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Trebbe Johnson's Newsletter
March 2009
In & Out of Patterns
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Dear
Questers,
Friends,
and
Seekers
of
the
Beloved,
I
write
tonight
from
Rowe
Center
in
western
Massachusetts,
where
I
led
my
workshop,
Soul's
Desire:
The
Quest
for
the
Beloved,
over
the
weekend.
The
snow
is
falling....
and
falling
and
falling,
and
deep
blue
evening
settles
among
the
black
and
white
trees.
Instead
of
venturing
home
on
windy,
snowy
roads,
I
decided
to
stay
over
an
extra
day.
Snow
softens
the
details,
interior
and
exterior,
and
gives
the
world
a
new
story.
It
makes
me
think
of
patterns
and
how
sometimes,
just
by
looking
at
them
afresh,
we
can
begin
to
remake
them.
To
those
who
are
receiving
this
newsletter
for
the
first
time...
welcome!
Here
you'll
find
news
of
upcoming
Vision
Arrow
events,
reflections,
profiles
of
extraordinary
people,
and
stories
of
transformation
that
occur
when
we
accept,
in
small,
bold,
startling
ways
the
invitations
that
the
world
is
always
sending
us.
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REVERSING
PATTERNS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Lost
Generation"
is
an
amazing
video,
less
than
two
minutes
long,
about
the
future
as
many
of
us
currently
consider
it.
Watch
this
piece
to
the
end.
It
will
make
you
believe
in
the
power
of
reversing
our
patterns.
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BREAKING PATTERNS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 In
my
book,
The
World
Is a
Waiting
Lover,
I
tell
the
story
of
how,
when
I
was
wrestling
with
a
sudden
and
impossible
passion
(a
struggle
that
impelled
me
to
the
archetypal
Beloved,
the
subject
of
the
book
and
workshops
like
the
one
I
led
this
weekend),
I
was
emailing
a
friend
about
my
tendency
always
to
be a
"tough
guy."
As
he
gleefully
pointed
out,
what
I
actually
kept
typing
was
"touch
guy,"
a
shift
he
highly
favored
energetically
as
well
as
typographically.
Tough
Guy
and
Touch
Guy
reared
up
again
today
as
the
snow
began
falling
here
in
the
Berkshire
Mountains
in
western
Massachusetts
and
I
contemplated
driving
home
over
unplowed
country
roads,
two
mountain
passes,
a
long
stretch
of
west-facing
highway,
and
more
country
roads.
The
Tough
Guy
said,
"You
can
do
it."
The
Touch
Guy,
also
known
as
the
inner
Beloved,
said,
"Stay
here
at
Rowe
Center.
Relax.
Leave
tomorrow."
I
talked
to
the
staff
at
Rowe.
They
checked
the
road
conditions
on
the
internet:
snow
and
ice.
"Stay,"
they
said.
"You
can
eat
leftovers
with
us
for
dinner.
You
can
use
the
sauna."
"Why
don't
you
stay?"
said
my
husband
when
I
called
him.
"You
should
go,"
said
the
Tough
Guy.
I
decided
to
stay.
In
the
sauna
I
sat
on
the
top
bench
facing
the
window.
The
heat
moved
into
me
and
the
sight
of
the
gentle
snow
falling
outside
in
the
woods
lulled
me
into
the
present
moment.
When
I
was
really
hot
I
ran
outside
and
rolled
around
in
the
snow
in
honor
of
my
Swedish
ancestors,
then
returned
to
toast
some
more.
Later,
in
my
cozy
room,
with
its
flowery
chinz
fabrics,
I
began
to
write
this
newsletter.
The
Touch
Guy
is
content.
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RE-ENVISIONING
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When
we're
at
an
important
turning
point
in
our
lives
or,
even
before
that
sense
of
imminent
breakthrough
occurs
and
we
simply
feel
stuck
and
unable
to
find
our
way
forward,
we
often
get
desperate.
We
imagine
that
the
only
solution
is
to
grab
hold
of
something...
anything...
so
long
as
it's
new
and
potentially
different.
What's
far
more
effective,
however,
is
to
pay
close
attention
to
our
own
whispering
intuitions,
peripheral
images,
subliminally
forming
patterns,
and
those
other
subtle
invitations
that
the
world
regularly
sends
us.
Tuning
in
to
the
clues
that
are
already
inside
us
(yet
which
we
only
dimly
perceive
or
do
not
dare
to
trust),
we
realize
that
new
energy
streams
are
already
surging
forth
in
our
unconscious.
All
they
require
is
attention,
moral
support,
and
the
first
steps
forward,
and
with
them
we
will
begin
to
form
new
and
beautiful
visions
that
have
heart
and
meaning
for
our
current
life
and
the
lives
of
others
who
urgently
seek
them.
Are
you
at a
turning
point?
Do
you
have
a
vision
that
is
calling
to
be
realized
and
enacted
anew?
If
you
went
out
on a
vision
quest
or
in
some
other
way
created
something
new
and
utterly
personal,
do
you
now
feel
separate
from
your
original
vision?
Has
it
become
too
small?
Too
big?
Times
change.
You've
changed.
Does
your
vision
need
to
change
as
well?
From
September
11-18,
Eugene
Hughes,
who
brings
visions
into
being
for
clients
worldwide
(and,
as a
vision
quester
himself,
in
his
own
life)
and
I
are
offering
a
one-week
retreat,
What
Now?,
especially
for
people
who
have
been
on a
vision
quest
or
in
some
other
way
pursued
a
personal
vision
and
now
feel
it's
time
to
re-define
that
guiding
force.
We'll
camp
in
Nantahala
Forest
in
western
North
Carolina,
and
spend
our
days
just
down
the
trail
in
Joyce
Kilmer
Memorial
Forest,
a
majestic
old-growth
forest
where
four-hundred-year-old
trees
tower
above
the
ground.
Together
we'll
form
a
supportive,
explorative
community
of
no
more
than
12
people.
You'll
explore
your
original
vision
and
what's
still
meaningful
about
it,
shed
light
on
what's
changed
in
yourself
and
the
world,
and
transform
your
self
and
your
vision
accordingly.
For
a
PDF
flyer
of
the
program,
contact
Vision
Arrow.
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PATTERNS OF AN ISLAND CULTURE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Pff!,"
exclaims
Rucina
Ballinger,
full
of
mock
contempt
as
she
fingers
a
lovely
green
and
gold
sarong
in
the
crowded
marketplace
in
Ubud,
Bali.
"Preen-teeng,"
she
scoffs.
"Printing,"
she
means.
As
opposed
to
batik,
the
process
of
dyeing
with
wax-resist
patterns,
that
makes
Balinese
fabric
valuable.
The
shop
owner
replies
with
indignation
of
her
own.
The
two
women
are
negotiating
the
price
of a
sarong
that
a
member
of
our
group
has
chosen
for
the
blessing
ceremony
we'll
attend
the
following
day
at
the
sacred
spring,
Tirta
Empul.
Bargaining
is
difficult
for
many
Americans,
who
feel
that
the
prices
on
Bali
are
already
very
reasonable.
But
bargaining
here
is
part
of
the
language
of
shopping.
You
do
it
to
play
the
game.
We
Americans
watch
in
delight
as
Rucina
gets
her
deal.
Born
in
Indiana,
Rucina
Ballinger
first
came
to
Bali
in
1974
at
the
age
of
21
to
study
Balinese
classical
dance
and
music.
On
her
second
visit
a
few
years
later,
she
met
Agung
Putra
Gede
Rangki,
a
Balinese
man
of
royal
ancestry.
They
fell
in
love,
married,
raised
two
sons,
and
have
been
living
in
Ubud,
the
artistic
and
cultural
center
of
the
island,
ever
since.
Rucina
has
written
a
book,
Balinese
Dance,
Drama,
and
Music
and
currently
runs
a
YKIP,
charity
dedicated
to
health
and
education
in
Bali.
She
is
also
part
of a
comedic
group
of
ex-pat
women,
who
perform
lively
(often
raunchy)
skits
in
Balinese.
Gung
teaches
the
Indonesian
language
and
pursues
his
interests
in
botany,
history,
and
architecture.
As
professional
guides
on
the
island,
their
individual
personalities
and
interests
complement
each
other.
Gung
is
so
fascinated
with
the
intricate
and
colorful
history,
religion,
and
culture
of
Bali
that
when
he
talks,
you
get
the
feeling
that
what
he's
offering
are
not
so
much
facts
fixed
in
time
and
space,
but
exciting,
fruitful
ideas
he
can't
wait
to
express.
After
living
in
Bali
for
more
than
thirty
years,
Rucina
has
a
Balinese
understanding
of
the
culture
and
an
American
overview
about
it.
She
slips
us
backstage
to
meet
classical
Legong
dancers,
teaches
us
how
to
tie
our
sarongs
and
act
appropriately
in
temples,
initiates
us
into
a
real
understanding
of
women's
lives
on
the
island,
and
of
course
accompanies
us
to
the
market
and
teaches
us
how
to
bargain
like
a
Balinese.
Rucina
and
Gung
will
once
again
be
our
guides
in
Ubud
during
Vision
Arrow's
Bali
from
Within
journey,
June
3-14.
For
a
complete
itinerary
of
the
journey,
see
our
website.
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BOOK
AND
WORKSHOP
NEWS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 The
Daily
Om,
an
online
compendium
of
inspiring
thoughts,
people,
and
products,
recently
featured
my
book,
The
World
Is a
Waiting
Lover.
Check
it
out
for
a
teaser
and
to
read
the
first
chapter
of
the
book.
March
14:
Radical
Joy
for
Hard
Times:
A
program
for
Lent
on
finding
joy
despite
darkness,
with
an
emphasis
on
the
endangered
natural
landscapes
among
us.
Church
of
the
Holy
Apostles,
New
York
City
Ninth
Avenue
&
28th
Street
10:00
AM-2:30
PM
For
more
information:
212.807.6799
Email:
holyapostles@holyapostlesnyc.org
May
8-10:
The
Path
of
the
Lover
Sage
Canyon
(near
Cortez),
CO.
Program
is
full.
If
you'd
like
to
be
on
the
waiting
list,
contact
Fiona
King.
May
23:
Claiming
Your
Inner
Stimulus
Package:
A
Discovery
Journey
in
Central
Park
9:00
AM-3:00
PM
Meet
at
the
Alice
in
Wonderland
statue
$35
with
pre-registration,
$40
at
"the
door"
Call
570.727.4272
or
email
Vision
Arrow
for
details.
June
3-14:
Bali
From
Within
Bali,
Indonesia
For
a
complete
list
of
2009
programs
offered
by
Vision
Arrow,
see
our
website.
Call
570
727
4272
or
email
Trebbe
if
you
have
questions
or
would
like
to
talk
about
any
of
these
programs.
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