We Are The Great Turning

Joanna Macy & Jessica Serrante
  • 4.9 (144)
  • SELF-IMPROVEMENT
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

We welcome you to the kitchen table of the legendary eco-spiritual teacher Joanna Macy, where we’ll dive into what it takes to live with our hearts and integrity intact in this time of global crisis. You’ll be guided into these conversations by Jess Serrante, a longtime activist and student of Joanna’s. Together, we’ll discover abiding wisdom that can help us stay joyful and energized as we work toward a more just and life-sustaining world.

  1. 07/25/2024

    Special Episode: Outrage + Optimism

    Since we’ve just completed the release of our 10-part series, We Are the Great Turning, we wanted to introduce you to another podcast with a spirit similar to ours: Outrage + Optimism. The episode we’re going to play for you is called “Our Story of Nature: From Rupture to Reconnection.” It’s the first in a miniseries that shines a light on our relationship to the rest of nature. Remembering our place in the web of life is an essential part of building the Great Turning. Be sure to subscribe to their podcast, and give them a follow on social media @outrageoptimism. Now that this season of We Are the Great Turning is over, naturally, the question that’s emerging is … “What’s next?” As we consider whether to do a second season, we’d love to hear more about what you got from the first. What impact has it had in your life, and what might you love to hear from us next? Send us an email or a voice note at greatturning@soundstrue.com or send Jess a DM on Instagram @jess_serrante.

    1h 12m

  2. 06/20/2024

    Ep 10 Bonus: The Shambala Warrior Prophecy

    In Episode 10, “We Are the Great Turning,” Joanna shares a story called the “Shambala Warrior Prophecy,” which was told to her by her friend, Tibetan Monk Chogyal Rinpoche. Joanna was tasked with teaching this prophecy in the West, and it’s one of her most famous teachings.  We wanted to separate the story from Episode 10 so that you can come back to the story again and again, whenever you need the inspiration and wisdom it offers. Here is Joanna telling the Shambhala Warrior Prophecy.  We recommend starting a podcast club with friends or family to do these practices together. Links and assets to help prompt reflection and build community can be found with every episode on WeAreTheGreatTurning.com.

    8 min

  3. 06/20/2024

    Ep 10 Bonus: Callings and Resources

    This bonus episode will support you to take the main insights from Episode 10, “We Are the Great Turning,” deeper into your life.  Jess will guide you through an adaptation of the Work That Reconnects exercise called “Callings and Resources.” In it, you and a friend will take turns interviewing each other. You’ll name a contribution you’d like to make in service of the Great Turning, take inventory of the resources you have and need to achieve your goal, and clarify the small next steps you can take.  All you’ll need for this bonus exercise is paper and pen, or a digital notes app, and a place where you can get comfortable, share freely, and listen carefully.  We recommend starting a podcast club with friends or family to do these practices together. Links and assets to help prompt reflection and build community can be found with every episode on WeAreTheGreatTurning.com.

    50 min

  4. 06/20/2024

    Ep 10: We Are the Great Turning

    As this journey around the spiral comes to a close, Jess brings us back to the table with Joanna for one last profound conversation. Joanna shares an ancient Tibetan prophecy, “The Coming of the Kingdom of Shambhala,” which shows us that the way we build the Great Turning is through compassion and insight into the radical interdependence of all things. Jess reflects on the transformative experience of making this podcast, and Joanna expresses deep love and belief in Jess and her generation, urging us to draw upon ancestral wisdom and “the web of connections” to sustain them through the challenges ahead. In this episode: The Shambhala Prophecy tells us to act with compassion and insight into the radical interdependence of all things Joanna’s teachings, love, and mentorship will remain an enduring source of strength and guidance for Jess and so many others As the spiral of the Work That Reconnects comes to a close, the greater work of the Great Turning continues, carried forward by each person who has been touched by these conversations Bonus Exercise: The Shambala Warrior Prophecy Bonus Exercise: Callings and Resources We recommend starting a podcast club with friends or family to do these practices together. Links and assets to help prompt reflection and build community can be found with every episode on WeAreTheGreatTurning.com.

