Order of the Vegan Heart?

Welcome to "New Monasticism with Jonathan," my February 2026 blog platform upgrade. (You can access all of my blogs through my profile). The blog you are now reading replaces "Discerning an Eremitic Christian Blogging Vocation with a Psychiatric Disability," which I maintained under various titles from March 2025 to January of 2026. My goal is to post one new article on "New Monasticism with Jonathan" every calendar month.

Is God calling me to establish a non-denominational new monastic society, perhaps titled the Order of the Vegan Heart? (It's okay if that makes you think of a Yes song. I am not set on an exact title yet.) I've been discerning this call in earnest since 2022, with many pauses, diversions, and setbacks along the way, but also with steadily increasing confidence. I am thinking there must be at least four men and four women over fifty scattered across North America who are now being called to seriously consider something along these lines.

My next step is to touch base with Sister Laurel at Notes from Stillsong Hermitage with a question for my upcoming March article: 

If God is indeed calling me to start a non-denominational, ecumenical new monastic society for those with a vegan charism - in addition to the charisms of celibacy, poverty, and obedience - should I first write a personal rule, idiosyncratic as that could become, and get it down pat before sharing any parts of it with others; or should I begin by formulating a community rule that I can realistically live with; and if I should begin by formulating a community rule, should I anchor it in study and connection with an existing tradition, perhaps first and foremost taking into account the Rule of the Community of Solitude and your thoughts in Feast of St Romuald (Reprise)?