Sunsetting The “Chose One Word” Ritual of Becoming

I found myself posting this on LinkedIn, of all places. Along with a video. Thought I might share it here, too.

Q: Jason, why don’t you ever market The “Choose One Word” Ritual of Becoming? Over a thousand people have done it, and some have been doing it for over half a decade now. You have many emails sharing how life changing the program is. So… why not tell people about it?

A: Oh I do sometimes hint of it, via my museletter.

Q: Ha! But your museletters are so deep and long and mercurial and link-laden. And they only come out once a month or so. And I suspect many don’t even know about it. You should be telling everyone on the socials!

A: Is that a question?

Q: Ha, no I’m just frustrated. Your program is so good. Why aren’t you claiming the space. It’s been over half a dozen years since you launched it.

A: Aye, and 15 years since I begun The Ritual of Becoming. And the ritual itself has changed; as I have, too. When I launched the program in 2019 I was still reeling from the loss of a father, and then soon after we had bushfires and a pandemic. So much world grief that I had ‘intellectually processed’ demanded metabolisation. And so I descended into the underworld, questing amidst the dark forest, finding my way to cocoon. And for half a dozen years I wandered the dark forests of my own unbecoming; only to find myself once more. This is something much deeper and more personal than the yearly shedding/moulting/shapeshifting encouraged by The Ritual of Becoming as I shared it back then. And whilst I still love and standby the curriculum I shared—70+ videos to help you reflect, introspect, and project-forth a sense of your own unfurling—I find I have little interest in marketing or promulgating the program. The calling, I feel, is to offer a more intentional container, anchored to equinoxes, wherein I can be more present in the teaching, sharing and attending to folks as they go about the intentional process of quickening their developmental unfurling. And so the program in its current form (at chooseoneword.com) will be sunsetted at the end of this month. A new version will emerge soon after.

Q: I see, so—what, there will be a new one? What will happen to the old program?

A: It’ll still be available for existing members. And for anyone who signs up before the end of the month. At the end of January we go into hibernation. The lessons will remain for folks enrolled.

Q: When does the new program come out?

A: Some time before April Fool’s Day.

Q: Is this a joke?

A: Nay, it’s the heralding of new beginnings.

Q: What should folks do now?

A: Well, as you know I am ambivalent and vexingly mercurial with regards to social media. The best thing to do, as ever, is to stay subscribed to the museletter here at foxwizard.com. If folks feel the call to do The Ritual of Becoming in its current form, they can sign up at chooseoneword.com before the end of the month. They’ll not be disadvantaged when the program is evolved into its new form.

Q: I still think you should market more.

A: Some things have their own animacy, and must be approached surreptitiously, in the penumbra. To make a subtle thing and obvious Thing is, sometimes, to render the magic away. Our world is loud, demanding, and distracting—it’s nice to offer some things that reward the curious and those willing to venture beyond the beaten path.

Q: Sigh, okay. But other people are talking about ‘Picking A Word’ now and they are doing it so mechanically, superficially and performatively.

A: Ha, the nuanced distinction between “pick” and “choose” (˶˃𐃷˂˶). No matter! It’s still wonderful to see folks step beyond the tyranny of goals and the cult of achievement. Working qualitatively, with words, is still a great step to working meaningfully with wyrd. This is all a good thing. And it’s wonderful that there are plenty of options to meet folks at whatever depth they feel called to.

Q: When did you become so sanguine?

A: Only recently! It’s one of the gifts from my years in the dark forest. Thanks for noticing.

Q: Okay so, what now?

A: What now indeed.