On social media, some have suggested I should be more loving towards Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Like, “What happened to the lady who wrote A Return to Love?” I tilt my head, pretty sure we’re supposed to show at least equal compassion to those whose lives are being traumatized by those gentlemen’s actions these days. I admit I feel less urgency to love the perpetrator than I do their victims – particularly federal workers who have served their country well and at the very least do not deserve the insults thrown at them as they’re told to leave, or former recipients of lifesaving food or medicine who now have nowhere else to turn. But I do get the point that we’re called by God to love everyone, and I don’t take it lightly. I’ve been praying for Donald Trump for years, and I’ve gotten to the point where I get it, he’s an innocent child of God and so forth. Several friends have told me “He’s not like that in private, Marianne. He’s lovely at dinner,” which weirdly is supposed to make me feel better. I admit Elon Musk presents more of a challenge for me now, but I’m working on it. I’m reminded of this quote from Martin Luther King Jr.: “God said we have to love our enemies, but He didn’t say we have to like them.” King also said, “Power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic.” I see what Trump and Musk are doing as reckless and abusive – and a sentimental and anemic love an inadequate response to this moment. People frequently question how Jesus could have kicked over the tables of the money-changers, but no Jew or Italian would have a problem with that scene. To some of us, that kind of thing isn’t anger…it’s personality! I’ve noticed that people who speak in sticky sweet syrupy vocal tones are often those who carry the sharpest emotional knives in their pockets, just waiting for you to turn around. Love is emotionally tender, but also fiercely intelligent. And it’s more than capable of saying no… (read the rest of THE HEART’S RESPONSE TO THIS WORRISOME HOUR) on Linktree or at mariannewilliamson.substack.com
Maybe it’s because I spent so many years counseling women who had a hard time accepting the fact that her partner was not a trustworthy person. As you mature you simply learn some things. You don’t date narcissists. You don’t excuse bad behavior. And you don’t accept dictators. It’s America’s turn now to learn a few things. The gullibility of so many – believing Musk has only the most beneficent intent, and Trump has profound respect for the pillars of democracy – is leading us down a very dark path. I hope the video illuminates a few things.
When I was growing up, my dad used to go on and on at the dinner table about Hannah Arendt. On one hand, I appreciated my father’s articulation of history and historical figures, but never in my wildest dreams did I think she would be so relevant in my lifetime. Arendt’s description of the creeping plague of Nazism in Germany in the 1930’s is chilling … particularly if you live in America in 2025. (See my substack article MAKING OUR WAY TO “HELL NO” in the link tree, or at mariannewilliamson.substack.com)
So in the midst of this chaos there is a very simple, fundamental conflict; will we be a democracy (a government of, by, and for the people) or a dictatorship (one man calling all the shots)? Each and every one of us needs to decide. Educating ourselves about what’s really going on is extremely important right now. Don’t let all this fill you with grief, panic of fear. Let it fill you with the absolute intention to be part of the solution. You’re not alone. Forces are gathering. There’s a lot we need to understand, educate ourselves about, become aware of. A bunch of tech Bros thought they had a better idea than democracy. They thought they should break it and start over with a dictator. I kid you not. People will be talking for decades and longer about how they were able to pull this off. Make sure the history also includes how we interrupted their plans:)
today’s American Fever Dream with @mariannewilliamson will help you find the energy you didn’t know you had 🎧 listen at the usual @betches_news
Certain principles should guide us now. 1) Do not go to sleep. Do not allow yourself to minimize the problem or to nullify your seriousness. Just make sure it’s a quiet, centered, fiercely loving intention. Think Mother Nature when she’s simply had it. She’s not mad. She just won’t take it anymore. This isn’t about hating anyone. It’s about loving freedom so much, and you’re absolutely adamant we will pass it on to future generations. You will not allow your country to bow to authoritarianism. 2) Do not cave. Do not allow yourself to do one single thing out of fear of unpopularity or retribution, or out of obedience in advance. 3) Remember: Nature is organizing the resistance. The most important thing is to make yourself receptive and available. Do not allow yourself to emotionally spiral down, and if you feel it starting to happen, reach out to a friend for help. Grief is appropriate, but you can’t let it run you. The point is to focus on action. It could be reading a book or an article and continuing to educate yourself on what’s happening. It could be attending a local protest. It could be communicating with your own legislators, particularly if they are Republican. Attend any town halls that are related. What’s important is not the specific action right now so much as the accumulation of energy. People are waking up all over the country, but we have to add to the momentum every day in every way. Do not shy away from posting. You don’t know who is reading and if even one person today opens their eyes to what’s going on because of something that you said or did, you had a successful day. You were born for this. You are not alone. You are part of a field of energy connecting millions of people in this country and around the world. Despite it all, life is beautiful. “In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer. And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger – something better, pushing right back.” ― Albert Camus You have that invincible summer within you too. (Thanks to Chris C. for the photograph taken at a New Mexico protest.)
