An image that has come to me repeatedly over the past few years is that of a forest. In this forest there are many big trees that dominate the forest, blocking the light for the smaller trees and new seedlings in the understory. A number of the big trees have recently been damaged causing them to partially fall onto one another. Many of these big old trees are still living but no longer in their full glory and capacity. The result is that the light is now able to reach much further down into the forest. This is giving the smaller trees and new seedlings an opportunity for growth that was not there before. With storm activity – which is how I see the recent impact of the corona virus – those older trees are further impacted, their resilience challenged. The older trees are struggling to ensure their survival, and in the process some parts fall off into the forest understory, providing fertile food to the new rising plants. The old trees often provide essential protection or bridges for new species to grow.

The forest is a vast ecosystem made up of many aspects, some of which only become visible and viable in stress and crisis. The biggest trees in the forest may appear dominant, but often it is the smaller, little beings that provide the interconnectivity and are, in fact, more important to the sustainable life of the entire forest.

The forest is always growing, evolving and changing.

Can we all take a moment –  breathe – sense about our own immediate world and check in where we may have overlooked the care and support that is already present and emerging.  In my own experience I have had so many more friends, neighbours and even strangers ask me; “Are you ok? Can I help you in any way?”  Please, take a moment and feel the support already present in your life – it might gently surprise you.
 
My overarching sense of what has been/is happening is that whatever shadows and unseen issues – personal and collective – we have in our lives are being brought more into the light, into focus.  This gives us the opportunity to see these shadows more clearly, to look fresh, here and now, at what is being    made visible.  This is not something that will just be for the next few months, but indeed heralds the next few decades of evolutionary potential.

For many sensitive people (which is likely most of you reading this!) darkness coming into light can be overwhelming.  It can create fear and anxiety even when right now in this moment there may truly be no reason to experience fear.  Please remember to breathe and actively look for the light.  The light may be nature, a place that you feel relaxed and at ease  or a person you feel safe with.  It might be a favourite piece of music that allows your nervous system to unwind and reduce fear and stress, thereby supporting you to access your own wider capacity to see and understand your life situation with greater clarity, right here, right now.  When we are relaxed it is easier to have clearer access to the visionary and creative part of our brain.  It can be hugely supportive to allow laughter to uplift us in the midst of crisis, to reset our brain chemistry and our capacity to see clearly.  So, as often as you can, take time away from the media, walk in nature, play with children, watch an uplifting video, breathe – and then reflect.  You may find your perspective is more down-to-earth.
 
This is an intense time, and it is understandable that many lose hope in the face of adversity. Hope is not a word I normally use but in my New Year’s meditation and blog, I found myself embracing the need for Hope.  As this year progresses I am understanding this impulse more deeply.  We do need Hope.  For those of us who cannot see clearly, we need Hope that the sun will shine again, we need Hope that the virus will recede, that the economic situation will balance.  We need Hope that the turbulence will pass and that something good and uplifting will appear on the horizon.  Hope is a natural part of our human evolutionary capacity for resilience, it enables our ability to rise in the face of adversity, survive and thrive.  Hope enables our creativity and innovation, our ability to evolve new directions, systems and pathways – socially, technically and practically.  Give space for Hope in your contemplation and opportunity for Hope to be a healthy contagion.
 
As I see it, this is a time when a lot of systems will begin to change.  I do not feel that this will be an overnight dramatic change.  For systems to change it will require that a lot of the unseen and dysfunctional aspects – the darkness and the crap! – become more visible.  It could be that over the rest of 2020 the illumination of systemic shadows continues to be dominant.  This does not mean we are sinking into dystopia!  But it could mean that we have different waves of activation during the rest of this year and partway in 2021 where additional confronting themes, facts and shadows are brought into the light.  There could be further economic and political scandals that highlight disparity.  There will likely be climate/earth events that highlight the vulnerability of our relationship with Earth.  These issues are not new.  They have already been present for many years and therefore it is good that they become more visible so that they can be seen, addressed and worked with.  Darkness coming to the surface can be shocking and heartbreaking when we experience these waves of illumination, but please remember: when these issues are made visible it means we can work with them, allowing change and evolution to happen.
 
On a predictive level, I feel there could be an interesting bump in September-November as the impact of the various pauses due to quarantine and lockdown measures become more visible.  Geo-political impacts and imbalances may become more obvious as well.  This could likely lead to another wave of anxiety and fear collectively.  So, I suggest that the rest of this year 2020 it will be helpful to remember to breathe. Listen within.  Allow a wider view.  And remember that some unhealthy bubbles need to be popped open.  That can be messy… and that is ok!  Some bubbles will, of course, remain and pop sometime over the next years.  Evolution and changes will not all happen at once, from how I perceive our current situation.

