Welcome to the February 2018 issue
by Molly Brown, Editor
Welcome to the mid-winter/mid-summer issue of Deep Times journal. In the face of all that’s happening to and in our world today, I take comfort in the world-wide community of the Work That Reconnects facilitators and friends.
The story of the Great Unraveling is accelerating on every front; I find myself constantly challenged to maintain equanimity and compassion in the face of all that’s happening—and to listen to my call to effective action in response. I read and hear that many others in the Work That Reconnects community and beyond are grappling with these challenges, too.
Our cover image by Carolyn Treadway reflects the heartbreak so many are experiencing as we move into 2018: the heartbreak from the sanctioned violence toward and oppression of People of the Global Majority around the world; the heartbreak of families separated and children traumatized by warfare, military occupation, and the deportation of undocumented immigrants and refugees; the heartbreak of global climate disruption changing weather patterns everywhere and exacerbating hurricanes, wildfires, floods, drought, and other “natural” disasters; and the heartbreak of individuals and families coping with injury, illness, and loss brought about by the Great Unraveling. People who have experienced the Work That Reconnects know how vital it is for our awakening and action in the world to allow our hearts to break open, so they can “contain the whole universe,” especially in these times of crisis and uncertainty.
For this issue, we did not specify a theme for our contributors who offered a variety of perspectives around the Spiral of the Work That Reconnects, as well as articles on the Evolving Edge of the Work, Resources, and Network news.
We aim to publish the next issue in July or early August and welcome articles and poems on any theme. We are considering a focus on the theme of patriarchy (or more precisely “cisheteropatriarchy”*) for the next issue or a future one, so will be seeking articles on that topic. Please check the Submission Guidelines if you want to offer articles, essays, poems, images, or other material. Please send submissions, proposals and queries to [email protected].
*Cisheteropatriarchy- “A system of power based on the supremacy & dominance of cisheterosexual men through the exploitation & oppression of women and LGBTQIA people. Also referred to as sexism. This includes oppressive constructs such as homophobia, transphobia, biphobia, etc..” (Decolonize ALL The Things). “Cis” is a term or prefix for people whose gender identity matches the sex that they were assigned at birth (Wikipedia).
Gratitude
Songs of Gratitude
Songs of gratitude for your auditory enjoyment.
Letter from Joanna Macy
Joanna shares good news and appreciation for WTR initiatives around the world.
Land of Uncertainty
Honoring Our Pain for the World
A Proclamation of Independence: Growing Beyond.
Extinction Anxiety in the Age of Trumpism
In the age of Trumpism, a time when lies are celebrated, nature is commodified, relationships are monetized and the sacred is mocked, it is very important to know ‘where you stand’ in the midst of this maelstrom.
Re-Membering Europa: An Initiatory Journey to Life Beyond the Patriarchy
Reflections on patriarchal capitalism, its greed and destructive effects throughout Europe, and how ancient Goddesses can inspire movement beyond it.
Drone
Seeing with New Eyes
The Great Remembering
An Ecological Imperative
A teacher in Norway explores how to "make a case for falling in love with the Earth."
The Pine and I
Maybe it has happened to you, too, that small secret moment of intimacy with a non-human creature.
Remembering Our Essential Goodness: Ecopsychology and the Work that Reconnects
As an ecotherapist, grounding my work in the Work That Reconnects gives me a different story to share -- a story where the spiral has the potential to spin outwards towards openness, healing and life.
Trust
Going Forth
I want my words to be loyal to the earth
Evolutionary Leadership: An Interview with Victor Lee Lewis
Victor shares his perspectives on the challenges of acting as evolutionary leaders and social justice leaders in the face of oppression, violence, and trauma.
The Elm Dance Revisited
A brief history and personal reflection on the Elm Dance, with translation of the lyrics.
Thanksgiving
Evolving Edge
Choosing the Story We Want for Our World
An expanded version of the “3 Stories” described in Coming Back to Life (2014 edition), p. 5 , with a longer and more inclusive historical perspective.
Recommendations on Anti-Oppression Work within the Work That Reconnects
Joanna shares her recommendations for bringing anti-oppression perspectives and practices into the Work That Reconnects.
As European Americans, Healing Our Relationship with the Ancestors
The course described here, “As European Americans, Healing Our Relationship with the Ancestors: moving towards personal and collective wholeness” is rooted in the powerful state of consciousness, Deep Time.
Resources
Hope Sings – An Interview with Sarah Pirtle
Hope Sings is a free web-based collection of songs for Work That Reconnects workshops and beyond. This interview took place on December 13, 2017 – the day Hope Sings was launched.
Ursula Le Guin’s Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction
Links to Resources related to the Work That Reconnects
Network
4 Dimensional Mapping of the Work That Reconnects Network
As part of a training in Social Presencing Theatre (SPT), I had the opportunity to use the Work That Reconnects Network as a case study using the SPT 4D mapping practice.
Report on the first online Facilitator Development Program
Last September, I took the opportunity to join the Facilitation Development Program (FDP) to grow further into the WTR and in particular engage with the “Evolving Edge” of the work.
Deep Times: A Journal of The Work That Reconnects
Vol. #3 Issue #1 – February 2018
Editor: Molly Brown
Editorial Team: Aravinda Ananda, Karina Lutz (poetry editor), Randy Morris, Rebecca Selove, Lisa Siegel, Carolyn Treadway.
Webmaster: Werner Brandt
Deep Times is published online twice a year by the Work That Reconnects Network.
The Network provides support, guidance, and inspiration to people all over the world in their work for the Great Turning. We welcome your donations to support the Work That Reconnects Network and Deep Times. The Work That Reconnects Network is currently a fiscal project of Interhelp so all donations are tax-deductible.
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-ShareAlike 4.0.