The Desert

I have returned from the Four-Fold Way 12-Day Intensive program with a renewed sense of purpose and commitment for the work of Visionmaking.  

It was a wonderful experience to spend time in the Sonoran desert. It was unseasonably hot and I arrived with a cold. But the hypnotic rhythm of the land-medium to slow-produced a natural altered state. Just the right environment to pause, reflect and envision the next stage of the journey of meaning.

The spirits of land and place, what the Greeks called 'genus loci', were especially palpable at dawn and dusk. Those are the times of the day when the veil between the worlds is thin and you can catch a glimpse of the future.

For Visionmakers, it is important to take regular breaks from outer action to reflect on all that has unfolded and to re-dream the journey forward. This allows access to the Cycle of Visionmaking, which begins with practices of reflection; the gathering of insight; the projection of foresight; the harnessing of wisdom; and the making of purposeful action.

This is how we re-vision our world and ensure that we make steady progress on the path of purpose and meaning. Seeing is the Visionmaker's way. In the Sonoran desert it is possible to see a preferred future uninhibited by the past.

This week, I will return to the practices of Insight with a post on Intuition.

© Patrick O’Neill 2008. All rights reserved.