We Are The Great Turning

Jul 25 2024 21 ep. 25 mins 117

We Are The Great Turning Podcast artwork

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.

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Special Episode: Outrage + Optimism

Jul 25 2024 71 mins

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

Ep 10 Bonus: The Shambala Warrior Prophecy

Jun 20 2024 8 mins

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

Ep 10 Bonus: Callings and Resources

Jun 20 2024 49 mins

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

Ep 10: We Are the Great Turning

Jun 20 2024 30 mins

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 tra

Ep 9 Bonus: The Bodhisattva Check-In

Jun 13 2024 13 mins

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 exe

Ep 9: Live the Questions Now

Jun 13 2024 23 mins

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, rela

Ep 8: Eros and Thanatos

Jun 06 2024 30 mins

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

Ep 7 Bonus: Seventh Generation Exercise

May 30 2024 26 mins

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

Ep 7: We Are a Part of a River of Time

May 30 2024 31 mins

Jess and Joanna explore the third phase of the spiral: Seeing with New Eyes. In this part of the spiral, the fog of our pain begins to lift off, and what comes in its place is a feeling of greater connection and belonging. Jess and Joanna talk about Deep Time, a way of understanding ourselves as a part of a long lineage of human and planetary history, and how our imaginations are a

Ep 6: The H-Word

May 23 2024 25 mins

When it comes to the state of our world, the concept of hope can feel elusive. Joanna teaches Jess that the future may be uncertain, but that means that there’s still room for something beautiful to happen. This episode offers insights into embracing uncertainty, cultivating joyousness, and understanding the intricate interplay between hope, courage, and action. In this episode: