This is ecstatic Julie. I want to reach into the future and thank Anna’s great-grandmother for “granting personhood to rivers, bays, forests, and mountains.” I want to close my eyes tonight and dream about this time, believing in its possibility. And I love how the mycotoxin plays a central role in shifting humanity’s consciousness! Like Terence McKenna’s Stoned Ape Hypothesis that suggests that the consumption of psilocybin mushrooms by early hominins played a crucial role in the rapid evolution of human consciousness, including the development of language, symbolic thinking, and self-awareness.
I love imagining these ancient spores and mycelia having an intelligence and strategy far more sophisticated than our own, guiding us toward a more harmonious future.
Julie, then now someday is a beautiful, thought-provoking and heart warming tale. I loved the idea of fungi being at the centre of a new way of interacting with nature, and your imagining of a reconciliation with the Earth. Anna is a warm and relatable character that connects the then now somehow in your story. This is my favourite part —
‘Oh, my dear one, the earth will say into Anna’s trusting body. Everything is always only beginning.’
I don’t know if mycelium will save us or not, but thank you for your magical invocation! Your story, Then Now and Someday, as a creative story structure, really opens up spaces of possibility in incredibly granular ways, so grounded and connected to the living world♥️ I also love your reference to breathtaking progress in imagined legal developments, but all just recounted as almost inevitable.
Good grief Julie! This is such a brilliant turn around of the gloom and doom predicted for our future! I love every word, I love that you link it to Flux and Grace, to the toxins left behind by fracking, the whole story is just so damn clever! Bravo! I'm shouting that loudly btw.. 🙌🏽
This is fabulous, compelling, hopeful, even possible. I think about it a lot, our planets future, with and without humans, still existing flourishing despite what we wreak on her daily. She will recover, we may not, your story is a ray of light.
You did the hard thing in your story— imagining a future world where we turn things around. It’s lovely and hopeful. Thank you for putting this community project together. I loved being a part of it.
I’m so glad you joined in, Ben. Not to argue but in a way it was the easy thing. Maybe too easy? I keep thinking earth (especially mycelium) has been around for much longer than us, so it’s possible they’ll find ways to carry on that may or may not include us.
They can save us in my story too! Wonderful - so full of hope and promise and simplicity - we have it in ourselves to be this way - I hope we can evolve before it is too late.
This is ecstatic Julie. I want to reach into the future and thank Anna’s great-grandmother for “granting personhood to rivers, bays, forests, and mountains.” I want to close my eyes tonight and dream about this time, believing in its possibility. And I love how the mycotoxin plays a central role in shifting humanity’s consciousness! Like Terence McKenna’s Stoned Ape Hypothesis that suggests that the consumption of psilocybin mushrooms by early hominins played a crucial role in the rapid evolution of human consciousness, including the development of language, symbolic thinking, and self-awareness.
I love imagining these ancient spores and mycelia having an intelligence and strategy far more sophisticated than our own, guiding us toward a more harmonious future.
Yes! Exactly! Why not leave open the possibility? Thanks for reading. So appreciate your enthusiasm. 💚
I love the idea of mycelium saving us. I also loved the pace of your writing in this. It read like music.
Wow, thanks, Nick! Much appreciated.
What a fascinating and ultimately hopeful premise! Really enjoyed this, Julie.
Thanks for reading, Stephanie. Glad you enjoyed it. 💚
Loving the format of this. And the content, obviously! Have you read The Mother Tree?
Parts of it, yes. Thanks for reading! 💚
Julie, then now someday is a beautiful, thought-provoking and heart warming tale. I loved the idea of fungi being at the centre of a new way of interacting with nature, and your imagining of a reconciliation with the Earth. Anna is a warm and relatable character that connects the then now somehow in your story. This is my favourite part —
‘Oh, my dear one, the earth will say into Anna’s trusting body. Everything is always only beginning.’
Kate 🍄
Thanks so much, Kate. I love seeing what resonated for you. 💚
I don’t know if mycelium will save us or not, but thank you for your magical invocation! Your story, Then Now and Someday, as a creative story structure, really opens up spaces of possibility in incredibly granular ways, so grounded and connected to the living world♥️ I also love your reference to breathtaking progress in imagined legal developments, but all just recounted as almost inevitable.
Thanks for reading and for sharing your thoughts, Sharon. Much appreciated!
Gorgeous story, Julie. And such a strong and grounded hope for the future in the mycelial network of this piece.
And I have to say, I love what you do with form in your work. 💕
I so appreciate your saying this, Holly. I was anxious about it, but it was also fun to play around. 🤔 Kinda like life, eh?
Yes! I get that.
I was anxious about my last post too. I’m learning to read that, usually, as a sign it’s a good one. Hope that continues to prove true. ;)
It certainly did in the case of your story!
Good point. I had a writing teacher a while back who said much the same. When she thinks it’s all crap and not working, it probably is. 🙃🤷🏼♀️
And blue whales!!!!!! Oh Julie. Loved this sooo much. G.G. Grace and all.💜
Whales!!!
Good grief Julie! This is such a brilliant turn around of the gloom and doom predicted for our future! I love every word, I love that you link it to Flux and Grace, to the toxins left behind by fracking, the whole story is just so damn clever! Bravo! I'm shouting that loudly btw.. 🙌🏽
AND HERE I AM SHOUTING BACK MY THANKS FOR YOU, SUSIE! 💚
Thanks for the hopeful vision, Julie. Very affecting.
Thanks for being here, Joseph.
This is fabulous, compelling, hopeful, even possible. I think about it a lot, our planets future, with and without humans, still existing flourishing despite what we wreak on her daily. She will recover, we may not, your story is a ray of light.
I’m so glad it lands that way. I’m convinced that earth has more tricks than we can possibly imagine.
You did the hard thing in your story— imagining a future world where we turn things around. It’s lovely and hopeful. Thank you for putting this community project together. I loved being a part of it.
I’m so glad you joined in, Ben. Not to argue but in a way it was the easy thing. Maybe too easy? I keep thinking earth (especially mycelium) has been around for much longer than us, so it’s possible they’ll find ways to carry on that may or may not include us.
They can save us in my story too! Wonderful - so full of hope and promise and simplicity - we have it in ourselves to be this way - I hope we can evolve before it is too late.
Maybe we already are! Thanks for reading, Nick.