The Trembling Warrior: A Guide for Reluctant Activists
Foreword by Mac Macartney
There have been many times in history when brave people have stood and turned to face a foe of unimaginable strength and felt wholly under-resourced, under-prepared, and very frightened. Such stories are the stuff of legends and serve us questions that challenge, inspire and terrify. What would I do if I was in the sameContinue reading “Foreword by Mac Macartney”
An introduction…
In these surreal times, most people recognise that systemic inequality is rife, and industrialised humanity has accidentally brought on widespread and toxic destruction. We recognise the harm done to our fellow humans, and to myriad creatures who run, swim, fly or crawl; and crucially, to the whole living planet that carries us all through space.Continue reading “An introduction…”
Trembling Warriors
Who do I mean by Trembling Warriors? I mean anyone who feels called to stand up in their vulnerability for all that is good in the world: for health and justice; truth and sanity. Trembling Warriors are often natural poets, artists, dreamers; healers, sages and visionaries – even if they haven’t found a way toContinue reading “Trembling Warriors”
Dreamer
At the core of many Trembling Warriors is a deep and self-renewing conviction that a sane and healthy humanity is possible. Idealists dream, although perhaps they know it may only ever be a dream, of paradise on Earth. Such dreaming is important, perhaps vital, work. The Dreamer is the first of twelve Trembling Warrior qualitiesContinue reading “Dreamer”
Tender Heart
Trembling Warriors are by definition sensitive: in their perceptive senses, emotionally, or both. Like plants that curl up self-protectively when conditions are too harsh, they may recoil instinctively from harsh noises, lighting, or fabrics. They may flinch at the sight or sound of violence – whether ‘real’ or ‘fictional’. There is often no felt difference.Continue reading “Tender Heart”
Hedge Dweller
If you’ve spent any time sitting quietly in fields, you’ll have noticed that some creatures boldly use open space while others, like mice, slow worms, and dunnocks, stay mostly within the protection of hedges: emerging only when they need to, rushing back at the first hint of danger. They know how to keep themselves safe.Continue reading “Hedge Dweller”
Firebrand
The Trembling Warrior’s fire is their surprising gift to the world. Sensitive idealists are usually warm and mild, and so others don’t always take them seriously. They are experienced and treated very differently when they show the intensity of their inner flame in speaking truth to power. Fire can be used to illuminate a darkContinue reading “Firebrand”
Fight and Flight
Fear motivates many activists, at a time when there is so much to be fearful about: change, loss, hardship, death. As climate and society unravel, we may fear an unknown future. Activism seeks to shape that future… but some are afraid of activism itself. Fear is seldom spoken about, but it has a really importantContinue reading “Fight and Flight”
The Perpetual Child
There is often a childlike quality about gentle idealists. Often delighting in a rich connection with nature and the cosmos, they can be found walking through life in a state of wonder and eagerness: gazing at rainbows, singing a simple melody, or trailing their fingers in dewy grasses. The ‘perpetual child’ archetype, in Jungian psychology,Continue reading “The Perpetual Child”
The Lover
Sensitive idealists can overflow with love. They are allured and enchanted: by forests, songs, wild creatures, stories, or mountains; by artists, meadows, ideas, oceans, or humans: perhaps especially those humans who are mysterious, maverick, poignant, or vulnerable. Love is the main reason such Trembling Warriors become activists: whether they fight to protect ancient woodland, farmedContinue reading “The Lover”
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