Open campfire and wisdom councils

Multitudes of meeting

In early May 2024, I spent 3 days at Yūgen Forest in the Netherlands with fellow OD for Life (ODFL) members. Being at this gathering was my threshold into membership.

Until now, the ODFL in-person gatherings have been the only route into membership, a threshold crossed through a multitude of meeting. Meeting around the campfires. Meeting over meals. Meeting in personal and shared enquiry. Meeting on the way to and from tents, and shower blocks, and toilets, and yurts. Swift meetings, settled meetings, meetings that spark in one place and complete in another.

Gathering in-person brings a sensory, visceral depth to meeting that I haven’t yet found my way into online.

Yet, meeting online makes meeting possible for those moving through our days as active parents. For those moving through our days in bodies with medical conditions. For those moving through our days without the financial resources to attend in-person gatherings in home countries, or beyond. For those moving through our days with any number of often-invisible barriers to gathering.

ODFL’s open campfire

It is with joy that I can now invite you to join ODFL’s first open campfire, an online gathering unravelling in three-hour sessions over two days. While an online gathering cannot bring us the multitude of meeting that unfurl in the space of meeting in-person, we hope that it will carry the core elements of the ODFL movement and community: ritual, attunement, enquiry, celebration, and tenderness.

An ODFL gathering is for anyone who is interested in becoming a member of the community, or intertwining personal or organisational roots with us. At the gathering, you will meet some of ODFL members, and have a lived experience of four of our current enquiries.

These action enquiries include the fascinating Wisdom Councils Action Enquiry, where we’re exploring the rich role of wisdom councils for organisations. (I am particularly fond of this action enquiry because I’ve been part of shaping it).

On day one of the wisdom council sessions, we’ll be with the enquiry: Where do we meet wisdom, and how do we know that we are in contact with her?

And on day two, we’ll hold space for two related enquiries: Having discovered how we meet wisdom and how we are in contact with her, how do we form ODFL’s wisdom council? / what collective soil enables us, a team, or an organisation to act from wisdom?

Open campfire details

Date: Thursday January 15th and Friday January 16thTimings: East Coast Americas: 10.00am to 1.00pm EST
South America: 12.00 to 3.00pm BRT
UK: 3.00 to 6.00pm GMT
Europe: 4.00 to 7.00pm CET
Africa : 6.00 to 9.00pm EAT
India: 8.30 to 11:30pm IST

Meeting place: Zoom
Main language: English (and, we invite and celebrate other languages in the room)
More about ODFL: OD for Life

Offered in the spirit of gift economy

This gathering is offered in the spirit of gift economy, an exchange rooted in relationship rather than transaction. Your presence, attention, and engagement are deeply valued and help nourish our collective field.

This work is also carried by the time, care, and material resources of many. We invite you to reflect with intention on what you receive and what you feel moved to gift in return, whether that’s financial or other.

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Register here: ODFL open campfire

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