Note: I wrote this piece before we entered into this travesty called 'war.' Yet I feel that the words written here are more applicable than ever. Truly, it is time to sow the seeds of the world we wish to see. -Ariana

     The world turns, the seasons cycle... That which dies is reborn, then blossoms, then withers once again... Much of the world lives on in perpetual winter, in destructive cycles of death and suffering. The media, the governments, corporations... so many people caught up in wars, violence, and abuse of the earth. Yet here we stand in the Spring, the time of new possibilities; time to sow new seeds, create new visions, and awaken this sleeping winter earth...

     And we have a choice: do we continue to take part in the destruction, or do we create anew? But this choice is not so simple, for there are many facets to each side. Like the goddess Kali, to destroy means to keep the balance. Destroy illusion, destroy pain, destroy that which destroys. I commend the activists that crash like waves against the institutions perched so precariously upon the cliffs of mama Kali's ocean. I commend those who lead the revolution, taking to heart Abraham Lincoln's words,
     "This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it, or their revolutionary right to dismember it or overthrow it." (First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1861)

     Yet in the wake of even the most necessary destruction, therein lies a barren ground ripe for the tilling. So if you like, take a moment to contemplate what you'd like to see arise from these fallow fields. Have you seen visions of a new world? One which lives in balance with the earth, that honors each inhabitant, that walks gentle upon the ground... How will this new world be structured? Who will lead? How will we relate?
     Now is the time to manifest these visions. For there must be an alternative already alive when the old & withered dies. This alternative must be clearly laid-out, organized, fun, welcoming, and better than the old paradigm. It must be concrete enough to appeal to those who are used to living under the highly structured regime of socially & self-constructed mores.

     I feel blessed to live in Boulder, Colorado, where so many of these new visions, institutions, and cooperatives are already in place. For countless years, this town has been a mecca for healing, spirituality, and alternative living. There is such a strong contingent, in fact, the the 'market' is practically saturated. Here you can dive into any method of bodywork, psychotherapy, body awareness practice, spiritual tradition, or new age method. There is even a college here, Naropa University, that offers, among other things, Ecopsychology, Buddhist studies, Dance & Music therapy, and Sustainable Living education.
     Somewhat new to Boulder, but already strong & flourishing, is the cooperative movement. The Boulder Cooperative Market has helped to catapult this movement to the forefront of the community's awareness. The Co-op itself offers a full health food market, a cafe, live music, yoga & body awareness classes, talks, open poetry nights, workshops & discussion groups. All this has inspired many cooperative offshoots as well, such as Skillshare (a cooperative barter network), a cooperative childcare network, a cooperative farm, and many more in the works.

     In short, I continually witness the building and rebuilding of a new paradigm, one in which we honor each other and wish to live simply yet gloriously upon this beautiful Earth. It is this side of the coin that we give praise to in this issue of the Caldron, "Spiritual Springtime: sowing the seeds of a new world." So without futher ado, please enjoy the many beautiful submissions we have received this Spring...

Ariana Saraha, Co-Editor