80+ people, ages 2-82, in the room

Jeff, Shiloh and I each gave a short speech to frame the event and define "The Call" that inspired us to create the event and which created the energetic and memetic container for the night's experience and dialogue.

We did a 3 round World Cafe, with big group harvests of essential ideas and patterns in between each round which Shiloh scribed onto big sheets of paper on the wall using her amazing graphic recording skills., making visible the wisdom in the room.

Question 1: Given your age, life experience, and point of perspective, what is your sense of the world right now?

Question 2: What matters most to you right now?

Question 3: What is your role here? And how can the community support you in it?

The harvest from question 3 was particularly powerful as people stood up to speak to their role and ask for community support, being witnessed by community in their vulnerability and power. Some really potent moments in this.

We then took the conversation to big group reflection on what had really stood out for each of us in the night's experience and explored where to next. A full day event is going to be offered up next, most likely in November.

With the end of the world as we've known it now in the rear view mirror, their was an openness and willingness to go deaper than i'd previously experience. The vitality of the space and the nourishment received from the intergenerational connections was really evident. By the end of it there was a collective sense that we had stepped through to the other side together. The cosmic egg has cracked, the collapse is now all around us, and we are those who have chosen to show up here, now, together. Something new began last night, and it is good.


Generally, there was a light turnout of those under 40, excepting those who have been active in the ReGeneration Project over the past year+, and a super strong crew of young men from the Wilderness Charter High School. This has been my experience as long as i've been in Ashland, so i wasn't surprised, though as ever, was a little disappointed to not see more of you in the house. The "Tribe" and "festival" scene" feel like natural allies in this work, creating a new reality and all, but my experience has long been that its near impossible to get much of a turnout if the event is a party. I would love some help in understanding why this is so and in evolving my events and invitations so as to generate more response and engagement.

We need ya'll in the room. We're also going to need your fingers in the soil.

How do we get there?