Hello

What is your response when you
watch the news
read the headlines
look around at the current state of the world?

Despair, hopelessness, helplessness, anger, numbness...
....Exhaustion.

The good news: Your sadness, your grief, all those feelings and emotions — they point to the fact that we are all interconnected on this planet; the pain of others does and should affect you.

The even better news: These feelings and insights can be harnessed to give you the energy to be active in changing the world... and your life. What could feel better than healing the planet and yourself at the same time?!

MoonLetters ...

...are a part of my ever-growing and -shifting (small) contribution to the larger field of radical ecopsychology. That's a mouthful! What do I mean?

Ecopsychology is a new way of looking at, and engaging with, the world. It believes that much of society's ills are due to our disconnection with Nature. The very idea that we are separate from Nature reflects our misunderstanding about Nature. We are Nature, too: not just the animals and the trees and the oceans. We are Nature, and yet we barely understand what that means, the interconnection between cycles of the Earth and the Moon, the cycles within us.

Based on the work of Joanna Macy and Andy Fisher, MoonLetters teach you how to use gratitude and your pain for the world as a vehicle for looking at the world in a new way and 'go forth' with renewed energy and a sense of interconnectedness in order to affect positive change for the planet. (And since you are a part of the planet, it affects positive change in you, too!)

The 24-Moon lesson cycle includes teachings and activities/rituals for each of the four Moon phases: New Moon, First Quarter, Full Moon, Last Quarter—for a total of 24 Moon cycles. (Please see the cycle syllabus below for more details.)

Each Moon phase lesson and activity/ritual fits on one 8.5x11 (A4) sheet of paper.

Frequent and intense, yet short, exposure to the ideas of Joanna Macy and Andy Fisher should help you internalize these new understandings in an easy-to-digest manner. Plus, you'll always know the current Moon phase!

MoonLetter Delivery: Just leave a comment below (only I will see your e-mail address) and you will get the full PDF of all the MoonLetters delivered to your Inbox...

May you be inspired to begin the adventure!

Cycle Syllabus...

Moon 1...

::: The problems in our world. The spiral sequence of the whole lesson cycle. ::: The greatest gift we can give the Earth. ::: Gratitude. ::: Gratitude on a larger level. :::

Moon 2...

::: The Industrial Growth Society. ::: Our role in the Third Revolution. ::: The three areas of activity. ::: The power of uncertainty. :::

Moon 3...

::: Open sentences on living in this world. ::: How awareness leads to pain. ::: Fear of pain, despair and guilt. ::: Fear of appearing morbid and causing distress. :::

Moon 4...

::: Fear of being unpatriotic and appearing weak and emotional. ::: Distrust of our own intelligence. ::: Belief in the separate self and fear of powerlessness. ::: Socioeconomic repression. :::

Moon 5...

::: Consequences of repression (1). ::: Consequences of repression (2). ::: The Shambhala Prophecy. ::: The meaning. :::

Moon 6...

::: Bowing to our adversaries. ::: Seeing with new eyes. ::: What is ecopsychology? ::: Andy Fisher's "tasks of ecopsychology" :::

Moon 7...

::: Experience. ::: Contact. ::: "Disturbed" contacting. ::: Applied ecopsychology: our eco-crisis. :::

Moon 8...

::: Nature. ::: The kinship continuum. ::: Spirit. ::: Unfolding. :::

Moon 9...

::: The "other". ::: Poetry. ::: Our needs. ::: Basic goodness. :::

Moon 10...

::: Power. ::: Healing. ::: Desire. ::: Freedom. :::

Moon 11...

::: Naturalistic psychology, Meaning. ::: Singing the world. ::: One Flesh. ::: The Life Cycle, Infants. :::

Moon 12...

::: Adolescents. ::: Adults. ::: Elders. ::: "The Revolt of Nature" (1). :::

Moon 13...

::: "The Revolt of Nature" (2). ::: "The Pattern of Technology". ::: Commodification. ::: Expanding wants. :::

Moon 14...

::: Shame. ::: Ego. ::: "The Anticulture" (1). ::: "The Anticulture" (2). :::

Moon 15...

::: Normal deprivation (1). ::: Normal deprivation (2). ::: Our feelings about power. ::: A new description of power. :::

Moon 16...

:::Dimension 1. ::: Dimension 2. ::: Dimension 3. ::: The first shift. :::

Moon 17...

::: The second shift. ::: The third shift. ::: The fourth shift. ::: The fifth shift. :::

Moon 18...

::: Breathing through. ::: Focal practices. ::: Space and place practices. ::: "Support for the Beleaguered Self". :::

Moon 19...

::: Reconnecting to the life cycle. ::: The goals of the work that reconnects. ::: Principle 1. ::: Principle 2. :::

Moon 20...

::: Principle 3. ::: Principle 4. ::: Principle 5. ::: Principle 6. :::

Moon 21...

::: The Shambhala Prophecy Revisited. ::: Gratitude Revisited. ::: Don't be afraid of the dark. ::: Dare to vision. :::

Moon 22...

::: Don't do it alone. ::: Act your age. ::: Questions to ask yourself. ::: Sharing. :::

Moon 23...

::: Intention and support. ::: Applying the work that reconnects: Climate Change. ::: Why is it so hard to grasp? ::: Fear+Guilt=Fight/Flight/Freeze. :::

Moon 24...

::: Toward a life-sustaining society. ::: The Shambhala Warrior. ::: Study Action Group. ::: The importance of recognizing our interconnectedness. :::

::: You may continue to receive MoonLetters as a way of sustaining the difference they (hopefully!) made in your life. ::: Although no longer building on each other, subsequent MoonLetters will continue to apply the teachings to real world challenges. :::

 

Comments

[Nona Wright]

Heather,

just tracking back from your 2005 article in Living Green...

Havent heard from you for a while - hope all is well.

Just watched joanna Macy's video from March this year on the great turning time website. She really is inspirational!

Anyway, if we could have a copy of your course, that would be great!!

Thanks

Nona.

[John Andrew]

The Tree of being touches the stars
Is there any intelligent life on Earth?
Forefathers,foremothers,foresaw these days.
We live in interesting times.

[Hannah]

If you're still continuing this wonderful cycle of emails, I'd like to join again-- it's been years since I last did mymoonster and I'd love a refresher. Thanks!

[G G B]

I am a student finishing up my degree in MH Counseling and interning at an adolescent partial hospitalization program and writing my first curriculum for Ecotherapy. I would love a copy of your moon letters syllabus to draw inspiration

[Kritika Maurya]

the despair and hopelessness I experience when I look around at the massive destruction is something I now find unbearable and want to do something constructive in this regard. I would really like a copy of your moon letters. Perhaps I can use what I experience here later when I begin to practice therapy.

[Stacey]

i would be interested in subscribing. Thanks!

[Jean Kappes]

Please sign me up!

[Helena ter Ellen]

Hello,
We're involved in a very interesting dynamics around The Work that reconnects here in Belgium. After having received several trainings ourselves, we're planning several workshops for newly interested people in 2010 (in french). I would love to receive your Moonletters for more inspiration! Thank you very much!

Helena ter Ellen
Brussels

[heather]

Dear Moonscriber,

Please find attached the PDF of the entire 24-Moon cycle.

On the next New Moon, you should start with Moon 1. You can find out the Moon phase via http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/MoonPhase.html. The share function will still exist for the time being. (See end of each MoonLetter.)

And thats it! Thank you ... :)

Good luck with your work!
May you continue...

peace&love
heather

[Kate Brookes]

Please could you send me a copy of moonletters.

Thank you.