We’re living at a time when nothing will be as it was, a time of monsters but a time of angels, a time of darkness but a time of great light. For many, this is not an easy time. The world around us is a reflection of who we’ve been until now; the only way to repair the world is if we ourselves are willing to change. Each of us is being put through challenges it seems, somehow perfect for making us who we need to be to do the things we need to do. If we can all just be a little bit kinder, a little more merciful, and a lot more forgiving, that of itself will generate new beginnings. We are all united by invisible filaments and what we think affects the whole. If you’re one of the people experiencing the deep and painful trauma of these times, know that you’re not alone. So many people feel as you do. Somehow, somewhere, Love will yet prevail. But love can’t be something we’re just hoping will appear. Love is waiting for us, and can only appear when we are willing to channel it into the world. It’s so sorely needed now. Most people carry hidden wounds reflecting many untried tears. Life isn’t easy for almost anyone right now. Let’s remember that about each other today, and be more loving, gentler, with everyone. The only way to rid the world of darkness is to dissolve it with the Light. Love is the Light. Understanding is the Light. Forgiveness is the Light. There is no other way.
I feel the energy starting to build. More and more Americans, Republicans as well as Democrats, can see the outlines of a coup. And I don’t think they like it. What’s at stake at this point is nothing less than the U.S. Constitution and the system of government its framers laid out for us. Never perfect, never fully actualized, the Constitution has nonetheless held this country together since it was ratified in 1788. This document of unmistakable genius, mainly the handiwork of 36-year-old James Madison, articulates the legal principles on which, despite some very rough chapters in our history, Americans have agreed to agree. Yet now a bunch of billionaire techno bros have decided they have a better idea. They feel that modern nation states, Constitutions, things like that are just quaint relics of the past and we’d best be rid of them. It would be preposterous if it weren’t so scary, but scary it is… because they’re working this, and they’re working quickly. Elon spent $277M to purchase the right to an Oval Office press conference all his own, plus access to government computers so he can play with the $7 Trillion payment system at the U.S. Treasury like it’s his new toy. He bought it, after all. Why shouldn’t he? Journalist Gil Duran on the Majority Report gave some interesting insight into these techno authoritarians. The more you read about this, the more it twists your head. Of this be very clear: they are not kidding. Current happenings are more than the bullying tactics of immature boys. They are dangerous plans executed by uber wealthy, powerful sociopaths who fail utterly to appreciate the deeper point of a free society. One thing they’re right about is that one or two people calling all the shots is a more “efficient” way of running things – for the very reason that it leaves everyone but them out of the decision-making! And it’s perfect when the puppet they put on top is a billionaire too…someone who gets his kicks from playing on their team… (Read the rest of my article “The Energy is Building” on the linkTree or at mariannewilliamson.substack.com) Photo by Diana Robinson.
Money doesn’t come from jobs dropped like crumbs from the dinner table of corporate aristocrats. It comes from the creativity and productivity of the American people. Anything that expands a person‘s ability to live a better life expands the economy. Don’t ever let them tell you otherwise…
Politics isn’t just about “data”. It’s about inspiration, excitement, and audacity! That’s what the Democratic Party needs and that is what I’ll bring as DNC Chair. Learn more at Marianne4DNC.com
We’re living at a time of whole systems breakdown, and that requires a whole systems response. What does that mean? It means our brain needs to work full time, but so does our heart. The modern revolutionary is a healer, healing the systems of our world that are broken. We need an integrative approach to healing society just as we need an integrative approach to healing the body. Our inner work is as important as our outer work, if we’re to truly transform the world.
