ten archetypes in Fox's book is arising for the same reasons - to redress imbalances in our culture and in our very souls. For the latter flows from the former.

It's not that the former archetypes - especially the King and the Warrior - are no longer applicable, but that they, to0, are evolving as we evolve.

In my workshop, The integral Warrior: Embodying the New Masculine, we're going to be "killing off" the patriarchal properties of these former archetypes so the new archetypes can arise and take their place in a more evolved consciousness. For instance, the Green Man has a fierceness and a determination that parallels the Warrior, and suddenly the Warrior becomes the Spiritual Warrior that stands alongside the Green Man. Without saying so, it appears to me that the King archetype, a model of patriarchy, however soft and benevolent, is replaced by the Blue Man, or Father Sky, who models compassion and creativity, "cunning as snakes and wise as doves."

"The green man demands that men stand up. That men become men. Men have been stuck in a daze brought on by modern philosophy, consumerism, and a pseudo-masculine media-promoted identity. The green man calls us to stand for the love of the Earth and the health of future generations. Stand for the trees and the animals that are being destroyed and with them the sustainability of our own species. Stand for community and compassion rather than individual power and domination. Stand for the children and generations to come."

Joseph Gelfer, in his book "Numen, Oldmen: Contemporary Masculine Spiritualities and the Problem of Patriarchy," (reviewed here) is absolutely correct in his assessment of patriarchal stances in the evangelical, mythopoetical, and even the Integral approach to men's spirituality.

Fox's book helps the neo-men's movement (my term) take a fresh look at archetypes without the hard and soft patriarchies of the earlier movement.

For me, this is a major component of the New Masculine. This is where I want to go, and I'm going to take as many men with me as I can!

But If We Started Dating It Would Ruin Our Friendship Where I Ask You To Do Things And You Do Them

2009-07-23T07:58:00.000-04:00

Gary's note: I found this at The Onion. It's hilarious and sad....

By Kimberly Pruitt
The Onion, June 9, 2009 | Issue 45•24

I really like you. I do. You're so nice, and sweet, and you listen to all my problems and respond with the appropriate compliments. But, well, I don't really see a relationship in our future. It would be terrible if we let sex destroy this great friendship we have where I get everything I want and you get nothing you want. Don't you think?

I knew you would understand. You always do.

We're so perfect as friends, you know? I can tell you anything, and you know you can always come to me anytime you need to hear me bitch about work or how ugly I feel. You wouldn't want to ruin a friendship like that just so you could be my boyfriend, and have me look at you with desire and longing in my eyes, if only once—would you? Of course not. Well, if we started dating, it would only complicate this wonderful setup I've got going here.

It's just…you're like my best friend, and I would hate for something you desperately want to change that. I mean, sure, we could go on some dates, maybe mess around a little and finally validate the six years you've spent languishing in this platonic nightmare, but then what? How could we ever go back to the way we were, where I take advantage of your clear attraction to me so I can have someone at my beck and call? That part of our friendship means so much to me.

No. We are just destined to be really, really good friends who only hang out when I don't have a boyfriend, but still need male attention to boost my fragile and all-consuming ego.

Anything can happen once you bring romance in. Think about how awful my last relationship was at the end, remember? The guy I'd call you crying about at 3 a.m. because he wouldn't answer my texts? The guy I met at the birthday party you threw me? I had insanely passionate sex with him for four months and now we don't even talk anymore. God, I would die if something like that happened to us.

Plus, ick, can you even imagine getting naked in front of each other? I've known you so long, you're more like a brother that I've drunkenly made out with twice and never mentioned again. It'd be way too weird. And if we did, then whenever you'd come shopping with me, or go to one of my performances or charity events, or take me for ice cream when I've had a bad day at work, you'd be looking at me like, "I've seen her breasts." God, I can't think of anything more awkward that that.

Oh, before I forget, my mom says hi.

Anyway, you would totally hate me as your girlfriend. I'd be all needy and dramatic and slowly growing to love you. If I was your girlfriend, I would never be able to tell you all about the other asshole guys I date and pretend I don't see how much it crushes you. Let's never lose that. That's what makes us us.

Don't worry. You're so funny and smart and amazing, any girl but me would be lucky to date you. You'll find someone, I know it. And when you do, I'll be right by your side to suddenly become all flirty and affectionate with you in front of her, until she grows jealous and won't believe it when you say we're just friends. But when she dumps you, that's just what we'll be.

Best friends. Friends forever.

Calling In The Beloved: A Message To Men

2009-07-20T08:48:00.000-04:00

I knew I was on to something with my new workshop, Calling in the Beloved, but so far, the responses are far exceeding my expectations!

So what's the problem? So far, everyone signing up a woman!

If I were single this would not be a problem! But I'm not, and as much as I'd like to model the Divine Masculine for these wonderful women, you men are missing out on a fantastic opportunity!

If you're a single man, and you'd like to be in relationship with an amazing conscious woman, what better place to start than at a workshop about how to do just that?

Now, I'm not promising you'll meet the woman of your dreams, any more than I'm promising the women who've already signed up that they'll meet the man of their dreams, but if you're looking for a place to start, this is it!

The worst that could happen is that you'll meet other conscious singles who are looking for the same thing you're looking for, who you can dialogue with and create mutually beneficial support systems!

