Hard to Explain

There’s always a moment
after falling, after bleeding,
after fear recedes like an
undertow.

A moment in which we
sigh and shake our heads
at the wonder of still 
being here.

It’s hard to explain to 
those who still avoid it all.

But I can tell that you 
know. I can see it in your 
eyes on the street, when 
we look at each other 
for that extra second.

I can tell when we’re 
waiting for the light 
to change and you shrug
with a crooked smile, as 
if to say, “It’s all beautiful
and terrible and we keep
landing in the middle.”


A Question to Walk With: In conversation with a friend or loved one, discuss the notion: “It’s all beautiful and terrible and we keep landing in the middle.” What does living in the middle look like for you?


This is from my book of poems in progress, The Sacrament at the Center of Time. 

Creativity in the Second Half of Life | Sat, September 12

As the years go by, the question for each of us becomes more and more real: What does it mean to age? Despite the limitations that come as the body wears down, there are many gifts to inhabit as we age. So much is gained and so much is shed along the way.

A one-day retreat at the Sebastopol Area Senior Center in Sebastopol, California. Saturday, September 12th, 9am–5pm. This retreat is currently SOLD OUT. If you'd like to be added to the waitlist, click here.

A Conversation Worth Sitting With

Mark recently joined New Dimensions Radio, listener-supported and running since 1973, for a conversation on language as a doorway to the sacred. Tracing words to their roots, he explores how language shapes awareness, connection, and healing, and how every conversation can become a spiritual practice.

Listen to The Miracle of Language with Mark Nepo here.

Free listening through 9/8/26, otherwise it is available for you to listen below.

More from New Dimensions Radio.

Upcoming Events with Mark in 2026-2027

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, IN PERSON, Click here to join the waitlist.

Sep 13: @ 1pm PT: The Language of the Soul. An intimate afternoon conversation with Mark and Brooke Warner at Book Passage Corte Madera, California. IN PERSON, Click here to register.

Sep 15: The Language of the Soul. An intimate in-person gathering with Mark at Godmothers Bookstore near Santa Barbara. SOLD OUT, IN PERSON, Click here to join the waitlist.

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. ONLINE, Click here to register.

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. ONLINE, Click here for more information.

February 8-13, 2027: The Fifth Season: Creativity in the Second Half of Life, a Mastery week, The Modern Elder Academy in Baja, Mexico, IN PERSON, Click here to sign up.

FEB 26-28, 2027: The Fifth Season: Creativity in the Second Half of Life, The Shallowford Center for Mindful Living, Atlanta Georgia, IN PERSON, Click here to register.

April 2027: Weeklong Retreat with Mark Nepo in a castle outside of Milan, Italy, IN PERSON. Click here to learn more and register.

MAY 21-23, 2027: The Language of the Soul, Sophia Institute, IN PERSON & ONLINE, Link to come!

JUNE 25-27, 2027: The Language of the Soul, Omega Institute, Rhinebeck, NY, IN PERSON, Link to come!

AUG 27-29, 2027: The Path of True Experience, Mercy by the Sea, Madison, CT. IN PERSON, Link to come!

SEPT 10-12, 2027: The Fifth Season: Creativity in the Second Half of Life. Siena Retreat Center, Racine, WI. IN PERSON, Link to come!

Then, I Thought

At first, I thought we were 
supposed to chase things, 
but no one taught us what 
to do if we caught them.

When broken, I wasn’t sure 
if I was to close the break 
or keep on opening.

Then, I thought, I’ll build
a home in which all that I 
love can live.

But loving and losing, and
dying and coming back, I
came to love the world and 
all I couldn’t see. It was more 
than any house could hold.

That led me here, by the 
river, where I stand like a 
tree, drinking from the earth 
and reaching for the sky, let-
ting small things nest in me.


A Question to Walk With: In your journal, describe a time when something died in you, allowing something else in you to come alive. How do you understand this process?

This is from my book of poems in progress, In the Clearing. 

The No B.S. Spiritual Book Club

A blast from the past: Mark joined the wonderful Sandie Sedgbeer, a longtime friend of his work and one of the most seasoned voices in spiritual media, for a conversation on The No B.S. Spiritual Book Club, talking about Falling Down and Getting Up, his book on discovering our inner resilience and strength. They dig into that rhythm we all live inside of, the constant motion between falling and rising, closing and opening, losing our footing and finding it again. If you feel called to listen or watch, click here or the link below.

In the same spirit, here’s a glimpse into 10 books that have shaped Mark, not the ones he’s written, but the ones that have shaped him. For a direct link, click here.