Nothing is more core to American democracy than freedom. The freedom to do, to be, to say, to dream, to create, to work, to play, to speak privately, to speak publicly, to basically do anything we darn well please as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else. That is the richness and the glory of this country. People have fought, people have struggled, and people have died so that that ideal could be protected and its franchise expanded. It is beyond comprehension to me that there are those who would now limit that freedom. Who’d unabashedly use the powers of the government not in a way to protect our freedom but to diminish it. Yet that is exactly what is happening, and it’s our generation’s task to protect that freedom from their assault, no differently than other generations have been called to do before us. Perhaps someone should remind the modern GOP of these words spoken by Ronald Reagan: “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.” I’ve been a professional lecturer for over forty years, invited to speak at churches, universities, hospitals, Presidential libraries, and so forth. Never in a million years did I think that here the United States one of those places would have to get permission from the government before inviting me. Like, what is going on here? Except we know what is going on here. The Carter Center was told that from now on they will have to run all programming by the National Archives before scheduling. The Kennedy Center the same. And there is more. Apparently, Washington wants to run everything now. Yet the Save Act is even scarier, though at a certain point this isn’t a matter of degree. This absurd proposed Congressional legislation, under the guise of protecting the integrity of our elections, would demand that a married woman who had changed her name … Read the rest of LET FREEDOM RING on linktree or at mariannewilliamson.substack.com
There are two major categories of life for a lot of of us these days: one is taking in everything that’s happening around us, and the other is talking to our friends about it. I hope my little spiritual/political musings are helpful to someone. We have to emotionally strengthen ourselves in order to meet the moment. Faced with a humungous challenge, it’s time to discover the even more humungous power that lies within us. Amen🩵
Sometimes you realize things matter to you that you hadn’t ever given much thought. As Americans, we rarely think of something like freedom of religion as relevant to our daily lives. But we’re living at a time when freedom in all its aspects is taking up mental bandwidth in ways we might not have ever thought possible. We might not have given a concept like Christian Nationalism much attention. But now we ask ourselves things like, how does something like that align with my values as an individual and as an American? This is just one of the ways in which current events are turning us into sober mature adults in ways we might not have been before. Freedom of religion and religious pluralism and not just abstract words; they’re deeply relevant to a society whose freedom is at risk.
Shutting down the US Institute of Peace is such an unwise thing to do….
It’s time to have bigger conversations that aren’t Left or Right, but simply human. An economy is here to serve people; people aren’t here to serve the economy. That should be something we agree on no matter our politics. The election is over. A new administration is about to begin. It’s time to dig deep into our souls and discern our deeper values. This doesn’t have to be a time of anger and fear. It can be a time of excitement and love.
I was with Symone Sanders and Michael Steele this morning on MSNBC. Running for DNC Chair, I’m running to fundamentally change a system that’s stuck in the 1990s. 20th century leadership is dictating from the top. 21st century leadership is holding a space for the brilliance of others. In order to achieve victory, grass roots DNC members in the states must share far more decision-making power and resources. Right now they’re basically just told what’s happening by a small group of the consultancy class folks. That leaves a tremendous amount of talent, intelligence and creativity on the table. If I’m Chair, the Democratic Party will become more democratic …and feel more like a party! (See whole interview on link tree)
As tough as things are at the moment – as dark the clouds looming over the near and not so near horizon – I have unwavering conviction that in the end things will be okay. I keep thinking of the saying, “Every problem comes bearing its own solution.” The most difficult situation is often the one that forces us to grow. We become the people who, if only we’d been that person before, the challenge might never have arisen! I’m impressed by so many whose bravery and intelligence at this moment are lighting up the Internet. Many who had never given politics a thought are now channeling the full on spirit of Thomas Paine. Yes, liars and trolls are saturating the airwaves, but they are not unresponded to. People are not allowing idiocy to go unanswered. There are people waking up each day with the clear intent of throwing a wrench in the gears of the Musk machine. Today’s mantra for a well-lived life is, “If I can mess them up the least little bit, my efforts will have been worthwhile.” I’ve worked with people throughout my career who had just received the worst news possible. And I’ve seen what happens. In the space of five minutes, layers of ultimately meaningless preoccupation dissolve and someone’s inner adult, long suppressed, is shocked into existence. When the critical stakes in a situation become clear, “How can I avoid taking adult responsibility?” becomes “How can I totally and completely take care of this problem?” in the space of a minute. This generation of American adults – by that I mean all generations of American adults – never had our coming-of-age crisis. Well, we’re having it now. I laugh at an imaginary scene in my head. I’m wearing a babushka and long apron, passing cookies around to internet revolutionaries as I exhort them onwards saying “Are you all right, darling?” I’m this nutty lady scrolling through Tik Tok, seeing a young woman lay down some radical truth-telling about how fascism is creeping into the sinews of our society, and I jump up yelling, “YES! YOU GO, GIRL!” I’ve appointed myself her patron saint. (Read rest of article A NEW BREED OF PATRIOT at linktree or at MarianneWilliamson. substack.com.)
