EARTH IN TRANSITION

Wednesday Evenings, 7:00-9:00 pm
September 2010 through May 2011

The hour is striking so close above me,
so clear and sharp, that all my senses ring with it.
I feel it now: there’s a power in me to grasp
and give shape to my world… Rilke, The Book of Hours

The Marriage of Contemplation & Action to Create the New Earth

The wise action needed in our world at this time can only arise from our deepest consciousness. We must continue to grow our contemplative roots even as we commit ourselves to urgent choices and changes in our personal and collective lives. Join us, and millions of people across the world, in this sacred work. Bring a friend!

Winter and Spring Sessions: The Tools of Transition

• Wednesday April 13, 2011, 7-9 pm LOVING EARTH with Rachel Carson

With Earth Day approaching, our April session is dedicated to Rachel Carson, one of the leading lights of conscious evolution. She loved Earth and, seeing through the eyes of love the harm that we humans were creating, she courageously spoke of what she saw.

We will view a Bill Moyers special dedicated to Rachel Carson that aired on the occasion of her 100th birthday. The program includes a one-woman performance of “A Sense of Wonder,” a play written and acted by Kaiulani Lee. By using Rachel’s own words, Kaiulani embodies Rachel’s spirit and brings her to life for us.

Rachel Carson's book, Silent Spring, touched off a major controversy in 1962 when it alleged that indiscriminate use of pesticides and toxic chemicals was poisoning the Earth. Chemical companies and other opponents waged a campaign to discredit her, but she remained calm and firm in her convictions, confident of her facts. Her writings helped people recognize that human actions affect the environment, an idea that forms the foundation of modern environmental movements. They also inspired later policy changes restricting the use of chemicals and pesticides.

Rachel Carson is considered to be one of the most influential scientists of the 20th century. This will be an evening of inspiration for us and our time. Come and bring a friend!

Please read “A Fable for Tomorrow” from the first chapter of Silent Spring. You will be amazed at how completely relevant it is today.

Meetings Schedule

January 12, February 9, March 9, April 13 and May 11, 2011

Links to Resources

www.awakeningthedreamer.org

Series Facilitators

Patricia Ryan, RSM, brings 30 years of teaching Physical Science and 50 years as a Sister of Mercy to the process of integrating the evolution of consciousness with the responsibilities of conscious evolution. She is a poet and leads retreats and workshops on eco-spirituality.

Catherine Regan, Ph.D., is a spiritual director, clinical psychologist, and retreat leader at Mercy Center. Her great interest is in the renewal of contemplative practices and the benefits of those practices in our individual and collective lives.