We’re living in a time of profound transition. On the one hand, there are dark global trends taking place that could have serious impacts on the livability of many communities. We are also in the middle of technology changes that will accelerate the obsolescence of perhaps half our present jobs, including things people are training years for now.
Opposite this is predictions by various speakers of a rising golden age or age of enlightenment. A number of ancient time systems like the Yugas, the Mayan calendars, First Nations, and Age of Aquarius concur but don’t actually align well. Even experts don’t agree when the “big change” is.
There was a time when some were saying the opportunity was there but it wasn’t clear if the tide would turn in the right direction. But now consensus is largely that it has.
To me, it really became apparent in about 2006, when many people started waking up. Not by going to India or spending long periods in retreat. Just by being around the awake. Or grace came. Many long-term meditators started to “pop” as well.
The key now is making the transition as smooth as possible for the larger population.
“In order to establish order, disorder has to be shaken; and for shaking to remain under control, we who are at the basis, at the level of Para [transcendent], have to be Para — that is, unreachable by the surface turmoil. In that integrated state, the fast moving chaos and change will pass away in a steady manner.
So we have to be very steady. We have to be very careful not to get upset by little or big things. If we lose our basis, our dignity, the phase transition will take much longer.
This is a very precious time for the world. Everything depends on how our awareness is; just don’t let it be shaken. Our awareness is the basis of all these transformations. More than ever before, time demands we remain completely ourselves. It is a very tender, delicate time for us — we should not become angry, indifferent, or sad; we should just be like an ocean. The evolutionary power is waking up. We shake it, then leave it; then after some time shake it again. Each time a new level of purity, awakening is added”.
– Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, 1992
Another way of putting it – the inertia has to be broken up so flow can return. I sometimes use the analogy of puberty. It’s a time of great transition that can be smooth or bumpy depending on how we are with it and the purification needed.
In 2007 he said:
“What is going to come? Unexpected, unimaginable bright future of mankind…” I can certainly agree.
Astrologically (jyotish), there has been some challenging aspects for many people over the last year or two. That has not ended but this year brings something different.
Jupiter of expansion goes into its place of exaltation or greatest potency for a year in June. Then both it and Saturn of structure and limitations will be exalted for a few months. This happens every 60 years and tends to create a lot of societal change for the better.
A peak of this 60 year cycle is when Jupiter is joined by the Sun and Moon in the Pushya Nakshatra. However this time, on July 26, they are all conjunct within 2 degrees. This is not typical of the 60 year transit. The Srimad Bhagavatam calls this a sign of Sat Yuga.
Then in mid-September, everything but Venus is briefly either in its rulership or exalted. Potent times.
And why am I talking about astrology? If you understand that everything is an expression of consciousness, then our outer world is an expression of our inner world. (as a group, not individually) We can thus see the world as a reflection of our inner life. Any aspect of it could be “read” to reveal what is not obvious to us. Relationships make a great mirror, for example. Astrology done properly is a map of the trends of time, the cycles of energy underway plus points of opportunity for growth and avoiding danger.
Of course, we’ve all heard the lyrics to the old song Age of Aquarius.
“When the moon is in the Seventh House
And Jupiter aligns with Mars
Then peace will guide the planets
And love will steer the stars
This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius…“
Trouble is, the above circumstances happen every few years. And this actual Age change is still over 100 years away. That’s not what we’re talking about. This is better. Better than 2012 too.
We’ll see how it actually unfolds. Nothing instant, just a progression where the light reaches enough intensity that it breaks through every so often. That may be wonderful but if we’re not prepared, could be a little bumpy too.
What a ride.
Davidya
Last Updated on June 25, 2023 by Davidya
Hi Davidya,
If I could ask a question, where do you think the workforce of the future is headed? Many jobs that used to be done by people are now done by computers. This trend seems to be continuing.
I’m just trying to imagine the workforce of the future. What are we going to do, if the computers are doing everything? Are we headed for a future where nobody works?
Or is it that (some) jobs that are people-based with continue – nurses, doctors, teachers. And creative endeavors – art, music, and anything else that can be envisioned.
Hi Julie
Well – it’s certainly hard to predict given the complexity of it all. N. America has enjoyed some years of being a world leader, but that is waning. We have a much reduced industrial base. Cheap imported goods will gradually dry up.
It’s also not just computer based changes, but technology in general. For example, the linked article talks about our houses becoming energy sources, doing away with the massive power grids, wires, etc. Specialized and highly skilled jobs won’t disappear but many will change markedly.
Futurists are concerned about massive permanent joblessness and there’s some trends that way already – the economy has supposedly recovered but has not reemployed many. So there’s talk of minimum incomes and talent development so such people can remain productive.
In many ways, its part of a shift out of the industrial age into an information age. But another player in this is rising consciousness.
In a full golden age, no one “works” in the old industrial sense of the word but everyone is productive. Then its more about discovering our talents and gifts and using them in a way of service to community.
And in fact, I know more and more people doing much like that. They have not had a normal “job” in years, instead aligning their skills with need and offering a service.
Thanks for sharing.
