Tag: inspirational

The Enigma of the Movement to Empower Women

On By Roger B. BurtIn Struggle, Women RisingLeave a comment

 

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What do you think is the significance of the movement to empower women?

The Centrality of Struggle

Time and again we see the centrality of struggle in the existence of all living beings. And humankind is definitely not excluded from the process. Recently our hopes were dashed as we descended deeper and deeper into conflict across the globe. Whether it is the broad distress of the Arab world or the appalling malaise of our national politics, we are challenged beyond what we had recently hoped.

One Central Struggle

When I step back, I again and again pinpoint one central struggle which I have come to believe is fundamental. And that is the struggle for the empowerment of women. I know of no research which defines for us the need for its immediacy or how it will lead to an essential outcome. But everywhere we are seeing signs of its importance and steadily perceiving the benefits.

In America we have a war on women. And we have to ask why it is so essential that women be confined and that so many men are willing to work against the independence of women and their opposition includes the availability of reproductive health care which is so central to health care for women. Not once have I heard a definitive explanation nor have I seen illuminating research. In so many cases I am seeing evidence of deep underlying, even unconscious, processes which seem to be at work.

Beyond Power

It is easy to dismiss this entire process as a matter of power. But, nowhere do the possible outcomes suggest that it is purely a matter of men yielding power. Certainly there is a component of power but the explanations are insufficient. There may be duplicity in male opposition and they may defend their own women better than women at large. But the process is all encompassing. It goes beyond reproductive rights including showing up everywhere in the workplace. I’ve never heard an adequate explanation for income inequality.

Struggling for Solidarity

And then recently I found an overlooked copy of Bloomberg Business week from early February. In it was a long article entitled “The Female Solidarity, Have-It-All, Feel-Good Machine”. And in the article they ask, “Feminism is being branded and sold like never before. Who is it really helping?” Throughout the article there are pictures of women attending conferences where men are utterly missing. They describe a struggle to work for empowerment. And it is apparent that the struggle is not strictly against men. Yes, the all male panel speaking to the women is gone but the tone of the article is distressing.

Difficulty Within the Ranks

Maybe I’m missing something. It seems women are not unified which is hardly surprising. Utter unity is missing in all kinds of movements. The Bloomberg article points to a great deal of conflict and uncertainty. Yet, the thing that disturbs me the most is the seeming absence of any effective joint efforts between women and men to work together to define and move the effort forward. Or, at least it is not prominent.

Partnership to Build Partnership

Can it be that men are that unaccepting of the movement that they must be shut out of the efforts? Or can it be that women are sufficiently divided that they must close the discussion or be divided hopelessly? I cannot find any significant explanations or example. This movement is essential but it seems we are groping in the dark. Or is it that we do not know what we are groping for or fear what we might find? It clearly deserves a great deal more discussion.

I realize that this post is a ramble because I cannot find clarity of definition for what is happening. I’m not sure any of us know what the empowerment movement means, where it might lead or why we might fear it so. And by that last statement I mean both men and women.

I would love to see some in depth exploration of the process behind this issue. But beyond all the uncertainty I believe the bottom line is that the empowerment of women is a game changer and crucial to the future of humankind.

What do you think is missing in this movement? Why is the struggle so difficult?

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#struggle for women’s rights,#war on women,#powerful men,#partnership with women

Life Wins Almost Every Time

On By Roger B. BurtIn Cusp of Reality, Struggle, WritingLeave a comment

 

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What sudden shifts have you experienced in your life?

Clarity Versus Reality

We may maintain contradictory beliefs at the same time. We often “know” about our future and what we want one moment at a time. But life has a way of having other “thoughts” for us. A trip to Washington, D.C. and the halls of Congress is instructive.

A Political Environment is Almost a Life Form in Itself

There is a class of political beings clearly to be seen. Almost routinely they are clad in dark blue or black suits whether they are men or women. These are the aides and the employees of the members of Congress. Many of them fought hard to get their jobs. Sometimes it wasn’t a matter of simply applying. Often it involved service in successful political campaigns. In some cases they had to serve a number of times before their candidate won and they could join him or her in government. They could then come along for a glorious career.

Except there is a sobering note. There is an age group missing in DC. The dominant age group jumps from twentysomethings to middle age. Why is that?

Along Comes Destiny

The problem is that fabulous face. It is seen across a room at a party or a gathering of some kind. Two people enchant each other and then the most terrible thing happens. They desperately want to be together and that generally leads to a passionate involvement, marriage and children. Setting up the appropriate household and managing the insistent newcomers are all consuming. And so the careers are interrupted or end. The political passions are replaced by the personal passions and associated needs.

It often seems that this almost inevitable human event was not foreseen. The focus was on the moment and the excitement of the career. At some point we once again see the insistence of a reality we live on the edge of. Isn’t it amazing how we can evade the almost certain element of life which is just waiting out there? We do an extraordinary balancing act with these various facets of our lives. The adventure may only be for a time. Or at least that particular adventure. And often the fiction writer plays out the scenarios for us. Perhaps we should pay more attention to fiction.

What is your style in pursuing fiction? Do you consider it or experience it?

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The Creation of Gaia’s Majesty – 2

On By Roger B. BurtIn Characters, Life Forms, Mythology, WritingLeave a comment

Gaia’s Majesty: Discovery – An Unbearable Choice

Book 1 Los Res 10-1-2015

(Book 1 of the Gaia’s Majesty Trilogy)

Available now at Amazon.com

———————————–

Creation with Design

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How do you approach a creative endeavor?
The books of Gaia’s Majesty were not entirely designed. It felt more like they unfolded. The concept began to “occur” and then I did do construction and outlining.

My wife, Mala, and her writing partner Laura write screenplays. Some might say its not the same thing as fiction writing but they have a lot in common. There’s only so much writing by pure inspiration which can be done. I learned about the story arc and used Dara Marks’ Transformational Arc for each of the books and for the trilogy as a whole. (see http://www.DaraMarks.com). I found a rigid application was not possible (it never is in a creative process) but it proved very helpful. There had to be departures since people are people and stories are stories in the creative process.

Life Takes Over

From there the characters took on life and the “what if” came to life as well. I found things coming from out of my past. There were universal forces which presented themselves. I brought in the Mysterium as a creative force of the universe. It is the force most beautifully displayed by women which fosters bonding and fulfillment. When I finally decided to go back and googled it I ran across details about a board game. Seriously? Then I dug deeper and found material about the Mysterium Tremendous which I covered in my post of January 18, 2016 with a further commentary on January 20th. It turns out I had filed the term in my brain fifty years ago when I was deep into the works of Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell.

I also brought in the Maelstrom. The name is probably much more familiar. I saw it as the destructive force in the Universe but felt it had a creative side as well. Even as galaxies collide and suns are built and destroyed there is creation. And out of the explosions of suns come stardust from which humankind was built.

More Speculative Elements

From there came further speculation. As the myth of the story developed I found I could not look away from the possibility that there were other types of life forms. Our senses have a specific focus for our life and survival. We might be missing something. After all this room in which I sit is alive in its own way and I can’t feel what is transiting until I pick up my cell phone or use my computer. What else have we been missing?

And, of course, I had to ask the question, perhaps the universe is not just the universe but may it be a life form in itself? For the longest time we naively thought Earth contained the only life there was in the universe. We are seeing evidence which points far beyond our planet. And currently in our life on earth it is hard not to speculate about a coming denouement and the possibility of transformation. And within each event were waves. (More on all of these possibilities later.)
Experiencing the Speculation

A central issue, of course, was creation and whether it had coherence and direction. But, in the end, it is the exploration process which I find most interesting. And the wonder of it all is that we are getting to see how it all plays out with humankind. At least for now.

What do you expect will happen?

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#fiction writing,#personal inspiration,#universal forces,#Carl Jung

The Creation of Gaia’s Majesty – 1

On By Roger B. BurtIn Mythology, Women Rising, WritingLeave a comment

Gaia’s Majesty: Discover – An Unbearable Choice

Book 1 Los Res 10-1-2015

(Book 1 of the Gaia’s Majesty Trilogy)

Available now at Amazon.com

Fiction and Empowerment

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Do you find purpose in your reading or writing?

Finding Answers

At some point I began to question why I was writing this story. The answers did not present themselves, at least in a unitary or ordered fashion. Of course, it really isn’t necessary to question why we write fiction or, for that matter, why we read fiction. It’s fiction and we enjoy it.

But in time the reasons began to become clear. My fascination with the work of Carl Jung led me in a variety of directions. The first of which was to consider the meaning and effect of myth. I love mythology. There are magnificent stories, and with simple reflection, we can see that they are fundamental stories of us. Not just a given person but about the nature and meaning of all of us.

A Central Viewpoint

In turn I had to look at my chosen direction within the project, and I could clearly see that the “what if” was central. And from Jung’s personality typology I knew that intuitive personality types are most prone to ask “what if”. We always search for meaning and what might be because possibilities are the fruit of our lives. I recall my mother returning from a conference with my third grade teacher and telling me that the teacher had said, “Roger has contributions to make when he’s here.”

What the teacher meant was that I was often dreaming out the window. I was clear. When the teacher said something of interest, I took it and stormed out the window to explore it. And so I have gone out to explore our world through Gaia’s Majesty.

Possibilities for Outcome

But why this story. Because women are being empowered and we cannot look away from the significance of it. And so women become the movers and shakers in the story. Another facet is that I am thoroughly convinced that this is an interregnum or denouement for all humankind. And things are moving swiftly. So this story is built on current conflict and seeks to build possibilities for the outcome, at least in symbolic form.

And there is so so much to explore. Our societies are in upheaval, we are seeing a sifting of the possibilities for each group, each nation and, of course, for humankind altogether. It would be easy to be dismissive and simply see it as a time of disorder. There are certainly times of substantial disorder in human history. Of course, it is impossible for me to throughly support my belief. The outcome will be revealed in time. But it would seem that in many ways humankind is maturing and old ways are giving way to new ways. That is not to say that prejudice, hatred, fascism, ignorance, greed and the seeking of power have disappeared. But alternatives can be fostered more widely and richly with our communications system. Information technology is changing everything.

Clarifying What’s on the Horizon

I think, in the end, I see Gaia’s Majesty as fundamentally a philosophy and a hope and that those things are supported by elements in the world as it is evolving. It seems probable that the interregnum will be fraught with peril but, as it has so often been in the past, there will be a consolidation, or is transformation not out of the range of possibility? And this may be a time of testing of a new order. What fun!

Which new order would you prefer?
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#women empowerment,#speculative fiction,#Gaia,#ancient mysteries,#spirit guide,#Carl Jung

Peace Through Empowerment of Women

On By Roger B. BurtIn Mythology, Women RisingLeave a comment

 

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Why have we failed to notice the empowerment movement?

Achieving Partnership

The empowerment of women worldwide is an underreported process of unprecedented importance. To the degree that its import is recognized, we see highly beneficial effects on relationships, families, communities and countries. While our attention is drawn to such things as what may be the beginning of a hundred years war in the Middle East and the absurdity and shame of our national politics, we may be missing the dawn of the maturity of humankind as we achieve true partnership between men and women.

Myth as Truth

For me this stunning process collided with my regard for the work of Carl Jung. Although he may be simply described as a psychiatrist, he went ever so far beyond the human mind to study the meaning of myth. What he brought back to us was the recognition that myth comprises not just interesting stories but the truth of humanity.

Weaving the Movement and Myth

In the end I found I could not overlook the opportunity to weave together the story of empowered women in a mythological context. And so was born my work of speculative fiction called the Gaia’s Majesty Trilogy. The first book, Gaia’s Majesty: Discovery – An Unbearable Choice has just been published and is available on Amazon as a paperback or in the Kindle edition.

Follow the Blog

Come join me in this adventure as humanity reaches what may be a denouement and possibly its transformation. You are invited to visit and follow my blog cuspofreality.com for related commentary, revelations and explorations. Posts are now scheduled for Mondays and Wednesdays late morning. Just click on “follow” in the right hand column and you will receive the posts as they come out. And I would love to hear from you and what you think.

What are your thoughts about how we can support this movement?

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#cuspofreality,#womenrising,#empowermentofwomen,#gaia,#gaia’smajesty,#gaia’smajestydiscovery,#anunbearablechoice,#gaia’smajestychallenge,
#thechosenrise,#gaia’smajestytransformation,#lifeforcesrevealed

The Truth of Speculative Fiction

On By Roger B. BurtIn Cusp of Reality, WritingLeave a comment

 

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What form of fiction do you prefer? Why?

The Truth of Speculative Fiction

Again I come from the position of asking what constitutes reality. Not only do we disagree among ourselves but an examination shows us that there are forms and layers.

Fiction, for example, is only unreal because the characters and the story do not exist in what we call the real world. But, of course, they do. People we know inspire characters, we, ourselves, inspire characters. And how many basic story patterns are there?

Our Choice Represents Us

The particular type of fiction we choose either to read or to write tells a story about each of us. As such there is no such thing as the best. It is merely what is best for the person who is pleased with their choice. That does not deny that some people are better at their craft than others.

Later in the blog I”ll be addressing the substance of human personality types which Carl Jung had the brilliance to organize for us. Each type makes their own choices of fiction. That again suggests there are no rights or wrongs, just a matter of who and how we are.

The Richness Of the Creations

Romance attracts one set of people, science fiction another. Tragedy has it’s own way of helping us adapt and explore. I prefer speculative fiction because of my personality type. I’m constantly looking behind things. When I see myth, I see human truth of many sorts. When fiction is speculative I can examine possibilities and turn them around in my mind. I find it such fun. I want to be intrigued. It isn’t the turn of phrase for me. It is the what if which engages me. And then we can plan for a future and how it might be.

And so we have a variety of forms of seeking how things might be, what choices we might make and the shapes and meanings to be found in the world. And again and again we open our minds when we explore various realities and each one may mean something very different to each one of us. Aren’t we fortunate?

What are your emerging choices?
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#gaia’smajestydiscovery,#anunbearablechoice,#gaia’smajestychallenge,
#thechosenrise,#gaia’smajestytransformation,#lifeforcesrevealed

The Gaia’s Majesty Trilogy

On By Roger B. BurtIn Transformation, WritingLeave a comment

 

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What in your life took hold even without a plan?

Ephemerality to Fact

It was my writing of the Gaia’s Majesty Trilogy which inspired this blog. As a psychologist I have always been impressed by how ephemeral reality can be even for people who are demonstrably stable. When the inspiration for the Majesty stories struck it quickly became clear that a lot of it had already been created back in the reaches of my mind. Granted we now have the tools to scan our brains and can see unconscious processes. But it was still amazing to me how well formed it was.

Layer upon layer it came forward and with each layer came the characters. Maybe they did not quite come up and introduce themselves but they were there. Many days after writing I found myself quite weary as if I had really been dealing with a host of beings. I have to wonder how many other people experience that or something related when they write. Our imaginations are powerful things and I suspect many writers feel the same way.

A Sequence Existed

And so the writing proceeded. I thought I was writing a book but it quickly became clear that there was more than one. The first one, Gaia’s Majesty: Discovery introduced the concept, the settings for the characters, the characters and the fundamentals of what was happening to humankind. In the second, Gaia’s Majesty: Presence, Gaia becomes ever more involved and the world descends into crisis. But being who I am as a person who may be cynical but believes everything can be salvaged, we then move into the third book, Gaia’s Majesty: Transformation.

I’ll leave the books to unfold but at this point am fascinated by the process. And now I have the first book days away from publication and two more books well advanced. What disturbs me is that I feel a fourth book is stirring deep inside and I have no idea what it is about but I can feel it.

Reality as a Living Process

What we call reality requires considerable attention. It is clearly made up of depths and when we get to reality then we have the interface with our fellow humans. The fact that it is so complex and alive is what gives us our passions and excitement. How wonderful is the process of creation in all its facets and that we have so much behind our reality!

Can you perceive something stirring deep inside you?

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#gaia’smajestydiscovery,#anunbearablechoice,#gaia’smajestychallenge,
#thechosenrise,#gaia’smajestytransformation,#lifeforcesrevealed

The Myth Underlying the Gaia’s Majesty Trilogy – Part 2

On By Roger B. BurtIn Characters, MythologyLeave a comment

 

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Join us at cuspofreality.com. Follow the commentary, join the conversation, and get the FREE Novella at publication.

Does the coming empowerment of women mean we are beginning a resolution?

In the beginning, in order to compete with other animals on the planet, these beings created tools and used their capacity to formulate culture to aid in their development and endeavors. The males would have to be larger and more aggressive to ensure survival. The females were smaller, generative in agriculture and the arts and produced the children. They were central in tending cultural development. In the beginning they held less power but Gaia knew that their time would have to come and that, while generally less powerful physically, they would have to assume a different kind of power. True partnership between the males and females would become essential. Predation among these beings would have to be contained.

Over time these creatures collectively known as humankind had become successful and ruled the planet. But a final struggle was taking form. It was the struggle Gaia knew was surely inevitable. Over the millenia the clever animals were assuming diverse ways. Some were inclined to be dominant and aggressive and continued their predation in a myriad of forms. Others were more inclined to stewardship whether it was of their own people or the planet itself. Sooner or later Gaia knew there would have to be a definitive confrontation and resolution.
Beck Eriksen – lead protagonist
It was all so simple. He earned an engineering degree, then an MBA following the track his father had foreseen for him. Then he got a job with a defense contractor headed by an unscrupulous Overlord. He couldn’t have dreamed of or considered this fate. But Avery was with him and deeply committed. And the most wonderful thing was that he was not threatened by her lush Mysterium. In fact, he dove deep into it with her. Life was often difficult but she made it all worthwhile. He was her rock and knew they would prevail.

The Myth Underlying the Gaia’s Majesty Trilogy – Part 1

On By Roger B. BurtIn Characters, MythologyLeave a comment

 

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Follow the commentary, join the conversation, and get the FREE Novella at publication.

What if this myth was our reality?

Exploring human history leads us back into misty origins and within those origins are fascinating events and adventures. Many of them are not recorded except perhaps as they may be revealed in mythology which often is shown to be more truth than fiction. The long ago events continue to shape our present lives and often tell who we are and foretell the future of humankind. Constructing a myth is a way to illuminate who we are and what our future may be.

In this myth our earth mother Gaia chose an experiment. There were creatures developing on Earth who were especially clever beings. But, even as they were clever, Gaia could see they could be dangerous to themselves and to her planet and that meant herself. It was clear if they were to be sufficiently dominant to pursue their endeavors that they were to be predators. Gaia was intrigued by the fact that their future would no doubt be tumultuous and the final story was not yet written or ordained. By their very nature, it seemed their potential might be of special interest, an adventure which Gaia could not resist observing. Where it would lead was beyond anything she could imagine. In her wisdom Gaia laid the groundwork to enhance and oversee the grand adventure.
Avery Corbett – Lead Protagonist
Avery thought she was alone in the world after the death of her parents. She had a job to which she was dedicated as she worked to provide micro loans to third world women. Little did she know a goddess was watching over her and designing her future. She wanted a family but the people of her new family who showed up were diverse and overwhelming. A real upside, however, was that she found a truly great guy. Together they went deep into the world of the “fishies” as she called them. As the lead protagonist Avery will join us for the entire trilogy.

Focus on Our Personal Meaning

On By Roger B. BurtIn WritingLeave a comment

Here is a terrible but intriguing question. What is your personal meaning?

dreamstime_s_7956342“Seriously?”

In the end the meaning of how the world is must be less important than our exploration of our own reality and meaning. In doing so speculative fiction may aid us. And that fiction may involve a search through ancient mysteries which may be intriguing as we attend to our own growth and inspiration. One viewpoint is that such a focus is too self centered but if we don’t guide ourselves through self exploration then we may have no direction at all. Maybe we won’t achieve a transformation but certainly we have to move beyond ourselves at some point and as we do we have to hope we have not lost our way.

The Core of Authenticity
It was very hard for me to not consider existential philosophy while I studied psychology. I found them intertwined. Early existential philosophers believed that their thinking began with the human subject. Woven in were concerns about disorientation if we did not examine ourselves. And, of course, there was the matter of authenticity. But they wondered if it all was merely absurd and at the same time wondered if considerations were too abstract. It helps if there is a direction or an object and that may mean validating our own personal meaning and giving it some substance

Confession
Now a confession. These decades later I can’t summarize the works of the existentialists. I frequently felt lost in the depth of their thinking and the subtlety of presentation. I’ll leave it to you if you want to pursue the thinking of people like Kierkegaard, Nietzsche and Sartre. But, in the end, the takeaway almost has to be the dedication to building our own view of an authentic self which leads to productive dedication and development. And it is that dedication that is woven into the Gaia’s Majesty Trilogy.

A Little Closer to “Reality”
I think we’ll stay a little closer to ordinary reality which is difficult enough because it can be quite confusing and ephemeral. At one level, though, considering how authentic we are in our daily lives is worth considering. And, in fact, I can’t completely detach psychology from existentialism. Some of us run into more trouble than others as we try to make our way. And some of us turn to literature to do our exploring. Certainly vast areas of literature are helpful and fulfilling. Again it is probably psychology that leads me to science fiction, fantasy and speculative fiction.

The stories writers create are ways of sharing among people the explorations of ourselves, humanity and what our future might hold. These considerations help guide us.

Have you seen works of fiction have large impacts? If so, what works were they?