• Anthem by Ayn Rand

• Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

• Livingdying: Poems of Cid Corman

• The Autobiography of William Carlos Williams

• Memories, Dreams, Reflections by Carl Jung

• Selected Poems by Pablo Neruda

• Gilgamesh: A Verse Narrative by Herbert Mason

• The Madman: His Parables and Poems by Kahlil Gibran

• Auguste Rodin by Rainer Maria Rilke

• A Poet’s Journal: Days of 1945-1951 by George Seferis

Upcoming Events with Mark in 2026-2027

Aug 28–30: The Language of the Soul, Mercy by the Sea. This year’s retreat is SOLD OUT! Mark will return to Mercy August 27 - 29, 2027 for a 3-day retreat based on his upcoming poetry book, Our Time on Earth: New and Selected Poems 1977-2027. IN PERSON. Link to come.

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, IN PERSON, Click here to join the waitlist.

Sep 13: @ 1pm PT: The Language of the Soul. An intimate afternoon conversation with Mark and Brooke Warner at Book Passage Corte Madera, California. IN PERSON, Click here to register.

Sep 15: The Language of the Soul. An intimate in-person gathering with Mark at Godmothers Bookstore near Santa Barbara. SOLD OUT, IN PERSON, Click here to join the waitlist.

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. ONLINE, Click here to register.

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. ONLINE, Click here for more information.

February 8-13, 2027: The Fifth Season: Creativity in the Second Half of Life, a Mastery week, The Modern Elder Academy in Baja, Mexico, IN PERSON, Click here to sign up.

FEB 26-28, 2027: The Fifth Season: Creativity in the Second Half of Life, The Shallowford Center for Mindful Living, Atlanta Georgia, IN PERSON, Click here to register.

April 2027: Weeklong Retreat with Mark Nepo in a castle outside of Milan, Italy, IN PERSON. Click here to learn more and register.

MAY 21-23, 2027: The Language of the Soul, Sophia Institute, IN PERSON & ONLINE, Link to come!

JUNE 25-27, 2027: The Language of the Soul, Omega Institute, Rhinebeck, NY, IN PERSON, Link to come!

AUG 27-29, 2027: The Path of True Experience, Mercy by the Sea, Madison, CT. IN PERSON, Link to come!

SEPT 10-12, 2027: The Fifth Season: Creativity in the Second Half of Life. Siena Retreat Center, Racine, WI. IN PERSON, Link to come!

Even as a boy, my dear friend Robert was a sensitive filament, registering all levels of existence, near and far. It reverberated in him and made him anxious. He remembers his mother taking him to their family doctor who prescribed a small pill called Quiet World.

Robert and I are in our seventies now and the quiet world, after all these years, has a much deeper meaning. It refers to the ground of being, often accessed through silence, that gives context to trouble and pain and yes, anxiety.

The work of self-awareness, it seems, is a constant practice of re-finding and re-entering the quiet world without leaving the surface world. So we can stay whole-hearted in the deep and open-hearted on the surface.

How, then, do you experience the quiet world? What was your first introduction to it? What helps you return there? How would you describe it and how would you name it? Who would you like to bring there with you?

At this time of life, both Robert and I wear hearing aids. And sometimes, it’s confusing to navigate the settings. On a recent visit, I was helping Robert find the setting he likes best. I asked, “Why this setting?” He said, “Because in this setting I can hear others and I can also hear myself.”

The setting is called Calm One. On a deeper level, Calm One is a profound mental and emotional center from which we can both hear others and ourself. Both are needed to enter the quiet world that lives below trouble.

What, then, is your calm setting? What prevents you from hearing others and yourself? What needs to be lessened or removed to re-inhabit such calm? Can you trace how being open to others and yourself, at the same time, can give you access to the quiet world? And likewise, how can experiencing the quiet ground of being help you stay calm and receptive while walking in the surface world?

Practices help us be more fully here. The way staying open and receptive helps us stay calm. And being calm gives us entry to the quiet world that holds the noisy world together.

Our inner work is not to run from either but to let the deep inform the surface: in our mind, in our heart, and in our relationships—day by day. So that, however briefly, the world can calm down, enabling us to remember and reanimate our eternal kinships.

The work of self-awareness, it seems, is a constant practice of re-finding and re-entering the quiet world without leaving the surface world.

Questions to Walk With

• In your journal, describe a time when you couldn’t hear yourself because of the voices of others. How did you recognize this? What did you do to regain the ability to hear yourself?

• In conversation with a friend or loved one, discuss the last time you entered the quiet world. What led you there? What did you bring back into your daily life? How close are you to the quiet world now?

The Quiet World, from Mark’s upcoming book, The Path of True Experience: The Art and Practice of a Full Life (May 2027)

All to Say

We have been misguided to think our mind is the creator of all things. At its best, it moves like a fin in the invisible stream, aligning us with the forces of life. And the current, when in it, provides food when our mouths stay open. Try as we might to uphold the illusion, we are not giants who bend rivers. We are simple things ashimmer, most aglow when unadorned in our surrender, ready to live with the others swimming alongside us. All to say, we come alive when we cooperate more than dictate, when we align more than steer, when we give more than take. This doesn’t mean that we are not generative or creative. More that our creativity is the result of how receptive we are in joining with other life, the way atoms multiply to create tissue. In just this way, feelings and ideas graft onto each other. Until life begets life. Until energy begets energy. Until our deepest questions form the steps to the Ordinary Temple that is both in your heart and in the world. Meet me there.

A Question to Walk With: In conversation with a friend or loved one, have each of you describe a time when you were asked to cooperate more than dictate, or a time when you were asked to align more than steer, or a time when you were asked to give more than take. Where did these shifts lead you?

This is from my book in progress, The Art of Welcome.   

Workshop From Home with Susan McHenry

Thursday, August 20, 2026 from 1–3pm EDT USA

This Thursday, Susan McHenry is offering a hands-on webinar from her home studio for the Ceramic Arts Network series Clay Flicks on August 20 at 1PM EST. If you are interested in learning more please click here.

The Fifth Season in Milan | April 18-25, 2027

Join Mark for a transformative week-long retreat in the breathtaking Piemonte region of Northern Italy, April 18-25, 2027.

Nestled in the enchanting Castello di Pavone, this intimate gathering invites you to explore creativity, meaning, and deepened presence in life’s second half.

“Perhaps our greatest resource in aging is staying close to life and staying creative. For creativity never leaves us. Its call simply keeps changing. And living a creative life does not mean that we have to strive to create great art. More deeply, we are asked to hold our individual lives as a work of art that inhabiting fully will bring into being. Just as we need oxygen to breathe, we need the creative flow to keep our heart alive. This is especially important as we age. To live a creative life sustains our inner health. And so, in our time together, we will center on our quest to keep growing and feeling, ever more deeply, as we age.”

To learn more and to register, please visit https://globalj.org/mark-pavone-overview/

Upcoming Events with Mark in 2026-2027

Aug 28–30: The Language of the Soul, Mercy by the Sea, Madison, CT. Only 4 commuter spots left!! Click here to register. *Mercy by the Sea’s 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. Click here to register. 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

FEB 26-28, 2027: The Fifth Season: Creativity in the Second Half of Life, The Shallowford Center for Mindful Living, Atlanta Georgia, Link to Come, 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 21-23, 2027: The Language of the Soul, Sophia Institute, Link to come! IN PERSON & ONLINE

JUNE 25-27, 2027: The Language of the Soul, Omega Institute, Rhinebeck, NY, Link to come! IN PERSON

AUG 27-29, 2027: The Path of True Experience, Mercy by the Sea, Madison, CT. Link to come! IN PERSON

SEPT 10-12, 2027: The Fifth Season: Creativity in the Second Half of Life. Siena Retreat Center, Racine, WI, Link to come! IN PERSON

Krista found the card propped against her front door. It had her name on it. She sat in her favorite chair and opened it. There was no signature or note, no sign of who it was from. On the front of the card was a small mirror framed as a portrait. When she opened the card, the inside was entirely filled with a painting of a woman sitting in her favorite chair holding the same card. As far as she could see or imagine, each mirror opened to a woman sitting in her favorite chair opening a mirror only to find another woman doing the same.

At first, she chuckled, but it quickly became somewhat unnerving. What could this mean? She stared into the lineage of women looking beyond themselves in order to see others doing the same.

Krista placed the card next to her alarm and during the night, she dreamt of the endless path of women looking beyond themselves. She tried to talk to the woman just ahead of her, who finally turned her head and said, “I am you and you are me. It’s that simple.”

The next day, Krista had coffee with her former husband Ben. She felt funny talking about the card directly and so, started their conversation by asking, “Do you think we are all at heart the same?” Ben didn’t easily dive into these waters, which is one of the reasons they eventually went their separate ways. It was clear to Krista that Ben hadn’t opened his mirror yet.