Fundamentally, I do feel we will have more balance in our economic world over the next 10 to 15 years, and some of the disparities will be healthily addressed.  It is entirely possible that we will have radical shifts in technology that enable options we cannot even imagine right now.  Further on, in 20 to 25 years, we will look back and realise how important it was for the crises to become visible and how, globally, it gave space for so much healthier economic and cultural development.
 
And please – wherever you are reading this – remember we are all in these crises globally.  No segment of our human population is exempt.  This is not only an individual activation but also, profoundly and uniquely, a collective activation of all humanity.
 
One point I do wish to highlight: the majority of humanity are good people, people with empathy, capacity for compassion and general kindness.  The majority of people globally want the best for their family and friends and communities.  We have been in numerous situations in our collective past where catastrophes could have happened, and they were sidestepped because grounded ordinary persons took responsibility.  Yes, there are people who lack empathy and compassion and yes, there are people who have a basis of conditioning that does not easily allow for openness and growth.  But I see these people as a relative minority, the outliers.  They often tend to have loud voices and dominate media, both mainstream and alternative, so it can be misunderstood that they are a majority.  I do not feel that they are.  Simply, their voices are louder than in the past due to our collective global media systems.
 
We human beings have evolved to be social and to support one another.  Our innate natural drive is to connect.  If we look deeply into our evolutionary psychology, we all have a need to belong, to feel safe.  Contrary to some popular myths, we are actually genetically designed to be kind and to help each other – it is what has allowed our species to thrive.  Altruism benefits all of us, when we are socially engaged and connected with one another.  When we make choices not out of fear, but allow space for our innovation, curiosity and creativity, it becomes very apparent that we are hardwired for kindness and connection.  In very real ways, we gain reward from helping others.  The result is that, even in the face of adversity, we experience a wider sense of possibility and abundance – and often happiness – when we are helping others or being helped.

I perceive that we have another gift that can support this current evolutionary impulse:  our younger generations.  In my opinion, we are very ready for the next wave of leaders to emerge.  And they are emerging.  I foresee much more of this over the next several years.  Some of the youths and young adults rising are inspired, passionate – as each generation can be.  This next wave of leaders has the advantage of greater self-confidence, and a world that is more educated than ever before.  I see this as part of the positive unseen truths rising.  There are a greater percentage of girls educated globally than ever before.  There are more women with literacy and financial capacity than ever before.  More people can access the internet and knowledge than ever – and this is increasing rapidly, daily.  I do heartfully feel these important facts are being missed by our mainstream commentators.

I suggest that we all allow some space to listen and tune in with our younger generations.  Even if their ideas seem outlandish and crazy! Take an extra breathe, feel, sense what they are speaking of.  This current crisis will affect our youth in various ways – and potentially catalyse their innovation and leadership capacity out of necessity.  They may see paths forward that those of us conditioned and ingrained in older ways will not be able to foresee.  Rather than discredit their ideas because they are different, I encourage all of us to listen with our deeper intuitive sense, giving space for the revolution that can happen with “out of the box” thinking.  This is a time when it supports all of us to allow space for the mystery of what we do not yet know.  
 
As I see it, yes, some institutions and systems will deteriorate messily in their change – systemic change is rarely pretty.  Gender, race, and financial equity will be themes shifting balances in many systems in the next years ahead.  As some of those big trees collapse and decay, they will cause some harm and disruption.  But they will also provide very fertile ground from which new opportunities will arise.  I do not see this as catastrophic.  When a big tree is damaged in a storm, it is no longer as upright and perhaps it is falling over on another big tree.  The big old trees somewhat support one another but neither is truly strong anymore.  Slowly, over time, they continue to decay, sometimes shifting suddenly in another storm.  They break down further, until eventually there is only a ghost of their presence left behind.  If we look back historically, we can see how this has occurred repeatedly, systems and regimes rising and fading.
 
From my perspective, the evolutionary transition that we are in right now is heart based.  This may be why there is so much emotional turmoil with all that is happening.  Whether it is about health or economic matters or violence or political themes or imbalances in power, the reactions are often emotional heart-based feelings.  People are rising up with emotion, bringing forth their pain.  The worldwide mental crisis that was already present – people experiencing acute and chronic unhappiness and depression – is becoming more visible and emotionally expressed.  In my view, this is a good thing, as when this pain and trauma is visible conversations can transpire and we can begin to heal.
 
