Rigel's Cosmic Navel Gazer wears space pants, has an extra block (cuz I'm tall), an audio head shirt and upright bass (because song runs through all of reality), a circular purple hat—that which makes wholeness from positive polarities—red and blue smashed together into a mandala circle, and glasses because it's accurate and I identify as a nerd. If you look close, there are soft pink lips because, despite my intimidatingly chiseled masculinity, I have a vibrant feminine streak.

I go Live at the Cosmic Navel most Fridays at 11:30 pm Central Time: https://www.youtube.com/@rigelwindsongthurston/streams

WARNING: Even though this song is super insider-ball, everyone is welcome to sing along.

Join me in singing the 12 Days of Streaming (on the TLC) by Rigel and friends. Special thanks to Sam and Teri for creating such a collaborative space in the Cosmic Navel. BTW, if this song goes viral and becomes a Christmas classic, I’ll pick you up in my Leer jet, and we’ll do the next Cosmic Navel in the sky.

Here’s the song so far, but I want to add your voice into the mix:

How to participate

Instructions (2 devices and headphones needed)

Unless you have a recording studio, you will need one device to record yourself and another to play back the sing-along version.

1. Record yourself on Device #1 (smartphone recommended): open your camera in selfie mode so your face is visible, then press record. Don’t worry if there is dead air in the beginning. I will clip it out.

2. Playback using Device #2 (Laptop or iPad): Pull up the 12 Days of Streaming, wait for my count-in, and start singing along with me. It doesn’t need to be perfect.

3. When you are done, Click here to upload your video (Deadline is December 22, 2025)

4. When you’re done, email me to let me know, or if you have questions: rigelthurston@gmail.com

Bonus improvisation (optional): There is a free-jazz/chant improv section at the end of the video. If you want to play around with singing the word “wall” over my drone note, you might just be featured in the final release. Feel free to upload a second video of your improvisation if you so choose.

Lyrics

On the first day of streaming the Algo gave to me a lurker breaking the fourth wall

On the 2nd day of streaming the Algo gave to me: 2 New subscribers
On the 3rd day of streaming the Algo gave to me:  3 Made-up words
On the 4th day of streaming the Algo gave to me:  4 PVK mentions

On the 5th day of streaming the Algo gave to me:  5 Onboarding Randos

On the 6th day of streaming the Algo gave to me:  6 Pitchers pointing 
On the 7th day of streaming the Algo gave to me: 7 Lads a cleaning
On the 8th day of streaming the Algo gave to me:  8 Confused spouses
On the 9th day of streaming the Algo gave to me:  9 Fractals fracting
On the 10th day of streaming the Algo gave to me:  10 Flotillas floating
On the 11th day of streaming the Algo gave to me:  11 Estuaries
On the 12th day of streaming the Algo gave to me:  12 Opponents processing

In our algorithmically christened rage incubators (socials and screens), built-in guardrails that keep us from trusting each other. The Estuary protocol quietly dissolves these mechanisms that keep us isolated.

I guess you could call me a slightly overly enthusiastic front-row learner, because I haven’t actually led an Estuary group yet, but I’ve done quite a bit of facilitation, ranging from wrangling a bunch of guys five beers deep into speaking one at a time, to leading a tight-knit community of songwriters through sharing their goals and struggles in a safe environment. That said, I just drank the Estuary Kool-Aid and am now helping to launch a group here in Austin, Texas.

It’s a gentle group structure that I think can help rebuild communities locally globally…and…cosmically. I'll leave that one to your imagination.

Why fences make us freer

Architects like Christopher Alexander and Susan Herrington observe that clear edges invite exploration. In an unfenced field, children will cluster in the middle. Add a fence, and they will explore the edges, and the fence even becomes part of their play.

Open-field conversation looks freer, but unless you have at least one skilled conversationalist in the group, it tends to slide into the closest rut of “safe” small talk.

So what’s the fence in Estuary?

Estuary in three moves (pitch → point → play)

The hyperpolarization that infuses almost every corner of the internet creates an environment that makes genuine disagreement rare. It energizes the “you’re either with us or against us” tribal rules to the point that the smallest difference in opinion can trigger an existential threat. We can’t even reach the disagreement stage because we’re stuck reacting to a visceral boundary violation. The Estuary protocol breaks down the mechanics of distrust and moves a group from structure to play.

In its simplest form, the protocol is run by a facilitator who follows the 3 Ps: pitch → point → play. After the first round of introductions, we move through the following:

• Pitch an idea in one of four categories: intellectual, contextual, personal, or Estuary-related.

• Point to the idea you most want to explore; you can’t point to yourself.

• Play: Discuss the chosen topic; the facilitator keeps time and monitors tone.

We start with firm boundaries and gradually loosen into play—the minimum viable structure that allows for interpenetrating idea flow without losing coherence.

The fence-to-flow gradient

Solid frame: Start and end on time, take timed turns in a set order, and avoid crosstalk. Anyone who has attended a 12-step meeting will recognize the power of this structure, especially when trying to include people who don't have much practice taking turns.

Porous frame: listening, vulnerable sharing, and less intervening by the facilitator.

