does the pope shit in the forest
jan
Spells for Collective Liberation and Healing
Our digital garden for learning in public. Here is where we share thoughts, concepts, tools, and resources that impact our lives and relationships.
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"don't chase the highs and don't avoid the lows" huhh?!!!?!! https://open.spotify.com/episode/09Y0RDscRfCV0b09IZUfZA?si=H0ue8xHKTD6CesWeWqZvOw&utm_source=native-share-menu
pia
I'm now watching damiens video "the god making machine" (FOOORGE) https://www.patreon.com/posts/171261001
really needed to hear this
pia
Nice, first time I'm hearing of the "second arrow" buddhist parable that he mentions. https://www.shamashalidina.com/blog/pain-suffering-story/
"Being grateful for what hardship teaches you doesn't mean pretending that hardship was good. It doesn't mean injustice becomes justice, or tragedy becomes something we should celebrate. It means refusing to let what happened have the final word on who you become."
jan
Knowledge Base
A growing and constantly updated library of concepts, tools, and resources that have been helpful to us.
Concepts (95)
Ideas and topics that help us understand our world.
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Concept5 mentions
Gratitude
"Gratitude is one of the most powerful and magnetic states you can exist in. On a grounded level, becoming consciously grateful for the things around you allows you a deeper connection with life and those involved in it. As well, from an energy standpoint, gratitude is a state of receiving. When we can exist in gratitude, we invite the forces of the universe to further give us things to be grateful for." – Kinzer MB in Life Beyond Suffering - Gratitude Journaling
CreatedNovember 4, 2026
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Concept14 mentions
Mental State
Our mental state has a lot of power over how we perceive the outer world and what we focus our attention on. Each state is temporary, even though it can sometimes feel like forever. It helps to recognize the current state without judging ourselves. It has helped us to work on the following elements. Each has its own set of practices, which we’ll explore below: - Awareness: Noticing our state. - Acceptance: Sitting with our state. - Shift: Reclaiming agency over our state. Meditation helps us get more aware of our mental state. The "waking up" that we practice during mindfulness meditation helps us catch patterns and recognize (and control) our state more easily over time. Not trying to change our current state and instead sitting with the feeling in presence can lead to a big change in how much power we assert to it. Fully accepting and being with our state leads to transmutation. - Flashlight of Awareness We can use tools to shift our attention away from our current state. However, it's important to recognize it before and not trying to suppress it.
UpdatedNovember 4, 2026
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Concept4 mentions
Jealousy
Jealousy can have a profound effect on how we see ourselves and others. It often causes heightened insecurities which can lead to negative projection and the Golem Effect. It can really feel like a demon sometimes, taking over control and shifting the state of consciousness. While jealousy can be a very challenging emotion, we shouldn't blame ourselves for experiencing it. We can take responsibility for how we deal with it, know that it's a learning process, and increase †rust and connection along the way. When alone and feeling jealous, gratitude journaling can be used to shift the attention away from negative projection and practice the Pygmalion Effect. At that moment, we don't have control over what's happening outside, so we can only take responsibility for what's happening inside us. The gratitude could be directed at what we have in our own life (appreciating what we have can lead to feeling less dependent on other people), at our partners (maybe even at them having a good time), and other people involved. Here is also a post with different coping strategies when feeling jealous: When getting back together after moments of jealousy, we're currently experimenting with rituals for (re)connection. These involve meditating together before doing a deep listening session. The goal is to have a container where everyone can securely share what has been coming up. <Image src="/img/2023-08-09-jealousy.jpg" width="1280"
UpdatedNovember 4, 2026
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Tools (25)
Exercises and practices that help us shape our world.
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Tool13 mentions
Gratitude Journaling
Gratitude journaling is a type of journaling that focuses on regularly writing down things we’re thankful for. By noticing and recording even small moments of joy, connection, or beauty, we train our attention toward what’s working rather than what’s lacking. Over time, this light work practice can shift our perception and deepen appreciation for everyday life. On a sheet of paper, write down things you're grateful for, starting sentences like this: - "I love..." - "I love, when..." - "I'm grateful for..." - "I'm grateful, that..." We recommend using explicit examples that help really feel the gratitude. For example, instead of "I love nature" you could write down "I love how the forest smells on a beautiful summer day." - Medium: Gratitude journaling can be used as part of a larger journaling practice (for example in Life Beyond Suffering) or in a dedicated space. We both use a dedicated journal for gratitude.
UpdatedNovember 4, 2026
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Tool4 mentions
Ultimate Success Mantra
The Ultimate Success Mantra is a mantra that was developed by Gay Hendricks and presented in his book The Big Leap. It is designed to be an antidote to the Upper Limit Problem. "I expand in abundance, success, and love every day, as I inspire those around me to do the same."
UpdatedOctober 21, 2026
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Tool3 mentions
Flashlight of Awareness
Flashlight of Awareness is a form of meditation that uses the ability to move our attention like a beam of a flashlight. It lets us focus our awareness on a single thing, such as a part of our body, a feeling, a sound, or a thought. The goal of this practice is to look into a specific part of our experience with curiosity and wonder. For example, if we feel pain or stiffness in a certain body part, we can shine our light of awareness there. Similarly, when we feel a certain emotion, it can help to notice where we feel it, and what it feels like. By choosing to be the curious observer that directs the beam, we can loosen our grasp on the experience and identify less with it. - Choose a target: a body area, an emotion, or anything else you want to look at - Point the beam of awareness at it and rest your attention there - Feel into it, breathe into it (do this as long as you want) - Observe how it feels with curiosity, without trying to change it - Notice anything that comes up: sensations, images, thoughts - When your mind wanders, notice where the beam went and gently bring it back (mindfulness meditation) - To finish, widen the beam to your whole body or the room around you
CreatedOctober 3, 2026
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Resources (34)
Books and other resources that we recommend.
