The Council of Poetry
Tending the Muse, Together
“The work of the eyes is done. Go now and do the heart-work on the images imprisoned within you.”
Rainer Maria Rilke
What is the Council of Poetry?
The practice of council has deep roots in the human experience. It’s a simple way of wisdom-sharing. A council is a group who gathers to share experience and reflect through deep listening and heart-centered truth-telling.
Writing, the kind that counts, emerges from the living moment. It arrives as a word or a line carried on a sunbeam or a breeze in response to devoted attention; a tether connecting our interiority to the living world.
In this series, participants will experience a variety of writing and poetic practices to cultivate authentic expression and connection. The Council of Poetry will be an exploration of the practice of council meeting the living practice of writing. Weaving between contemplative reading, outdoor explorations, and writing, we will slow down together and feel.
Focusing less on the pedantics of “correct” writing and more on the beauty of sincerity, this will be an opportunity to touch what’s real for you, right now, and let words take shape from the living moment. Come share your stories, practice deep listening, and find support in the unfolding of your understanding of self and community.
The Council of Poetry Offers...
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An opportunity to explore the craft of poetry by reading and listening to others and writing your own
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A place to be witnessed exploring and embodying the truth as you find it
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An exploration of poetry as a healing art and way of self-encounter
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Opportunity to connect to the natural world and listen to the other-than-human beings of your own neighborhood
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An invitation into visibility and a mutual support network for learning to speak and write deeper levels of your embodied truth
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A cultivation of ecological awareness and increased sensitivity to your place in what Mary Oliver calls “the family of things.”
