This blog has gone through quite a few changes since its inception.
This blog started out in the Spring of 2008. At that time I had far more financial resources than I've had since. So I had a web designer and a web host in the blogs first incarnation. My friend Chris Burbridge served in both of these capacities. The original name of the blog was Another Beautiful Voice, again, thought of by my friend Chris. This name did not refer to my own beautiful voice, though I do believe I have one. The name referred to the whole process of sharing ones experiences, thoughts and ideas through the medium of blogging itself as well as the responses that other people provide about those ideas through their own commentary. The original platform for the blog was Word Press. Semi-original artwork was used for the logo. The original content was strictly limited to my musings on issues directly related to my own spiritual journey and my ideas about spirituality and closely related issues. The blog was heavily influenced by the writings and teachings of several of my own spiritual teachers; Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, Ammachi, Eckhart Tolle and others. The whole endeavor was a labor of love. It was beautiful, peaceful, and very supportive for me in where I was in my life at that time. I have extremely fond memories of that expression of the blog. This lasted until September of 2009
The second incarnation of this blog included a name change to The Whole World is a Single Flower which is taken from an ancient Korean Zen proverb. There was a change from the Word Press platform to Blogger. All these changes occurred in September of 2009. In the interim I had also been laid off from my high paying job in San Francisco, California. A huge amount of changes were taking place in my life both internally and externally. The biggest change, as far as the blog was concerned, was the significant broadening of the mission, vision and content of the blog. The Whole World is a Single Flower was a blog that introduced my strong activism to my experiment in blogging and in a big way. LGBT activism, men's work and afro-centric pieces were all added to the mix to varying degrees even while spiritual writing and spiritual exploration were retained. My friend Sara Falls, a high school English teacher from Oakland, CA was added as a regular book reviewer and my own writing output increased significantly.
In the Spring of 2011, after having experienced a stroke, I also experienced many life changes and shifts in priorities as a result. The blog was not spared many of the results of this shifting in priorities. Once again, a name change was in order. I changed the name to the current, Moyo Aflame which is "Heart Aflame" in Swahili. The activist writing that made its debut in The Whole World is a Single Flower became much more radicalized and intensified and the spiritual writing and exploration were again retained but also more radical and directly connected to the increased activist vibe of the blog. My revolutionary politics streak, which has always been an important part of who I am, was brought out in full force as well. Rev. Kelly Rivera Hart from San Francisco was added as a regular guest blogger and by late September of 2011 the blog became a public and extremely vocal supporter of The "Occupy" Movement.
sage mahosadha
No comments:
Post a Comment