I write as a dancer and one who upholds kinesthetic, body-to-body intelligence as our ancestors and Indigenous people do, honoring the very real dance of life.
I've been a teacher of one kind or another for 44 years. Part of teaching is knowing when to shift gears -- when to let an important interference with your plans take the lead. This is coming up a lot in terms of racism and other isms. We must be willing to step aside and let that important issue come to the fore. Good work, Cynthia!
Thank you for sharing this Cynthia. My relatively extensive experiences with male teachers from Tradition Cultures makes me wary from the get go. Other stuff too I could share and will w you in zoom person. You were drawn, you followed in trust. Sorry it was such an over the top challenging experience. Brave and Fearless , Sensitive YOU!!
Thank you for your sharing,Cynthia. I know how much you and Stephen were looking forward to this and your disappointment is palpable in your writing. There is much to be discovered when clicking on the hyperlink that are you and stephen
Yes, I hope so. Also, I am grateful to find my way through, always by believing that I am not alone and others hear and appreciate my truth. That is a grace I hope to offer as well.
Thank you for writing from the raw and real place of truth as you understand it, Cynthia. I appreciate you naming your activation and writing anyway. That in itself opened a new possibility for me. I also want to celebrate the commitments you affirm for yourself going forward. There is something powerful in modeling for one another how we turn disappointment into deeper knowing and renewed commitment. Thank you. Third, I want to thank you for naming this: I did not expect to download the grief of millennia of monumentalized violence toward women’s spiritual and moral authority. That resonated with me in relationship to things I've observed and experienced throughout my time in Europe this semester around the public memorialization of male violence and military might. It's everywhere. One deeply impactful experience was visiting the Colosseum in Rome. Our tour guide explained that the emperor hosted the "spectacles" at the Colosseum in part to normalize violence and feed aggression so that Rome's citizens would be more willing to tolerate the violence inherent in expanding the empire. Merely on the axis of sheer numbers, the loss of human and animal life at the Colosseum was staggering. Standing there at the ruins of this place of glorified violence, I had a vision of it blowing through generation after generation right up to my own. Enough already! Finally, I have also found Vanessa Machado de Oliveira's book Hospicing Modernity to be one of the most important books I've read lately. I'm working to weave some of her ideas and understandings into my teaching this coming semester.
Thank you Sheri! Your comment comes as medicine. “Standing there at the ruins of this place of glorified violence, I had a vision of it blowing through generation after generation right up to my own. Enough already!”. I can’t wait to read your next Substack- Do you think women and men in the US see and respond to these layers of violence in a way that is different than people in Europe? Is there discussion about this memorialization of violence?
Oh Cynthia, such a painful experience all around for you and for Stephen. I am so sorry! The patriarchy is alive and well. Sometimes we forget and then are brought up short when it assaults us again. I’m so glad that you are now home and recovering from this assault physically, emotionally, spiritually. Thank you for sharing this experience as you continue to unpack it. Thank you for speaking out with clarity and courage. Thank you for your steadfastness and your love. Ginny
I agree with you that it is unfortunate that more respect could not have been shown by both sides towards each other. I think the initial complaint was a much more direct personal attack than you describe On Padraig, and many did not appreciate that. I saw all that you saw, but there were 80 people to manage in that discussion! That requires some managerial control. I agreed with the decision to move on for the time. But I also completely agree with you that the work of folks that took place over the evening and next morning should have been acknowledged and summarized. That was very disrespectful to those who were working hard to resolve the conflict, which was, after all , a stated goal of the session. So it was not wise at all to ignore the efforts people made to further the discussion. I myself stayed up working to find answers to some questions raised, and yet I found it difficult to do anything productive in discussions that followed when the leadership refused to recognize what the group was experiencing. I found that a lost opportunity to recognize what everyone else was experiencing in one form or another, That was a disservice to the group and eradicated any progress that might have been made.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience and reflection Jonna- I can see how it might be viewed as an attack. I heard it as deep dismay and a challenge. In my experience when a minority voice speaks up and is in the lower power position it is extraordinarily difficult. Someone with power who is an expert in conflict- especially someone who is a theologian in today’s world serves
the process when they recognize that power imbalance. I can appreciate that somehow this situation was truly new or difficult for Pádraig.
And as you say, it left some of us/ and me in upheaval for weeks. My writing about it is a result of that turmoil in light of my history around embodied justice and som attempt to make sense of the experience. Again thank you so much for adding your perspective. It helps me.
Thank you for your voice and wisdom! Speaking from your experience and yourself as hyperlink, you have named some of the systemic problems and addressed them your own moral compass coordinates. While Calling people In should be key to any salon, one would think that the very title of this particular salon, Calling In the Common Good, would invite the Response Ability you outlined here. Sigh! Framing such events is essential and of course can be messy. I appreciate Starhawk’s recent post in substack on this topic of Framing Safety.
When Owl cries out “Who?”, you answered and asked for space in which all others could have voice. I don’t think Owls really want to live in cages of patriarchy.
Thank you so much Judy for your encouragement, especially given your long history of addressing inequity as a clergy woman and spiritual teacher. I will take a look at Starhawk's post.
