PEGI EYERS
Deep Times: A Journal of the Work that Reconnects
"Wild Companions" Nature Assemblage by Pegi Eyers
THE INTERBEING OF ANIMISM
Essay, Voice Recording & Illustrations by Pegi Eyers
Essay, Voice Recording & Illustrations by Pegi Eyers
This narrative shares a collection of “truth-tales” drawing on my encounters with the more-than-human world, and immersive experiences in nature. The embrace of the natural world, which welcomes us all back to the sacred circle, has been my greatest teacher. It is by sharing these stories that I found how my “conversations with the other” reflect the fourfold “Spiral” journey of The Work That Reconnects. Approaching the land with “Gratitude,” often seeking comfort from trauma or confusion, I’ve been blessed with the healing that nature provides. All of nature is speaking, and my explorations have gifted me with a receptivity to natural cycles, equanimity with the web of life, and an intrinsic sense of belonging. “Seeing with Ancient Eyes” and feeling a deep connection to the ancestors and primordial forces, I depart with new insights, and ways of being in the world.
Truth-Tale I wander far into the wilderness, to where it seems no human being could possibly have gone before. I wait quietly for something to happen. And sure enough, although I can’t pinpoint the source, tiny bell-like notes rise up in a pure waterfall of sound, like seeds floating in an orbit, or circles of flowers chiming in bliss. Enchanted, and surrounded by harmonious bands of streaming blue and singing green, somehow I traverse bogs, meadows, and the antlers of branching trees, to find myself at my cabin door once again.
Truth-Tale I wander far into the wilderness, to where it seems no human being could possibly have gone before. I wait quietly for something to happen. And sure enough, although I can’t pinpoint the source, tiny bell-like notes rise up in a pure waterfall of sound, like seeds floating in an orbit, or circles of flowers chiming in bliss. Enchanted, and surrounded by harmonious bands of streaming blue and singing green, somehow I traverse bogs, meadows, and the antlers of branching trees, to find myself at my cabin door once again.
 | Many excellent definitions for “animism” exist today, as a key term for activating our most primal and authentic eco-selves in the wild. As we “return to the garden,” exploring narratives on animism are important for societies disconnected from the land. But nothing can replace the wonder of direct experience! Whether our starting point is curiosity and a willingness to seek encounters, or grief and deep despair, animism is as natural as the flowering of our senses. Simple, direct, immediate and profound, animism is as close to us as the green space, seasonal cycles, and other-than-human-world that surrounds us. |
Experiencing the wonders of nature first-hand allows us to bypass linear thinking, and interpretations come easily with an undeniable “knowing,” or become clear over time. Deeply personal messages and affinities are all around us, and the appearance and timing of phenomena like a rainbow, the cawing of a raven, patterns etched in sand, or the visitation of a snake can have great individual purpose and meaning. As a companion to wild nature, I continue to feel, sense, observe and speak with other presences out on the land – creatures, deities, plant allies and archetypes. These encounters can be one-of-a-kind, or depending on the place, evolve over time with great care and devotion. As it was in ancient times, the other-than-human world embraces a host of endlessly expressive and individualistic living entities whose actions we may adore, emulate, decipher, or even influence! Our relationships with all energetic beings, whether spiritual or physical, indicates an acceptance of multiple realities in the world.
READ MORE >HERE<
READ MORE >HERE<
"Nesting" Nature Assemblage by Pegi Eyers
WELCOME TO THE MARCH 2023 ISSUE
by Molly Brown
The theme for Deep Times March 2023 is "Emergence" which seems to be in the air these days, as humans grapple with ever more challenging crises –climate disruption and pollution of air, water, and soil; racism, oppression, and caste systems; financial/economic inequality and breakdown; species extinction, and so much more. We obviously can’t resolve these crises with our current worldviews and institutions, so we must look beyond the known to what is trying to emerge from the living system of Earth. That’s how living systems evolve: through creative and unpredictable emergence.
Can we open ourselves to mystery and make ourselves available to support healthy emergence? Many of the practices of Work That Reconnects help people do just that, often through the exercise of what Joanna calls our “moral imagination.” Even though the poems and articles in this issue may not speak directly to emergence as a theme, they all have emerged from the creative life of the authors in response to themes, concepts, and practices of the Work That Reconnects.
The Spiral begins with gratitude, with poems by Kent Wittenburg and Patricia Samper celebrating trees and gardens, and Rebecca Selove describes how she sees our editorial team working with emergent strategy in our meetings.
