Weekly Reflection: The Time Is Now
The Time Is Now Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what those who are far think or what I, who am close, say. What matters is what rises up the stem of your soul that feeds your unopened blossom. But we don’t live in a vacuum, it’s true. So, yes, we need the mind to be a sieve and the heart to be a sponge. How? I’m still learning, but what else would we do, other than pick up things and put them down? I know it doesn’t feel it now, but you are the pearl freeing itself from your shell. A Question to Walk With: In your journal, describe the tension you experience between listening to the opinion of others and listening to the authority of your own being. This is from my book of poems in progress, In the Clearing.
California Calling: A September with Mark
If you feel called to be in the room with Mark this September, and you’re anywhere near the West Coast, or have been wanting to make a trip out, this one’s for you. Three gatherings, each a little different in shape, but all carrying the same invitation: to slow down and be present to the conversation as it unfolds. He’ll be moving through some of California’s most quietly beautiful corners, from the vineyards of Sonoma to the coastline near Santa Barbara. Each event is small on purpose, the kind of room where something real has space to open up.
Sep 12 | Day Long Retreat · Santa Rosa, CA
The Fifth Season: Creativity in the Second Half of Life
Hosted by Sebastopol Senior Center, held at Balletto Vineyards, Reserve Room · 5700 Occidental Rd · 9am – 5pm
A full day with Mark, set among the rolling vineyards of Sonoma County. If you’ve been sitting with questions about what it means to keep creating, keep becoming, in this next chapter of life, this retreat was made for you. Event is SOLD OUT, Click here to join the waitlist
Sep 13 | Afternoon Conversation · Corte Madera, CA
The Language of the Soul with Mark Nepo and Brooke Warner
Book Passage · 1pm PT
Book Passage is one of the most beloved independent bookstores in the country, and this conversation between Mark and author and publisher Brooke Warner feels like it will linger long after it ends. Unscripted, honest, and rooted in what it means to write and live from the inside out. Click here to register
Sep 15 | Evening Gathering · near Santa Barbara, CA (Summerland)
The Language of the Soul
Godmothers Bookstore · 6pm PT
Tucked near the Santa Barbara coast, Godmothers is more than a bookstore, it’s a gathering place, the kind that makes room for deeper conversation. A small, warm evening with Mark, well worth the drive if you’re in the area. SOLD OUT! Click here to join the waitlist.
Upcoming Events with Mark in 2026-2027
Aug 28–30: The Language of the Soul, Mercy by the Sea, Madison, CT. Click here to register. *Mercy by the Sea only has “commuter spots” available. Once again, their ministry is willing to offer partial scholarships to those in need. Learn more and apply here. - IN PERSON
Sep 12: The Fifth Season: Creativity in the Second Half of Life, Day Long Retreat, Balletto Vineyards, Reserve Room, 5700 Occidental Rd, Santa Rosa, CA | 9am – 5pm | Sebastopol, California, SOLD OUT, Click here to join the waitlist – IN PERSON
Sep 13: @ 1pm PT: The Language of the Soul. An intimate afternoon conversation with Mark and Brooke Warner at Book Passage Corte Madera, California. Click here to register. - IN PERSON
Sep 15: The Language of the Soul. An intimate in-person gathering with Mark at Godmothers Bookstore near Santa Barbara. SOLD OUT, Click here to join the waitlist.
IN PERSON
Oct 11: @ 11-noon PT/2-3pm ET The Language of the Soul. A conversation with Mark Nepo and Joel Fotinos, presented by Banyen Books & Sound. Zoom link to come. ONLINE
2027
January 10, 17, 24, 2027: The Language of the Soul, The Power to Awaken, Connect, and Heal. A 3-session webinar guided by Mark Nepo. 1-2:30PM ET | 10-11:30AM PT. Click here for more information. – ONLINE
February 8-13, 2027: The Fifth Season: Creativity in the Second Half of Life, a Mastery week, The Modern Elder Academy in Baja, Mexico, Click here to sign up
IN PERSON
April 2027: Weeklong Retreat with Mark Nepo in a castle outside of Milan, Italy Click here to learn more and register – IN PERSON
May we let through, hold,
serve as sieve as well as sponge.
Holey and holy.
The negative opinions of others
battle in my head
like a jihad between the ears
much louder
than the voice of my own being.
But I am learning
to recognize each,
one becoming
more of a stranger,
the other,
a dear friend,
gently singing
like birdsong
beneath the noise of war.