Susan Burns's blog

Question Posed to Shift in Action for Noetic Exploration (Spiritual Advocacy)

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 12:01:54 -0700

Seattle is turning toward what it means to be a compassionate citizen. I am part of a coordinating team for an interspiritual, intercultural, and intergenerational community wide forum that follows up on the visit of the Dalai Lama (Seeds of Compassion) last Spring.

Happy Holy Days - Amazing Universe - Thanks to IONS

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 12:10:34 -0700

This article from AOL news (link below) describes an explosion in Space which happened before the Earth formed and was only visible to us last Wednesday (7.5 billion light years away). It is inspiring not only because the star is halfway across the Universe with an explosion so huge that it set a record for the most distant object that could be seen on Earth by the naked eye, but following the link will bring you to a slide show of 28 amazing, magnificent, glorious, breathtaking photos from the Hubble space craft. Viewing their beauty and symmetry commands a profound humility, reminding us that we are blessed to be part of an enormous self organizing and implicitly intelligent evolutionary story.

Cooperation, Consciousness, Integral Work Toward Paradigm Shift in Portland, Oregon

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 09:14:41 -0800

Though I am from Seattle, Washington, I have been working with the IONS Community Group Coordinators in Oregon to host several events which feature James O'Dea. The Portland IONS Community group leaders are gathering with the change agents in their communities for cooperative work. Later IONS members will be diving into a 3 day field of consciousness focused on inner work to intentionally shift personal paradigms. The theme of all events is Conscious Universe...conscious social evolution…personal transformation toward the co-creation of a new world. It’s inward work for outward change, and vice versa. It is integral from our sense of place within our co-creation. Horizontally we shift within in our communities while vertically we reach into the depths of our assumptions, and we learn from our actions and each other.

You Were Born For This Transformation (1/31/08-2/02/08)

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 15:56:31 -0800

"You were born for such a time as this." says IONS President James O'Dea. He also remarks that center of the Universe is the center of our consciousness: “In a conscious universe the center is everywhere and the center of the center is your awareness.” Scientifically, we are beginning to prove that we create our own reality. New sciences increasingly show that we are integral to a pulsating, consciously creative universe. To become purposeful, effective, and intentional in co-creation, we must understand transformation. That is why James O'Dea, is joining us to go deeply with you in this intensive retreat.

Cascadia - The Great Northwest Shifts with James O’Dea

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 06:37:22 -0700

We are living in the most amazing times. There is a phenomena happening in Seattle this weekend as Cascadia, the NW Bioregion, celebrates the Shift with 3 coordinated events welcoming IONS President James O’Dea on An Emerging Science of Peace and Transformation sponsored by Seattle Unity, with over 35 organizations and IONS NW Community Groups (4 states and Canada) in support.

News from the IONS Community Group Network

Sat, 03 Mar 2007 12:57:59 -0800

I am a member of IONS Elder Council and Network Councils with a passion and a purpose. Lately, I have been coordinating an online community for IONS Community Group Coordinators to exchange information with each other and post news for IONS Community Group Coordinators. This is an optional virtual community for the 220 IONS Community Groups. Currently there are 84 of us now sharing about our IONS groups. There are also sub groups such as how to bring Integral Health into IONS Community Groups.

