030 Francis Weller – Letting Grief Open Us to Grace

May 23, 2020

Psychotherapist and soul-activist Francis Weller joins Terry for a tender inquiry into the profound sorrow and initiatory power of this collective moment. They each share their present griefs and honor the importance of ritual in times of collective loss. As they accompany each other in “registering the rips and tears of the world,” they rediscover fierceness and grit to protect all we love, as well as gratitude for the depth and grandeur of this precious life.

For thirty-five years Francis has worked as a practitioner of soul-centered psychotherapy. He has synthesized insights from psychology, anthropology, mythology, alchemy, indigenous cultures and the poetic imagination in healing rituals and guidance for groups and individuals working with shame, judgment, and grief. He is the author of The Wild Edge of Sorrow and The Threshold Between Loss and Revelation and he is currently completing his third book, A Trail on the Ground: The Geography of Soul. 

A few of the questions they explore in the episode are:

• In what ways does our culture tend to react to loss with “amnesia and anesthesia?”
• Can we embrace our sorrow as a core faculty of being human — not just an emotion — so it deepens our depths and expands our capacities for joy and gratitude?
• How can grieving break through an inner barrier, and open access to the deep life of our soul?

For more information on Francis Weller or Terry Patten, check out the following resources:

• Francis Weller's Website: https://www.francisweller.net/
• Francis' books, The Wild Edge of Sorrow and The Threshold Between Loss and Revelation, and In the Absence of the Ordinary: https://www.francisweller.net/books.html
• Terry Patten's website: https://www.terrypatten.com/

To learn more about the work we are doing, visit:

• A New Republic of the Heart website: http://newrepublicoftheheart.org/
• State of Emergence podcast website: http://stateofemergence.org/ 

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