The Evolution of the Anarchy Movement

I was introduced to the Anarchy movement about two years ago. Like most people, Ron Paul opened the door for me.

It's a little intimidating to start self identifying as an Anarchist. While hanging out with Anarchists, it took me time to grow comfortable calling myself one. The label wasn't important to me, but it was such a massive paradigm shift for me that it took time for Anarchism to seep into my being. Freedom was at the core of everything I treasured in my life, but still every aspect of this way of life was different from anything I had ever known or imagined. At that time what I saw of the Anarchist movement was extremely focused on left brained logic. What I saw had a strong undertone of anger and rebellion. My personality didn't fit into the movement as it was then. (Or at least the part of it that I was acquainted with then.) But as the ideology started to seep into my mind more and more, I one day found myself self identifying as an Anarchist. I immediately set out to make a place for people like me in the movement. I meditate and practice yoga and all sorts of things that most of the Anarchists I knew of would scoff at.

Then I had the pleasure of meeting Luis Fernando Mises ( @emancipatedhuman ), a yogi and Shaman, and an Anarchist to boot. I could resonate with him because he was gentle and attentive and on the path of enlightenment. And Luis opened up a door for me to share my feminine voice with the then 15K followers he had brought to his facebook page Emancipated Human. In my first attempt to soften the image of Anarchists, I wrote this article which got over 10,000 views! I was so nervous about putting it out. It was so cheesy and flowery, and I thought people would tear it to shreds. But I think people must have found it refreshing.

About a year later I'm looking back at that time, and I'm astounded at how things have changed in our movement- our beautiful movement that I am so proud of. I think one of the major shifts has been @sterlinluxan coming in with an absolute clear vision, his way with words and a whole lot more courage than I have- with his Relational Anarchism movement that he's creating.

One year later I see women everywhere! Women like @becomingwhtur and @dragonanarchist. Peaceful parenting is the hot topic! I see people combining spirituality with Anarchist ideals. In my view Anarchy is the obvious conclusion of any spiritual person.

I've seen the people around me responding in the most beautiful way to Anarchist thought. I can see doors opening in people's hearts all around me.

The most beautiful thing about the Anarchist movement is how totally unique each and every single one of us is. Anarchism embraces individuality, and so it follows that the journey to Anarchy is on parallel with the journey inside to the self. We're called and asked to express our uniqueness and live totally authentic lives. So we have this amazing convergence of spiritual people like myself and @becomingwhtur with people like @jakemccauley who comes from a violent gang background and has transformed into a teacher and spokesperson of nonviolence.

Freedom and truth are such beautiful things. They unite. And when people from vastly different backgrounds are united under such a magnificent cause as freedom and truth, amazing things happen. The world changes. Each minute we're bouncing ideas off of each other and expanding. Thinking thoughts that have never been thought before. Unwinding and undoing old paradigms, uninstalling old programs, inventing new ways of thinking about things and doing things.

I have never labeled myself as anything. Anarchist is a label I wear so proudly. Whenever I say it, I think of the beautiful, unique, intelligent people in my movement who carry the same name.

This word has been around for a long time. But we're carrying it to the future. We're presenting it to the masses in a way that shocks them. We're building on this old term and breathing new life into it with every thought that we think and idea that we share. The word and the long history behind it and the truth it encompasses are finding its way into more and more people's hearts every day, liberating them from their old programs and lighting a spark for something brand new to be born inside them where they recognize themselves as the creator of their own life experience.

Our movement is expanding and growing away from mere rebellion. We're recognizing that what we resist persists. We're shifting focus from what we don't want (the state) to envisioning and creating what we do want. What a beautiful thing.

If this is where we've been in a year, where will we be in one more, in five? Anarchism is the future. Anarchism is unlimited potential.

P.S. Unlike one year ago, I have no fear about submitting this article. I don't fear the reaction of the Anarchists reading my flowery, spiritual words, and I don't fear the non-Anarchists judging me for being an Anarchist.

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