by Molly Brown
Recorded by MB
When the Deep Times team learned that the Work That Reconnects Network was planning a Gaian Gathering the first week in November 2023, we decided to fill the March 2024 issue of Deep Times with edited transcriptions of the talks and presentations, as well as some of the poetry or videos offered there. And here is the result!
Our editorial team thoroughly enjoyed reviewing the presentations and editing the transcripts to offer you the highlights of the resplendent Gaian Gathering, which was attended by well over six hundred people from around the world. We included a selection of the keynote speakers and a couple of the other presentations that we could readily translate into written form. There were many more inspiring practice sessions and participant-centered discussions that didn’t lend themselves to the journal format.
We hope that the articles herein will whet your appetite for viewing the full presentation videos now available on the Work That Reconnects Network website. Here’s the link, which will be also found after each edited transcription.
Leading our Gratitude section, Mary Oak reflects on her experience as a participant in the Gaian Gathering in “Preparing for the Gaianthropocene. ” In “Joanna at the Gaian Gathering,” Linda Seeley tells about Joanna Macy’s joyful response to and delightful participation in the Gathering. Marc Decitre recounts “An Early History of the Work,” focused here on its initial roots.
Bruna Buch leads the section on Honoring Our Pain for the World with a passionate poem in Portuguese and English, “Do que a sua dor é capaz?” Journalist Dahr Jamail shares his personal journey with the Work That Reconnects in “Honoring Our Pain, Seeing with New Eyes” and Hector Aristizabel, Uri Noy Meir, and Ilaria Olimpico share their process in “Creating the Bestiary for the Gaian Gathering” along with the video they curated together.
Our extensive section on Seeing with New/Ancient Eyes begins with Lyla June Johnston’s exploration “Weaving Ancient Wisdom into Our Current Lifeways–Becoming Allies through Self-Healing.” Next is Bayo Akomolafe’s poem, “I am an ongoing-ness without a name,” followed by his Deep Time exploration, “Time Marronage.” Gretchen Sleicher shares on video her haunting song, “The Other Side.” Deep Ecologist John Seed speaks about “Deep Ecology and the Conservation of Nature” and Adrián Villaseñor Galarza offers “Pachasophical Explorations & The Great, Golden Turning” (isn’t Pachasophical a wonderful word?).
In Going Forth, Woman Stands Shining (Pat McCabe) shares “The Power and Pleasure of Omnibeneficence” (imagine what that word means!). Two long-time nuclear abolitionists, Kathleen Sullivan and Linda Seeley uplift the vital role of “Nuclear Guardianship” in protecting life on Earth. And Nina Simons, co-evolver of Bioneers, closes this section with “Turning Vision into Action.”
The Evolving Edge features excellent guidance for facilitators from Belinda Griswold in “Undoing Oppression and Cultural Appropriation.” The Network section offers the story of “Planning the Gaian Gathering.”
Resources include a review of Jo delAmor’s new book, Raising Children in the Midst of Global Crisis. “Words that Reconnect and Leverage Shifts in Consciousness” introduces Valia Papoutsaki’s project collecting and curating powerful new words for the Great Turning.
Gratitude
Reflections on the Gaian Gathering: Preparing for the Gaianthropocene
Mary shares her profound experience as a participant in the Gaian Gathering
Joanna Macy at the Gaian Gathering
Linda recounts her experience with Joanna Macy during the Gaian Gathering.An Early History of the Work That Reconnects
A partial transcript of Marc's talk drawing on research for his master’s thesis on the history of the Work That Reconnects..
Honoring Our Pain for the World
Do que a sua dor é capaz?
"What is your pain capable of?" in Portuguese and EnglishHonoring Our Pain, Seeing With New Eyes
Carmen Rumbaut interviews award winning journalist and author Dahr Jamail about his work and personal journey.Creating the Bestiary for the Gaian Gathering
The process, intention, and thinking that produced the powerful Bestiary presentation at the Gaian Gathering.
Seeing with New/Ancient Eyes
Weaving Ancient Knowledge into our Current Lifeways
Becoming Allies through Self-HealingI am an ongoing-ness without a name
Time Marronage
In an interview with Jo delAmor, Bayo explores the implications of marronge--the act of refusing the terms of captivity--in relation to time.The Other Side
Deep Ecology and the Conservation of Nature
John explores the essential understandings of Deep Ecology and the vital role of passion in activism.Pachasophical Explorations & The Great, Golden Turning
An exploration of how we may mobilize inner resources in service to Life.
Going Forth
The Power and Pleasure of Omnibeneficence
A visionary message of our belonging in the world and the honor of being a human beingNuclear Guardianship
Two long-time nuclear abolitionists on the vital role of Nuclear Guardianship supported by the Work that ReconnectsTurning Vision Into Action
Nina offers guidance for Going Forth with cultural humility, discomfort resilience, and fierce compassion.
Evolving Edge
Undoing Oppression and Cultural Appropriation
Belinda offers counsel for facilitators in creating inclusive, welcoming spaces for everyone.
Resources
Raising Children in the Midst of Global Crisis by Jo delAmor
Jo delAmor's book is an inspiring and practical vision of parenting as a form of activism and liberation.Words that Reconnect and Leverage Shifts in Consciousness
Network
Planning the Gaian Gathering
Carmen summarizes an interview with key planners of the Gaian Gathering.
Deep Times: A Journal of The Work That Reconnects
Vol. #10 Issue #1 – March 2024
Editor: Molly Brown
Editorial Team: Carmen Rumbaut, Karina Lutz (poetry editor), Kevin Lay, Rebecca Selove, Carolyn Treadway, Martha O’Hehir and Silvia Di Blasio. More about the team here.
Graphic Design: Frieda Nixdorf
Webmaster: Silvia Di Blasio
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 Inquiring Systems, Inc. so all donations are tax-deductible.
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-ShareAlike 4.0.