So, come on guys! Step up on to a committed path to finding the person you always knew you wanted in your life. That's how I found my beloved, and I'd love to help you find yours!

Gary

For more information see www.garystamper.com/beloved.htm

Numen, Old Men: Contemporary Masculine Spiritualities and the Problem of Patriarchy, by Joseph Gelfer .

2009-07-16T19:48:00.001-04:00

I've just finished reading Numen, Old Men: Contemporary Masculine Spiritualities and the Problem of Patriarchy, by Joseph Gelfer.

The back cover states that all of the earlier men's movements, mythopoetic, evangelical, and to a lesser extent, the Catholic men's movement are little more than a thinly veiled patriarchal spirituality, promoting a heteropatriarchal spirituality by appealing to to neo-jungian archetypes of a combative and oppressive nature.

it then examines Wilber's Integral Spirituality which "aims to honor both the masculine and the feminine, but which privileges the former to the extent where it becomes another masculine spirituality, with all its inherent patriarchal problems."

He then offers gay spirituality as a form of masculine spirituality which "to a larger degree resists patriarchal tendencies, suggesting a queering of spirituality could be useful for all men, gay and straight."

I've reviewed it on Amazon.com and thought some of you might be interested in my review and reading the book.

My review:

This is a valuable, ambitious book, but Joseph Gelfer makes huge leaps of assumptions around a lot of it. For example, Gelfer reaches a conclusion that because [Integral Spirituality] author Ken Wilber talks about seeing perspectives from the 50,000 foot level, he must be guilty of the "up and out" directionality transcendence attributed to the masculine qualities Gelfer then rejects. Gelfer goes on to say that the 50,000 foot view equates with the "thrust of jet engines, again technology (masculine) dominating nature (feminine)," dampening the good parts of his message by often trekking into fantastic conclusions.

Gelfner also applies a very limited use of archetypes, choosing to put emphasis on only one interpretation of those archetypes through the evangelical, mythopoetical, and integral use of them, only finally touching on a solution at the end. Granted, that's the way they are represented in most men's work, but not all (disclosure: I facilitate men's groups using archetypes and shadow). He also only illustrates one example of feminine archetypes: Talk about favoring the masculine!

It's too bad, because Gelfer has a lot to say that's important that gets lost in the exaggeration, loose connection, and stretched assumptions. I'm admittedly a big Wilber fan, although I don't agree with everything he says. His assessment of Wilber as the masculine gunslinger is dead on, but his conclusions, again, are off. Wilber's tirade about his critics seem more about shadow than masculine dominating Hierarchy. Using Integral Theory and Spiral Dynamics, it's easy to imagine Gelfer directly in the middle of Relativistic Pluralism. Worth reading? Yes, but only to gain some insights on other perspectives and to sharpen critical thinking.

For a deeper discussion on the book, including author Joseph Gelfer, visit http://www.realitysandwich.com/masculine_spiritualities_and_problem_patriarchy

The Importance of Polarity, or "the Attraction of Opposites"

2009-06-27T22:22:00.000-04:00

I have a friend who doesn't get the importance of sexual polarity in relationship. He loves that they are in a balanced relationship, each holding equal parts of the masculine and feminine. I guess it works for them, but for me it would like pushing two north poles of magnets together, repelling each other. They are great friends, but not intimate. It's definitely safe, but certainly not passionate. They are great roommates.

I am happy for them, but it's not what I want in relationship. it feels flat to me.

The masculine and feminine are like two magnets, and the principle of polarity also applies to intimate relationships: if you put their north and south poles together, they attract each other.

I wonder if they had passion when they met? Was it polarity that attracted them in the beginning? In our relationship, we're very aware of when one or the other is in a particular essence, and if we're both strongly in our masculine, we're going to butt heads if we're both directional. If we're both in our feminine, we can be great friends, but as she feels me drop the polarity, it's apparent we're not going to experience an intimate evening.

It doesn't mean we're not going to have a great time.

What is the New Masculine?

2009-06-18T21:48:00.000-04:00

It seems to me a critical aspect of the work to be done on the planet at this time is to heal the wounds of the masculine and feminine. A lot of the work my partner Anyaa does revolves around helping women who have become overly "masculinized" to reclaim their more powerful, integrated feminine, which includes the masculine. My work revolves around helping men who have become overly "feminized" to reclaim the healthy aspects and fullness of the New Masculine without shame and on purpose with a clear sense of their sacred mission.

In an earlier post, I asked, "who are the models for the New Masculine?" in this post I want to address the definition of this "New Masculinity."

Okay, we may not necessarily know who they are, but what does this "New Masculine" look like? What are the qualities that define the New Masculine and how is it different from the old masculine?

The masculine, directional and focused, is defined and guided by the search for freedom, cutting through all obstacles in his path. But not everyone uses masculine energy to search for that freedom in the same way.

David Deida says that how a man seeks freedom depends on his particular needs, and those needs typically change in three stages.

I won't go into those stages as I've addressed that in another post. Suffice it to say the old masculine (1st stage) finds his freedom through acquisition, or more: More money, more power, more sex, etc. he finds his freedom through external sources. This is ultimately unsustainable.

The New Masculine finds his freedom from within, and is not concerned with external causation. He may have things, but doesn't find his self worth, his freedom, from them. He finds his freedom in the present moment, from surrender into that moment, and letting go of self definition. The New Masculine no longer searches for freedom, he embodies freedom itself, always transcending, always including that which arises spontaneously in every moment.

