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Aquarius Now: Radical Common Sense And Reclaiming Our Personal Sovereignty
What Thomas Paine did for the American Revolution with the publication of Common Sense, Marilyn Ferguson does for the transpersonal revolution.
Marilyn Ferguson is one of the preeminent thinkers, gatherers, and interpreters of research on the cuttingedge fields of human consciousness. The Aquarian Conspiracy, published in 1980, has sold millions of copies, is continuously in print, and was hailed as the "handbook of the New Age," by USA Today.
In her newer book, Aquarius Now, movement pioneer Ferguson reexamines the paradigm shift to a more mindful society. She sees us caught in a mindless materialism that threatens our material existence. We are seduced by what she calls the 'Cult of Numbers', obsessed with competition, with winning and losing, afraid of anything that can't be seen or measured, and in the grip of an economic model that says only that which generates economic growth is worth pursuing.
What can we do?
Ferguson boldly tells the truthwe have no enemy except ourselves and the mess we've made individually and collectively by refusing to see what we're doing to our own bodies, to society, and the Earth itself. We've refused to consider the clues in front of our faces. The imbalance we see outside ourselves only mirrors the imbalance within. The way to heal the imbalance is to heal ourselves. The way to heal ourselves is to pay attention, to witness.
We need to take responsibility for our own actions. We need to heed the words of the myriad teachers and skills at our disposal. We need to learn to rely on our own "radical common sense." The task is not to climb a mountain, but to navigate a river. We have to stop thinking of ourselves as conquerors and start thinking of ourselves as fellow travelers' with other human beings and every living being on this planet, including the planet itself.
Ferguson dares to ask the question, "Can we change?" and concludes that we can and we must change. The Age of Aquarius will occur when we want it to occur.
Marilyn Ferguson is one of the preeminent thinkers, gatherers, and interpreters of research on the cuttingedge fields of human consciousness. The Aquarian Conspiracy, published in 1980, has sold millions of copies, is continuously in print, and was hailed as the "handbook of the New Age," by USA Today.
In her newer book, Aquarius Now, movement pioneer Ferguson reexamines the paradigm shift to a more mindful society. She sees us caught in a mindless materialism that threatens our material existence. We are seduced by what she calls the 'Cult of Numbers', obsessed with competition, with winning and losing, afraid of anything that can't be seen or measured, and in the grip of an economic model that says only that which generates economic growth is worth pursuing.
What can we do?
Ferguson boldly tells the truthwe have no enemy except ourselves and the mess we've made individually and collectively by refusing to see what we're doing to our own bodies, to society, and the Earth itself. We've refused to consider the clues in front of our faces. The imbalance we see outside ourselves only mirrors the imbalance within. The way to heal the imbalance is to heal ourselves. The way to heal ourselves is to pay attention, to witness.
We need to take responsibility for our own actions. We need to heed the words of the myriad teachers and skills at our disposal. We need to learn to rely on our own "radical common sense." The task is not to climb a mountain, but to navigate a river. We have to stop thinking of ourselves as conquerors and start thinking of ourselves as fellow travelers' with other human beings and every living being on this planet, including the planet itself.
Ferguson dares to ask the question, "Can we change?" and concludes that we can and we must change. The Age of Aquarius will occur when we want it to occur.
- GenresNonfiction
213 pages, Hardcover
First published October 10, 2005
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68 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 22, 2013
This book is so heavily laden with quotes that it is like a collection of positive affirmations that have been arranged in a stream of thought. That said, I enjoyed the book and it delivers an intelligent, uplifting, empowering message. At times I was bored with what seemed like generic platitudes but then there would be another insightful quote that left me quivering at humanity's potential. Try it, you'll like it!
September 12, 2024
THE "AQUARIAN CONSPIRACY" AUTHOR WRITES 25 YEARS LATER ABOUT TRANSFORMATION
Marilyn Ferguson (1938-2008) was an American author, editor and public speaker; a founding member of the Association of Humanistic Psychology; and editor of the science newsletter "Brain/Mind Bulletin" from 1975 to 1996. She also wrote 'The Aquarian Conspiracy: Personal and Social Transformation in the 1980s,' The Brain Revolution: The frontiers of mind research,' and 'PragMagic: PragMagic Magic for Everyday Living'.