Hi Davidya,
I’m reading an interesting book right now, called The Economy of You: Discover Your Inner Entrepreneur and Recession-Proof Your Life. It ties in with what you described in your last two paragraphs, with people looking to be productive and use their talents in ways outside the box of traditional work – maybe not in place of traditional work, but in addition to it.
With the job market in such change and with some uncertainty as to where things will be in the future, many are expanding out of their comfort zone and trying some creative endeavors. They are trying out other ways of making money and bringing new skills to the table, aspects of themselves that otherwise might not be fully expressed.
I can relate. My profession of librarianship has changed in such big ways. It’s hard to predict where it will be in the future. Libraries will probably still exist in some form, though they are morphing at top speed:) But with the trend toward fewer staff, I see the wisdom in developing other skills, both for job security and for having a richer experience of life. For example, I have a side job as a pet sitter, and it doesn’t feel like “work”. It’s outside the box of a traditional job, and isn’t based on working a set number of hours, but on completing a task.
There’s a kind of freedom to it, being able to move around freely and set hours freely and take on as much or little work as I want. But again, like you said, it’s more about being productive than about working per se. Just branching out in this one way is opening my mind to other possibilities, so for as much as the job market is shrinking or at least not growing, the possibilities for usefulness are springing to life.
Hi Julie
Yeah, self-employment has been the largest growing sector for “employment” for some time. The challenge there is that many of us were brought up and schooled to be good employees, not self-promoting entrepreneurs. In fact, we often have subtle messages against that. Soul of Money is a good book around that. So there is usually some failures along the way. A steeper learning curve.
I spent some time successfully building a tech startup during what became the dot com bubble. Then I self-employed myself through 4 business models, none of which went anywhere. It changes the role and landscape completely.
You also have rising ethics and spiritual people, trying to reframe the whole business enterprise – B-Corps, green, and so forth.
And yes, some are driven by low wages or demand into a supplementary business. It’s how they often recommend you transition.
In many ways, it’s much more challenging, but it has a lot to do with change. A working landscape where people work at what they’re good at and enjoy, where they see the markets created by the changing landscape and fill a real need.
And surprisingly, it really has a lot to do with following your bliss. When you do what is needed by the world, then support arrives. Perhaps in ways unexpected or uncomfortable. Perhaps in ways that are outside the box of “employment” in any normal sense of the word. But when you support the world, it supports you back. 😉
Comedian Jim Carrey did a grad commencement talk this weekend. His comments are appropriate here.
“Now fear is going to be a player in life, but you get to decide how much. You can spend your whole life imagining ghosts, worrying about the pathway to the future, but all it will ever be is what’s happening here, the decisions… that we make in this moment, which are based in either love or fear. So many of us choose our path out of fear disguised as practicality. What we really want seems impossibly out of reach and ridiculous to expect, so we never dare to ask the universe for it.
“My father could have been a great comedian but he didn’t believe that that was possible for him, and so he made a conservative choice. Instead, he got a safe job as an account. When I was 12 years old, he was let go from that safe job, and our family had to do whatever we could to survive. I learned many great lessons from my father, not the least of which was that you could fail at what you don’t love, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.”
He went on to say
“Like many of you, I was concerned about going out into the world and doing something bigger than myself, until someone smarter than myself made me realize that there is nothing bigger than myself. My soul is not contained within the limits of my body, my body is contained within the limitlessness of my soul.”
He went on to observe that he was not contained because he was the container.
Hi Davidya,
Yes, a different landscape completely. The years now have such a different feel to them than my years growing up. I’m sure I internalized the “be a good employee” message much more than the traits that are helpful now – initiative, drive, self-promotion, and just generally being enterprising. Looking for opportunities, reaching out for business rather than waiting for it to arrive, that kind of thing (laughter).
Each new endeavor has its own learning curve, and takes some time to gain experience. With it, lots of opportunities for mistakes. In some ways it’s more challenging to work for myself, but it’s also more stimulating, too. And I’ve always been an independent type, so I have that going for me:) I will check out the book you mentioned – Soul of Money. That sounds appropriate, as I want to be all about soul, but sure would like to have money too.
A nice thing about self-employment is that there’s no cap to the number of hours that can be worked per week, unlike most jobs working for someone else. And thereby the amount of income is not limited, either. Hard work can prosper, especially if the internal messages of self-belief and attitudes about money are congruent with that new…lifestyle.
Great quote by Jim Carrey. Love the part about it being possible to fail at doing what you don’t love, so why not take the chance on something more?
Hi Julie
But it does depend on your skill set and temperament. I don’t do well as a solo entrepreneur. Found that I too often gave away the keys, as I do here all the time. (laughs)
But in my role now, I do fine. It’s a better fit. I’d also note that you do want good work/life balance. You can indeed work longer hours for more income. But the smarter thing is finding ways to work smarter – earn more for less time. Books like the Four Hour Work Week talk about that, though I wouldn’t recommend all of his methods. Live Your Legend is another.
http://liveyourlegend.net/
I learned this by realizing I’d lost touch with my friends, so now I make a point of culturing a social life to balance the solo work.
Did a summary of Soul of Money here:
https://davidya.ca/2007/09/21/sufficiency/
It has a fascinating review of everything from wealthy women to poor desert dwellers.
Good points, Davidya. Thank you for the links!
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