Report on Seattle's Awaken the Dreamer: Changing the Dream Symposium 12/09/06

Wed, 27 Dec 2006 15:47:18 -0800

On December 9, 2006, IONS NW hosted an event called Awaken the Dreamer: Changing the Dream Symposium, produced by The Pachamama Alliance, sponsored by several Northwest organizations (listed below).
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The all day Awaken the Dreamer Symposium is a powerful multi-media event which invites community exploration of the questions: Where on Earth are we going? And what can we do about it? The information imparted is shocking, inspiring, and evocative, moving people to action on behalf of Changing the Dream of the North, an imperative call to environmental and social justice action.
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The 12/09 Seattle meeting of networks of networks was an historic phenomenon! Several groups in the region converged at Evergreen Elementary School which donated the use of its theater. 150 people came at the busiest time of year to rally on behalf of environmental sustainabilty, social justice, and spiritual fulfillment. Long time activists, youth change groups, educators, ministers, politicians, and change agents of all kinds convened with their wisdom and interest in the program.
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A creative and hard working volunteer crew transformed the Evergreen Elementary school theater for an ambiance of community building. They served a complimentary lunch free of disposable products and completely organic. There was a great feeling of community and much sharing, including some public announcements of current regional projects already in the works. In all people were deeply moved with this amazing event. Some people wept and some were angry. Most were inspired to gratefulness for an opportunity to participate in the event. Some participants signed a networking list created which is featured below.
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Although, there are several hundred facilitators trained to give the Symposium around the world, a new model of collaboration was fielded through the facilitation of this particular event with Pachamama's ATD Program Director Jon Love together with Mark Dubois. With the convening of several diverse Northwest organizations, the event was unprecedented. And it began a regional presence for the The Pachamama Alliance.
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Over 40 people indicated that they wanted to be trained as facilitators. So a follow up will actually take place with an upcoming Seattle facilitator training, March 15 (6 PM) to March 18 (5 PM), 2007 and an additional Practicum set for April 21 and 22, 2007 where participants will work with media and tools hands on. The Heritage Institute will host this first regional training.
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Several participants clustered together by city and region to continue meeting for various emergent projects based on group interest. These special focus groups agreed to meet in their local neighborhoods (across the bio-region), designating a point person to convene regular meetings focusing on special interests, conversations, and collaborative projects. Thus, several local and regional focus groups were seeded. IONS NW was asked to collate and post that information through Susan Burns at sburns@ionsnw.org.
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Many educators in the room from Education networks expressed interest in adapting the program for youth. With a newly gathered crew of educator interest, the Symposium is now being modified for schools. Evergreen Elementary has scheduled the first Symposium for teachers and students. In addition, the local facilitator trainings will lead to some teacher trainings in the region with CEU's offered for teachers by The Heritage Institute.
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The event was a great kick start for a growing Pachamama presence for the bioregeion. Several participants expressed interest in becoming part of future program development. Some met the following day to see how to bring the message to other organizations. A new model for regional training has emerged with the adaptation for regional training, educator, as well as parent and student training.
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The Seattle team of volunteers who helped make the event amazing expressed interest in supporting future Northwest Symposium, trainings, and program development. These were Mark Dubois, Susan Burns, Melissa Drakeford, Sarah Keenan, Fred Lanphear, Donna Manders, Karilen Mays, John F Reed, and Mike Schut.
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Collaborating organizations were

Integral Health: Medicine for our Times

Sat, 21 Oct 2006 15:32:01 -0700

I am a healer by profession. I sit with people daily in entangled space, carefully crafting the space for transformation with my bag of tools. I have been blessed with watching many miracles happen and my heart has become tender for it.

To Dr. Stanley Krippner

Fri, 11 Nov 2005 05:40:08 -0800

Stanley Krippner, PhD is to speak on personal mythology, soon to be interviewed on Shift in Action by Marilyn Schlitz, I am so pleased! Dr. Stanley Krippner and Dr. David Feinstein co-authored a book on Personal Mythology which was so meaningful to me that it became the source of my independent study in transformation for my Masters degree in Counseling, almost 20 years ago. Years later I am an IONS Community group leader, an Elder Council member, holding transformative space for people's myths, having evolved my own myth and this work as a practitioner, an IONS leader.

Sow Seeds of Mutuality and Cultivate The Garden with Intentional Care

Wed, 17 Aug 2005 09:41:45 -0700

Individually and collectively, we are catalysts for a new paradigm, each with seeds to sow. I celebrate as we begin to shape new kinds of partnership, cooperation, and collaboration for a shift in consciousness to occur.