Here we are at the end of another year of turmoil and uncertainty but also a year when the Covid vaccine and treatments have made it possible to return to school and work and reconnect with family and friends. Despite the arrival of the Omicron variant, we are able to gather in person and travel with caution this holiday season. As I thought about what to share that might be informative and inspiring, I decided to summarize a few of the ideas from the wonderful Sage-ing International Global Summit 2021- “Evolving Elders: Shifting from I to We.”
Dr. Michael Mead, renowned storyteller, author, and scholar of mythology, anthropology, and psychology, set the tone for the conference in his keynote address, “From Older to Elder: Awakening the Sage Within.” Living up to his storyteller fame, Dr. Mead began his talk with the myth of the Wise Old Woman, who was weaving a garment when she left for a bit to stir a nearby cauldron. While she was gone, a black dog entered, picked up and pulled on a loose thread, and unraveled the whole thing. When the Old Woman returned, all she found was a chaotic pile of threads on the floor, a collapse. Undaunted, she picked up a new thread, started weaving again, and created an even more magnificent garment.
Dr. Mead went on to explain the symbolism of the myth and its application to our current situation. The Old Woman, a non heroic image, encounters this unraveling created by the black dog, a symbol of darkness or shadow . Rather than backing away or being shocked by this destruction, she connects with her inner spirit or sage, the thread, and recreates a new and better weaving of the world. The world’s current troubles, such as Covid, climate change, racial and economic disparity and other shadows, are the unraveling. These challenges call us as individuals to move beyond our “little selves” and connect to our deeper souls, where we find our threads. As each of us discovers and adds our thread to others’, we can weave a new world where we agree to live meaningfully. What a beautiful message of hope and challenge for the new year!
Dr. Mead addressed his concept of what it means to become an elder, and how elders contribute to this reweaving. Elders have traditionally served as leaders because they are older and wiser and have survived. In today’s world, however, many who are older do not have an “awakened sense of self,” which is required to become an elder. Mead believes part of becoming an elder is to practice either inner work, which includes yoga, mediation, and other mindfulness practices or expressive arts, such as painting, writing, music. Some move back and forth between inner work and the expressive arts. Elders have found their calling or thread and are healers ,who bring a new awakening to the world.
The connection between inner growth and outer activism was also emphasized in the keynote address “Linking Spiritual Practice to Social Action” by Clyde W. Ford, a mythologist, author, and storyteller. He introduced the Sanskrit phrase satyagraha, Gandhi’s term for nonviolent resistance, as a way to understand the connection between aging and social activism. The growth of our spiritual lives often begins or accelerates as we age. This deeper understanding of I, personal transformation, is essential to an understanding of and connection to WE, which leads to social transformation. Ford challenged us to ask, “How can we unfold into the change we’d like to see in the world?”
Several other sessions and discussions focused on strengthening our inner spiritual journey as a first or parallel step toward making a difference in community. Closing the bonus session, leader Ron Pevny suggested two practices he’s seen as affective for this process- 1) having a conscious aging buddy or co-creator committed to growing with you and 2) making regular sacred time for inner work.
Wherever you may be on the journey from I to We, I hope this has been helpful and gives you hope that we as individuals can make a difference. What is that thread within you that will help weave a better and just world for all?
Have a loving, healthy, and reflective holiday season!
