avatarTree Langdon

Summary

The website content reflects on the use of technology to foster a sense of community and shared experience through virtual spiritual practices during times of physical isolation.

Abstract

The article "Alone We Are Content To Be Together Again" delves into the intersection of technology, poetry, and community, illustrating how individuals can come together virtually to share in spiritual rituals. It describes a solitary meditation session that transitions into a collective online gathering, highlighting the paradox of being alone yet together through the screen. The author paints a vivid picture of personal spiritual preparation, from lighting a candle to smudging with sage, and then shifts to the communal aspect, where participants connect over video call. The piece acknowledges the mixed emotions of the group, including loneliness and longing, but also the joy and comfort found in re-establishing a routine of friendship and communion through the "magic of a screen." The article concludes with a quote from Terry Pratchett, emphasizing that the sense of wonder and connection remains intact even when the mechanics behind it are understood.

Opinions

  • The author values the power of technology to recreate a sense of togetherness and shared ritual in the absence of physical gatherings.
  • There is an appreciation for the quiet, personal moments of spiritual preparation as much as the communal experience.
  • The article suggests that virtual spaces can evoke a profound sense of community and collective energy, despite the physical distance.
  • The author implies that the essence of spiritual practice is not diminished by the medium through which it is experienced.
  • The piece reflects on the emotional landscape of participants, recognizing the presence of both solitude and collective support in the virtual space.
  • The inclusion of a Terry Pratchett quote indicates the author's belief that the sense of magic or wonder in life can persist even when one is aware of the underlying mechanisms.

Poetry | Tech | Community

Alone We Are Content To Be Together Again

Using Tech To Find Each Other

meditation-2001317_640 by ImagesBG from Pixabay

Inside looking out I prepare to enter the practice. Lighting a candle I place it on the altar. With hands clasped together I bow to the Goddess as I sit in this ritual space.

I place the sacred sage gifted from the earth in the clam shell we gathered from the shore.

Strike the match ignite the smudge. Smoke floats.

Cupping my hands I inhale a woody scent then waft the greyish exhalation of the sage into corners of the quiet room.

alone

I drop inside savour stillness breathe the scent and quiet coolness as I hear the steady beating of my heart.

I reach out to adjust my screen. Arrange a plant tastefully in the background. Roll my out my mat and sit into the space in preparation for the session.

The call begins interrupting the stillness

The smiles of the collective a glimpse of their spaces unique as they are.

We share.

There is laughter and sadness in the voices loneliness for some, a sense of longing and of loss.

We acknowledge the absence of the gathering.

Then energy shifts and movement begins. The leader takes charge the practice begins with chanting and breath we are here again.

Alone but together. Together but alone.

The movements in my space are reflected by the movements of the others are our bodies remember and release.

We listen to instructions and meet them with reflection we are in a communion of souls.

A familiar circle of friendship routine reestablished in the magic of a screen. Possibilities without stillness within.

As we move together, we move alone.

Together but alone.

“It’s still magic even if you know how it’s done.” ― Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky

Sign up here to receive a copy of the infamous Word by Word Dictionary, by Tree Langdon and The Crew.

Poetry
Self Improvement
Philosophy
Entertainment
Art
Recommended from ReadMedium