Self-generating flow: Facilitation is minimal, everyone is tuned in to each other, and playful synthesis emerges.

The facilitator adjusts the frame to fit the room. If one or two voices dominate, they might stay closer to a solid frame. If the conversation drifts into CNN/Fox News talking points, they may ask for concrete, personal examples. But something lovely happens when the group reaches a flow state where the structure isn’t held by the facilitator’s grip, but by the trust in the room.

Integrating worldviews

The pitch → point → play structure unselfconsciously integrates multiple worldviews, which developmental philosopher Steve McIntosh defines as “coherent sets of values that persist across multiple generations.” According to developmental philosophy, three main worldviews are currently competing for dominance: traditionalism, modernism, and progressive postmodernism. Here is how I map them into the Estuary process.

• Traditional (blue): predictable order and rules create a ritual-like container; threat goes down.

• Modern (orange): meritocracy; the pitch with the most juice orients the conversation.

• Progressive postmodern (green): everyone’s voice matters; vulnerability and storytelling have a place.

• Developmental/integral (yellow): opposites cohere through challenge-and-support; playful synthesis emerges.

Agreement outside of opinions

We are socialized to treat agreement as ‘same beliefs’, but Estuary teases apart two different kinds of agreement: propositional (what we think) and embodied/relational (how we participate). When they are fused, any disagreement feels like the relationship is imploding. When they’re decoupled, inside a simple ritual, the relationship can carry more heat.

The protocol’s hyper-simplicity creates just enough holding power to absorb disagreements without breaking, and the friction experienced strengthens relationships because of the added layer of trust that’s built into the process—a felt sense of, “we can survive this.” The propositional stops trying to colonize the relational by staying in its lane, and the relationship stays at the top of the hierarchy—bigger than any one position.

It faintly reminds me of divine liturgy—the choreographed song, dance, and art that awaken the heart. It pulls from above and holds from below, sidestepping the traps of an overly rationalistic mind.

When the room holds

During my first Estuary group, a middle-aged dad shared how much he wanted his daughters to be at church. But they were losing interest and didn’t share his love of books or philosophizing. Later in the Estuary conversation, a young woman about their age spoke. She fumbled for words as she shared how her father resented church, yet forced her to go. “I still pray,” she said. She continued to share how she felt distant from the church and her father. The group went quiet. I kept thinking about the dad in our group, and how hearing his daughter’s story from someone else’s mouth might reach him in a way that debate never could.

I doubt this level of honesty could happen without some kind of safety boundaries to keep crosstalk and other interruptions at bay.

Why this works (mechanics of trust)

What makes Estuary work isn’t woo; it’s a higher‑resolution boundary that’s firm enough to hold and open enough to breathe. Predictable turns and no crosstalk downregulate the nervous system, allowing people to actually hear each other.

It creates a space where structure and freedom aren’t at war. Instead, they dance together in a positive–positive polarity—opposing values that sympathetically resonate and come alive with meaning.

The structure keeps fizzy disagreements from exploding, and people leave feeling lighter and less alone. The fence lets us play, and the play rebuilds trust.

Try it: start an Estuary

• Start here: estuaryhub.com (training, guides, templates).

• Keep it small (6–12 people), no crosstalk.

• Pitch → point → play; you can’t point to your own pitch.

• End with a quick round of final thoughts.

Austin: I’m helping launch a local group—DM me if you want a seat.

I barely had time to pee—which became the only window to text my wife to confirm we were still married. Conversation was a rip current, and my extrovertedness got swept up in it all. I can’t believe I only took two photos the entire weekend. After Christian Baxter’s recap, I joked that a belonging bomb had gone off. Matt (@skankenstein) replied, “Belongapocalypse!” and the name stuck. America’s trust is dissolving, and this weekend felt like a reversal.

I’ve never been around such a dense population of conservatives who are high in openness. That combination of opposites creates sparks that make conversation irresistible, hence forgetting to pee. Midwestuary was mostly internet nerds meeting IRL—some OGs, many first-timers—drawn from This Little Corner (TLC). And there were a lot of boundary-keepers, gargoyle types. You know who you are. I’m one of you.

Straw Gargoyles: How Boundaries Build Trust

A couple of years ago, I built an earthdome in my backyard—earthbags, barbed wire, and plaster. While mixing the first rough coat of plaster, I was listening to Jonathan Pageau on gargoyles—the creatures on edges. As I smeared mud (clay, sand, straw, water), it hit me: the straw is gargoyle. They stick out at the boundary of each coat, forming teeth that let the next layer key into the last. As you move toward the finish coat, the gargoyles get subtler: straw to coarse sand to fine sand to paint, until you can’t see them, but they’re still doing the holding.

Am I a gargoyle? I live at the border of sincerity and play, and it scares some people while welcoming others. My conservative friends think I’m a flaming liberal; my liberal friends think I’m sleeping with the enemy. But trust requires risking reputation and pushing on each other’s edges to see if they hold.

Notice those straw ends. They add tensile strength to the coat while also beckoning the next layer. Maybe gargoyles scare us because they mirror the monsters in our dreams. The built-in response to these monsters that are part of us is to fight, flee, or freeze. It takes a bit more effort to integrate them in a way that keeps them from drawing blood. It was settling to see so many boundary-dwellers finding a home in this space.

