"I believed I wanted to be a poet, but deep down, I just wanted to be a poem."
-Jaime Gil de Biedma
New Books Available
I am happy to share with you the publication of my new book, In the Absence of the Ordinary: Soul Work for Times of Uncertainty, and the 10 year anniversary hardcover edition of The Wild Edge of Sorrow. Both books were released on August 19th. The hardcover includes a new Foreword by Thomas Hübl, a new Preface by me, and a study guide for deepening your exploration of the material in the book.
In the Absence of the Ordinary is a collection of rich essays rooted in the currents of sorrow, vulnerability, love, initiation, longing, and beauty. The imprints of soul are everywhere in these pages.
Thank you for supporting my writings over the last decade. It has been deeply gratifying to see the increased attention to grief work in the collective field. I hope these new offerings will continue to nourish our attention to soul in these fierce times.
Here is the description of In the Absence of the Ordinary from the North Atlantic Books website:
"We are at a threshold. As we face uncertain futures, the familiar is falling away. This book invites us to embody new ways of being and connecting so we can navigate troubled times together.
In his singular and inimitable voice, psychotherapist and author, Francis Weller offers 17 soulful essays to help us move together through the anxieties, difficulties, and sacred transitions of 21st-century life.
In the Absence of the Ordinary frames our current era as a rough initiation—an upending experience of profound trauma and transformation that demands we reorient our ways of thinking, being, and relating. Through essays like “Some People Wake Up…,” “The Gift of Restraint,” and “Gratitude for All That Is,” Weller offers clarity and wisdom on how to face the sobering stakes of our time—while offering the nourishment and support we need to embody the new roles this initiation requires.
Weller guides us in naming our collective traumas and peeling back the false armor of modernity. Here, we’re called to the depths—to understand the power of descent, cultivate the necessary skills of initiation, and distinguish between the self and the soul. This book invites us back into collective alignment with the wider world of belonging: It gives shape to the emptiness we carry, teaches us to welcome our experiences with reverence, and calls upon us to face the myriad ways that modern life severs us from our inherent interdependence with the living earth.
In each essay, Weller fortifies us to become immense—to meet these unpredictable times with presence and faith, to restore our souls’ place in the soul of the world, and to hold steady, amid and for it all."
I hope you will pick up a copy from your local bookstore or find it online through multiple sources. Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Amazon
I am happy to share with you the publication of my new book, In the Absence of the Ordinary: Soul Work for Times of Uncertainty, and the 10 year anniversary hardcover edition of The Wild Edge of Sorrow. Both books were released on August 19th. The hardcover includes a new Foreword by Thomas Hübl, a new Preface by me, and a study guide for deepening your exploration of the material in the book.
In the Absence of the Ordinary is a collection of rich essays rooted in the currents of sorrow, vulnerability, love, initiation, longing, and beauty. The imprints of soul are everywhere in these pages.
Thank you for supporting my writings over the last decade. It has been deeply gratifying to see the increased attention to grief work in the collective field. I hope these new offerings will continue to nourish our attention to soul in these fierce times.
Here is the description of In the Absence of the Ordinary from the North Atlantic Books website:
"We are at a threshold. As we face uncertain futures, the familiar is falling away. This book invites us to embody new ways of being and connecting so we can navigate troubled times together.
In his singular and inimitable voice, psychotherapist and author, Francis Weller offers 17 soulful essays to help us move together through the anxieties, difficulties, and sacred transitions of 21st-century life.
In the Absence of the Ordinary frames our current era as a rough initiation—an upending experience of profound trauma and transformation that demands we reorient our ways of thinking, being, and relating. Through essays like “Some People Wake Up…,” “The Gift of Restraint,” and “Gratitude for All That Is,” Weller offers clarity and wisdom on how to face the sobering stakes of our time—while offering the nourishment and support we need to embody the new roles this initiation requires.
Weller guides us in naming our collective traumas and peeling back the false armor of modernity. Here, we’re called to the depths—to understand the power of descent, cultivate the necessary skills of initiation, and distinguish between the self and the soul. This book invites us back into collective alignment with the wider world of belonging: It gives shape to the emptiness we carry, teaches us to welcome our experiences with reverence, and calls upon us to face the myriad ways that modern life severs us from our inherent interdependence with the living earth.