She wrote in the Introduction to this 2005 book, "The Aquarian Conspiracy... described a positive movement... whose members were deeply affected by transformative events and who wanted to create a more humane society based on what they were discovering... Over time a new industry arose, offering a staggering variety of health products... audio tapes and an explosion of books... Well-known figures in the movement were featured in People magazine... Aquarius Now ... is about how to thrive in a time of escalating change... It's about the visionary in everyone and how we can break out of our prisons." (Pg. 3-4)
She says, "Radical common sense says that our collective survival may depend on our ability to teach ourselves and others. By pooling and organizing the wisdom of many scouts we can assemble a kind of guide and companion for travelers everywhere." (Pg. 15) She suggests, "A successful migration depends on the ingenuity of the tools we create along the way. VISION: A credible picture of what we might do and where we might go. VALUES: The return to classic values like kindness, willingness to work, and civic responsibility, and newer values like caring for the environment. PURPOSE: Meaningful causes or projects that can unite groups of people. COMMON SENSE: A demonstrated awareness of facts and consequences. ACTION: It's all within our ability." (Pg. 22) Later, she adds, "Radical common sense is the royal road to intuition." (Pg. 113)
She explains, "Radical doesn't mean 'far out,' it means far in... True common sense is body, mind, and heart, sensed in the moment. It's time to reclaim these essential concepts of 'radical' and 'common sense' in tandem... Together our radical essence and common sense can become a source of knowing... The senses in unison are the song of the body, and anyone who wishes can call upon this 'single sense.'" (Pg. 28) She observes, "we can deny the facts of this age or we can graciously accept a world in which change is the norm. Equipped as we are with self-transforming brains, we can all become successful athletes in life. Challenges and crises are the allies of intelligence." (Pg. 75)
She notes, "Ironic... how the outer world distracts us from the murky inner world, yet it is precisely the murky inner world that might furnish us answers to our outer crises... Our inner needs may be waylaid, but they do not go away. Maybe they translate into physical symptoms. Or maybe they mutate into unrealistic ambitions or causes. At least now, if we feel unhappy, it's because something out there is thwarting us. Little wonder that public life so often degenerates into a shouting match. Inflammatory charges by opposing groups, movie violence, televised conflict---these feed and are fed by our inward apprehension." (Pg. 104)
She concludes, "We can turn this thing around but only if we learn to become a whole species by throwing away all the distinctions and calling together the troops. We can turn this thing around if we remember the future as a collaborative effort. We design our vision in conjunction with events and in cooperation with the needs and hopes of those near and far. Remembering the future is energized by our prior willingness to follow through. This is radical common sense." (Pg. 190)
This book is not even remotely as "energizing" and inspirational as "The Aquarian Conspiracy" was in 1980; but of course, these are much different times. While this book perhaps won't exactly "call the troops," it's at least nice to note that Ms. Ferguson remained true to her original ideals and vision
Marilyn Ferguson (1938-2008) was an American author, editor and public speaker; a founding member of the Association of Humanistic Psychology; and editor of the science newsletter "Brain/Mind Bulletin" from 1975 to 1996. She also wrote 'The Aquarian Conspiracy: Personal and Social Transformation in the 1980s,' The Brain Revolution: The frontiers of mind research,' and 'PragMagic: PragMagic Magic for Everyday Living'.
She wrote in the Introduction to this 2005 book, "The Aquarian Conspiracy... described a positive movement... whose members were deeply affected by transformative events and who wanted to create a more humane society based on what they were discovering... Over time a new industry arose, offering a staggering variety of health products... audio tapes and an explosion of books... Well-known figures in the movement were featured in People magazine... Aquarius Now ... is about how to thrive in a time of escalating change... It's about the visionary in everyone and how we can break out of our prisons." (Pg. 3-4)
She says, "Radical common sense says that our collective survival may depend on our ability to teach ourselves and others. By pooling and organizing the wisdom of many scouts we can assemble a kind of guide and companion for travelers everywhere." (Pg. 15) She suggests, "A successful migration depends on the ingenuity of the tools we create along the way. VISION: A credible picture of what we might do and where we might go. VALUES: The return to classic values like kindness, willingness to work, and civic responsibility, and newer values like caring for the environment. PURPOSE: Meaningful causes or projects that can unite groups of people. COMMON SENSE: A demonstrated awareness of facts and consequences. ACTION: It's all within our ability." (Pg. 22) Later, she adds, "Radical common sense is the royal road to intuition." (Pg. 113)
She explains, "Radical doesn't mean 'far out,' it means far in... True common sense is body, mind, and heart, sensed in the moment. It's time to reclaim these essential concepts of 'radical' and 'common sense' in tandem... Together our radical essence and common sense can become a source of knowing... The senses in unison are the song of the body, and anyone who wishes can call upon this 'single sense.'" (Pg. 28) She observes, "we can deny the facts of this age or we can graciously accept a world in which change is the norm. Equipped as we are with self-transforming brains, we can all become successful athletes in life. Challenges and crises are the allies of intelligence." (Pg. 75)
She notes, "Ironic... how the outer world distracts us from the murky inner world, yet it is precisely the murky inner world that might furnish us answers to our outer crises... Our inner needs may be waylaid, but they do not go away. Maybe they translate into physical symptoms. Or maybe they mutate into unrealistic ambitions or causes. At least now, if we feel unhappy, it's because something out there is thwarting us. Little wonder that public life so often degenerates into a shouting match. Inflammatory charges by opposing groups, movie violence, televised conflict---these feed and are fed by our inward apprehension." (Pg. 104)
She concludes, "We can turn this thing around but only if we learn to become a whole species by throwing away all the distinctions and calling together the troops. We can turn this thing around if we remember the future as a collaborative effort. We design our vision in conjunction with events and in cooperation with the needs and hopes of those near and far. Remembering the future is energized by our prior willingness to follow through. This is radical common sense." (Pg. 190)
This book is not even remotely as "energizing" and inspirational as "The Aquarian Conspiracy" was in 1980; but of course, these are much different times. While this book perhaps won't exactly "call the troops," it's at least nice to note that Ms. Ferguson remained true to her original ideals and vision
April 4, 2011
Currently devouring this book. It speaks to my understanding of social change and I find myself underlining almost complete chapters. I agree with her take and she is very succinct. I stumbled across this book when a local bookstore closed and bought it because The Aquarian Conspiracy is still on my bookshelf low these many many purges. Glad I did!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews