It reminded me so much of the sounds where I camp every summer and I spent some time in reverie just taking in the moment. Then I began reading the recent Mother Jones article on the death of the oceans and I found myself weeping.  I cannot tell you exactly what it was about this particular article that reached me, but the entire setting conspired to open me to what was said. I thought about how much I love the oceans and the creatures in it, and what a consummate loss it is to be killing the amniotic fluid of our Mother. The important thing was that in feeling so deeply, not just thinking about it, or even getting outraged about it, I opened myself to a deeper level of caring, commitment and calling about it. I was experiencing my authentic love for the earth, oceans, all things wild, and it took me to a place of waking up on a profoundly deeper level than I was before. My tears were deeply empowering and motivating. I remembered Alice Walker’s words: “Anything we love can be saved.”

Thinking about the power of people working together cooperatively and the urgency of the climate crisis, Judith came up with the idea of creating Earth Circles, small groups of people who could explore their feelings, share knowledge, and develop ways to support each other in taking action.

Judith shared the Earth Circle concept with her good friend and colleague, Sarah Conn, Director of the Ecopsychology Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Sarah’s work as a pioneer in the field of ecopsychology has provided a guiding framework for the way that we have approached the design of these sessions.

The following people have participated in a two-year prototype group to design this workbook: Dean Abby, Rosalie Anders, Betty Burkes, Sarah Conn, Mishy Lesser, Eleanor Mathews, Jeffrey Perrin, Robert Ryan, Jan Surrey, Judith Thompson and Barbara Zuckerman. The Climate Crisis Coalition (www.climatecrisiscoalition.org) offered early support to this effort.

 

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