Something Is Stirring, Shifting Ground

the impact of atmospheric demons and the shattering of charlatans

Mel Robbins, Aubrey Marcus, Glennon Doyle, and… Stephen Sondheim are rattling around my head. Changes are afoot breaking the hypnotic trance binding followers to iconic self-help icons. The hold that existed only a few years ago is currently tenuous at best. I mark this in the win category.

Now to burst into song.

Something is stirring, shifting ground
It's just begun
Edges are blurring, all around
And yesterday is done
Feel the flow, hear what's happening
We're what's happening
Don't you know, we're the movers and we're the shapers
We're the names in tomorrow's papers
Up to us man, to show 'em
It's our time
Breathe it in
Worlds to change, and worlds to win
Our turn, coming through
Me and you man, me and you

In Sondheim's cautionary tale warning of the dangers of an industry that will eat you up and spit you out, three best friends eager to enter the world stand on the rooftop of their college dorm dreaming of everything on the horizon. Merrily We Roll Along unfolds backwards, ending at the start and prompting this youthful optimism to tear at your heartstrings knowing the derailment ahead.

Ironically this song was performed as part of my high school commencement — quite dark if you stop to think about it. Two hundred eager graduates watched the sunset across Green Lake through the back windows of Kresge as the harmonies echoed off the bright orange rafters and carried through the woods. Careful! We're sending you into a world of misery and danger. Don't make the same mistakes as the Spring musical!!

Yet knowing the pitfalls of what could be emboldens you to choose differently.

Energetically, life feels a bit like we've hit rewind and are listening to the whir of the VHS player whip the tape back to the beginning. We've peeked at the darkest timeline and said, nah, I'll pass. Collectively pulling back from the brink, we snagged our power back.

Within the past few months, we've seen questioning and rebellion within the very communities that used to hold prominent figures on pedestals. Accusations of plagiarism hound Mel Robbins's inbox. Rejection of rebranding a "side piece" as "radical monogamy in the field of erotic mystics" hounds Aubrey Marcus. Debate over paywalling advice on Substack haunts Glennon Doyle.

None of this would have happened a few years ago.

Humanity is waking up from the trance, and boy are the demons angry.

To be fair, there's a bit of a chicken or the egg conundrum when it comes to the order of operations. Demons with longstanding control are ousted from their strongholds. People stir. More demons are unseated. Chicken. Egg. Chicken. Egg. Chicken. Egg.

While ultimately positive, it also feels like chaos. Someone shook the ant farm. The sediment clouds the once clear waters. The world feels insane.

All of those displaced demons seek new homes. Attacks on anyone shining brightly rage. Attempts to burrow into unsuspecting hosts abound. Wherever you fall on the spectrum of dark and light or evil and good, the impact is profound. So we wait.

Cultivating stability and a deep trust in yourself wasn't an act. It was preparation for this shift, this stirring. It's our time to stand on the rooftop and rewrite the story. We sat through the play. The potential ending rattled us. We're opting to live life differently.

Stick around. Things are always interesting.