In each essay, Weller fortifies us to become immense—to meet these unpredictable times with presence and faith, to restore our souls’ place in the soul of the world, and to hold steady, amid and for it all."
I hope you will pick up a copy from your local bookstore or find it online through multiple sources. Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Amazon
Recent Podcasts & Interviews
A dynamic conversation between Francis and Nate Hagens, host of The Great Simplification Podcast. Spring 2025
From the write-up
Western culture, particularly in the United States, is often characterized by a profound discomfort and suppression of grief. Without healthy outlets to process loss and pain – especially in communal settings – many of us end up caught in cycles of loneliness and emotional distress. How might incorporating intentional spaces and rituals to process our grief regularly help us navigate the more systemic challenges we face?
In this conversation, Nate is joined by psychotherapist Francis Weller to discuss the essential human need for grief. Among many poignant topics, they delve into how modern individualism impacts our ability to grieve and form deep connections with others, and how that can keep us feeling stuck individually and as whole societies. Francis also explains his concept of ‘the five gates of grief’ and explores the cultural variations in grieving practices, physiological aspects of loss, and the vital role of community in healing.
How can intentional rituals help us process grief – including for the loss and destruction of biodiversity and healthy ecosystems? In what way could expanding the role of grief in our life paradoxically lead to greater room for love and joy? Ultimately, how can facilitating rituals and deeper social connections strengthen the bonds of community, leading to more emotionally resilient people and societies?
From the write-up
Western culture, particularly in the United States, is often characterized by a profound discomfort and suppression of grief. Without healthy outlets to process loss and pain – especially in communal settings – many of us end up caught in cycles of loneliness and emotional distress. How might incorporating intentional spaces and rituals to process our grief regularly help us navigate the more systemic challenges we face?
In this conversation, Nate is joined by psychotherapist Francis Weller to discuss the essential human need for grief. Among many poignant topics, they delve into how modern individualism impacts our ability to grieve and form deep connections with others, and how that can keep us feeling stuck individually and as whole societies. Francis also explains his concept of ‘the five gates of grief’ and explores the cultural variations in grieving practices, physiological aspects of loss, and the vital role of community in healing.
How can intentional rituals help us process grief – including for the loss and destruction of biodiversity and healthy ecosystems? In what way could expanding the role of grief in our life paradoxically lead to greater room for love and joy? Ultimately, how can facilitating rituals and deeper social connections strengthen the bonds of community, leading to more emotionally resilient people and societies?
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I had the privilege of joining Anderson Cooper for a second conversation about grief and loss. This one was more focused on his journey with sorrow and how finding ways to hold loss in the arms of the adult is crucial to keeping it moving. Here is a portion of the write-up from Anderson for the podcast: |
The grief which I buried as a child and ran from most of my life, has risen and I can't run from it anymore. I need help. I've rarely said those words to anyone, but I wrote them several months ago to my guest on the podcast today, Francis Weller. We've been talking by Zoom once a week ever since. He's helped me start to turn toward my grief, to try and touch it. And perhaps even more importantly, he's helped me begin to see the strategies I've used since I was a kid to keep it and all kinds of feelings buried. These strategies, which I use still every hour of every day, they helped me as a child and as a young adult, but they aren't helping me any longer. They're hurting me and I need to figure out a new way to live. This is a particularly personal episode of All There Is. So wherever you are in your grief, I'm glad you're here. I'm glad we're together. Francis Weller is a psychotherapist and author. His book, "The Wild Edge of Sorrow Rituals of Renewal in the Sacred Work of Grief," was sent to me by a podcast listener named Cynthia. And if you're listening, Cynthia, thank you. It's one of the best books on grief I've ever read.
To listen the first interview between Anderson and Francis, click here.
To listen the first interview between Anderson and Francis, click here.
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Hear psychotherapist and author Francis Weller, discuss the communal nature of grief, the expressive virtue of anger, false happiness, and the two hands of grief and gratitude. Interview recorded at the 2013 Minnesota Men's Conference. |
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A rich and varied conversation between Michael Lerner, founder and director of Commonweal and Francis Weller, exploring the Long Dark that is emerging in our culture and the planet. Recorded November 12, 2021 |
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An exquisite video combining scenes from the film, "The New World" and passages from Francis' book, The Wild Edge of Sorrow. Produced by Tom van der Linden, of "Like Stories of Old." |
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