Welcome Circles

In the spirit of collaboration, we are so happy to introduce the new “Welcome Circles”.

Each Welcome Circle offers a brief space of silence to open the event. A volunteer will read a short passage and invite the first participant to share an opening reflection. After opening, they will offer seed questions. Each member of the circle will be welcome to share their reflection — some will be prompted by the seed question, others will share from their heart in a different way. Some participants may choose to pass and not speak at all. The value of these circles is presence, listening, hearing and learning side by side.

April 2025 Circle of Sharing Passage and Seed Questions

Passage From:

World Building - Woven with Generational Wisdom 

By Tina Cormier and AI

Episode 24 of Compass Conversations gently invites us into the heart of "World Building," not as architects of grand designs, but as humble participants in a co-creative dance with life itself. It's a call to remember our inherent capacity to shape reality, not through force or rigid structure, but through the subtle art of listening to the wisdom that whispers within and around us.

How do we build a new world together - within ourselves, for each other, and for the future? What does it look like? What does it take? What is in our hearts?

Most of us in western societies have silenced our innate sense of self and surrendered our power to cultural norms, structures, and values. This override of our natural state begins unconsciously at a very young age and continues for some of us until the end of our lives. 

We are living through a profound shift: a turning away from the concrete towers of external authority and a return to the expanse of inner knowing. 

There is a growing community of people who are beginning to reawaken and ask questions like: How do I bring myself back to my heart? and How do I peel back the layers of protection I have built over my authentic self? For each one of us who accepts this challenge of rediscovery, we collectively become better, higher, and more coherent. But it’s work - amazing, painful, beautiful work.

We are invited to trust the wisdom that resides within each of us, particularly within the hearts of the young, who arrive with a clarity and intuition often dimmed by the structures of the world. What if we never left ourselves at all? We have the opportunity to offer this remembrance to our children. They still carry their innate wisdom and untarnished intuition. One of the most profound gifts we can offer future generations is a way to stay rooted in themselves — tools that help them recognize the illusion of disconnection and separation.

Like the intuitive connection between horse and rider described in "The Tao of Equus," this new paradigm calls for a more fluid and responsive way of being. It asks us to relinquish the reins of control and instead, listen deeply to the subtle cues of our inner landscape and our relationship with the world around us. This requires a willingness to embrace uncertainty, to move beyond the confines of linear thinking, and to trust the emergent wisdom that arises from genuine connection.

True creation is not an act of imposing our will upon the world, but of attuning ourselves to its inherent rhythms. Nature, in its boundless generosity, offers a constant source of guidance and inspiration. By reconnecting with the earth, the sun, and the elements, we can reclaim our innate capacity for intuition and creativity. Instead of molding children to fit into a societal box, we can invite them to turn inward — to feel what they truly want to create, to honor what is uniquely theirs to bring into the world. 

This is not a solitary journey, but a collective endeavor. Like the interconnected roots of a forest, we are all part of a larger web of life. By working in partnership with young people, honoring their unique perspectives and gifts, we can co-create a future that is both sustainable and just. This requires a willingness to relinquish the role of "expert" and embrace a more reciprocal and collaborative approach, recognizing that true wisdom arises from the sharing of diverse perspectives and levels of experience.

What if we relate to  "World Building" as an act of deep reverence and reciprocity? It's about cultivating a sense of belonging, not just to the human world, but to the entire web of life. As the old structures crumble, we are presented with an opportunity to build something new, something more aligned with the wisdom of nature and the boundless potential of the human spirit. The question that lingers is: In this moment of spaciousness, what new worlds can we co-create, guided by the gentle wisdom of the earth and the boundless creativity of our hearts?

Reflective Questions:

• How do you attune yourself with nature and bring that harmony into your daily interactions?

• How does it feel to build the world co-creatively with the young in an inter-generational collaboration?

• Can you think of a time when you claimed your own innate power and wisdom rather than waiting to be told what to do?

April’s Circles reading is inspired by

Episode 24
Compass Conversations Podcast