Places and spaces where people can come, and be understood in their pain and trauma, are needed more than ever before.  If you have, or are planning to establish, a retreat center or place for people to come together or simply be – thank you. We need these safe places and havens for healing more than ever.  Places where people can feel safe to encounter their trauma and emotions, to be supported to come into their body and integrate back into balance.  Especially in our western world this past 100 years, we have become a society of talking heads – a lot of good ideas, but we have forgotten about the rest of us, our humanity.  We have forgotten about the natural whole sense of who we are; our mind, yes, but also our emotions, body and spirit.  We have forgotten that we are, in truth, all interconnected and interdependent.  We cannot exist without others and the disconnection from this truth has consequently added to our mental health crisis.

I feel deeply that this current crisis is calling us is to remember that we are all interconnected.  It calls us to remember our heart, and our capacity to feel our deep sense of connectivity.  It calls us to allow our own personal learnings, to drop in deeper, to feel our fears, touch our vulnerability, and consequently our innate self-authority and strength.  All of this is part of our personal development and growth.  It is not easy or comfortable to face our fears and anxieties.  I do know and acknowledge this, from my own personal experience.  Yet, if you are reading this article then you will likely have a sense of what I am talking about from your own exposure to life events.  You will likely have had a glimpse of the gift of embracing fear and finding strength in the face of crisis.  You have also likely experienced those moments of profound grace when you have stepped past your own fear and reached out to help another person – and received back so much more than you gave.
 
It is ok to feel waves of fear – this is part of the process.  Allow this.  Breathe.  And discover what remains when fear passes.

I have been frequently asked in these past months: “What can we do?”
 
What we can do is respond with what our heart directs us, step by step, and walk the walk that we can, individually.  It is not about “saving the world.”  As I feel it, it is much more about each of us finding that place of neutral clarity within, where we can sense and feel the bigger picture, a felt experience of truth.  I do encourage each of us to listen deeply within.  We have more knowledge and wisdom available when we slow down, listen, and allow our inner guidance.
 
We can all take than extra moment to breathe if we choose it.  We can take the space, even if it is only a moment, and remember, “I am here.”  Each time we remember, we are plugging into a vast universal energy supporting us in each moment.  It is not up to our individual hands to make a change – that is not possible. We are interdependent. Each one of us does have a role in the bigger context, and that is to remember to be present, listen, and respond in this moment.  We have God-within, inner wisdom, intuition, inner guidance.  We have the blueprint of the universe within us.  We have the potential, each of us, each day, to rise in grace.  We each have the capacity to Hope for a better future. We have the ability to respond and act from our heart, from kindness.
 
As we each explore our personal walk of self-discovery and understanding, our actions and words can positively infect those around us, reminding them of possibility when the wave darkness and overwhelm seems endless.  Walking our own walk can lead us into clarity and can ground us into our own sense of responsibility (or, as I prefer to say, our ability to respond instead of reacting automatically and unconsciously).  We can consciously invoke our own capacity for compassion, and support those we love and care about.  Just like the virus, compassion and caring are powerfully contagious – and it is this infection of compassion and kindness that I would love to see celebrated and brought into our daily lives.
 
We are exposed to so much information in a daily basis, and even more in the recent months.  I suggest allow yourself to be more spontaneous rather than trying to cram in as much information and understanding as you can.  Here is a tip: if you are struggling to understand an article or a talk, if it is complicated and you find it hard to follow and understand what the message is, then it is likely misinformation.  Truth is most often simple, neutral, and sort of lands in our mind with ease.  If you are not a person who enjoys mentally challenging articles, please use your body and intuition to feel what information to take in.

When uncertainty is active and visible, we often think what we need is more information, so we can feel in control of our fear and anxiety.  This is natural.  We think: “If I have the information, I am in control.”  The challenge is to come back to ourselves, and remember to listen within, allowing that in this moment we may not know – and that is ok.
 
Misinformation in our media is rife.  Please be aware of who is present as you read or listen to information.  Check in with how you are perceiving in that moment.  Are you in the driver’s seat of your life or just believing?  Be mindful of putting responsibility outside to “them,” to an unknown perpetrator or authority.  Often misinformation is self-serving and uses available narratives to weave into the self-serving message.  It does not encourage open-minded thinking, nor does it truly help you right here, right now.  Please – do not automatically believe anything that you are hearing or reading on either mainstream or alternative media. When we give our fear and our power away to someone else, or to a theory or a movement, we need to remember to come back, tune in with ourself, here and now, to have a felt experience of truth in this moment.  Breathe, relax and tune into a deeper listening within yourself.  It can often be helpful to take some time in nature – walking and moving your body, listening to the birds, feeling the wind   on your skin, seeing the world around you. Give yourself the breathing space for integrated deeper inner listening and guidance, and perhaps space to simply not know.  This allows space for guidance and information to arise that may bring further clarity and future insight.
 
