A collection of audio programs offering a primer on how to more fully lean into a life rich with soul and community. Beginning with the 10-week series "Living a Soulful Life and Why It Matters," Francis guides us into the depths of how we may more meaningfully embody this tender existence. The second series, "The Alchemy of Initiation," touches deftly on the multiple ways that psyche/soul persists in the tasks of initiating us into a fuller and more robust identity. In the third series, we drop into the necessary terrain of picking up our "Apprenticeship with Sorrow." Together, these three offerings provide a richly textured guide to The Arts of Life. Approximately 36 hours total. A $205 value if purchased separately. Please allow 24 hours for the item to be emailed.
Recorded live in October 2020, this series of four talks offers ways to cultivate a lifelong relationship with the inevitable presence of loss and sorrow. Beginning with the premise that grief is not only an emotion, but a core human faculty, Francis examines ways to develop the skills needed to face the ongoing losses and disruptions in our daily lives. Topics include: the ideology of individualism leading to feelings of separation and emptiness; the six elements in our apprenticeship with sorrow, how trauma and soul loss can be held; the Long Dark that deepens our capacity for imagination and repair; and the role of love and power in ripening our intimacy with the living world. A rich and engaging series, complete with Question and Response segments, writing practices, meditations and reflection questions. Comes with a PDF with guidelines for individual or group process. Please allow 24 hours for the item to be emailed.
These five nights of reflection and wonder offered a rich exploration into the vast territory of initiation. We began with a premise: initiation is not optional. From there we tracked the ways in which psyche/soul persists in taking us to the edges of radical change. The losses, defeats, challenges, illnesses, are seen as the prima materia, the material required to activate the movement into our adult presence. Challenging, provocative, and insightful conversations on the necessary work of ripening. Please allow 24 hrs for the link to be sent after purchase.
Distilled from over 35 years of study in psychology, anthropology, alchemy, mythology and poetic traditions, this series of talks offers an in-depth exploration of the practices and perspectives that enrich the life of the soul. Please allow 24 hrs for the link to be sent after purchase.
Healing Shame: Caring for the Wounded Heart. A four-part series exploring the powerful impact of shame on our inner lives and on our intimate bonds with the world. Francis explores the origins of shame, how we learn to cope with this toxic experience and how we may restore our vital life. This series is filled with insights, poetry, humor and ways to bring healing to this painful terrain. Please allow 24 hrs for the link to be sent after purchase.