    30 min

  5. 06/13/2024

    Ep 9 Bonus: The Bodhisattva Check-In

    This bonus episode will support you to take the main insights from Episode 9: “Live the Questions Now” deeper into your life.  Jess will guide you through an adaptation of the Work That Reconnects exercise called “The Bodhisattva Check-In.” In Buddhism, the bodhisattva is the archetype of the compassionate person who devotes themself to collective well-being.  In this exercise, you will be invited to use your imagination to “step in” to each of the circumstances of your life in order to make the contribution to the Great Turning that is yours to make.  All you’ll need for this bonus exercise is enough space to take slow meditative steps in a straight line or in a circle. A living room or a yard are great. If you don’t want to or can’t walk, there will be instructions on how to do this without moving. You'll need a total of 20 minutes, including time after the recording has ended. We recommend starting a podcast club with friends or family to do these practices together. Links and assets to help prompt reflection and build community can be found with every episode on WeAreTheGreatTurning.com.

    14 min

  6. 06/13/2024

    Ep 9: Live the Questions Now

    When it comes to building the Great Turning, it's natural to have questions: What is my individual role in it all? How do we win? Who do we fight? While Jess wrestles with her desire for a “prescription” of what to do, Joanna invites us to "live the questions" instead. In this episode, we learn about the three dimensions of the Great Turning and the way forward: community, relationship, and solidarity.  In this episode: There are no perfect road maps, but if we come together in courage and community, the way will emerge The climate crisis is not just an environmental issue but a spiritual crisis of disconnection Bonus Exercise: The Bodhisattva Check-In We recommend starting a podcast club with friends or family to do these practices together. Links and assets to help prompt reflection and build community can be found with every episode on WeAreTheGreatTurning.com.

    23 min

  7. 06/06/2024

    Ep 8: Eros and Thanatos

    This episode explores the powerful role of Eros (sensual love) and Thanatos (death) in fueling our connection to the world as we contribute to the Great Turning. Joanna and Jess discuss how we might learn to see our world as our lover (and as our self), the gifts of cultivating a sensual connection with the world, and how facing mortality can make the gift of being alive feel even more precious. They also reflect on the closeness of Joanna’s own death, which Joanna sees as "going home" to rejoin the cycle of life. In this episode: Using our love and awareness of impermanence as fuel for activism Discovering ways to truly feel interconnected with all life through sensual presence Reflections on mortality and our place in the cycle of life We recommend starting a podcast club with friends or family to do these practices together. Links and assets to help prompt reflection and build community can be found with every episode on WeAreTheGreatTurning.com.

    31 min

  8. 05/30/2024

    Ep 7 Bonus: Seventh Generation Exercise

    This bonus episode will support you to take the main insights from Episode 7: “We Are a Part of a River of Time” deeper into your life.  Jess will guide you through an adaptation of the Work That Reconnects exercise called “The Seventh Generation,” which she talks about in Episode 7. We recommend listening to the episode before doing this bonus. In this exercise, you will be invited to use your imagination and do some creative, guided role-playing with a friend, where one of you will speak as yourself, and the other will speak as a future being.  For this exercise, you’ll need a friend and a place that is quiet enough for you to sit face-to-face and talk freely.   We recommend starting a podcast club with friends or family to do these practices together. Links and assets to help prompt reflection and build community can be found with every episode on WeAreTheGreatTurning.com.

    26 min
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4.9
out of 5
144 Ratings

About

We welcome you to the kitchen table of the legendary eco-spiritual teacher Joanna Macy, where we’ll dive into what it takes to live with our hearts and integrity intact in this time of global crisis. You’ll be guided into these conversations by Jess Serrante, a longtime activist and student of Joanna’s. Together, we’ll discover abiding wisdom that can help us stay joyful and energized as we work toward a more just and life-sustaining world.

Information

  • Creator
    Joanna Macy & Jessica Serrante
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    20
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2024 Joanna Macy & Jessica Serrante. All rights reserved.

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