From that day on, Krista looked for companions who had opened their mirrors. She yearned for conversation with those who had discovered the lineage in which I am you and you are me.

Isn’t this the journey we all face, if we keep growing? Isn’t our endless challenge to stay committed beyond all that is necessary to see ourselves, so we can find the common heart we share with others? I think much of our struggle with despair comes from getting stuck in the mirror. I think social media is one huge mirror that much of our society is stuck in. Often, we seek out partners and friends with an urgency because we deeply ache to be mirrored. But, in time, if blessed, the hard climb of living causes us to truly know ourselves and we can put down all mirrors, as we begin to feel the tug of true kinship.

Yet the mirror is our unavoidable initiation. So it helps to look at the history of mirrors. It was Sartre who described hell as never being able to see yourself. And the earliest mirrors were obsidian, made of smooth volcanic rock. Then, in China, they polished copper and bronze. In Athens, Socrates urged young people to look at themselves in mirrors so that, if they were beautiful, they could work to become worthy of their beauty. Glass mirrors first appeared in the first century. All the while, sages and monks were offering silence as the great mirror, to the self and beyond. And Cicero came along and said, “A friend is a second self.” Look there. But things took a turn in the 1930s when a German physicist developed the one-way mirror and we had new ways to hide. And despite the noise of progress, the arts keep offering mirrors that can help us live. Now, we are bewitched and dazzled by virtual reality and AI. These mirrors can hypnotize us for years. Yet, when the carnival is closed and the stars throb, we sit across from each other and take honesty—the most enduring glass of all—out of our draw of keepsakes.

For we can’t know others until we truly know ourselves. This, then, is the developmental terrain where true self-knowledge can lead us—through ourselves, beyond ourselves—into the realm that lives and breathes below our personalities in the waters of Spirit.

Questions to Walk With

• In your journal, describe a time when you felt a relationship open up beyond the initial phase of mirroring each other. What opened you beyond this beginning? What did you find there?

• In conversation with a friend or loved one, tell the story of a time when you found yourself stuck in a mirror. What kind of mirror was it? What kept you stuck there? How did you move beyond this?

This chapter is from my book in progress, The Path of True Experience.

The Difference

When in school, everyone
said “Great men build dams
and bridges, don’t you want
to be great?”

But through cancer and dreams 
broken by my insistence on 
them, life welcomed me 
into its river.

Now, forty years on, you ask,
“What does it mean to be 
great?”

And I touch your head and 
then your heart and whisper,

“To know the difference and 
let it live in your hands.”


A Question to Walk With: In conversation with a friend or loved one, discuss what it means to be great.

This is from my book of poems in progress, In the Clearing. 

Workshop From Home with Susan McHenry

I’m excited to announce that my wife Susan McHenry is offering a hands-on webinar from her home studio for the Ceramic Arts Network series Clay Flicks on August 20 at 1PM EST. Please share with your potter friends! – Mark

Thursday, August 20, 2026 from 1–3pm EDT USA

To learn more and/or register click here.

The Language of the Soul, Mercy by the Sea

August 28-30th, Mark’s three-day immersion into The Language of the Soul, an exploration of how we listen inward, how we speak from what is most true, and how that practice can change the way we move through the world.

Only 3 commuter spots left, for those who want to join without staying overnight, to learn more click here.

And for anyone who feels called to attend but is navigating financial constraints, Mercy by the Sea’s ministry offers partial scholarships through their Mercy for All Fund. Learn more and apply here.

California Calling: A September with Mark

“Then, by entering the call of creativity, I was drawn into life other than my own. And being deeply receptive has led me to see that everything in life, seen and unseen, is connected. We are part of an Infinite Web. When one small thing moves, all of creation is nudged.” – MN

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 might be the retreat for you. This 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

Join Mark and author/publisher Brooke Warner, in conversation about The Language of the Soul. Just as rivers and mountains erode over time, so too do the meanings of words. Click here to RSVP.

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. Only 4 commuter spots left!! Click here to register. *Mercy by the Sea’s 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. Click here to register. 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

FEB 26-28, 2027: The Fifth Season: Creativity in the Second Half of Life, The Shallowford Center for Mindful Living, Atlanta Georgia, Link to Come, 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 21-23, 2027: The Language of the Soul, Sophia Institute, Link to come! IN PERSON & ONLINE

JUNE 25-27, 2027: The Language of the Soul, Omega Institute, Rhinebeck, NY, Link to come! IN PERSON

AUG 27-29, 2027: The Path of True Experience, Mercy by the Sea, Madison, CT. Link to come! IN PERSON

SEPT 10-12, 2027: The Fifth Season: Creativity in the Second Half of Life. Siena Retreat Center, Racine, WI, Link to come! IN PERSON

I wake up, add to my list,

make my plans, and drive

from here to there, longing

for the calm when the list

is checked off.