Also, don’t believe what I am saying here. Please – look for yourself! Although I may be presenting how I see our current life situation I do not wish it to be taken on as The Truth, but rather as a reminder to explore your own intuition, your own direct access to wisdom and truths. This is dearly a foundation of my heartfelt message in what I am attempting to share.
 
Here, in summary, are my responses to most-asked questions I have been asked in recent weeks and months, they are my opinion/sense of truth, remember to tune if you for yourself what resonates:
 
No, there will not be a universal vaccine with microchip.  I do not feel that there will be a single universal vaccine.  There may likely be several options for vaccines developed by different countries and companies, some of which will give partial immunity similar to seasonal flu vaccines. Some will be better than others.   It will be up to individuals to determine if they wish to have the vaccine.  There will not be widescale mandatory vaccines even if some commentators and politicians suggest this.
 
No, we are unlikely to permanently eradicate corona virus.  We will, however, likely have better treatments and understanding about its effects over the next months/year.  It is quite probable that funding for investigation of similar viruses will be robust for the next decade ahead, and that may bring about new information that is helpful for the health of humanity, particularly for our vulnerable community members and further insight into our relationship to our environment generally.
 
No, there is not going to be a global world order controlling us.  What has evolved globally in response to the corona is not unexpected, nor is it manipulated to control us.  I see it more as a dysfunctional response to pandemic preparedness by governments globally – rather the opposite of control, a lack of foresight based on known risks.  As an outcome, I feel there will be much more awareness of the risks relating to animal-human virus transmissions, a problem that has been present ever since humans began domesticating animals for our own use.  Perhaps a steady and significant move away from meat consumption in the next years will be a side effect.
 
No, I do not see a total collapse of financial markets.  Yes, there are, and will be, financial ups and downs and some significant corrections in the next months and years ahead, but I do not foresee a major crash.  New innovation in the next years will direct a bigger shift in our financial world in ways that will evolve our current unsustainable capital markets in a healthier direction.
 
Yes, borders will open and global travel will return, however it may be well into 2021 before we see this truly starting to be something like normal.  Tourism will rise again with innovation and creativity leading to more balanced options.  Trade and resources will shift and move to accommodate the restrictions, creating new opportunities locally and globally.  We will not be returning to the old ways of cheap easy travels.
 
Yes, this intense time will pass and we will indeed see the gifts and benefits from this time. Historically, there have been significant shifts in human society and systems after pandemics, and I predict that we will experience powerful changes over the next several years. Healthcare globally will experience a massive cycle of growth and development. Education is going to significantly shift in ways that may (positively) surprise some people, driven by our younger generation, within the next 20 years our global education system will be quite unrecognisable as it is today.  Technology will have some exponential growth over the next years that may shift our geo-political balances as well bring about more equality in trade and human resources. Autonomy and interdependence will likely merge in interesting ways.     
 
Back to the here and now, it is August 2020 as I am finalising this blog piece, we are right now still in a storm – the direct result of the current pandemic and its effects – and damages are occurring in the forest.  The storm is likely to continue until the end of November, perhaps with a bit of a sting in the last winds of the storm.  I see it slowly dying down in December and January, with the first rays of sunshine truly starting to shine through, in February 2021.  Damages as a consequence of this recent storm will be further visible as 2021 progresses bringing forth another wave of anxieties and fears – remember to breathe!  Surprising new positive growth and development will also become visible, alongside the recognition of damages.  Some of the damage will incubate and fertilise innovative growth in the years ahead, in ways that may not be visible for three to four years.  Some of the old damaged trees will be truly recognised as collapsing, and investment of resources will go toward younger, new growth emerging, allowing the older trees to naturally fade over the next two decades, giving space for the new to grow and rise.  The forest is always growing, evolving and changing.

As I see it, this corona virus pandemic, with the consequential activation and disruptions, has fundamentally shaken the whole of humanity, individually and collectively. It is profoundly a reminder to connect within to our own vulnerabilities and to care for all those in our communities who are vulnerable.  The question we are all being asked is can we find a way, a path, that includes all of us – to live with respect and care – during and beyond the effect of this pandemic.
 
Please remember to listen within, feel, and sense for yourself truth in this moment.  Look around you in your daily life to see and recognise the support present in your own life. Explore, as well, what may be appropriate for you to support in other peoples lives – remembering our natural interdependence and the big gift of talent within each one of us.  Allow joy and connection in small moments that uplift you – and others.  We do all respond to care, love and kindness.
 
If you have read this through and it has resonated and perhaps encouraged you to experience your own inner truths – wonderful.  If you have not resonated, totally fine.  Let my perspectives float away.
 
A final encouragement: don’t hold on to what was, but be open to the mystery of the unknown and what is yet to come, personally and collectively
 
Heartfelt love & thank you, Kira