I've been a teacher of one kind or another for 44 years. Part of teaching is knowing when to shift gears -- when to let an important interference with your plans take the lead. This is coming up a lot in terms of racism and other isms. We must be willing to step aside and let that important issue come to the fore. Good work, Cynthia!
Thank you Pwll for living and speaking to best practices.
Thank you for sharing this Cynthia. My relatively extensive experiences with male teachers from Tradition Cultures makes me wary from the get go. Other stuff too I could share and will w you in zoom person. You were drawn, you followed in trust. Sorry it was such an over the top challenging experience. Brave and Fearless , Sensitive YOU!!
Deep Love and Appreciation to you and Stephen....
Thanks so much Ellen. Your experience and support mean a lot.
Thank you for your sharing,Cynthia. I know how much you and Stephen were looking forward to this and your disappointment is palpable in your writing. There is much to be discovered when clicking on the hyperlink that are you and stephen
Yes, I hope so. Also, I am grateful to find my way through, always by believing that I am not alone and others hear and appreciate my truth. That is a grace I hope to offer as well.
Thank you for writing from the raw and real place of truth as you understand it, Cynthia. I appreciate you naming your activation and writing anyway. That in itself opened a new possibility for me. I also want to celebrate the commitments you affirm for yourself going forward. There is something powerful in modeling for one another how we turn disappointment into deeper knowing and renewed commitment. Thank you. Third, I want to thank you for naming this: I did not expect to download the grief of millennia of monumentalized violence toward women’s spiritual and moral authority. That resonated with me in relationship to things I've observed and experienced throughout my time in Europe this semester around the public memorialization of male violence and military might. It's everywhere. One deeply impactful experience was visiting the Colosseum in Rome. Our tour guide explained that the emperor hosted the "spectacles" at the Colosseum in part to normalize violence and feed aggression so that Rome's citizens would be more willing to tolerate the violence inherent in expanding the empire. Merely on the axis of sheer numbers, the loss of human and animal life at the Colosseum was staggering. Standing there at the ruins of this place of glorified violence, I had a vision of it blowing through generation after generation right up to my own. Enough already! Finally, I have also found Vanessa Machado de Oliveira's book Hospicing Modernity to be one of the most important books I've read lately. I'm working to weave some of her ideas and understandings into my teaching this coming semester.
Thank you Sheri! Your comment comes as medicine. “Standing there at the ruins of this place of glorified violence, I had a vision of it blowing through generation after generation right up to my own. Enough already!”. I can’t wait to read your next Substack- Do you think women and men in the US see and respond to these layers of violence in a way that is different than people in Europe? Is there discussion about this memorialization of violence?
Oh Cynthia, such a painful experience all around for you and for Stephen. I am so sorry! The patriarchy is alive and well. Sometimes we forget and then are brought up short when it assaults us again. I’m so glad that you are now home and recovering from this assault physically, emotionally, spiritually. Thank you for sharing this experience as you continue to unpack it. Thank you for speaking out with clarity and courage. Thank you for your steadfastness and your love. Ginny
back at cha Ginny! Thank you for all the ways you hold the torch
I agree with you that it is unfortunate that more respect could not have been shown by both sides towards each other. I think the initial complaint was a much more direct personal attack than you describe On Padraig, and many did not appreciate that. I saw all that you saw, but there were 80 people to manage in that discussion! That requires some managerial control. I agreed with the decision to move on for the time. But I also completely agree with you that the work of folks that took place over the evening and next morning should have been acknowledged and summarized. That was very disrespectful to those who were working hard to resolve the conflict, which was, after all , a stated goal of the session. So it was not wise at all to ignore the efforts people made to further the discussion. I myself stayed up working to find answers to some questions raised, and yet I found it difficult to do anything productive in discussions that followed when the leadership refused to recognize what the group was experiencing. I found that a lost opportunity to recognize what everyone else was experiencing in one form or another, That was a disservice to the group and eradicated any progress that might have been made.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience and reflection Jonna- I can see how it might be viewed as an attack. I heard it as deep dismay and a challenge. In my experience when a minority voice speaks up and is in the lower power position it is extraordinarily difficult. Someone with power who is an expert in conflict- especially someone who is a theologian in today’s world serves
the process when they recognize that power imbalance. I can appreciate that somehow this situation was truly new or difficult for Pádraig.
And as you say, it left some of us/ and me in upheaval for weeks. My writing about it is a result of that turmoil in light of my history around embodied justice and som attempt to make sense of the experience. Again thank you so much for adding your perspective. It helps me.
Thank you for your voice and wisdom! Speaking from your experience and yourself as hyperlink, you have named some of the systemic problems and addressed them your own moral compass coordinates. While Calling people In should be key to any salon, one would think that the very title of this particular salon, Calling In the Common Good, would invite the Response Ability you outlined here. Sigh! Framing such events is essential and of course can be messy. I appreciate Starhawk’s recent post in substack on this topic of Framing Safety.
When Owl cries out “Who?”, you answered and asked for space in which all others could have voice. I don’t think Owls really want to live in cages of patriarchy.
Thank you so much Judy for your encouragement, especially given your long history of addressing inequity as a clergy woman and spiritual teacher. I will take a look at Starhawk's post.