Heart and Soul Meeting 20 March 2007

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Birdwood house; 21 present; facilitated by Sophy

Warm up – what is your purpose in being here tonight? Ask the question repeatedly to your partner, just listening to the response.. for 5 minutes, then swap.

Feedback to the circle included.. the desire for clarity.. the heart as joyful, the soul healing wounds

We put together an agenda, some items brought forward, some from those present, including:

Vision! For the Heart and Soul Group This was a brainstorm – just seeing what those present would include as the vision for the heart and soul group or for this part of the Transition Town project.

• From the Open Space day .. exploring the psychological, spiritual and consciousness aspects of transition
• It’s to do with process
• Community, rediscovering community, creating community in different ways
• Sustainable, supportive, cooperative
• Including the benefits of change or transition
• Help individuals with change process, with the impact of what is coming as well as wider change
• Reconnection with the idea of abundance
• Psychology of addiction – what models and theories can psychology offer
• Container of wisdom that is being revealed in the process
• Resource for TTT
• We can’t solve problems (global ecological crisis) at the level it was created – we need to find what the new level is. Raising Consciousness!!
• Gandhi quote: Be the change you want to see.. including compassion and love.
• Weave through the other groups – they need us and we need them, embody interdependence
• Foundation of creativity, something new
• Not just going back – going forward. Coming together in a new context
• Close to the Arts group – need for celebration, visioning the new, addressing people on other levels than the mind, or doing.
• Celebrating! Equinox! Looking after ourselves and not getting burnt out
• Healing the splits that are in our culture – e.g. doing / being
• Both to create a vision of a different future, and be creative about the processes to get there.
• “Keeping the fire going”.. A ring of people and animals.. A nest..
Structure of Meetings Focalisers – can hand on the focus or facilitation for the meetings. Different people could lead the warm up process, or ending – or the whole meeting.

It’s good to balance processes and business. Leadership is important – allowing someone to lead, helps with clarity and finding a way forward. Allowing inspiration to come to those who take up the role. Could plan the next meeting at the end of the present one, including who focalises it.

Question - how to create a sense of building or development from one meeting to the next – a sense of achieving something or progress for the H&S group? Mutual offerings with other groups. Need for bonding, building relationships between people in the group – more social time outside meetings, or tea beforehand.. or Singing! Purely social get together – Lara, Jacqui and Dan to organise!

Consciousness Café: Max Details of Max and Wendy’s idea are on the website. Following the café scientifique principle. Contact Max if you are interested

Making Space for People who want to talk about their work. One way is to have a theme for a meeting and invite people – first from within the group, if there is no one we know of perhaps from outside – to speak on the theme. We could have another meeting where we speak at more length about our work or passion or area of interest in TTT. It would be good to do this in a more convivial way than a circle go round as in our very first meeting.

Home groups or Support Groups: Hilary A working group of 5 met last Sunday to progress this. The plan is to develop resources to help small groups set up - probably a mix of interpersonal / process / communications and practical resources e.g. on working out and reducing carbon footprint. Then organise a launch evening and form the first groups at the launch. There is also a possibility of piloting this with Rob’s current Skilling Up evening class which is coming to an end – as a way of keeping the contacts and enthusiasm developed on the course going.

This has been talked about in the group leaders group as a strategic part of inclusion – these groups make an easy and individually appropriate entry point to join the TTT process, and resource themselves. Models include affinity groups in the peace movement, consciousness raising groups in the women’s movement, and others. If you’re interested in joining or finding out more contact Hilary.

Celebrations! Emma Idea for a big TTT party with exciting band (didn’t get the name) and other entertainment, in the Summer. Two people wanting to be involved.

Books and Videos - Ailsa Ailsa is still making progress with the resources project for the library and World Video shop – donations of money for a David Abrahams DVD (?) gratefully received..

Conversations with people – Lara Link with interviews with older people? Defer to next meeting.