Trebbe Johnson's Newsletter
June 2010
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Dear Questers, Friends, Pursuers of Radical Joy for Hard Times, and Seekers of the Beloved,
Eight
days ago I had surgery on my wrist & am still wearing a splint. Which means
I can't type. Torture for a writer! Therefore, I've decided to forego stories
& reflections in this newsletter and instead send you a few links to interesting videos
& other things.
I've picked links to sites I hope you'll find fun or
even funny, things that will cheer you up or give you some
encouragement about people & their determination to make some difference in
the world. The news of the BP oil leak is so utterly distressing, so sad and
horrifying. I don't know about you, but I find myself appreciating more than
ever those aspects of human beings that are playful, brave, &, well, just
plain sweet & endearing.
To those who are receiving this newsletter for the first time... welcome! Here you'll find profiles of extraordinary people, news of upcoming Vision Arrow events, updates on the non-profit organization Radical Joy for Hard Times, reflections, and stories of transformation that occur when we accept, in small, bold, startling ways the invitations that the world is always sending us.
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BARRY LOPEZ TO PARTICIPATE IN GLOBAL EARTH EXCHANGE
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Barry
Lopez, the acclaimed author of
many books, including Arctic Dreams, which
won the National Book Award; Of Wolves and Men; and the recent anthology, The Future of Nature, will participate in the Global Earth Exchange sponsored by Radical Joy for Hard Times on June 19.
On that
day, people around the world will gather at ecologically wounded places to
share their stories about what the place means to them... spend time sitting,
walking, and "listening" to the land... and give back an Act of
Beauty (a song, a dance, a prayer, a sculpture, etc.). Lopez,
who in April was the featured guest on Bill Moyers Journal, the very last show in the influential television broadcaster's forty-year career, will observe the Global Earth Exchange
in rural Oregon, where he lives. Here's
what he wrote about the Global Earth Exchange: "It's wonderful of you, and important, to sponsor
and encourage this work." |
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"WORLD RELIGIONS GET DOWN TO EARTH" ARTICLE
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My article, "World Religions
Get Down to Earth," about the
extraordinary Parliament of the World's Religions in Melbourne,
Australia last December, where the theme was "Hearing Each Other, Healing the
Earth," is in the newest issue of Parabola.
It's also featured in the latest edition of the Parliament of World Religions newsletter.
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CAN KEVIN COSTNER SOLVE THE BP OIL SPILL?
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BP is
having no luck capping its gushing pipeline. But maybe there's an answer in an
old Kevin Costner movie that everyone hated at the time....
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RADICAL JOY FOR HARD TIMES NEWS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 We got
our official designation as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization! The IRS has recognized
us as an organization that offers a service for the public good, so we don't
pay taxes and all contributions are tax-deductible. Watch our
one-minute video, "A Voice from the Future," on YouTube.
Creating a sustainable, thriving future on Earth depends on opening our hearts to the natural world in its
brokenness as well as its splendor.
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A LESSON FROM DOGS
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 A lesson
from some dogs I encountered early one morning recently in New York's Central
Park:
Woman
& man, each with small black dog, encounter each other on a green lawn.
Dogs frolic gleefully together. Man & woman begin to converse.
2nd woman
arrives with dalmatian. Unleashes dalmatian, claps it off to play with black
dogs.
Black dogs now best friends, not interested.
Dalmatian
owner tries to befriend man & woman. They, too, are friends now. Ignore dalmatian woman & move closer together to shut her out.
Dalmatian,
rebuffed, gives up, returns to owner. Owner keeps trying to butt into human
twosome. Finally gets message, leashes Dalmatian & they leave.
Sometimes
dogs read social language more astutely than humans!
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TWO GREAT DANCING VIDEOS
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Two
wonderful dance videos, one of Matt, a goofy guy who danced all over
the world and got others to join in...
one an amateur recording of a talented little boy who can't
possibly be more than three years old... . 
