Introduction: The Essence of the Spiral Journey

In this chapter, the authors emphasize the necessity of departing from the pyramid logic, deeply associated with neoliberalism and its offspring such as colonialism, patriarchy, and consumption. Conversely, they advocate for a spiral logic that requires individuals to take 'radical responsibility' for their belief systems. This involves understanding how internal landscapes need to shift in order to affect change in outer societal structures, moving toward post-capitalist ideology. The spiral represents interdependency, reflexivity, and non-duality, aiming for an upward movement toward life-force and complexity or entropy, depending on perspective.

Surrender: The Release from Control

Surrender plays a critical role in the process of moving away from capitalist structures. It means letting go of the obsession with control, which manifests in various forms such as addiction to certainty and scarcity logic. This section argues that true surrender requires shedding the need for control that is deeply rooted in capitalist modernity, characterized by a relentless urge to commodify and amass wealth. It ends with a call to deepen the practice of surrender and accept vulnerability, signifying a necessary passage to greater understanding and integrity.

Traverse: Crossing Thresholds

The term 'traverse' here symbolizes the journey across unknown terrain and symbolizes the shift from a worldview of separation to one of relationality and interconnection. This crossing of thresholds represents an alchemical change necessary to realign with liberating ontologies, which aim for the liberation and thriving of all beings. The authors suggest that this reorientation towards relational ontology is a critical move for individuals and communities to be able to engage with the meta-crisis meaningfully.

(Re)Enter: Rejoining the Continuum of Life

(Re)entering signifies coming back into the fold of life's complex continuum—a rejection of simplistic binaries and an embrace of a more enchanted view of existence that acknowledges our intertwined fates with deep time and cosmic forces. By interfacing with life in the present, in all its cycles and rhythms, we potentially affect and are affected by the eternal, thereby connecting with the entelechy of the Gaian whole.

Reflection Exercise: Crafting Commitments

The chapter ends by introducing a reflection exercise that encourages readers to create 'post capitalist vows'. These vows are akin to a commitment to understand, transmute, and amplify the alternatives to the destructive patterns of capitalist modernity. Creating such vows is likened to a practice, a guide for the journey through surrender, traverse, and (re)entry.

Mytho-Poetic Epilogue: Lessons from Inanna

The myth of Inanna's descent into the underworld serves as a relevant allegory for the journey toward post-capitalist reality. Just as Inanna relinquishes her worldly powers and faces death to gain wisdom, it is suggested that a similar process of surrender and transformation is needed to overcome the consequences of thousands of years of destructive behavior. The narrative concludes by suggesting that humanity's age of consequence might lead to a collective initiatory descent, which could ultimately result in either renewal or further decline. The choice lies in our collective willingness to embrace the unknown with humility and courage.