Francis Weller, MFT, is a psychotherapist, writer and soul activist. He is a master of synthesizing diverse streams of thought from psychology, anthropology, mythology, alchemy, indigenous cultures and poetic traditions.

For thirty-nine years Francis has worked as a psychotherapist and developed a style he calls soul-centered psychotherapy. As a gifted therapist and teacher, he has been described as a jazz artist, improvising and moving fluidly in and out of deep emotional territories with groups and individuals, bringing imagination and attention to places often held with judgment and shame.

Learn more about Francis Weller: https://www.francisweller.net/
Explore books by Francis Weller: https://www.francisweller.net/books.html

3:24 – Sean Fargo introduces Francis Weller
7:13 – An “apprenticeship with sorrow” and our lifelong relationship with grief
11:30 – What we lose over the course of our lives when we attempt to oppress grief
13:07 – Grief versus depression
14:30 – The profound impact of ritual for helping us move with grief
15:00 – The relationship between sorrow and joy
17:20 – Grief and loss as a shared, community experience
21:00 – Amnesia and anesthesia. What we’ve forgotten, and what we avoid remembering.
24:12 – The heroic fantasy and forced positivism as obstacles to being present with grief
27:00 – Personal versus collective loss, and loss since the COVID pandemic
28:20 – The Five Gates Of Grief
33:50 – Alchemy as a metaphoric system and the power of bringing warmth to grief
39:00 – Grief breaks our hearts open – and it may be grief that saves us
40:44 – Grief as an initiation into ongoing, generational work
44:00 – It is our spiritual responsibility to become capable and willing to face grief
45:45 – The nigrado state – decomposition as a precursor to transformation
48:27 – How do we not shrink from the darkness?
48:50 – Taking a mindful breath – how is all this sitting with you?
49:30 – Apprenticeship as a devotional practice of learning that leads to mastery
54:15 – The language of grief – from gravis, meaning heavy
55:50 – The 3 Premises of our Apprenticeship with Sorrow
1:01:30- Working with grief allows us to let go of our history and get back to the present moment
1:02:45 – Soklung (Tibetan) – damage or blockage of the primary energy winds in the heart chakra
1:05:39 – What if we approached grief as something sacred and holy?
1:07:20 – The 6 Elements of Apprenticeship with Sorrow and (1) Right relationship with sorrow
1:08:45 – (2) Developing a practice of some sort
1:09:53 – (3) Maintaining an adult presence when grief arises
1:12:45 – (4) Silence and solitude – becoming capable of spending time alone
1:14:40 – (5) Self-compassion
1:15:35 – (6) Remembering our entanglement – we are not alone
1:16:35 – QUESTION: Can you speak about rituals or things we can do to help ourselves and our communities open to our grief?
1:28:45 – QUESTION: There is so much grief. At what point, if ever, does being present with our grief become overindulgence?
1:37:13 – QUESTION: It can be taxing to hold space/energy/emotions for others. What are some ways we can practice self-care and soul-hygiene?
1:43:00 – QUESTION: Why are so many turned off by the first noble truth? Why not enjoy listening to sad music? What we lose when we bifurcate into good/bad, positive/negative, happy/sad.