Beautiful. What the hell does that mean?

It means no longer being dependent on someone else's opinion of him, although he can relax into a deep listening state when someone offers counsel. It means being able to hold space for family, friends, a partner, the world. it means being in service to the world withlout negating his own needs in a codependent way. It means saying "no" sometimes in a loving and compassionate way. It means living at his edge, always pushing himself to be on purpose, giving his unique gifts to the world, whatever they might be. It means challenging other men, and himself, to give up the things that limit surrender into gifting.

It means having his mission aligned with his life, filling his core, and it means having a deep spiritual alwareness, not dogmatic drivel. The new masculine penetrates the wlorld as he penetrates his woman, not merely for pleasure or personal gain, but to magnify an open heart, love, and depth, again, his gift to the world.

It also means being able to move freely, at will, between masculine and feminine qualities that serve the perfect moment that continuously arises in the fullness of love and non-separation.

Once men and women have fully integrated their masculine and feminine sides, they are able to move back and forth between the two at will, when either is needed in a given situation. This ability allows the feminine to open fully and the masculine to become the essence of freedom....both in the same person regardless of gender. Therein lies the possibility of Sacred Union and higher purpose for the good of all beings, and is the ultimate expression of BE-ing.

Where are the models for the New Masculine?

2009-06-05T14:50:00.000-04:00

In my workshop, Integral Warriors, I'm often asked by men who want to shift their perspectives on their own masculinity who the models are for the New Masculine. It's a great question.

In What is Enlightenment? magazine (issue 41, October 2008), Ken Wilber and Andrew Cohen address the question of What It means to be a Man, Redefining the Masculine Principle at the leading Edge of Cultural Evolution (pg 36). In that discussion, Andrew Cohen says, that in researching the article, it was "very hard to get men, even those who seem to be very sophisticated in their cognitive capacity, to express some example of what they thought an evolved man would look like."

I agree with him that, because of post-modernisms feminizing the masculine, there is a cultural block and fear around stepping up and embracing the greater potentials of the masculine.

One of those problems, from my perspective, is that 3rd stage masculine looks like 1st stage masculine from the vantage point of 2nd stage masculine. Ken points out that postmodernism prevents us from using wisdom judgement (discernment) and discrimination around our inherent capacities, in this case our masculine essence. As 2nd stage men, we have worked so hard to suppress our masculinity, that we can't see the positive aspects of our Masculinity.

Some argue that both the masculine and the feminine should drop away into a state of oneness, the non-dual, or enlightenment, but before that can happen, we have to do the work that heals our wounded masculine and feminine selves, or we can't get to that enlightened place. Of course, there are rare individuals who can embody the non-dual without having to re-integrate their inner essences, but most of us have to work at it. The danger of not doing the work for the majority of us is that we skip the developmental stages required to fully integrate and we wind up in spiritual by-pass: all light, no darkness.

And it should be obvious to all of us that the light cannot exist without the darkness.

So, let's come back to the original question, "where are the models for the New Masculine?" The very same question could be asked of the feminine, who, at 2nd stage, has integrated their own inner masculine.

In an evolutionary sense, this is all new territory, and we, the men and women who are doing this work, as teachers and students, happening at the leading edge of consciousness, are the ones who will determine what this evolutionary shift looks like. As we step into this work, willingly and consciously, we become the models for the new masculine.

Last note: I don't claim to have all the answers for this. Like so many, and both a teacher and a student as we begin to step into this.

SeattleIntegral Meetup: The Feminine Speaks

2009-06-04T17:32:00.001-04:00

While visiting Seattle, last night I had the honor of attending the June SeattleIntegral/Ken Wiber Monthly Meetup. Because of my work with my men's workshop, The Integral Warrior, and my work with Anyaa's and my workshop, Discovering Your Sacred Purpose as a Couple, it felt perfect that the meetup featured a "fishbowl" process that featured the women talking about the feminine while the men listened in silence.

For those of you who aren't familiar with a "fishbowl," it's generally a teaching technique around a scholarly discussion of an essential question in which student opinions are shared, proven, refuted, and refined through dialogue with other students. Last night's fishbowl seemed to be designed to give insights as to how women communicate and process and to provoke deep listening by the audience of men. The subject was "the feminine."

It began with an attempt to define terms around the feminine and gender, and soon moved elsewhere when agreement around the definitions failed. What I thought was interesting , and surprising, was that the discussion, with a couple of exceptions, centered mostly around an upper-left quadrant view and approach. By that I mean, most of the women did not talk about the interiority of feelings (Chris, Auriana and Heather were notable exceptions) generally associated with relational feminine qualities. Rather, the discussion seemed to be primarily focused on exteriority, what the feminine looked like from the outside, how it shows up, it's actions, what you can see.

According to some in attendance, and in stark contrast to last night's fishbowl, when the men were in the center a couple of months ago, the conversation focused around relationship.

What's going on here?

I suspect that it's a prime example of David Deida's Second Stage where men have mostly integrated their feminine and the women have mostly integrated their masculine, and so they talk about what they are seeing at that level of development, and what's important to them at second stage.