Once you learn to spot boundary creatures, you see them everywhere. Trust is built at the boundary.

Three Thresholds Where Trust Formed

Elizabeth Oldfield

In our post-World War II consensus-baby boomer-sincerity culture, you’re not supposed to talk about difficult things like immigration with people you don’t already agree with. But in a hot moment on a panel about this very topic, Sam Tidman (facilitator) artfully raised the level of heat when he sensed that the group could handle it. Rod Dreher framed the danger, and then Elizabeth Oldfield did something spectacularly unusual. While Rod was still speaking, she slipped off her shoes, crossed her legs, and, when it was her turn, asked to pray. I teared up a little as she spoke from her heart, partly because of her words and partly because of her courage to break from the memetic pattern that she named in her keynote: “Debate is blood sport, and being right is an addiction.” After that exchange, the room, and maybe the entire conference, softened a bit without losing its edges. You really can’t compare the level of trust between people who actively disagree but stay bonded in friendship with those who avoid conflict.

Estuary Pitch, Point, Play

Estuary (noun): where fresh and salt water meet (often choppy).

Estuary conversations, developed by Paul Vanderklay, invite boundary creatures. The format is simple: Pitch, Point, Play. Everyone pitches a topic; then we point to someone else’s—no self‑votes—so the group selects what has juice; then we play, with a moderator ready to jump in and firm up the boundary when needed. Structure invites, merit sharpens, vulnerability binds. Again, trust at the boundary.

The Bridge Bonk

On day one, Dan, Sam, and I decided to Indiana Jones a flooded park trail instead of Ubering. Mid conversation, I hoisted myself up on a wall straight into a low-hanging bridge beam—bonk! Then a chain‑link fence ripped my shorts. Thresholds are funny and sometimes unforgiving, but I am grateful for that humbling moment because it rattled me the entire morning. It forced me to rely on my friends to check on me in case there was some latent brain injury. It also motivated me to get pain relief for my headache. A lovely volunteer provided some aspirin. Another small way trust got built at the boundary.

Teeth: Edges That Protect Trust

Gargoyles aren’t misfits to be pitied. They are holy and useful. They hold weirdness long enough for opposites to find harmonic resonance: the particular with the universal, connection with differentiation, poop with roses. Learning not to recoil takes practice.

These days, when I meet a gargoyle, my disgust response is tempered by my experience in seeing and feeling the straw in plaster squishing between my fingers. I’ve come to appreciate the antifragile quality of fiber that strengthens the wall while offering attachment points for what’s wild at the edge. Edges protect the form, and without them, belonging dissolves at the first heavy rain.

Practice: Estuary at the Speed of Trust

We’re in a post‑truth era where institutions wobble and sincerity LARPing is everywhere. Truth on its own becomes clanging cymbals, and without goodness and beauty, nobody can find the beat. What I keep finding in these gargoyle types is that, once you get through the playful hazing, there’s often a kind and generous person underneath. Often, they talk in riddles and metaphors, which is spooky to a culture that only speaks the language of butterflies pinned to corkboards.

Aidan Hart, Orthodox iconographer, once said, “Salvation is going from an individual in isolation to a person living in community.” That’s the arc I see here: lurking → commenting → breaking the fourth wall on screen → breaking it in person—the cosmic evolutionary process of moving “…from glory to glory.” At every fractal threshold, you find gargoyles of challenge-and-support operating at the speed of trust. Huge thanks to Pastor Paul Vanderklay for setting all of this in motion.

If the Belongapocalypse hit you too, hop on my YouTube live stream. I host small, Estuary‑influenced TLC‑esque sessions—more on the sharing and creativity side, disagreement welcome. Bring a topic, a poem, or an interpretive dance. We’ll bring the gargoyles. Sign up here for joining instructions.

Yesterday, I experienced the usual feeling of annoyance that pops up around this time of year. “What are you feeling patriotic about, Rigel?”

Nothing.

Other than a wispy, obligatory sense of pluralism that this nation once represented, and still probably does in some abstract sense. But we all have smartphones now, so we’re practically one flesh.

I was arguing with myself about this while driving back from drop-off at Nanna’s, when a sarcastic “Happy Interdependence Day!” slipped out under my breath. Okay, it was at full volume. I talk to myself while driving.

When I woke up this morning, that phrase was still knocking around in my head, so I decided to do a stream-of-consciousness brain dump. This is what popped out—my offering on behalf of our country that was great, is great, and is yet to be great.

Happy interdependence day.

I love my independence, but I don't love being lonely.

I like to be free to make my own choices, whether a man or a woman or a they, but I also like to play

Which means that part of me is in you if I am going to be aware of the situation.

I AM is in you as much as I AM is in me, and that problematizes a clean independence.

It depends on our future together. Is there room for me in you on this interdependence day?

I also want to thread opposites together on this groundless ground where the sunrise sings harmony with the dark side of the moon. Yes, the sun listens to her quiet attention to the stars.

Can the sun see all ``the stars beyond his corona? Or is he blind by his own light—too much of a good thing? Makes the whole world blind.