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UPCOMING EVENTS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My book, The World Is a Waiting Lover, with a foreword by Thomas Moore, author of Care of the Soul, is available from Amazon.com or from your favorite bookstore.
UPCOMING PROGRAMS from VISION ARROW
Path of the Lover Workshops
We all live with two inner forces that influence many of our decisions each day. One calls us forth into the mystery that beckons us to expand more fully and authentically into the world. The other holds us back and urges (often excessive) caution. This
popular workshop, based on my book, focuses on the first voice, that of the archetypal Beloved, a figure that shows up in the myths of many cultures, the poems of mystics, and in our dreams as the symbol of wholeness. Brought to conscious awareness, the Path of the Lover can bring us joy, passion, and fulfillment.
- Connect with the archetypal
Beloved in you, that knows how to say YES to what you love
- Discover how your past loves
(including those that didn't work out) were essential in opening you up to
a bigger capacity to love
- Learn to recognize the inner
voice of the "loyal soldier" that wants to hold you back from following
your heart
- See how fascination and
allurement have led you onto important paths all your life
July
30-August 2: Seattle (contact Ruth Dow Rogers) Note: This workshop is being held in a private home on the water and will be limited to only twelve people. It is shaping up to be a wonderful group, and there's still time & space to join.
November 12-14: Schloss Glarisegg, Lake Constance, Switzerland (contact Silvia Figel) November
19-21: Eschwege Institute, Eschwege, Germany
Endless Mountains Vision Quest August 9-13
This four-day program, held in a secluded 400-acre nature preserve, is specially designed for those who seek a meaningful rite of passage in a beautiful, yet accessible place. You explore many of the same processes and practices as in the longer vision quest, but with a focus on reading Nature's lessons and discovering how they apply to your own path in life. For the twenty-four-hour solo you may choose from among diverse ecological niches: glacial pond, meadow, wetlands, stream, or forest. Minimal backpacking. $605 Only 3 places still open
What Now?
September 10-17
The time comes when everyone who has quested for a vision or dedicated themselves in some other way to bring a vision to fruition needs to re-explore what happened and how the insights of that experience relate to your current life. During this week-long retreat, held in old-growth Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest in North Carolina, you'll explore what about your original vision still has heart and meaning... clarify where you are right now and what you are called to contribute to your community and your planet... and discover how you can reshape your vision to feed your own joy and the world's hunger for meaningful change. There will be a one-day solo in the ancient forest.
Guides: Trebbe Johnson & Eugene Hughes
Cost: $1,050. Click here to get to the Vision Arrow website, where you can download our beautiful flyer by Charlotte Dewar, who works with Eugene.
Sahara Vision Quest and Camel CaravanJanuary 1-15, 2011
NOTE: We are changing this from a 2-week to a 3-week vision quest.
Following
the steps of intrepid seekers throughout the ages who have been drawn to the
desert to fast and pray for guidance, we venture into the greatest desert of
all: the Sahara. Our guides are a group of nomadic Tuareg, a matriarchal people
known for their love of the desert, poetry, camels, and beauty. Our base
camp in the black basalt wonderland of southern Algeria is truly remote,
reached after 1-2 days travel by Land Rover, followed by 3-4 days in a camel
caravan. To undertake this journey, you must have an adventurous spirit and be
prepared to sleep under the stars, immerse yourself in the ways of another
culture, experience hot days and cold nights, live three weeks without a
shower, and move fearlessly into a life of meaning and fulfillment.
This program fills quickly (usually by mid-summer), so register now!
Guides: Sabina Wyss, Trebbe Johnson, Adem Mellakh,
and Tuareg hosts
Cost : 4,444 Swiss Francs, (approximately $4,500.00), including all meals, camping
fees, riding camel, land transportation in the desert, and air travel from a
European city to Tamanrasset, Algeria
For a complete list of programs offered by Vision Arrow, see our website.
Call 570 727 4272 or email Trebbe if you have questions or would like to talk about any of these programs.
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