In Honoring Our Pain for the World, Leo Murray offers a “Dirge for the Ocean.” Michael Wellman shares his understanding of the necessity of grieving that came through his graduate work and dissertation. Kirsi Jansa eloquently describes her process in honoring her pain for the world, followed by Will Falk’s poem “Gaia’s got a lot to do.”
Three poems by Andrea Bradney, Sophie Hayat, and Danielle Vogel invite us to See with New and Ancient Eyes. Jessica Zeller challenges us to expand the boundaries of our identity and Pegi Eyers shares her “truth-tales” of immersive experiences in nature.
Our Going Forth section shows how the Work That Reconnects can inspire and support: climate activism (by Kirsty Heron and Tom Deacon), sustainability researchers in academia (by Eileen Laurie), and musical expression (by Linda Chase). Poems by Cheryl Pallant and Susi Moser grace this theme as well.
Michael Wellman explores identity and community in Evolving Edge. Resources include a review of a new book by Debora Eden Tull and short reviews of books and magazines in “Our Editors Are Reading.” The Network section features news of a Gaian Gathering, new website, and new Weavers.
May we support one another as we grapple with the Great Unraveling and work for the Great Turning, knowing that we can neither predict nor control what will emerge from the creative interactions of the living systems of Earth.
by Molly Brown
The theme for Deep Times March 2023 is "Emergence" which seems to be in the air these days, as humans grapple with ever more challenging crises –climate disruption and pollution of air, water, and soil; racism, oppression, and caste systems; financial/economic inequality and breakdown; species extinction, and so much more. We obviously can’t resolve these crises with our current worldviews and institutions, so we must look beyond the known to what is trying to emerge from the living system of Earth. That’s how living systems evolve: through creative and unpredictable emergence.
Can we open ourselves to mystery and make ourselves available to support healthy emergence? Many of the practices of Work That Reconnects help people do just that, often through the exercise of what Joanna calls our “moral imagination.” Even though the poems and articles in this issue may not speak directly to emergence as a theme, they all have emerged from the creative life of the authors in response to themes, concepts, and practices of the Work That Reconnects.
The Spiral begins with gratitude, with poems by Kent Wittenburg and Patricia Samper celebrating trees and gardens, and Rebecca Selove describes how she sees our editorial team working with emergent strategy in our meetings.
In Honoring Our Pain for the World, Leo Murray offers a “Dirge for the Ocean.” Michael Wellman shares his understanding of the necessity of grieving that came through his graduate work and dissertation. Kirsi Jansa eloquently describes her process in honoring her pain for the world, followed by Will Falk’s poem “Gaia’s got a lot to do.”
Three poems by Andrea Bradney, Sophie Hayat, and Danielle Vogel invite us to See with New and Ancient Eyes. Jessica Zeller challenges us to expand the boundaries of our identity and Pegi Eyers shares her “truth-tales” of immersive experiences in nature.
Our Going Forth section shows how the Work That Reconnects can inspire and support: climate activism (by Kirsty Heron and Tom Deacon), sustainability researchers in academia (by Eileen Laurie), and musical expression (by Linda Chase). Poems by Cheryl Pallant and Susi Moser grace this theme as well.
Michael Wellman explores identity and community in Evolving Edge. Resources include a review of a new book by Debora Eden Tull and short reviews of books and magazines in “Our Editors Are Reading.” The Network section features news of a Gaian Gathering, new website, and new Weavers.
May we support one another as we grapple with the Great Unraveling and work for the Great Turning, knowing that we can neither predict nor control what will emerge from the creative interactions of the living systems of Earth.
Deep Times offers nourishing articles, art, and poetry for people who have experienced the shift in perception evoked by the Work That Reconnects–of how life flows in relationships and systems, not isolated things, and how our selves are not separated from each other or Earth, but deeply interdependent. The journal provides brain-food, heart-food, and methods for those of us who are working to co-create life-sustaining, equitable cultures for all.
The title comes from what Joanna Macy calls “Deep Time” work, in which we reconnect with ancestors and future beings to guide and inspire us. Deep Times follows the Spiral of the Work That Reconnects, with articles and poems on Gratitude, Honoring Our Pain for the World, Seeing with New Eyes, and Going Forth.
The Work that Reconnects >LINK<
Deep Times Journal >LINK<
The title comes from what Joanna Macy calls “Deep Time” work, in which we reconnect with ancestors and future beings to guide and inspire us. Deep Times follows the Spiral of the Work That Reconnects, with articles and poems on Gratitude, Honoring Our Pain for the World, Seeing with New Eyes, and Going Forth.
The Work that Reconnects >LINK<
Deep Times Journal >LINK<
