How to Fall in Love with the Future

As the first snowfall graces the city of London, I’m wishing you all a magical start to 2026. In our dark and trying times, may we continue, this year, to hold in our hearts the vision of a possible world, and continue to trust — like invisible bluebell bulbs lying low during a long winter, nourished by decay and dissolution — in the promise of a future yet to be born.

Prompted by the energy of possibility, visioning and dreaming that feel so prevalent at the start of a new year, and which the season is inspiring in me, I’ve made a change to our book club read for this month. I’m super excited for this playful, visionary and practical book, and you can find the updated details below.

I also wanted to take this opportunity to reintroduce the space and offering, and share a note of encouragement to those of you thinking about joining to come along for the journey in 2026. I know time is a scarce commodity, but if the power of stories, community, deep thinking and the work of spiritual ecology calls to you this year, I hope you will join us.

”One of the many highlights of 2025 was joining Amrita’s book club” — Rosie Gaunt

The Spiritual Ecology Book Club is a monthly online reading group that focuses on books related to ecology, culture, and spirituality.

The Club is inspired by the call from many indigenous teachers that, at this moment of profound planetary crisis, we must respond by going deeper. Taking the time to think and reflect consciously and in community on our relationship with the living world — outer physical as well as inner spiritual— is an important part of this work of regeneration.

The space offers the opportunity to read or listen to, and be led by the teachings of a diverse collection of indigenous and non-indigenous writers, thinkers and activists, both established and emerging, who are leading the way in the global movement for spiritual, ecological and cultural renewal.

Authors include ecologists, nature writers, indigenous thinkers, psychologists, climate activists and more. The books cover a range of themes from grief to the rights of rivers, decolonising storytelling, and gift economies — but all of them contain transformative power, taking us on journeys that provoke, inspire, educate, and ultimately move us to experience ourselves and the living world in new ways.

"The future sends clues back to you, in the here and now, ALL THE TIME. We're surrounded by proof of the possibilities: little seeds and notes and nuggets dropped like messages in bottles, for you to pick up, collect, collage with, and do everything you can to nurture."

There are an infinite number of possible futures that lie ahead of us—like threads stretching out into the distance. In his new book, Hopkins, cofounder of the international Transition Network movement, invites us to travel to future worlds we would actually want to live in.

How to Fall in Love with the Future dives into the people and movements throughout history who have used visions of the future to inspire positive change on a large and dramatic scale. From the life and writings of musician Sun Ra and the history of Black utopian movements to the latest neuroscience on what goes on in our minds—and hearts—when we “time travel,” Hopkins brings essential new thinking to anyone overwhelmed with dread and anxiety for the future. He asks us to consider: what would the world look like if we all got to work imagining—and then building—a world we were deeply in love with?

Rob Hopkins is the co-founder of Transition Network and of Transition Town Totnes, and author of several books including ‘The Transition Handbook‘ and most recently, ‘How to Fall in Love with the Future: a time traveller’s guide to changing the world’. He is an Ashoka Fellow, has spoken at TED Global and at several TEDx events, and appeared in the 2015 French film phenomenon ‘Demain’. He holds a PhD from the University of Plymouth as well as 2 Honoris Causas, and hosted 100 episodes of his podcast ‘From What If to What Next’. His website is robhopkins.net.

Reading Goals
The book is 150 pages, so not a long read, with ten chapters in total. It is also available as an audiobook which can be a helpful alternative if time for reading is limited.

Online Reading Group Meeting
Thursday 29th January
6:30pm — 8:00pm GMT
Cost: £8
Zoom link

Please send me a message or comment if you are joining the read and planning to attend the meeting. A reminder will be sent as usual at the end of the month with all the final details!

Thank you for subscribing to The Mustard Seed and here’s to a year of listening for the signs and seeds of a possible world.

Warmly,