I'm not suggesting that all of the women last night were at second stage feminine, but that a majority may have been, and the Dominate Mode of Discourse, second stage issues, was all that was possible in that situation (See my original blog on the subject for a more detailed explanation). The concept of Dominate Mode of Discourse states that the conversation will go to the level of consciousness of the majority of participants unless there's a skilled facilitator to keep moving it forward to the next evolutionary level.

Now, let me make it very clear that I am not putting second stage down! As Clare Graves said, "everyone has the right to be who they are," and I couldn't agree more. Second stage is an evolutionary shift in thinking of major proportion and I honor every one's perspective. I'm not even saying I have the last word on this. From my perspective, Chris, Auriana and Heather did that.

What a great group, and what a great group of people having really important evolutionary conversation, and it does seem to point out the necessity of men and women (the masculine and the feminine) to reintegrate their respective masculine and feminine higher selves, stepping to the 3rd stage concepts of pure love (the feminine) and pure freedom (the masculine) in Sacred Marriage: the union of our feminine and masculine selves.

(side note: isn't interesting that the photo of the Space Needle seems to be a dotted lower-case "i"...a symbol of integral?)

The Integral Warrior: Vancouver, BC

2009-06-02T12:02:00.000-04:00

TO VIEW THE FLYER, CLICK ON THE IMAGE AT THE LEFT

* Are you missing strong and supportive men in your life?
* Would you like to tap into your inner power and fullness as a man?
* Would you like to learn how to have greater productivity in all areas of your life?
* Would you like to learn how to stand in your masculine fierceness instead of being a nice guy or a bastard?
* Would you like to learn how to be Independent instead of codependent or dependent?
* Have you successfully integrated your feminine side but still feel there's more?

There is!

It's time to transcend the archetypes of the bully and the over-feminized sensitive new age guy.

We are the wounded warriors. Centuries of patriarchy have numbed our souls, our spirit, our feelings, and we are beginning to awaken the need to love and work in ways that heal our lives and the lives of those we love, and those we want to love and be worthy of.

Join a group of committed men for the workshop series "The Integral Warrior: The Path of the Shamanic Priest," as we learn how to embody The new Masculine, the Divine masculine, Eros, integrate and call in all perspectives into BE-ing with fierce awareness, stretching the boundaries of what is possible, bravely holding space for the feminine, nature, body, spirit, integrity, authenticity, wisdom and heart. Using new Integral and Developmental Systems Theory, breathwork, and traditional archetypes, initiations, and ritual, you'll learn how to align your true purpose and the full embodiment of presence for the highest good of all beings.

Starting in August 2009 in Vancouver, BC, three 4-day sessions, spread over 4 months.
For more information, click on the image above.

Integral Shamanism, States and Stages of Consciousness

2009-05-25T12:55:00.002-04:00

I've been involved in an email discussion about how indigenous spiritual leaders organize (or don't organize) sacred gatherings. No one showed up at a recent gathering, which okay for the elders. A few highlights as background:

If it is a sacred gathering it is not publicized. If someone is to be there they will find it. Gatherings are made hard to find on purpose.
Fliers are usually a no-no. It is like, if someone calls themselves a medicine man/woman or shaman--run as fast as you can. Only the people can give you that honor.
It does not matter if there are 2000 people in attendance or one. When an Elder speaks it goes out to the whole Universe. Elders are not attached to how many they speak to, only that they can speak.
They understand that the words "we are all related" are real. That the trees, wind, rocks, and water will carry their words forward. You were fortunate to be one of the ones to experience them first hand.
If there are hundreds of seats they are all filled, even if you can not see the people.
Elder gatherings never start on time. It is normal for an Elder to be several hours late. They will start when the energy is right.

I'm reminded of the story about a religious man who, caught on the roof of his house as the flood waters rose all around him, beseeched God to rescue him. As two boats and a helicopter came by and asked if he needed help, he told each that he was fine, God would save him. Finally, as he clung to the chimney with water just below his mouth and still rising, he cried out, "God, why hast thou foresaken me?" Suddenly, a booming voice rang out from the heavens: "Whaddya want, I sent you 2 boats and a helicopter!"

While I honor traditional methods and beliefs, I also see that Spirit moves through us, and that we are the manifestation of Spirit, and what we do in the name of Spirit and in integrity is Spirit in Action. I also see that we are evolving creatures, and as we evolve, so does our deepening understanding of God and the Universe, as we can only see where our current structure of consciousness enables us to see, not beyond, and our perspectives are limited by those structures.

In other words, that all states of consciousness, right up to awareness of the non-dual, are available to anyone at any level of consciousness, has been demonstrated throughout the ages. Shamans and Medicine Men have always had ready access to those altered states of consciousness (ever-present, never-changing, the formless), but they can only be interpreted from an individual's stage, or structure of consciousness (always changing, evolutionary). What it means to be enlightened in the Integral age is very different from what it meant a thousand years ago, as newer stages of consciousness had not emerged and simply weren't available.

Unless we become aware of ourselves as evolving spiritual creatures, we'll keep doing what we've been doing, and getting the results we've been getting. Yes, I agree that the talks go out through the oneness of everything, into the collective unconscious, but I'd prefer that it also goes into as much of the collective consciousness, as well.

Post-modernism must integrate the wisdom and altered state skills of the Shaman and the Medicine Man, and indigenous teachers must integrate post modern stage consciousness. Anything less is only partial enlightenment.

The Minority Report sequel, starring Barack Obama

2009-05-25T07:07:00.000-04:00

I'd prefer to stay away from blogging about politics, focusing instead on the masculine and shamanism from an integral perspective, but sometimes stuff is too important to ignore. Like this.

William Harryman, over at Integral Options cafe, has put together a blog subject I've been thinking about writing (without as much detail) regarding president Obama's plan to implement "preventative detention." Can you say "thought crime?"

I voted for Obama in the hope we would be John F. Kennedy. My worst fear, that he might really be Bill Clinton, is being surpassed, thinking there are multiple indications he might well be George W. Bush.

Read here

Calling in the Four Directions and Masculine Energies

2009-05-23T15:11:00.001-04:00

As I prepare to leave the mountains next week to facilitate my first men's workshop, The Priest Process: Integral Warriors, in Vancouver, BC, I have been working on a new version of the Shamanic practice of calling in the Four Directions.

With an intentional masculine approach, my version moves as the masculine moves, on purpose and singularly focused. One part of my approach to Integral Shamanism, I offer it here four your consideration.

THE EAST

We call in the Spirit-Keepers of the East, place of the Rising Sun, the archetype of the WARRIOR and the Element of FIRE….the place of the Dawn, New Beginnings, vision and inspiration of newness and fresh starts. the eye of the eagle, able to see the Big Picture, the place of creativity, co-creation, and conscious leadership. We call in the energies of the east, new beginnings, and questions needing answers….What are we at the beginning of? What have we just begun to figure out? What visions and plans are we creating? We call in burning through our fears and blockages to stand in our truth and our light as Spiritual Warriors. Welcome Spirit-Keepers of the East.

THE SOUTH

We call in the Spirit-Keepers of the South, the archetype of the KING and the Element of WATER. We call in the energy of plans getting established and projects coming to life, the realization of visions and plans of the East. We call in the energy of organizing and making things happen, diligence and small steps…the middle, the working time, the every-day on-going flow of effort, of purpose, of our mission. We call in Mouse energy, scurrying around, tending to small tasks….we call in the ability to stand and feel all the aspects of our lives that are in full swing, living in the South. Welcome Spirit-Keepers of the South

THE WEST

We call in the Spirit-Keepers of the West and the setting sun, the archetype of the LOVER and conscious relationship, the element of AIR…The place of harvest and abundance, of sharing and community….accomplishment and enjoyment, time for sharing the bounty of our efforts and connecting with others. We call in personal introspection: What have we learned from whatever we just finished? What might we do differently next time? It’s the place to celebrate and take stock of our lives. The West has Otter energy, whimsical and relaxed, playing through the forest and the water. And like the Otter, the West heads into the hibernation of the North. Welcome Spirit-Keepers of the West.

THE NORTH

We call in the Spirit-Keepers of the North, the night-time sky, the archetype of the PRIEST, the element of EARTH….The place of sleeping and dreaming, solitude and spiritual introspection…..connecting with Spirit, of communing with unseen worlds, deep inner reflection, meditation, and receiving guidance. It is the place of the night, winter, and the wisdom of the Elder. Of celebration and taking stock of the Spirit that moves through all things. The North is Bear energy, fully embracing the night and the visions that are gestating in hibernation ...and in the dawn before the dawn, we begin to feel the stirrings of the next phase. Welcome Spirit-Keepers of the North.

THE ABOVE, THE BELOW, AND THE CENTER

We call in the Center and the three final energies: Father Sky, Mother Earth, and our own Essence. Father Sky is consistent, reliable and predictable. We call in the masculine energies that are stable and strong, the place of order and discipline. We call in Mother Earth, beautiful, spontaneous, ever-changing….always in motion, never the same from one moment to the next, the good feminine energies of Mother Earth, adaptable, flexible, inspirational and creative. Finally, we call in our own Essence, feeling into our cores, feeling the part of the universe that is only and totally filled with us, connecting to the energies of our own uniqueness, our special medicine, our song, our gifts. When we are filled with our own personal energetic energies, we walk on, taking within us the four directions, Father Sky, Mother Earth, and the fulfillment of all that we are. Welcome Spirit-Keepers of the Center.

Thanks to Tanis Day, PhD, for the original format from which these were created, and to the work of David Deida, whose work changed my life and how I relate to both the Masculine and the Feminine.

Image source: www.rancehood.com

The State of the American Male

2009-05-07T18:47:00.000-04:00

Thuggo and Sluggo

By James Howard Kunstler for ClusterFuck Nation

Editor's Note: Jim's last two books "World Made by Hand" and "The Long Emergency" are now available at deep discounts via Amazon. The following article was originally published on July 2nd, 2007. It was one of his most popular/controversial pieces throughout the blogosphere and one of my personal favorites. If find it as illuminating as I did, allow me to recommend the book "King, Warrior, Magician, Lover" which has really helped me better understand and map out the current state of American men. -Matt

As someone who spends a fair amount of time in airports, I marvel at the way my fellow citizens present themselves in public. I see middle-aged women who appear to have left home in their pajamas. But it's the costume and demeanor of American young men especially that raises interesting questions about who we have become.

The fashion and body language of male youth in 2007 comes from three sources: prison, the nursery, and the pimpmobile. It's an old story now that many conventions of gangster fashion come out of the jail experience, where they take away your belt and shoelaces so you won't hang yourself. Apparently, at some point in US history, they stopped giving the belts and shoelaces back on release, and it became stylish to wear your trousers falling down below the top of your underpants (or butt crack as the case may be). Jail being a kind of accreditation device these days, the message may be: I passed the entrance exam.