While this resembles peace,

I admit it isn’t peace. Just as

putting things in order isn’t

harmony.

So, why do I keep making

lists? Because I live in the

world. And though this is

a needed skill, it’s not a

code to live by.

On my way to nowhere, I

keep watching the leaves

drift to the ground. Isn’t

this a better way?

A Question to Walk With: In your journal or in conversation with a friend or trusted loved one, discuss the necessity and plague of making lists.

This poem is from my book of poems in progress The Sacrament at the Center of Time.

A Thousand
Plus One is One

After chasing a thousand
things, I could see they 
were all the same.

After breaking a thousand
more, I could see that I
needed to enter the break.

After entering the break, I 
could see the heart in every-
thing.

Now, I can look at a thousand 
waves and know it is one sea.

And feel a thousand feelings
and know it is one life.

And hear a thousand notes 
and know it is one song.

I can listen to a thousand
thoughts and know they 
arise from one ungrasp-
able truth.

So, touch any hand and 
feel all there is to touch 
and know it is one love.


A Question to Walk With: In your journal, explore how do you understand the relationship between the many and the One, between the particular and the Universal, between the truth of one soul and the truth of all souls.

This is from my book of poems in progress, In the Clearing.

The Book of Awakening

“We waste so much energy trying to cover up who we are, when beneath every attitude is the want to simply be ourselves.” – MN

The Mark Nepo team may be small, but we see how much love this community has for The Book of Awakening. To celebrate that, we’re sharing some of our favorite moments you’ve shared online. We hope it keeps inspiring your day, one page at a time.

If you feel called, order your copy here.

Upcoming Events with Mark in 2026-2027

Aug 28–30: The Language of the Soul, Mercy by the Sea, Madison, CT. Only 4 commuter spots left!! Click here to register. *Mercy by the Sea’s 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. Click here to register. 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

FEB 26-28, 2027: The Fifth Season: Creativity in the Second Half of Life, The Shallowford Center for Mindful Living, Atlanta Georgia, Link to Come, 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 21-23, 2027: The Language of the Soul, Sophia Institute, Link to come! IN PERSON & ONLINE

JUNE 25-27, 2027: The Language of the Soul, Omega Institute, Rhinebeck, NY, Link to come! IN PERSON

AUG 27-29, 2027: The Language of the Soul, Mercy by the Sea, Madison, CT. Link to come! IN PERSON

SEPT 10-12, 2027: The Fifth Season: Creativity in the Second Half of Life. Siena Retreat Center, Racine, WI, Link to come! IN PERSON

Almost forty years ago,

I found myself home,

alone, after almost

dying from cancer.

Everyone had gone

back to work. It was

April and patchy light

was all over the living

room.

I opened my red robe

and wondered where

I’d been and who I

was now.

The veil between me

and life had been punc-

tured and I began to sob.

I made some more coffee

and held the wet spoon

in the morni…

Read more

Oh Mom

It was on your birth-
day, eleven years after 
you died.

I sank into the torque 
that was your life, and 
how hard it was to 
know you.

I remembered the 
photo my brother
found of you before
we were born.

There was a light in
your eyes that I never 
knew. It made me 
ache and soften.

And in that opening,
you rushed in from 
the other side.

And from the depth 
of what was your heart
to the depth of mine,

I felt you say beneath
all words, “I never 
meant to hurt you.”


A Question to Walk With: In conversation with a trusted friend or loved one, have each of you describe the relationship you have with someone you cared about who has died, and how your relationship has evolved since their death.

This excerpt is from my book of poems in progress, The Sacrament at the Center of Time.

Mark on Making Space with Hoda Kotb

“I’m grateful to have had such a deep conversation with Hoda on her podcast.” – Mark

In this deeply moving conversation from Making Space, Mark sits down with Hoda Kotb to pull back the curtain on how we can stay open, even when we are hurting, overwhelmed, or just trying to get through the day.

To watch the full episode click here.

