Collisions of Earth and Sky
We have a Book Group usually twice a year. In the Fall we read Sacred Nature by Karen Armstrong and right now we are reading Collisions of Earth and Sky By Heidi Barr. We have such good conversations with book group and that is definitely happening with this book. Here is a blog post that Heidi Barr wrote about this book being published. The flyleaf of the book says this:
“Research indicates that spending time in a natural setting provides a plethora of benefits, from lower blood pressure to increased immunity to an enhanced sense of well-being and happiness....Being connected to nature helps us be more fully human and better planetary citizens. [This book] is an invitation to live in a way that is attuned to nature, paying attention to what's going on inside ourselves and in the larger collective...A collection of reflections, poetry, and invitations to discovery, Collisions of Earth and Sky calls you to celebrate what it is to embrace wildness as an integral part of being fully alive.”
We have the book divided into seven sessions with most of the sessions being two weeks apart to include time for reading (except the last session has only one week between). We have a reading schedule and questions we will use as jumping off points for discussion. As we are reading the book there are more questions that come to us so we will add them in and you can check out this Google Doc that has the latest questions too.
There is more info here about our Book Groups and a link to join our online book group
Kelowna in Person Group meets Wednesdays @1:00pm
Kamloops in Person Group meets Thursdays @2:30pm
Online Group meets Thurdsdays @6:00pm
Session 1
March 20 & 21 - Preface, Intro, Invitation, Part One pages 1-22 (2 chapters/essays, 21 pages)
Question: write your own poem or prose paragraph about where you come from OR draw/paint an image reflecting where you come from (p 21)
further questions:
p 14 - what are some ways you can be in your present story in a way that is rooted in the beautiful world?
p 16 - when do you feel part of the earth’s body? when do you feel disconnected from her?
Session 2
April 3 & 4 - Part One, pages 23-55 (4 chapters/31 pages)
Question: What would change for you if you accepted the wild dare issued on p 54?
further questions:
p 34 - what “ceremonies” are part of your ordinary days?
p 45 - closing paragraph - what does it look like for you to truly listen to the land?
p 49 - last 5 lines - what is one part of your authentic self you have learned to claim? and to live with?
Session 3
April 17 & 18 - Part Two, pages 57-88 (5 chapters/30 pages)
Question: What does it look like for you to really take care of yourself? (p 87)
further questions:
pp 61-63 - describe a time when you were completely lost to the point your senses were fine-tuned to what was immediately in front of you
p 77 - identify one myth that has shaped your story and what you have done to unravel and reweave that part of your story
p 87 - what is one self care practice that truly nourishes your soul? How do you know when your soul is craving this self care practice? When did you last do this? When will you do it again?
Session 4
May 1 & 2 - Part Two, pages 89-120 (4 chapters/30 pages)
Question: What is one time you have felt connected with all living beings? (p 120)
Session 5
May 15 & 16 - Part Two pages 121-153 (5 chapters/32 pages)
Question: What does a good day look like for you? (p 152)
Session 6
May 29 & 30 - Part Three, pages 155-184 (4 chapters/29 pages)
Question: Where are you experiencing/do you experience grief in/for the world today? (p 180)
Session 7
June 5 & 6 - Part Three pages 185-206 (5 chapters/20 pages) **NOTE: only one week between!
Question: Where do you add healing to the world? (p 202)
Want to print this schedule out?
Go to our Google Doc to Print this