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Resource
Article: Damien Echols on the Bow
On his Patreon, Damien Echols published an article called The Bow. "The bow signals that you have crossed a threshold, stepping out of ordinary life and into sacred space." "Bowing is one of the first things we learn in martial arts, but it is also one of the last things we ever truly understand. It looks simple enough, just a gesture of lowering your head or bending at the waist. Yet behind it lies centuries of tradition, layers of meaning, and a depth of practice that can change the way we move through the world." "When you bow, you acknowledge that what you are about to do matters." "One of the deepest meanings of the bow is respect. When we bow to the mat, we respect the training ground. When we bow to our instructors, we respect the years they endured to make it possible for us to stand where we stand. When we bow to our partners, we respect the fact that they place their bodies in our hands and trust us not to abuse them." "Carried into daily life, this respect transforms us. When you bow often enough in the dojang, you begin bowing inwardly in other places too. You show respect for the food you eat, the people you encounter, the work you do, even the difficulties you face. Life itself becomes the teacher, and every moment deserves the bow." "Over time, the repetition of bowing works like the repetition of forms, mantras, or prayers. At first, it feels simple. Then it feels redundant. But slowly, something deeper emerges. You realize that the bow is not just a ritual at the beginning and end of practice. It is practice itself." "In this way, bowing becomes a daily act of alchemy. It turns routine into ritual. It transforms ordinary gestures into sacred acknowledgments. It keeps us from falling into the illusion that only certain moments matter. With the bow, every moment becomes practice." "Each bow is an initiation. Each bow is a threshold. Each bow is a chance to dissolve pride, to return to presence, to remember gratitude. Over a lifetime of practice, bowing transforms us…not because of the movement itself, but because of the meaning we bring to it."
UpdatedNovember 4, 2026
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Resource5 mentions
Book: The Big Leap
In The Big Leap, Gay Hendricks introduces the Upper Limit Problem and shows how we can move past it. "Each of us has an inner thermostat setting that determines how much love, success, and creativity we allow ourselves to enjoy. When we exceed our inner thermostat setting, we will often do something to sabotage ourselves, causing us to drop back into the old, familiar zone where we feel secure." Gay Hendricks lists 4 barriers that are causing the upper limit problem to be triggered. "If you have a deep, old feeling that there's something wrong, bad, or flawed about you, you will find yourself grappling with that issue every time you break through to greater love and financial abundance." "This thought creates cognitive dissonance, the mind rattle that occurs when you try to hold two opposing thoughts at the same time: Given that I am fundamentally flawed (or wrong or bad), how can I possibly be this happy, rich, and creative?" "The cognitive dissonance must be resolved in one of two ways: by returning to your previous thermostat setting; or by letting go of the old, limiting belief, which allows you to stabilize at the new, higher level." "You're likely to feel, at a deep and unconscious level, that your quest for a life of your own and success on your own terms has come at the cost of leaving behind your roots and being disloyal to those who loved you."
UpdatedOctober 5, 2026
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Resource
Article: Damien Echols on Leaving Ritual Behind
On his Patreon, Damien Echols published an article called Leaving Ritual Behind. "For many years, ritual work was the center of my life. [...] And it worked. Unquestionably. It changed my inner landscape, sharpened my attention, reorganized my psyche, and altered the trajectory of my life in very concrete ways." "Because of that history, people often assume I must still be doing ritual work daily. [...] The answer surprises them: no, I don’t. And if ritual is done correctly, there will come a time when you don’t either." "The Buddha gives a perfect metaphor for this in the Diamond Sutra. He describes it as crossing a river. To cross it, you need a raft. The raft is essential. Without it, you will drown. But once you reach the other shore, carrying the raft on your back would be absurd. The raft has done its job. You leave it behind and continue walking." "In the beginning, ritual is a technology. [...] Ritual gives the untrained mind something to hold onto while it learns how to stay present." "Early on, ritual feels powerful because it is. The practitioner’s inner world is chaotic, fragmented, and reactive. Ritual introduces order. It creates boundaries. It teaches cause and effect on an internal level. You perform an action with intent, and something changes. This is intoxicating, because you realize it’s not fantasy, and it gives you agency where there was previously confusion and helplessness." "Over time, if the work is done correctly and with great devotion, the effects of ritual stop being episodic and start becoming structural. [...] Presence begins to appear on its own more and more often in “regular life.”" "At a certain point, ritual becomes redundant." "Ritual, in its early stages, often involves negotiation with the world…requests, invocations, adjustments. Later, that impulse disappears. The practitioner no longer seeks leverage over circumstances. Instead, they remove the internal friction that prevents reality from moving cleanly through them." "When ritual has done its job, it leaves you with something quieter and far more demanding: the responsibility to meet each moment directly, without ceremony, without insulation, and without excuses."
CreatedFebruary 5, 2026
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