The Language of the Soul: 3–Session Webinar

Jan 10, 17, 24, 2027 | 1-2:30 PM EST | 10-11:30 AM PT

Join Mark for a three-part online gathering built around the heart of his new book, The Language of the Soul. Across three sessions, Mark will guide participants through the forgotten roots of words we use every day, words for love, grief, hope, home, and what they were originally meant to carry before time and habit wore them thin.

"I have sifted the dirt on the path, surprised to find pure gold in a word here and there that might help us live." – Mark

To Register, Visit: www.live.marknepo.com

Upcoming Events with Mark in 2026-2027

Aug 28–30: The Language of the Soul, Mercy by the Sea, Madison, CT. Only 4 commuter spots left!! 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. Click here to register. 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

FEB 26-28, 2027: The Fifth Season: Creativity in the Second Half of Life, The Shallowford Center for Mindful Living, Atlanta Georgia, Link to Come, Link to come! 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 21-23, 2027: The Language of the Soul, Sophia Institute, Link to come! IN PERSON & ONLINE

JUNE 25-27, 2027: The Language of the Soul, Omega Institute, Rhinebeck, NY, Link to come! IN PERSON

SEPT 10-12, 2027: The Fifth Season: Creativity in the Second Half of Life. Siena Retreat Center, Racine, WI, Link to come! IN PERSON

Covenants of Aliveness

There are spiritual laws 
that no one can avoid or 
completely understand.

How darkness makes its 
holes for light to fill.

How two steps forward, 
one step back is the way 
of healing.
 
How giving freely softens  
us enough to receive.

How surrender flows into 
the basin of acceptance.

How showing up rethreads 
us into the web of kinship.

How life, along the way, 
twigs the heart into a nest.


A Question to Walk With: In your journal, describe a time when you experienced the physics of healing by taking two steps forward and one step back. How did this feel at the time? How does it feel in looking back at it?

This is from my book of poems in progress, The Sacrament at the Center of Time.

Modern Elder Academy | Baja California Sur, Mexico | Feb 8–13, 2027

The Modern Elder Academy’s beachfront campus in El Pescadero offers the kind of setting that lets people settle in: quiet, unhurried, held by mountains on one side and the Pacific on the other.

With The Fifth Season as the heart of it, Mark explores aging as a time of integration, creativity, and deeper presence, not through lecture, but through the kind of teaching that invites reflection, real conversation, and slow attention. His approach makes room for people to sit with big questions rather than rush past them.

Held small and intentionally unhurried, this is Mark’s work in its fullest form: less about a beautiful backdrop, more about what becomes possible when a group of thoughtful, creative people slow down together.

Register here

The Language of the Soul | Available Now

“Like a prospector, I have sifted the dirt on the path, surprised to find pure gold in a word here and there that might help us live.” — Mark Nepo

The Language of the Soul: How the Words You Choose Shape the Life You Live traces the deep, often forgotten roots of 228 words across thirty-one languages and traditions, uncovering their original, undiluted power to awaken, connect, and heal. Because words are never just words. The one we reach for in a hard moment, the one we use to name what we’re feeling, the one we choose to describe someone we love, all of it shapes how we understand our lives and each other. Woven with stories from history, mythology, and Mark’s own remarkable life journey, this is both a contemplative guide and a living archive, a reminder that language is not just how we communicate, but how we find our way home.

This is a book to read slowly. To return to. To press into the hands of someone you love.

The Language of the Soul is out now, available wherever books are sold.

Get your copy here

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

Deep in my heart

I carry a seed

that grows daily in silence.

When it is ripe, I will be home.

—Hermann Hesse

I have always been amazed at the irrepressible force of life that comes through us, no matter how broken or desperate we find ourselves. During my cancer journey, I recall the day that Nur died. She was a dear soul in my cancer-suppor…

Read more

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

You Can Tell

You can tell the ones who 
have been through a lot.

Their eyes are deep and 
there’s a hint of a smile, 
even when they’re not
smiling.

They’ve lived through 
more than words can say.

They just listen the way a 
cove listens to the waves
that fill it.

These are the ones I want
to sit with, and wait for
their stories to surface 
like bits of dawn that
wake the trees.

These are the strong-soft
ones who know how to
survive without shutting
down.

They are the masters who 
blush at the thought.


A Question to Walk With: In conversation with a friend or trusted loved one, have each of you describe someone you admire for how they have persevered through adversity. What would you like to ask them?

This is from my book of poems in progress, The Sacrament at the Center of Time.

The Fifth Season: Discover the Magic of Castello di Pavone

Join Mark for a transformative week-long retreat in the breathtaking Piemonte region of Northern Italy, April 18-25, 2027.

