It's been a rollercoaster of late. Two weeks ago, I published an essay on the end of my marriage (link below).  It's now been viewed over 170,000 times, garnered hundreds of responses, and galvanized a broader conversation on the challenges of love, partnership, and the myth of The One. 

Many speak of the sorrow hidden away from their own heartbreaks, retrieved from the basement and finally given a place on their altar.

Others are grateful and bewildered at the tears that come from nowhere, perhaps recognizing the supreme truth that, in these days when so much calls for anger and blood, it’s hard to show up as a human being.

Some comments are not so kind. They see the portrait of a man who broke his vows and deserted his wife when she was most vulnerable. Others believe the story nothing but the navel-gazing narcissism of a lost millennial, unwilling to commit to true love. (One Twitter user was kind enough to send me a photo of a flaming garbage can and tell me it's a self-portrait). And another wrings her hands and demands “Who is the hero of this story and who is the villain?”

Mainstream discourse has become so conditioned to collapse all stories into the need to identify who is “right” and who is “wrong.” This is a terrible loss of the imagination and the ability to appreciate complexity. Love is downright messy, just like life. In my essay, there is no blame, only actions and consequences.

This essay is about many things, but above all, it's a personal chronicle of the death of The One, as a conditioned story about what we are told we should be to each other. Given the staggering rates of divorce, betrayal, lies, repression, violence and shame - it is a reckless fantasy that needs to die.

In its place, a new story emerges: the story of The Many: the reawakening of the village as the most important work of our time.

Love is too big for two people. We must gather our kin around the fire and be willing to admit two people can't navigate partnership alone. We need the village to hold us, mirror us, love us, thereby allowing romantic love to be its own glorious self, and not a stand in for the necessary things that are not in our lives.

This is the budding seed in the ashes of my marriage. This is the last gift my wife gave to me, and if you find something of value in our grief-soaked story, then it is something of which we gift to you.

Ian MacKenzie
Salish Sea, Canda



BECOME A MONTHLY SUPPORTER - I've dedicated my life to seeking and amplifying the stories of the new paradigm. 99% of my films, essays, and dispatches are offered as a gift. Would you consider becoming a monthly contributor to support my work?  As little as $2/month goes a long way when combined with many others.  

ESSAY - 'LOVE WILL BE THE DEATH OF US'

Three years in the making, here is my essay on the end of my marriage. It is likely the most vulnerable and rawest piece I have written.

"It is easy to love the beginning of things. It is easy to love them in bloom, when their colours are bursting, fragrance cast to the wind. Yet how hard to love the end of things — to love their inevitable decay, as blossoms wither and drift once again toward the dark earth."

Stories of how it might be different can be medicine for our time. I would love if you might read, reflect, and share with your people if inspired. Thank you.

»  Read Love Will Be the Death of Us



VIDEO - WHERE ARE THE MEN?

Honoured to be included in this beautiful spoken word piece co-produced by my friend Akira Chan. It's a powerful tribute and call for the reclamation of the modern masculinity, in service to their brothers, to women, and to life.

»  Watch 'Where Are The Men' (4:50)

CAMPAIGN SPOTLIGHT: SEND APPLECAT TO TAMERA

Feeling much gratitude for the support of our community in raising some initial funds to send my partner (aka AppleCat) to Tamera healing biotope. Her wish is to participate in a 14 day immersion in village-making, in order to level-up her skills toward accelerating a new culture of peace.

From the perspective of inter-being, as we support each other individually, so we support the whole. The activation of our gifts contributes to the overall field shift, holding us all in the new story.

If you are inspired, please consider supporting her toward this goal.

»  Contribute to AppleCat's Tamera camapign
 

SPRING TOUR DATES Additional dates to be added. 

BOOK IAN FOR SPEAKING

Want to bring me to your event? I'm available for speaking gigs on crowdfunding, filmmaking, and the emerging paradigm. Contact me here

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THANK YOU FOR READING!

P.S.  What is life without death? Don't miss this achingly gorgeous stop-motion animation from my friend Iris Moore - Dust In the Sky.