Too much independence makes the "I Though" incomplete.

I want to know you and be known on this great and Holy interdependence day.

Grief has a seat, a plate, a fork, a knife, and a steaming pile of fresh grilled broccoli at our table.

Opposites dine together

And maybe get a little tipsy and argue and then makeout, on this great and holy interdependence day.

But if you want your freedom, I respect that. I've been there. And I'm still there most of the time.

Let's grow together this time around. Let's find the spiral dance up towards the sun as our branches seek the light that listens

On this great and Holy interdependence day.

Happy Interdependence Day.

We had an electricity breakthrough with our high-desert Abiquiu glamping site. Right before my epiphany, I was experiencing a slow (stubborn) spiral towards giving up on solar completely and forking over thousands to tie into the grid (somewhere between $10,000-$20,000). But the fate of the residential conformism gods would not have it’s way with me, yet.

Thanks to the 'all-holy' YouTube algorithm finding me, combined with ChatGPT (I know, I've crossed over), I was lifted back into the fluffy, partially cloudy sky of self-sufficiency. I'll spare you the wonky details, but the bottom line is that we now have a system that can power both an AC and a heater simultaneously.

Over the weekend, me and some buddies installed a shade structure, 2,000 watts of solar panels, a starlink dish, a 5,000 watt solar inverter/charger, and two Lithium 48v 100ah rack batteries—whooo-buddy! We got Power! Freedom! 'Merica!

Are we moving to New Mexico permanently? The short answer is "no." The long answer is a bit more complicated. I always struggle explaining to folks what this property is for. The closest I have come is a rambling, lightly edited freewrite that I penned while out on the property this past trip. Read at your own risk.

Leaving and Coming Back

There is something about leaving and coming back to the city; the routines of progress through a time gap in my other life

Quite felt for a better chance to get it right. 

To try again: leaving and coming back. 

Where is back? Where is the birth place of my heart? 

Cameron asked, “are you more city or country?” 

I am torn in the murky low-tide pools of Argentinian asado potatoes, where the smoke infuses the whole potato. 

Finding where the parallel stream lands, side by side, there is no way except to stop and listen to the leaving and coming back.

When we meet for the first time and I haven’t fully communed my being with you, and I want a little more of you, there is something about leaving and coming back. 

When they decided it would be better, for the group, if we shot him and buried him in a special place, there is something about leaving and coming back. 

When they ask if we are moving out here permanently, where it’s so quiet you can hear the raven’s wings beating the air, I say, “my purpose isn’t the destination, there is something about leaving and coming back.”

If you’d like something a little less poetic, below is a parts list to build your own system.

Build and parts list

• 10 Solar Panels - ECO-WORTHY 195 Watt Solar Panel 12 Volt Monocrystalline: https://a.co/d/0YSXyLC

• 2 Batteries - ECO-WORTHY 48V 100Ah Metal Case LiFePO4 Lithium Battery, 5.12kWh: https://a.co/d/6c7D7cJ

• Solar inverter charger - ECO-WORTHY 5000W Solar Hybrid Inverter Charger, Multiple Parallel Convert 48V DC: https://a.co/d/6k2BrSw

• Battery cut-off switch - Ampper Battery Switch: https://a.co/d/34gjHbu

• Solar cut-off switch - DC Miniature Circuit Breaker: https://a.co/d/gngHz8k

• Solar panel fuse - Renogy 15A Male and Female Connector inline: https://a.co/d/hgTHi87

• Battery fuse - InstallGear 0/2/4 Gauge AWG in-Line ANL Fuse Holder with 100 Amp Fuse: https://a.co/d/evDYyQG

• DC bus bar - MOFEEZ Power Distribution Block Bus Bar, 4 x 5/16" Posts: https://a.co/d/6O3C9Xf

• Step down voltage - KInuoxj 20A 240W DC-DC 24V 36V 48V Step Down to 12V Converter: https://a.co/d/4LNf2YU

• 12 volt panel - WUPP Boat Marine Fuse Block Panel: https://a.co/d/545jdUX

Greetings, fellow artists, creators, and rousers of the spirit!

It's time to share something from the heart.

How to Participate:

• Sign Up Live: Put your name on the list to share your creation live during the event.

• Or Submit a Video: Send me a video of your piece. You will need to first upload it to YouTube and then paste your link into the final question on the form.

What to Share: A story, a song, a comedy routine...interpretive scarf dancing. If it stirs the spirit, we want to witness it!

Guidelines:

• Keep your share to 5 minutes or less.

• We welcome pre-recorded submissions, but those joining in person (virtually) will receive priority in the lineup.

Instructions

June 20th, 2025 at 8 pm (Central Time).

1. Click here to sign up.

2. Click “notify me” on the YouTube stream: https://youtube.com/live/43NGzTOb6a0

What is the TLC? It stands for "This Little Corner," which has as many definitions as there are participants. Read my attempt to map it's shapes and forms here.

I hope to see you there!

Among those who identify as left or center-left, I have noticed a striking lack of in-depth soul-searching about what has "happened"—and is still happening in leftist spaces. The loss of cultural power and a blindness to its own contribution to the 'culture war.' …until thinkers like .