Nestled in the enchanting Castello di Pavone, this intimate gathering invites you to explore creativity, meaning, and deepened presence in life’s second half. Begin each day with morning yoga in a gorgeous castle setting, followed by Mark’s transformative workshops designed to awaken and deepen your experience of life.

Perhaps our greatest resource in aging is staying close to life and staying creative. For creativity never leaves us. Its call simply keeps changing. And living a creative life does not mean that we have to strive to create great art. More deeply, we are asked to hold our individual lives as a work of art that inhabiting fully will bring into being. Just as we need oxygen to breathe, we need the creative flow to keep our heart alive. This is especially important as we age. To live a creative life sustains our inner health. And so, in our time together, we will center on our quest to keep growing and feeling, ever more deeply, as we age.”

To learn more and to register, please visit https://globalj.org/mark-pavone-overview/

How to Navigate Life’s Turning Points and Grow Through Them | The Dream Catcher Podcast

Many of us spend our lives chasing the next milestone, believing fulfillment lies somewhere ahead. Yet even when things look successful on the surface, there can be a quiet sense that something essential is missing.

In this conversation with Seline Shanoy, Mark draws from his latest book, The Fifth Season, to explore what it means to move through life’s turning points with greater awareness and grace. They discuss why grief and joy so often coexist, how letting go of old identities can open the door to a richer life, and why true peace comes from learning to be fully present with what is here rather than chasing happiness somewhere “out there.”

This episode is a reminder that transformation doesn’t require us to become someone new. It simply invites us to meet ourselves, and our lives, with greater honesty, courage, and presence. Watch the full episode below.

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. Register here for this ticketed event.
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

After a lifetime of 
choosing sides, I stand 
in the open like a leafless 
tree and sway beneath a 
common light, a form 
of inner moon.

Now I can see that the 
path we walk beneath 
all views is the equator 
of being.

In here, I understand. 
We can put down our 
arguments. In here, we 
can e…

Read more

I, Too, 
See the Pain

and all the cruelties 
make no sense.

There are so many places
to put our care. So many
things to rage and cry
about.

But we can’t stop there.
For after the raging, what 
remains will irrigate us all.

Like every age before us,
I can’t ignore the ways we 
hurt each other. And I 
can’t say there’s nothing 
to live for.

It’s not that I’m optimistic:
more that when I open my
heart, life rushes in and
Spirit rushes out.


A Question to Walk With: In your journal, describe how you hold the pain of the world, the kind that is inevitable and the cruelty we perpetrate on each other. How do you understand the difference?

This chapter is from my book of poems in progress, Unseeable Masters

The Language of the Soul | Mercy by the Sea | Madison, CT

August 28-30th

Mercy by the Sea sits on the Connecticut shoreline, a quiet, contemplative retreat center that has long been a place for people to step away from the noise and return to a quiet peace.

This August, Mark returns for a three-day immersion into The Language of the Soul, an exploration of how we listen inward, how we speak from what is most true, and how that practice can change the way we move through the world.

Click here to register

A note on availability: commuter spots are still open for those who want to join without staying overnight. And for anyone who feels called to attend but is navigating financial constraints, Mercy by the Sea’s ministry offers partial scholarships through their Mercy for All Fund. Learn more and apply here

The Wisdom of the Odyssey | Release Date: June 30th

I’m excited to announce the publication of The Wisdom of the Odyssey by Phil Cousineau. This book offers important medicine for our time. For there is much we can learn from the journey of resilience and renewal that the Odyssey reveals. With his many gifts, Phil has done us a great service, by offering us the timeless medicine that the epic journey of Odysseus has carried for centuries. I encourage you to give your attention to these stories, unfolded in precisely human ways. They can help us now, in the repair of ours souls and the repair of our global village.

—Mark Nepo

Click here to order your copy

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. Register here for this ticketed event.
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

There’s a filament of being that sparks its way through time, from one generation to another, a genetic form of presence that we could call our common lineage. Sometimes, it’s familial, you might tilt your head when you listen the way your grandmother did. Often, it’s more that we find ourselves in a constellation of aliveness that we recognize across time and space. Like the old man I saw staring into the small river running through Bruges in Belgium. I knew his softness and trouble as my own. Or my sudden kinship, all those years ago, with the Chinese poet Tu Fu from the Tang dynasty. Something in how he saw the details of the world was intimately how I learn. I doubt a star knows it’s part of a constellation until it feels the presence of other light. I think this may be the way it is with us. We don’t know the constellations we belong to until we feel the bottom of all that is ours to feel.


