Fellowship Pods: “Nature is Spirit, Not Symbolic of Spirit”
Sara Wenger ‘20 shares her thoughts and first impressions as a fellow in this year’s pilot program
Picture from my journey into the snow. The beauty and the horror of it. Feeling thankful for experiencing the bite of frost, as well as for the warmth upon my return. May more snowfalls bring me peace. ~Sara Wenger
“I feel like there are so many different ways to approach being a Roothbert Fellow,” reflected Sara Wenger ‘20. Joining the Roothbert community in the midst of a pandemic, a sense of connection to the fellowship has proven to be quite difficult. “We’ve had virtual Pendle Hills for the past two years, and now I am in dissertation land. I feel connected in a certain way, but it’s also mostly virtual.”
Starting in March of this year, the Roothbert Fellowship launched Fellowship Pods, a pilot program in which veteran fellows facilitate discussion groups with newer fellows of similar interests. This year, the Fund offers a “Health Identities, and Immigration” pod facilitated by Vijay Varma and Nadjwa Norton as well as a “Nature is Spirit, Not Symbolic of Spirit” pod facilitated by Heather Oesterreich and Nadjwa Norton.
“For me, ‘Nature is Spirit’ was a theme I was more interested in,” shared Sara. “I’ve always been interested in reconnecting with nature and whatever that meant to me. At Pendle Hill, I wrote about how I look to the outside world as something that can be calming.” The “Nature is Spirit, Not Symbolic of Spirit” pod presented the following description when soliciting members.
“Nature is not symbolic. Nature is spirit. What happens when we listen to nature as live and embodied elements of the spirit? This pod explores the way nature speaks and calls to you and the messages that you receive when you listen and act on the call. Participants in this pod will spend time communicating with earth spirits outside the pod and use their time in the pod to expand their spiritual capacities.”
The pods meet every 2-3 months for at least an hour and a half to connect and discuss themes pertaining to their spiritual and/or intellectual focus. “It was a good two hours to experience,” commented Sara after her first session. “It was nice, and a good way of reflecting on things that I otherwise wouldn’t. For example, we discussed certain images and how they made us feel. A tree in the forest. A serene pond. And we shared what those images made us feel and how they connect to our lives.”
The facilitators later encouraged fellows to go out into nature during the session and later reporting back. “I went out and embraced the snow to get my mail and took a picture of my footprints in the snow,” remembered Sara. Despite the virtual circumstances, “it created a sense of community. It makes for a more intimate atmosphere. It feels a lot more private.”
“I’m thankful to be a Roothbert fellow. My experience has been a little different, but I’ve always enjoyed the workshops, Pendle Hill, and everyone has been very nice and engaging. I wanted to do the fellowship pod to meet other people with common interests. I would say the people that I’ve met have been open-minded, progressive in terms of looking forward to the future and how we can make our world better.”
Recommended resources from the first pod session: