Dear friends,
In the waning days of summer, our farmers witnessed something miraculous. Several monarch caterpillars chose to dangle from the farm fence, dissolve into chrysalises, and bust out as butterflies. Though it happened in plain sight, it’s still hard to fathom how such a radical transformation can possibly occur.*
Scientists tell us that the blueprint of the butterfly is hidden within the caterpillar in the form of single cells poetically called “imaginal.” These seeds of future potential at first operate independently and are perceived as a threat by the creature’s immune response. But gradually they persist, multiply, and connect with each other. Ultimately, they begin resonating and acting together until they hit a tipping point, and presto—a butterfly is born!
Creating an intentional community such ours takes imagination for sure. But even more, the vision requires cooperation among all its pieces and parts to coalesce, take form and to emerge, maybe even in miraculous ways. In this Almanac, you’ll find many opportunities to come together and originate something that has long been envisioned and is well on the way to being born. We invite you to come and be a part of the emergence!
See you at Common Ground
P.S. There’s still time to come to the Cooperative Skills workshop on Friday, September 30, from 7-9pm. RSVP to Hope for a link: hopematrix@fastmail.com
*Here is a short video showing the progress from caterpillar to butterfly. Enjoy! https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/exhibits/blog/monarch-metamorphosis-video/
https://www.commonground.eco/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Original-October-2022-Almanac.pdf