At Steve McIntosh's monthly Zoom group, which I co-host, Annick gave a great talk that offered an overview of the three major worldviews—traditional, modern, and postmodern—and how they swirl together into today’s polarizing cultural cocktail. In the first half, she maps out the charged terrain of each worldview and helps us understand how we have reached this seemingly unsolvable situation.

The second half is where things get a bit spicy—at least, as spicy as a measured academic can get. Annick isn’t afraid to dip into a bit of controversy to point out where the left seems to have lost its way, while offering some provocative solutions. I would love to see more of this type of nuanced conversation happening out there in the arena.

My own aim is to find ways to steelman the positive values of the traditional worldview—avoiding its obvious pathologies—while bringing forward the gifts of modernity and postmodernity into an erotic synthesis. Yes, you read that right. The way through our impasse is: eros—a kind of collective, transcendent tug on our hearts from the Holy Spirit.

The Wild is at our door—maybe even creeping up the stairs to our most protected spaces. Now might be a good time to do some Jungian shadow work to get ready for what's coming next.

Annick's full presentation, based on her in-depth article, can be viewed here on the Developmental Philosophy YouTube channel:

My solution is to slowly release it into the wild through the listening room environment of my “Live From the Earthdome” YouTube channel. Each week, I’ll present a new track and offer it as a springboard for discussion. If you want to hear the whole album in context, there’s a link at the bottom.

If you want to join the listening room and discussion, click here to get to RSVP through YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@rigelwindsongthurston/streams

Consciousness is a concept album that musically and poetically interprets the stages of development found in developmental philosophy (a.k.a. integral philosophy), using the Spiral Dynamics colors. Each track features a simple blob animation and text overlay to illustrate how I perceive these stages of development manifesting in my life and the world. I’ll go into more detail in future posts, but for now, if you’re interested in learning more about this philosophy, I’ve created a cheatsheet that explains the different stages of development: https://airtable.com/appXIxBqPnUJ0mLYY/shr6cMqX8emdwOR7W

You can also learn more about the work I am doing with developmental philosophy over here: https://developmentalist.org/

Okay, enough with the promotional links. Here’s the full (unofficial) album—hope to release it on all the streaming services soon.

I stream live every Friday at 11:30 am (Central Time, ATX), and I invite you to join in the live chat or on camera with me: https://www.youtube.com/@rigelwindsongthurston/streams

Highlights:

• Improvisational Jazz Opening: I kicked things off with some free jazz, embracing the glorious madness of playing piano with my eyes closed.

• Shari’s Guitar Rediscovery: Shari joined in and shared how she picked up her guitar after years. At first, she struggled to remember how to tune it, but when she stopped overthinking, her hands just knew what to do.

• Discussion on Anxiety & Performance: That led us into a conversation about anxiety—how overthinking can lock us up, and how surrendering to the process can unlock something deeper.

• Mass Formation & Free-Floating Anxiety: We got into The Psychology of Totalitarianism by Mattias Desmet, talking about mass formation, free-floating anxiety, and how societies latch onto simple narratives when people feel disconnected.

• Totalitarianism vs. Dictatorship: We explored how dictatorships often stabilize after their initial brutality, but totalitarian systems always need a new enemy to survive.

• Sprinkling holy water on the internet: I had to bring up my “Internet Rock”—a broken part of a brick that I found in my yard and got blessed as a way to ground the chaos of the online world—an experiment in digital sanctification.

• The Importance of Community Connection: We contrasted urban isolation with rural interdependence—how people in cities live so close yet barely know each other, while in the middle of nowhere, your survival depends on your neighbors.

• CS Lewis & Suburban Isolation: We touched on The Great Divorce and how C.S. Lewis painted hell as a place where people keep moving farther apart to avoid dealing with each other. Felt eerily relevant.

• Stapler Love Song: And then—because why not?—I sang my love song to a stapler. A tragic ode to an office-essential cast aside in the paperless age. “Click-stick, you know how to do it.”

I hope to see you at the next one!

I’m getting sucked in. I did my second successful live show on YouTube this morning. I kicked it off with some improvised creative process—blind composing on the piano—followed by my first surprise guest, Shari, who contributed beautifully to the conversation and shared some of her poetry at the end. Shari is a regular contributor on the Grail Country channel, which is part of the TLC scene—a rhizomically organized group of spaces for conversation and digital hospitality. 

We also had several TLC regulars in the chat chime in with encouragement, zingers, and technical support as I fumbled around with the Streamyard software—as Zig Ziglar says, “Fire, Aim, Ready!” 

Join me next Friday at 11:30 am (Central Time, ATX) with an open invitation to participate either in the chat or live on camera.

I did my first livestream today! "Into the Cosmic Navel Ep. 1"

I improvised on the piano and read aloud a piece of writing that I would categorize as somewhere between poetry and a grocery list of the mystical feast. I hope you join me next time!

I’m thinking about making it a regular thing on Fridays at 11:30 am (Central Time).

Watch here: https://youtube.com/live/I9oVMxC2uos

This is a bit last minute, but I wanted to invite you to join me. There are a few ways to participate:

• Join onscreen - Break the fourth wall. Join me on-screen and riff on whatever topic pops up.

• Join in on the chat - Let me know where you are on…

Read more

I recently got “baptized” into the TLC through a conversation craft jam session with my new internet friend, Christian Baxter. Christian is an ex-praise-and-worship bandleader who now leads a new conversational improv band of followers and participants who converse on the 'groundless ground' of the YouTube algorithm.

In this jam session, we delved into topics like integral and developmental philosophy, in-person vs. digital community, and the stages of development that communities and relationships tend to go through as they mature or short-circuit.

Watch the whole thing here:

TLC Defined

What exactly is the TLC? Technically, it stands for This Little Corner, as in 'this little corner of the internet,' but that's about where its confirmed boundaries begin—and end.

At the risk of cringing my fellow TLC-ers, I will sprinkle some of my own definitional flavors into the glorious soup of structured chaos.

Decentralized

The TLC is a non-hierarchical emergence* of playful hospitality through virtual group conversations that usually stream live on YouTube but, in some cases, are pre-recorded. It seems like everyone uses the Streamyard web-app, which naturally limits the number of on-screen people to about 10.

Diversity

I have witnessed atheists, protestants, Orthodox, Catholics, Jews, meta-modernists, and developmentalists having theological and philosophical conversations that often turn spicey—a few women here and there, but otherwise pretty bro heavy. I could speculate on what that's about, but I'll save it for a TLC convo.

Long-form

Sessions last between 30 minutes and 6 hours.

“Kayfabe”

I had to look this word up: "the tacit agreement between professional wrestlers and their fans to pretend that overtly staged wrestling events, stories, characters, etc., are genuine."

I'm still figuring out how this piece fits into the TLC, but I hear the word tossed around, and my gut impression is that some hosts vest themselves in a playful/sometimes gritty persona that masks an authentic love for the Samaritan passing by on their Youtube surfboard.

Kayfabe acts as the encircling gargoyles of medieval churches, protecting the holy space from demons while simultaneously inviting the wandering fool into a safe space.

Branding LARP

Most hosts with extra time on their hands take branding really seriously, sprinkling in a healthy dose of homemade video sequences and effects. Partly, this pokes fun at the world of advertising, but just beneath the surface of the sometimes heavy-handed postmodern irony is a sincere inner child calling out to my inner child with a deftness that easily bypasses my soul’s Compliance & Insurance Department.

Learning and healing

Seeing yourself talk long-form on video is one of the closest things to the fires of heaven. Holy shit, I say “like” a lot.

Rhizomic ecclesiology

Part of the TLC is talking about what the TLC is. This might feel exhausting to the outsider, but it’s fascinating to witness and participate in the strangely organic mosaic of emerging digital spaces. It reminds me of Christopher Alexander’s architectural concept, “Pattern #8: Mosaic of Subcultures,” from his book A Pattern Language.

Making up words and phrases

There are very few agreed definitions, but lots of playful language jazziness.

• Breaking the fourth wall: When people transition from lurking to showing their faces on any channel for the first time, they shatter the facade that we are isolated beings out here on the internet.

• Metagelical: Somewhere between post-evangelical and post-postmodern.

• Christian Absurdism: Every soul’s Compliance & Insurance Department has cracks where Christ’s light can shine through. The absurd is where these cracks often form.

• TLC-ing: I invented this word on the spot. TLC isn’t fixed. It’s a process of evolution that constantly adapts to whoever pulls the Thread of the kingdom of God within. I respect anyone who leaps to the other side by breaking the fourth wall.

Call to action

As a new convert, I admit I’m in the annoying honeymoon phase. I don’t fully understand all the aspects of this movement, but I am up for learning, stumbling, and getting back up again in front of everyone. If you’re interested in checking it out, you can either:

a) pray to the YouTube algorithm

or

b) check out some of these channels that I enjoy:

• Paul Vanderklay (PVK)—Founding contributor and arguably the Godfather of the movement: https://www.youtube.com/@PaulVanderKlay

• Luke Thompson—Influenced by Orthodoxy, Rob Bell, David Bentley Hart, Spiral Dynamics, St. Gregory of Nyssa, Fr. John Behr, and Universalism. This is the channel where I broke the 4th wall: https://www.youtube.com/@WhiteStoneName

• McMo—Music and philosophy with mystical kayfabe ethos and branding: https://www.youtube.com/@GrimGriz

• Grizwald Grim—I did a double-take at first with this channel—couldn’t quite figure out his angle, but it’s growing on me, and he has some shamanic branding that inspires me to drop approving “f-bombs”: https://www.youtube.com/@GrimGriz

• Christian Baxter—Did my first “Randos” conversation and follow-up “conversation craft” podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@christianbaxter_yt

• Sam @Transfigured—Straight ahead high-level theology: https://www.youtube.com/@transfigured3673/videos

• Grail Country—I haven’t spent as much time on this channel, but they are very active, and appreciate their contributions: https://www.youtube.com/@grailcountry

* I feel a lot of similar energy to the Emergent church/conversation of the early aughts, except with more nuance and more tools.

NOTICING 2025: I wrote this haiku based on what the sock drawer/Logos/Revelation-of-God communicated to me/us this morning.