A Question to Walk With: In conversation with a trusted friend or loved one, describe your own light and then describe the constellation you think you are a part of.

This is from my book in progress, The Art of Welcome.

Solstice

With the beginning of the Solstice two days ago, we’re reminded to slow down and enjoy the beauty and flow of life around us.

In the rush and noise of our days, it’s easy to move through the world like someone wearing gloves, touching everything, but feeling very little. Yet we alway have the chance to take the gloves off. To stand in the light and let it land.

May this solstice find you somewhere with room to breathe. May it find you ungloved and awake. And thank you for being part of this community. Your presence here makes this work worth doing.

Mark is coming to California

If you’ve been waiting for a chance to experience Mark’s work in person and are on the west coast, September is the time! These three California gatherings are a rare opportunity to be a part of the conversation in person. He’ll be moving through some of the most beautiful parts of the state, from the wine country of Sonoma to the coast near Santa Barbara. Each event is intimate by design, rooms where deep conversation can blossom.

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 the Balletto Vineyards, Reserve Room · 5700 Occidental Rd · 9am – 5pm

A full day with Mark set among the vineyards of Sonoma County, one of the most quietly stunning corners of Northern California. This retreat is for anyone navigating the creative and spiritual questions that arise in the second half of life: what it means to keep making things, to keep becoming. Click here to register

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 best independent bookstores in the country, and this conversation between Mark and author and publisher Brooke Warner promises to be exactly the kind of exchange that lingers. Intimate, unscripted, 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 The Language of the Soul Godmothers Bookstore

An independent bookstore near the Santa Barbara coast, Godmothers acts as a community gathering space and literary hub, the kind of place that brings deeper conversations to life. A ticketed, in-person gathering with Mark — small, warm, and worth the drive. Register here

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, Click here to register – 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. Register here for this ticketed event.
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

That is happiness; to be dissolved into something complete and great.
—Willa Cather

There are moments that shape our lives by calling us to love something greater than ourselves. In 1862, during the Civil War, at the Battle of Antietam, a volunteer nurse, Clara Barton, was almost killed. As she …

Read more

When an undergrad at Cortland
State, the veil to the Infinite parted
briefly, while I was cresting a hill 
in spring, and my life as a poet 
began.

There was no way back to what
had come before. 

And twelve years later, when I was 
diagnosed with cancer, the door I 
had come through to keep that 
appointment was gone.

And there was no way back to 
my life before that moment. 

And fourteen years after that, 
I began to love the world by 
loving you.

And there was no way back. 

I can see now that they were 
all the same door, which before
opening can frighten us or even
protect us, we think.

But going through it, the galaxy
coats our breath.


A Question to Walk With: In your journal, describe a time when you were led into a new way of being in the world and how there was no way to go back to the way you were.

This is from my book of poems in progress, In the Clearing.

The Fifth Season: Creativity in the Second Half of Life | The Omega Institute | June 19-21, 2026 | IN PERSON

In four days, Mark will be at the Omega Institute for a three-day in-person retreat on creativity as a lifelong companion.

“I think this is the journey of aging: to become a student of the inside of everything. And all along, I have tried to share what life keeps teaching me from within.” — Mark Nepo

That spirit is exactly what this gathering is built around. Through poetry, storytelling, and shared reflection, the retreat explores what it means to keep creating from the inside out — not as productivity, not as performance, but as a way of staying awake to life as it deepens.

If you’ve been feeling the pull toward something more inward, more spacious, this is a rare chance to be in the room with Mark for an extended stretch of time.

Click here to register

The Book of Awakening Inspiration Deck: Award Winning!

The Book of Awakening Inspiration Deck: 64 Full-Color Cards has been named a Gold Winner in the Gift & Specialty category, including Card Decks and Daily Wisdom Books, at the 2026 Nautilus Book Awards. It also received a Special Honor for Living Wisdom in Daily Practice.

The Nautilus Awards recognize books and creative works that contribute to conscious living and positive change, and to see the deck honored in this way feels like a reflection of everything it was made to do: to bring Mark’s words into daily life, one card at a time. We are deeply grateful to everyone in this community who has held the deck, shared it, gifted it, and let it find its way into your mornings and quiet moments. This is your recognition too.

Upcoming Events with Mark in 2026-2027

June 19-21: The Fifth Season: Creativity in the Second Half of Life, Omega Institute, Click here for more information. – IN PERSON

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, Click here to register – 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. Register here for this ticketed event.
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