In an era defined by extraordinary environmental and social challenges, Pachamama Alliance has taken a significant step forward with the introduction of Earth Listening Circles—a new global initiative designed to help individuals and communities reconnect with the wisdom of the Earth.
Earth Listening Circles provide a sacred space for guided meditation, reflective dialogue, and the cultivation of collective wisdom, empowering participants to address today’s pressing issues with renewed strength, clarity, and purpose.
What Are Earth Listening Circles?
Earth Listening Circles are unique gatherings—either virtual or in person—where people come together to connect deeply with the Earth and each other. These circles are not just meetings; they are ceremonial spaces that include the ancient practice of deep listening—a practice that allows us to slow down, reflect, and remember our sacred relationship with the Earth. In doing so, they offer an important opportunity to tap into the collective wisdom needed to navigate these critical times.
Earth Listening Circles ask a fundamental question: What will it take to catalyze an evolutionary leap that transforms our species' dominant way of being from human supremacy to human responsibility and sacred reciprocity with all life?
The Earth Listening Circles initiative launched on August 1, 2024, with a virtual event that brought together over 250 leaders and community members from the Pachamama Alliance community. The pilot phase is a period of exploration and learning to assess the impact and insights that arise through the practice of listening together. Circle hosts and participants are encouraged to share their experiences, which will be coalesced and reflected back at a culminating event on October 24th.
The vision for this initiative is to create a global network of Earth Listening Circles, deeply rooted in local communities, connected by a shared commitment to living in sacred reciprocity with all life.
Global Footprint: Envisioning a World Transformed
People around the world are feeling called to host Earth Listening Circles! The initiative was co-designed with 15 community leaders from 5 different countries, making it adaptable and inclusive in various cultural contexts. They’re being hosted in venues from homes and backyards to community centers, parks, and religious institutions. The initial global response to this initiative, already being implemented in communities from Japan, Ibero-America, Romania, New Zealand, Australia, Malawi, Kenya, and the United States is encouraging.
These Circles are rippling across the globe, encouraging people to reconnect with the Earth and each other in ways that embrace sacred reciprocity and foster resilience. As more Circles take root, the benefits and insights of them spread beyond the gatherings themselves, influencing the organizations, movements and initiatives that participants are part of. Each Circle contributes to a growing network of communities committed to building regenerative relationships with the planet.
Our Listening and Dreaming Circle ... was a heart-opening experience that connected us deeply with each other and the Earth. This sacred relationship with all life is becoming a foundation for us as we work together to find our part in helping accelerate this evolutionary leap.
— Sue Starpoli, New York
A Call to Sacred Reciprocity: Join Us in This Transformative Journey
This initiative is informed by the wisdom and teachings of our Indigenous partners, who have long emphasized the importance of listening to the Earth as a vital practice for navigating these times. At this pivotal moment in human history, Earth Listening Circles represent a new commitment to transforming the dominant paradigm of human supremacy into one of human responsibility and sacred reciprocity.
As Nigerian philosopher Bayo Akomolafe wisely reminds us, “Times are urgent, we must slow down.” Earth Listening Circles invite us to slow down, step out of the rush of everyday life, and reconnect with our roles as integral parts of Earth's living body. This initiative is not about predicting or controlling outcomes but rather about cultivating a practice of sacred reciprocity and recognizing our responsibility as ancestors to future generations.
We invite you to join this global movement, to participate in a circle, and to contribute to the shift towards a more responsible and reciprocal way of being in the world. Together, we can honor our sacred relationship with all life and create a future where humanity thrives in harmony with nature.
To learn more about joining this initiative and to access the materials you will need to host an Earth Listening Circle in your community, please sign up here. Additionally, you can find out more by watching the recording of the global launch event from August 1st.