Less obvious is the contribution of the nursery. Pants that are ambiguously neither long or short, worn with XX-large T shirts, tend to make grown men look like babies. Babies have short legs and large torsos compared to grown men. They also make big awkward gestures and touch their sex organs a lot. Add a sideways hat and unlaced sneakers and you have the complete kindergarten rig. Why a 20-year-old male would want to look five years old is another interesting question, but it may have a lot to do with the developmental failures of boys raised in households without fathers. They simply don't know how to be men. They only know how to behave like five year old boys. They even give themselves nursery school nicknames. But they are men, and what could be more menacing than the paradox of a child bent on homicide.

Tattoos used to be pretty much the sole fashion statement of merchant seamen or people who have served in the armed forces (or people who live in jungles). Now they are common among career girls. The tattooed guys I see down at the gym are ordinary young men who work in cubicles. Tattoos on sailors used to celebrate places they had been or people they had loved. The tattoos I see now are meant to convey fierce and barbaric statements of superhuman power: look at me, I'm a Power Ranger! It's understandable that someone who spends most of his waking hours in a cubicle wearing a telephone headset in order to swindle old people out of their savings might fantasize about rising above all that. But the tragic thing, of course, is that getting tattooed is not quite the same as accomplishing something with your life. In the end, you're just another loser with a grandiose and ridiculous tattoo.

The pimp connection is too obvious to belabor -- meant to mock normal executive attire while signifying an existence of total leisure and the enjoyment of unearned riches. The trouble is that the worship of unearned riches -- based on the belief that it truly is possible to get something for nothing -- has now become normal at all levels in American life. Everybody from the lowest whoremonger on Hollywood Boulevard to the Wall Street hedge fund managers believes in unearned riches plucked from "suckers." The catch is that men who live by this code almost always come to a bad end. They get their throats cut with razors, or go to prison, or manage to lose all their unearned riches (and the investments of many strangers, too).

The portrait of the young American male in 2007, therefore, is of an impotent, infantalized being lost in grandiose fantasies of power and importance. It's a picture of men without real confidence, and no idea how to achieve it, who wish to project a transcendently ferocious image complete with odds-and-ends of manner taken from comic books and movies based on comic books, in order to be taken seriously.

The rest of the world must tremble to contemplate the picture we present. The Nazi soldiers of 1944 were glamour boys compared to the riff-raff that American young men have become. As for those who actually do make it into the army, you wonder how they appear to the locals overseas -- they're probably taken seriously as exactly what the present themselves to be: manifestly evil beings who really need to be blown up. Back home, I look around at the thugs and sluggos at my gym, and I'm ashamed to be a citizen of the same country they live in.

Banking on the Brink

2009-02-24T06:48:00.000-05:00

Nature's way of hinting that something truly creepy may be up is when both Paul Volcker and George Soros both declare on the same day that the economic landscape is looking
darker than the Great Depression.

Read Paul Volckers Op-Ed piece below from the NY Times on Sunday, wherein he supports nationalization of banks like Citigroup and BofA, both of whom will almost certainly fail within the next 30, 60 days, tops. I agree, and do it now, not later.

There's one piece that's missing in this conversation, though. If the American public is going to wind up owning these institutions, will we continue to allow them to continue what used to be usurious lending practices? Late on a payment and see your interest rate go from 9% to 27%? Give me a F***** break. Stop this, now. Limit banks and credit card interest rates to 12 - 15% tops. NO ONE is talking about this, and until they are, it's business as usual, with everyone, Obama included, still taking care of the fat cat elites. Don't get me wrong...I'm not about people being rich, unless it's at the expense of everyone else...or the world.

Gary

Paul Krugman in the NY Times:

Comrade Greenspan wants us to seize the economy’s commanding heights.

O.K., not exactly. What Alan Greenspan, the former Federal Reserve chairman — and a staunch defender of free markets — actually said was, “It may be necessary to temporarily nationalize some banks in order to facilitate a swift and orderly restructuring.” I agree.

The case for nationalization rests on three observations.

First, some major banks are dangerously close to the edge — in fact, they would have failed already if investors didn’t expect the government to rescue them if necessary.

Second, banks must be rescued. The collapse of Lehman Brothers almost destroyed the world financial system, and we can’t risk letting much bigger institutions like Citigroup or Bank of America implode.

Third, while banks must be rescued, the U.S. government can’t afford, fiscally or politically, to bestow huge gifts on bank shareholders.

Let’s be concrete here. There’s a reasonable chance — not a certainty — that Citi and BofA, together, will lose hundreds of billions over the next few years. And their capital, the excess of their assets over their liabilities, isn’t remotely large enough to cover those potential losses.

Arguably, the only reason they haven’t already failed is that the government is acting as a backstop, implicitly guaranteeing their obligations. But they’re zombie banks, unable to supply the credit the economy needs.

To end their zombiehood the banks need more capital. But they can’t raise more capital from private investors. So the government has to supply the necessary funds.

But here’s the thing: the funds needed to bring these banks fully back to life would greatly exceed what they’re currently worth. Citi and BofA have a combined market value of less than $30 billion, and even that value is mainly if not entirely based on the hope that stockholders will get a piece of a government handout. And if it’s basically putting up all the money, the government should get ownership in return.

Still, isn’t nationalization un-American? No, it’s as American as apple pie.

Lately the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation has been seizing banks it deems insolvent at the rate of about two a week. When the F.D.I.C. seizes a bank, it takes over the bank’s bad assets, pays off some of its debt, and resells the cleaned-up institution to private investors. And that’s exactly what advocates of temporary nationalization want to see happen, not just to the small banks the F.D.I.C. has been seizing, but to major banks that are similarly insolvent.

The real question is why the Obama administration keeps coming up with proposals that sound like possible alternatives to nationalization, but turn out to involve huge handouts to bank stockholders.

For example, the administration initially floated the idea of offering banks guarantees against losses on troubled assets. This would have been a great deal for bank stockholders, not so much for the rest of us: heads they win, tails taxpayers lose.

Now the administration is talking about a “public-private partnership” to buy troubled assets from the banks, with the government lending money to private investors for that purpose. This would offer investors a one-way bet: if the assets rise in price, investors win; if they fall substantially, investors walk away and leave the government holding the bag. Again, heads they win, tails we lose.

Why not just go ahead and nationalize? Remember, the longer we live with zombie banks, the harder it will be to end the economic crisis.

How would nationalization take place? All the administration has to do is take its own planned “stress test” for major banks seriously, and not hide the results when a bank fails the test, making a takeover necessary. Yes, the whole thing would have a Claude Rains feel to it, as a government that has been propping up banks for months declares itself shocked, shocked at the miserable state of their balance sheets. But that’s O.K.

And once again, long-term government ownership isn’t the goal: like the small banks seized by the F.D.I.C. every week, major banks would be returned to private control as soon as possible. The finance blog Calculated Risk suggests that instead of calling the process nationalization, we should call it “preprivatization.”

The Obama administration, says Robert Gibbs, the White House spokesman, believes “that a privately held banking system is the correct way to go.” So do we all. But what we have now isn’t private enterprise, it’s lemon socialism: banks get the upside but taxpayers bear the risks. And it’s perpetuating zombie banks, blocking economic recovery.

What we want is a system in which banks own the downs as well as the ups. And the road to that system runs through nationalization.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/23/opinion/23krugman.html?_r=3

The Great Awakening

2009-02-13T09:00:00.000-05:00

The Great Awakening: Boomers, Your Crisis Has Arrived, or, Denial is not a river

I've just read a very disturbing article by James Quinn about where we might be headed as a nation. The link is below and I'll also post in it on my wall. Agree or not, you really should read this, as we do seem to be unraveling. Strauss and Howe present where we might be headed.

"The Fourth Turning" by William Strauss and Neil Howe

"There is a mysterious cycle in human events. To some generations, much is given. Of other generations, much is expected. This Generation has a rendezvous with destiny."

Franklin Roosevelt – 1936

Strauss & Howe wrote the following words in 1997:

"America feels like it’s unraveling. Though we live in an era of relative peace and comfort, we have settled into a mood of pessimism about the long-term future, fearful that our superpower nation is somehow rotting from within. The America of today feels worse, in its fundamentals, than the one many of us remember from youth, a society presided over by those of supposedly lesser consciousness. We yearn for civic character but satisfy ourselves with symbolic gestures and celebrity circuses. We perceive no greatness in our leaders, a new meanness in ourselves. Each new election brings a new jolt, its aftermath a new disappointment."

http://seekingalpha.com/article/119927-the-great-awakening-boomers-your-crisis-has-arrived-part-1-of-3?source=wildcard

My Inaugural Experience

2009-01-21T11:28:00.000-05:00

I'm sitting in a friend's house in DC the morning after the inaugural, and while everyone else is still sleeping, and we later begin the 8 hour trip back to North Carolina, I thought I'd jot down a few thoughts about my experience (well, it started out that way....).

Our 7am Metro trip into the National Mall from the DC suburbs of Silver Springs was the first clue of what was to come during the rest of the day. Even though we were close to the end of the Metro line, the train was already full as the five of us, Anyaa and three friends, squeezed on. We watched as hundreds of others at the stops along the way had to wait for the next trains.

As we left our arrival station in downtown DC, not far from the Mall (we thought), we were struck by the incredible size of the crowd: hundreds of thousands of people all trekking to the mall from every direction. It took us about an hour and a half to walk the two miles to our final place on Mall. The air was electric with excitement. These were people that were totally jazzed about all of the implications of this Inauguration.

We finally arrived at the Mall, and again, the crowds! We spent an hour getting our party into one of the huge banks of port-a-potties, knowing we wouldn't be able to move once we were on the mall. Everyone was careful not to drink water and eat light that morning in anticipation.

We had to stand the entire time. There simply was not enough room to sit and you could not have possibly fallen over. We were close to the Washington monument, and the Greek--inspired phallic obelisk monument as the symbol of our country's father, was not lost on us. It was a vast sea of humanity and diversity as far as the eye could see, all celebrating what they hoped was the dawn of a new era while doing what we came to call the "Obama Shuffle," as we moved our feet only slightly as we were carried by the crowd to a place where we could just see one of the Jumbo-tron viewing screens placed around the Mall.

During the parade of dignitaries, all of the living ex-presidents were introduced. When George W. Bush was introduced, the crowd broke into singing "Nah-nah-nah-nah, Hey, hey, hey....goodbye..." It felt like the whole crowd was singing! They'd obviously had enough of the last eight years.

Every time Barack and Michelle came on the giant screens, the crowd exploded. As he finally gave his acceptance speech, many of us teared up, some openly crying, moved by the hope of change and what it meant. I thought it was an excellent speech, but not a great speech. Of course, I was waiting for the one-liner that would take the speech into the history books...a line like "The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself" or JFK's "Ask not" speech. It did not come. I loved his balance of government and personal responsibility and the remaking of America.

What did come, being in the crowd, was unity and the sense of all being One, with united purposes and goals, an incredibly healthy Green/post-modernism that could move us forward into a brighter future, a better world, where America can become a beacon of light and higher power for the rest of the world as opposed to demanding respect by the threat and use of miltary power, but still recognizing that there are real threats and we must remain strong. We hugged and congratulated perfect strangers. We laughed and cried. We prayed that this was an indication of the change we've been waiting for, and that we are, indeed, that change, knowing we'd have to be for it to manifest in the world.

After the Inauguration was over, everyone began trying to get out at the same time, in sharp contrast to a spaced out arrival procession. What a zoo! Again, the Obama Shuflle, everyone moving just a few inches, taking hours to finally get on the metro and head back to Silver Springs. This was badly organized, with no help from the infrastructure of Police and Fire personnel, some of whom acting annoyed about being asked for directions.

We finally got home, just in time to get ready to go out that night to the Inaugural Peace Ball, sponsored by Code Pink. I won't go into details, as you can click on the links to find out more, but we had an awesome time! Particularly memorable were appearances and performances by Alice Walker, Eve Ensler, Joan Baez, Dick Gregory, Amy Goodman, a smokin' fusion band called "Fertile Ground," and Michael Franti and Spearhead. We had a great time swimming in a healthy green pool.

All in all, Anyaa and I had an amazing experience, one we wanted to be part of, in the hope that this really is part of a larger historical shift, and that millions and millions of others are shifting with it. Now it's time to go to work.

Set in Our Ways: Why Change Is So Hard

2008-12-21T08:56:00.000-05:00

Millions of us dream of transforming our lives, but few of us are able to make major changes after our 20s. Here's why, author Nikolas Westerhoff claims:

Studies of personality development often focus on traits such as extroversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism and openness to new experiences. In most people, these traits change more during young adulthood than any other period of life, including adolescence. Openness typically increases during a person’s 20s and goes into a gradual decline after that.

This pattern of personality development seems to hold true across cultures. Although some see that as evidence that genes determine our personality, many researchers theorize that personality traits change during young adulthood because this is a time of life when people assume new roles: finding a partner, starting a family and beginning a career.

Personality can continue to change somewhat in middle and old age, but openness to new experiences tends to decline gradually until about age 60. After that, some people become more open again, perhaps because their responsibilities for raising a family and earning a living have been lifted.

More from Scientific American

The Lieberman Path To Change

2008-11-15T08:18:00.000-05:00

I received the email below from CREDO (formerly Working Assets). While I support CREDO in many ways, I have to disagree with them on this issue, and explain even further down:

Sen. Joe Lieberman should not continue to serve as Homeland Security Chair

Next week, Senate Democrats will vote on whether Joe Lieberman should continue to chair the powerful Committee on Homeland Security.

Sen. Joe Lieberman supported the war in Iraq from the beginning, and he has continued to support it in the face of tremendous failure, in the face of evidence that we were misled into war, in the face of increased security threats resulting from that war, even in the face of troops from his home state of Connecticut respectfully asking him to take action to bring them home. Lieberman has used his chairmanship not to improve our homeland security, but to keep our nation mired in pointless, endless war.

Lieberman has also undermined our security on the domestic front by supporting the vast expansion of President Bush's powers to subvert the Constitution. As a strong proponent of FISA, Lieberman saw to it that his committee did absolutely nothing to stand in the way of Bush's schemes to spy on Americans - nor did he lift a finger to stop the many practices undertaken by Bush which approach - if not outright cross - the line between investigation and torture.

Committee chairmanships are positions of immense power. They should go to responsible leaders who will use those positions to serve the American people and protect the Constitution. Our government was designed as a system of checks and balances - but Lieberman's leadership of the Committee on Homeland Security has been unbalanced, to put it mildly.

We need a Homeland Security Chair who understands the real threats facing our nation and who will hold our government accountable for fighting those threats in a sensible, legal manner. Sign this petition today to tell your senator to do the right thing: vote to strip Senator Lieberman of his chairmanship.

to CREDO:

Thanks for caring about this, but I think there's a better way to approach Lieberman.

Without a 60% majority in the Senate, Dems are not filibuster proof. Therefore, doesn't it make much more sense not to censure Lieberman, or pull his chairmanship, but, rather, use the threat of losing his chairmanship as a leverage to make sure he votes as needed to effect the change that must come? Lieberman has consistently shown that his primary concern is Lieberman. Why not use that egocentricism to effect the change we want to see in the world?

Let us not cut off our noses to spite our faces. There are much bigger issues here than getting revenge on Lieberman for his despicable actions.

We have a country and world to save.

Is The Future Drying Up?

2008-10-22T19:08:00.000-04:00

http://thinkorthwim.com/2007/10/25/the-future-is-drying-up/