Noticing the Noticer

mountain tops cry out
whoopee cushions tickle bums
surprise me Wonder

I have been intentionally mismatching my socks—from a creative, philosophical, and theological standpoint—for the last, I don’t know, 8+ years. My wife thanks me because she, by egalitarian consensus participatory group process, is the shepherd of the laundry workflow in our household. Allowing socks to exist in their pre-incarnate, mismatched, formless form is a big load off her plate. It also sprinkles a little wonder into my day.

Happy January 3rd!

Track 2: "Montuno" – Breakdown and Analysis. This is another original from my Christmas album. A special thanks to songwriter Joe Mach, and his lyrical wizardry for helping me pull this one out of the trash can. If you're ready for a long-winded chat that includes mouth-trombone demonstrations and Montuno theologizing, here are 22 glorious minutes of pure Rigel. If you make it to the end, I will gladly confirm your inner-circle status.

Music Challenge: Spot the Christmas classic I quote near the end of the song.

All my music is free, and streaming links can be found here: https://rigelthurston.com/index.php/2024/12/19/new-christmas-album-its-bigger-on-the-inside/

Special thanks to John Steurer for his iconic late-'90s cowbell pep-band performances at every PTHS basketball and football game. Never forget.

PS: I’m toying with the idea of creating my own version of the Bible, where I retranslate "Logos" from "Word" to "Montuno." Here's a sample:

John 1:1: "In the beginning was the Montuno, and the Montuno was with God, and the Montuno was God."

Romans 10:17: "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the Montuno of Christ."

1 Peter 1:23: "Since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding Montuno of God."

John 1:14: "And the Montuno became flesh and dwelt among us..."

I mean, I'm just gettin' started! Happy holidays to everyone!

Every song is an original, and I am playing all the instruments and singing on each track.

Click your favorite streaming platform (Youtube and Bandcamp are free):

Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Bandcamp, Youtube

3 ways to support my music addiction

Since streaming services don't really pay me enough to break even—about $200+ a year to keep it on itunes and spotify—I’m throwing out a few ways you can help me keep the tunes alive and the lights on:

• Donate large or small. These gifts help me replace music gear and keep the songs on streaming platforms. They also keep me from raiding the family bank account, which is good for my marriage.

• Review a song or the album and post it on your socials (be sure to tag me).

• Signup to my email list so we can stay connected.

Needing more Rigel?

Warning : This next section may not be for you. But if you like listening to people who are long-winded and a little bit enamored with the sound of their own voice, proceed with caution.

Track 3 - Eden: breakdown and analysis

Track 2 - Montuno: breakdown and analysis

Track 1 - My Baby Gave me the Blues for Christmas: breakdown and analysis

Pre-launch 'taste and see'

About the artwork

This is a scan of the original linocut print of the artwork for my new Christmas album, "It's Bigger on the Inside." This design has a special history—it started as a handmade Christmas card about eight years ago. Back then, I personally hand-printed each card, giving every single one its own unique patina. I sent them out to about 250 friends and family—gave Santa's little helpers a run for their money! Lots of warm memories attached to this art.

Walt Whitman said, "I contain multitudes." Jesus reminds that, "The Kingdom of God is within you." And St. Gregory of Nyssa wrote, "Concepts create idols, only wonder grasps anything." These are some of my favorite quotes that keep me rooted in an enchanted view of reality.

For me, "It's bigger on the inside" points to the ever-present mystery of God—surrounding us, dwelling in us, even in the midst of chaos. God is here, always tapping gently on my heart, inviting me to give birth to Christ once again in this moment.

This is long overdue, but about a year and a half ago, I played my last residency lounge gig at Truluck’s and started working for a non-profit organization called The Institute for Cultural Evolution. Funny how life works sometimes. Back in January 2023, I set a goal to start playing music ‘with’ people instead of always alone. I even considered dropping a gig night to make space for it. Two weeks later? Got an email from Truluck’s saying they were relocating their downtown restaurant and their musicians wouldn’t be moving with them. The very next week, I got a job offer from the organization I had already been volunteering with—talk about stars aligning.

My official title is Communications Director, but since it’s a small operation, I do a little bit of everything—running websites, building community, cutting videos for YouTube, and guerrilla marketing.

Our organization is rooted in Developmental Philosophy (aka Integral Philosophy). It’s not super well-defined yet in the zeitgeist, but think of it as the worldview emerging in response to progressive postmodernism. It’s all about pulling forward the best values from traditionalism, modernism, and progressive postmodernism while gently kicking their respective pathologies to the curb. I’ll spare you the TED talk and simply say that I’m really excited about this philosophy and the growing movement. If you want to join me in ushering in the ‘next’ worldview (I swear we’re not a cult)—hit me up or check out https://developmentalist.org/

I’m still making music and trying my best to jam with other people when I can, but it is a struggle even with evenings and weekends free now. I hope to drop a new holiday album in about a week, so stay tuned!

I recently asked a friend on Facebook who voted for Donald Trump, “I’m curious about how we can hold someone accountable who seeks to remove the guardrails on the office of the president.” When I was asked to name specific guardrails, I realized that the issue is broader than just the presidency. Here are my reflections on this topic.

