Let me start off with a story:
I remember talking with a woman in a cafe in March 2022 about “the time between worlds”, ecological collapse, transformation, and scenemaking. This was right around the time stores were opening back up and the lockdown was winding down and I began to further connect with various people in person that I've had the pleasure of conversing and relating with on Zoom for a year and a half. The world was moving on and I felt that I should too. So I decided to look for exciting spaces and events exploring emerging theories of change. The woman in the cafe was an occasionally yet impactful attendee of some of these spaces and events. She is a very important node within the Toronto scene and I recently just realized she was one half of a document that provided a helpful lens with where we could go next:
Toronto Imaginal Transitions can be described as “ritual spaces of mutual transformation, sanctuaries where we can slow down, and to dance and imagine new worlds”. Some of the types of communities in Toronto that can be seen as supportive for transition can be found here
Their plan consists of:
-Hosting Toronto-based events and gatherings that center around friendship and deepening trust and intimacy among those who are attracted to the collective, transdiciplinary work of transition.
-Publish and share place-based stories of transition and ecologies of practice
-Create and distribute a “zine” of Toronto-based transition stories and events
-Resource existing micro-economies of well-being
-Create a mycelial resourcing movement that resources micro-economies of well-being through lightweight grants of money and support
-Learn, reflect, and adapt through continual meta-reflection while generating knowledge around emerging capacities and wisdoms.
-Increase the “readiness” level of institutions
If you are Toronto-based or have ties to Toronto and are interested in contributing towards any of the above, feel free to contact Cheryl or Tara.
What stood out to me was the phrase “Transitioning With Friends”. I really liked the lower barrier of entry for transition that the phrase affords. Normally when we think of “transition” or “crisis” especially from a civilizational context, we tend to think of institutions, industries, the rich, the powerful, etc. Another way of putting it is that we focus on the movers, but we can't seem to figure out how WE can move. But when I hear with “Transitioning With Friends”, I also think of Jiddu Krishnamurti's question of “What exactly is a political question?” and how there are much more practices of explaining and enabling systems change than we might think even if it as small as dinner parties, taking walks in nature, and neighborhood mutual aid initiatives. Who knows? They can always turn into something bigger, just like this story of a hacker group dinner turning into a one night only steakhouse.
So as much as people want to offer big picture visions of new systems and new incentive structures, what makes people stay in a scene are excellent social experiences, strong social ties, and enabling others to see magic within life. To be clear, I am neither completely for humility nor ambition, but certain moods or phases call for one or the other. Without humility, there is hubris and disaster, but without ambition, there is no adventure. It also turns out that being prosocial can show up in many parts of your life. With transition comes grief, but also fellowship. There is a desirability, a pleasure (to take a page from adrienne marie brown) that can come with this even in times of crisis.
And with that, I'll close with: “And just like that, we dance into transition”
What I’m Watching
Living in the Metacrisis w/Jonathan Rowson
This documentary, directed by Katie Teague, explores the internal and epistemic dimensions of the Metacrisis. Rowson brings relatability to a complex topic and does a solid job of articulating and expressing the tension and unease that many people face within our current predicament. If Schmachtenberger's content is the military briefing then Rowson is the breakout room facilitator, giving us an opportunity to relate with our feelings to the briefing. Within the video, Rowson presents some wellsprings of renewal (land restoration, bioregional hubs, cosmolocalism, ontological mutiny, complex potential states, etc); ideas and movements that are emerging to help us better understand and meet the challenges of our times.
The Network State Conference
(Skip to 1:09:45 until 1:27:14 for Andrew & Priya’s as well as Brooke’s presentations)
The idea of the Network State may get a bad rep for its glorifed gentrification or tech elitism or advocating for accelerating externalities, but I'm mainly interested for the governance and coordination experiments that come out of it. Having ideological blinders on is definitely the wrong move.
I specifically want to point to the presentations from Twitter standouts such as Brooke Bowman and Andrew/Priya Rose because they have offered models in which they've converted digital community into physical community. As someone addicted to Twitter, I have followed the heyday of threads about collective intelligence / egregores and attended retreats hosted by people from the site since I rejoined in late 2020.
Because of Twitter, I have been inspired to help build a Toronto hub in which brilliant minds, creatives, builders, and practicioners can be welcomed and congregated. I remember talking about agency and cultivating agentic beings since late 2020 so witnessing an “agency explosion” further validates my belief that more people are willing to step up and steer their fate and by extension, the fate of all living beings.
Events for November
(More events to be added, stay tuned)
Nov 2: Curiosity Cafe @ Alternity
Nov 4-5: Good Mourning Festival @ Evergreen Brickworks
Nov 4-17: Space for Grief @ Evergreen Brickworks
Nov 6, 13, 20, 27: Getting Discomfortable with Shame Course w/ AJ Bond (Online)
Nov 9: Responsible AI Workshop
Nov 10: Shifting Ground Collective Presents: Silver Screen Secrets @ Danu Social House
Nov 11: Yoga & Interactive Meditation Workshop with Universe at the Art Gallery @ Studio iDFK
Nov 12: Forest Bathing Club @ Evergreen Brickworks
Nov 13: Trampoline Hall (Tickets on sale Thursday prior)
Nov 15: Othership: Yorkville Opening
Nov 18: Finding Equanimity w/ Shinzen Young via Consciousness Explorers Club (Online)
Nov 19: HAI: Intro to Connecting in Love
Nov 22: Generation of Lost Causes - Truth in Our Polarized Future w/Cory Doctorow
**Suggestions always appreciated**