It’s nothing new: you all know it has been all too quiet for several years.
We could of course let this situation continue indefinitely.
There’s nothing against doing that, the cost is minimal.
Unfortunately, the reward has been equally minimal.
One of the most frustrating things about the whole business is that not one single newcomer since 2009 has actually managed to become active.
I don’t know if that’s just because there simply aren’t any more that have this particular interest and capabilities.
Maybe I’m doing something completely wrong. I don’t know; I can only say that I did my best.
But whatever the case might be: with the current level of activity and number of members, the ship isn't going anywhere.
And that's not good. We lack the momentum to make speed.
Here's an alternative that I want to propose to you. Please, read it and tell me your thoughts.
Some three years ago I got to know Miguel Conner, the guy behind thegodabovegod.com and the “Aeon Byte” series of podcasts that now spans over ten years.
I offered him help building a new website, which was badly needed at the time.
I got to know him a bit. He’s authentic. If in doubt, just listen to one of his podcasts: he usually introduces them with 10-15 minutes of his own take on the subject or book at hand. He’s very dedicated to gnosis, apparently starting from personal experiences he had, like most of us.
Because he covers quite a wide spectrum (everything that falls under “gnosis”), his site draws quite a number of listeners and visitors.
I asked him last year if he would be interested at all in having a discussion forum. He thought it was a great idea, but that he lacked the expertise, time and energy to set one up. But I was welcome to set one up, as long as it did not cost him more time next to the podcasts and articles.
So. What if we would expand Ilsalunte Valion to include other gnosis besides our Tolkienian variety, and link that to thegodabovegod.com?
It could mean an influx of members having a much more solid background than some of the otherkin-associated folk we’ve been seeing hopping in and out IV again during the past years, often without writing one word.
It is my hope that among these people there might be some that would find what we do interesting; after all, divided as the gnostic community might be, I understood that Stephan Hoeller enjoys a great deal of respect by practically everyone - which would be a very good “bridge” to our content and philosophy. Something similar goes for Lance Owens.
Anyhow, I think it is the best change ever to put IV more in the stream where it can be found by people who could possibly help our ship to sail further.
For as it stands now, we’ve been in the doldrums for far too long. We need some winds in our sails.
Here’s some points we should consider:
- it does not mean that we should necessary lose the URL westofwest.org, nor the name Ilsalunte Valion
- we could keep any part of the existing Ilsalunte Valion forum “as is”, possibly accessible / readable for the existing members (ie. you) only
- we could also choose parts of the existing forum, to open up to the “general gnosis” membership
- to visitors, it should be made clear whether it is “a place to discuss gnosis” in a more academic way, versus “a place to DO and report about gnosis” or, even, “a place to learn gnosis” (for as far as that is possible).
Please DO let me know your thoughts. I long to move ahead once more.
novaer,
Lúthien