Three categories of guardrails:

(1) Legal Guardrails

-Accountability for attempts to overturn an election: Not holding a president accountable for attempting to overturn an election is a dangerous precedent. When Trump pressured Georgia’s secretary of state to “find 11,780 votes” to claim victory, he violated federal and state election laws. If he’s not held accountable, it sets a precedent for future leaders to do the same. Imagine a Democrat trying this in 2028.

(2) Pseudo-Legal / Cultural-Norm Guardrails

-Injecting fear into the system with military threats: When Trump hints at using military force against “radical left lunatics,” it hits a nerve in the system. Yes, he could argue that his statement was merely hypothetical or in response to “election disruptors,” so there’s some plausible deniability there. But the problem is his lack of precision smears these types of statements into broader rhetoric aimed at ‘sticking it to the libs.’ Back in my Republican days, I remember how satisfying it was to watch my politically correct friends squirm at some of the things I would say. But even if he’s just ‘joking,’ there’s a line here that should be concerning for everyone.

-Punishing the press: I am less confident about this point because I think the mainstream media needs a bit of a wake-up call. But when a president sues or otherwise goes after the press, it’s not just holding journalists accountable—it assaults a principle of free speech, which is one of the essential checks on power. Perhaps a shakeup could give room for alternative media outlets to rise up. Some of the alternatives I follow are: thefp.com, TYT, the Bulwark, and RealClearPolitics.

(3) Non-legal Cultural-Norm Guardrails

-Undermining faith in the electoral system: Not being a good sport might seem insignificant, but it’s one of our most important guardrails. It makes me think of my son’s soccer team and their ritual of high-fiving at the end of a game—a way to affirm a shared respect for each other and the rules. Watching Trump prep his base for “rigged election” claims, only to pivot to silence when things went his way, feels like a setup to destabilize the whole system. I’d be curious how my Trump-supporting friends would rate their trust in the election system the day before and the day after the results came in on Nov. 5.

To be clear, I don’t identify as a Democrat or Republican—both have parts of the truth. One of the potential silver linings I see in all of this upheaval is that it may force the next generation to pay attention to the freedoms we take for granted. Similar to the way homeopathic remedies work by introducing a small dose of disruption to strengthen resilience, Trump’s infusion of chaos into the system might slingshot us into a more robust healing response that preserves our democracy. He might also drift into becoming a dictator.

DISCLAIMER: Feel free to reflect and discuss in the comments, but please follow the ground rules:
-No name-calling
-Treat people with respect
-(Optional) Star-man your opponent. I am still learning how to do this and don’t expect it from anyone, but you will get major bonus points if you read this article and try to employ some of its suggestions: https://centerforinquiry.org/blog/how-to-star-man-arguing-from-compassion/

I’m an early 80s hippie Democrat turned Republican, turned Libertarian, turned Disillusioned Christian Anarcho-Pacifist, turned Progressive, turned *Developmentalist. I’m not a Centrist. These days, I live in a cobbled-together driftwood fort I built on the beach of the Mystical Cosmic Navel—a place where positive values from multiple worldviews swirl and dance together in harmonic tension. A place where my opponents are parts of myself I haven’t gotten to know yet.

I’ve got friends across the political spectrum—friends I love (and actually like—MAGA and Woke, I’m talking about you), friends who, I believe, each hold a piece of the truth, goodness, and beauty, but not all of it. I’m still ‘in process,’ so please take what I am going to say with a grain of salt.

In my view, the highest value Donald Trump brings to the table is his spontaneity. He’s got a knack for deconstructing social norms, possibly clearing the way for something new. Who knows, maybe in ten years, if our country holds together, we’ll look back on Trump as a catalyst for the next evolutionary step in our culture and consciousness. Then again, we could end up in a fractured, neo-civil-war-like scenario under an authoritarian, Putin-esque leader.

Kamala wasn’t my first choice, but she has surprised me with her efforts to reclaim American patriotism for the political left. I don’t know that her vision of patriotism or skillset has the transcendent firepower to pull America out of its hyper-polarized culture-war stance, but maybe it is a step toward growth, which is why I’m giving her a chance with my vote.

For me, this election isn’t about policy. I wish it were, but we haven’t reached that luxurious level of maturity. It’s about preserving the classical liberal norms that allow for a peaceful transfer of power, norms that took a major blow on Jan. 6, 2020.

At this point, I think it’s structurally more important to participate in the democratic process of voting than trying to convince anyone about a specific candidate. Trust must be repaired for the system to work. If you haven’t yet, I urge you to get out there and cast your ballot!

*The term “developmentalist” refers to developmental philosophy that integrates values from the three competing worldviews: traditionalism, modernism, and progressive postmodernism. I’d be happy to chat in person with anyone interested or feeling politically homeless. You’re not alone. I happen to work for a non-profit that promotes this very philosophy. Here is a simplified version of it applied to politics: https://developmentalpolitics.org/our-developmental-approach-in-700-words/

DISCLAIMER: I invite you to reflect and share some of your political journey, but please agree to the following ground rules:
– Treat people with respect.
– No name-calling.