Agenda
- Check in
- Opening Blessing
- Review WWWs
- Weekly event logistics
- Review Agenda
- Unconferences
- Gaia's People
- Evaluations
- Closing Blessing
Next business call
- Foundation
- SolSeed Creed
- New Videos
Check-in
- Shawn … tired … for some reason it's been difficult to wake up
- Ben … Had a feedback session last night, glad it’s over with … still trying to process what they said.
Opening Blessing
The work we do in striving for our highest aspiration and being our best selves can be exhausting. May we give each other energy and strength through our friendship and the knowledge of our shared vision. May we bring life. --Blessed Be
WW(W)s from last time
- Brandon … determine list of folks to invite to the small Memorial Day event … by soon
- Ben … indicate to Walt that Shawn would be happy to pick up the methanol … by soon
WW(W)s
- Ben … indicate to Walt that Shawn would be happy to pick up the methanol … by soon
Weekly Events Logistics
Service rotation: Eric, Ben, Brandon, Shelley, Shawn
- May 12th Service: 8:30 AM PST / 11:30 EST … Shelley
- May 13th Business Call: 8:30 AM PST / 11:30 EST (Mother's Day)
Unconferences
- Smaller meeting for Memorial Day
- WikiVanning?
- Shawn invited Rico
- Shawn can't do Saturday
- August event
- Will Brandon be able to do early August (tail end of the 12 weeks if he takes that much time off work)?
- Will Eric come to the event?
Gaia's People
- Shawn: It sounds more mystical and religious that my impression of what this group is about … I'm much more of a secular person, and in my mind the mystical aspects don't serve much … my preference is for a more academic approach
- Ben: That's a new idea for us … we'd previously thought about someday having a community with a school for children, but that's all
- Shawn: The ceremonies we do seem to be geared toward children … the readings Brandon and Shelley do seem centered around their kids … will the ceremonies change as they grow up, or are we going to stay kid-focused?
- Shawn: Is this a name for us to identify with, or to speak to other people?
- Ben: Both … I share your concern about mysticism and the name attracting a bunch of mystically-minded people, but I also really like the concept of Gaia
- Shawn: I don't identify with it myself … it makes sense as a metaphor, but the more we personify Gaia as a conscious being, the more we're likely to attract more mystically-minded people and fewer scientifically-minded people
- Ben: Brandon and Eric would say the purpose of personification is to activate a part of our brains that gains something from telling that kind of story … Brandon calls it the "religion-shaped hole" in our minds
- Shawn: I may have a problem with that part of my brain … I think people need a sense of purpose/reason for being, but not a deity
- Ben: The tree of life is what gave birth to us… the thing that might be Gaia is both what gave birth to us and something we're part of … I'm dubious about personification/deity, but all in on having awe and reverence (i.e. religious feelings) toward Earth and the Universe
- Shawn: For me, life (and consciousness) is what's special … the particular tree of life on Earth isn't as significant, and deifying it as Gaia feels like Earth chauvinism, akin to creating a deity for the United States
- Shawn: The metaphors seem more useful when talking to children who don't know about entropy, biochemistry, etc
- Ben: There is a difference between the idea of Earth as an entity to be revered and the United States … Earth is a very isolated instance of life with clear physical boundaries (as well as being the only instance we currently know), whereas the U.S. is just human-created arbitrary lines on a map (e.g. the Cascadia bioregion cuts right through the border)
- Shawn: Would you personify Cascadia as a deity?
- Ben: Maybe a demigod :-)
- Shawn: I've studied Greek and Christian mythology, and that was always very separate from science for me
Evaluation
- Shawn … It's a little difficult because there's only the two of us … lots of questions, not a lot of answers
- Ben … Always enjoy talking philosophy, so enjoyed the discussion … I am nervous about these events coming up and not being able to get input from the people we need input from … I want to thank you for doing this with me despite the limitations.
Closing Blessing
May we find strength and support through all the difficult times that are always bound to confront us. -- Blessed Be