Incantation

This piece was written and performed for July 4, 2026. It is my first attempt at speculative fiction.

Set in an alternate universe, an unwitting leader is finding and sharing hope to their friends while a dominant force creates chaos in hopes of separating the remaining factions.

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Tonight we have gathered together in the spirits of mutuality, reciprocity, and possibility. We are living in and through a time of collapse. We, who occupy this land against our will, must choose to face this truth: we are part of the beginning of the end.

The systems that have been built to live the dream of the oppressor are the nightmare of all other living beings. To both Empire and patriarchy, all life is ripe for the harvesting:stealing:destroying. A culture of dominance demands victims. It needs lifeforms incapable or unwilling to push back against it. The culture of Empire is the culture of rape in every sense of that word.

To Empire, reality is meant to be controlled. That is why this so-called “holiday” is Independence Day. They claim it’s to celebrate gaining independence from England but words have tremendous power. The word “independence” carries the weight of much more; It asserts the idea that each white, able-bodied, male human being has the inalienable right to consider themselves separate from all other beings, thus giving him a foundation on which to build his ability to ravage all life for his own selfish gain.

This idea of independence gives way to individualism, creating a belief that everyone is only out for themselves, that we each must do everything alone, that we owe nothing to anyone. It breeds selfishness and isolation. It enables a lack of empathy and an inability to be introspective. In short: Empire is deeply in denial of reality as it is.

To live in reality as it is we realize and embody a pervasive sense of interconnection. We understand that the actions we take ripple through not only this universe but many others. We feel compassion for all life. We have empathy. We live in a mindset based on love and abundance. We live in interdependence.

Today is our inaugural Interdependence Day. Today we begin to embody the self that lives in a universe where we know that when we take care of others, we also take care of our selves. We live with compassion. We live without law. We live without hierarchy, instead opting for emergent strategies when needs arise. We understand that no human being is a monster; even the most heinous acts have a soul behind them. Recognizing that humanity prevents recreating carceral systems of punishment, enslavement, and dehumanization. No living being is disposable.

We understand that to live in attunement with nature we live in emulation and embodiment of nature. To sustain our selves we become as though we are the root networks of trees or the mycelial networks of fungi. We know that when we have enough, we share what would otherwise be excess. Nothing is wasted to the point where we forget the word “waste” altogether.

We live with multiple truths in mind every moment. We have a depth of emotional resonance that we feel and is felt beyond our physical being. We take care of our entanglements. We treat friends like lovers and lovers like friends. We do not possess the hearts of others. We share our hearts and find those who share theirs in return. We understand that vulnerability is strength. We know that we must risk asking for our needs to be met, to pursue our desires, and live in alignment with who we know our selves to be. We know that moving towards our fears is a practice, that practice builds resilience, that resilience is also part of strength, strength is part of character, and character is our deepest embodiment given form.

We move with life knowing that love is not a finite resource. To live in love is to live with understanding. We give grace for minor mistakes, we discuss with our loves what hurts us without accusation or blame. We seek equanimity by living it.

To love is to experience joy and pain. Our humanity is the embodiment of our joy, our programmed patterns the embodiment of our pain. When we recognize an opportunity to learn and grow we allow our selves to be present and feel our feelings, let them move through us, and let them go. Emotions are information, not knowledge. They cannot tell us who we are, only how we understand what happens to us. We can change these reactions over time in relationship by being vulnerable, recognizing a pattern, then trying a different approach. Our responsibility to treat each other well is a shared responsibility to treat our selves well.

To those who would do us harm and cannot be negotiated with, we are prepared to do them harm. This is a last resort. This is about survival. We carry with us the gravity of our actions. We are able to honor life by protecting our own and ending those who would end ours. We are not ignorant, we are aware.

To die is to live and to live, die. Though there is plenty, the minds ruled by scarcity are inherently those of domination. We do not kill to dominate or destroy. We kill to balance a plentiful life in favor of all living beings. We share with those would control or destroy us while being able to show we will not acquiesce to our own destruction. Perhaps in time they will learn there’s more than enough for us all.

We are impeccable to our word. What we say calls in a universe where we have already acted on our word. When we speak, we use our power. The words we choose must align with the lives we live, the actions we take. To follow through is to honor the word. To honor the word is to honor our selves.

As we sit together in communion tonight we open a portal to the universe where we already live this way. May we carry this shared magic with us into a future of prosperity without hierarchy. May we give our love freely knowing it will be returned. May we celebrate interdependence every day. So mote it be.