Many years ago, I had an art poster on my dorm wall at college. The picture was of a tall Pre-Raphaelite angel, and I loved it. I didn’t know anything about the artist, and it didn’t matter. The name of Scottish painter Edward Burne-Jones of itself meant nothing to me. Skip to about twenty years later, and one day I was walking up Fifth Avenue in New York City. As I passed the Metropolitan Museum, I saw that a flag out front announcing a current exhibit was a picture of that angel! I was so excited to see the group of paintings that the angel was part of. I was in New York at the time for a reason. I had been working on a book about spirituality and politics, ultimately called “Healing the Soul of America,” for which I was doing a deep dive into American history. At that point I’d been reading about the Transcendentalists and their relationship to the Industrial Revolution. I read about Whitman, Emerson, Thoreau, and a group of artists and philosophers in the United States and Great Britain who foresaw psychological and spiritual dangers in the mindset accompanying the advent of Western materialism. While industrialization, mechanization, and Western science presented many benefits and opportunities for the betterment of humanity, artists and philosophers at the time also saw risks in our becoming so mesmerized by the outer world that our inner powers would begin to wither. Much was coming together for me. On that day, as I entered the museum and procured the audio set that would explain more about those angel paintings, I learned that Edward Burne-Jones was a member of that movement of artists! In fact – this blew me away when I first heard it and it blows me away even now – Burne-Jones once said, “Every time they build a machine, I will paint an angel!” (read rest of “Angels, Art, and Where We Are Now” on Linktree or at mariannewilliamson.substack.com),
The Constitution is not a relic from the past. It’s our national vision statement and constant North Star. Anyone who undermines the Constitution is casting us into darkness. “Where there is no vision the people perish” is simply a statement of what’s true. My full conversation with author @danielpinchbeck can be found at MarianneWilliamson.Substack.com and at the link in bio.
“We will give a damn.” At the DNC forum, we were asked about Southern voters and rural voters. When we show up for people they will show up for us.
TONIGHT! We’ll be LIVE with top candidates for new DNC leadership. This is a chance for the grassroots to be heard, push for real change, and hear directly from those seeking to lead the Democratic Party. Comment your questions below, and be sure to RSVP here: https://act.ourrevolution.com/signup/dnc-leadership-forum-2025/?source=social Guests include @mariannewilliamson @benwikler @kenmartin1973 @martinomalley @drqhathaway @JamesSkoufis @michelle.deatrick @janekleeb @shasticonrad and James Zogby. Presented in partnership with Our Revolution, @roots_action, @progressivedemocratsofamerica, and the State Democratic Party Progressive Network.
As the Founder of a non-profit that has fed 18 million meals to home bound people living with AIDS and other life-challenging illnesses, I have addressed the suffering of others in meaningful ways for over forty years. As DNC Chair, I would make the organization into an indisputable champion of solutions that improves people’s lives.
I’m looking forward. Hope you can join us… Register here or at the link in bio: https://www.wearechorus.com/dnc
