Awakening the Energies of Love: Discovering Fire for the Second Time - Paperback

by Richard Moss (Foreword by), Anne Hillman (Author)

An entirely new Intelligence has been blinking in and out of human existence for thousands of years. This astonishing gift has emerged from the immense creativity of the universe and is now becoming stabilized in increasing numbers of people the world over. I call it the emergent consciousness of Love. Such a consciousness is not a different way of thinking; it is a radically different orientation-to everything. Our work is to cooperate with it. This is not a self-help book. Nor is it a book about religion. It is an experiential inquiry into a consciousness of Love that honors all persons and all spiritual paths. If you love Life-all of life; if your intention is to serve Love, whatever it asks of you, Awakening the Energies of Love will help prepare you for its power and provide a pathway into the most significant transformation humanity has ever undergone. The thread that runs through the book and ties it together is story: personal, collective, and cosmic. These interwoven stories bring to life and create a hearth for the New Story inspired by Teilhard de Chardin, developed by Thomas Berry and Brian Swimme, and which continues to evolve. In a sense, it's a story that, until now, has been told only in part: through geology, anthropology, physiology, psychology, archeology, architecture, and religion. Together, these disciplines are like tributaries feeding a great river of human knowledge summarized in the first half of the book: The Known. But to be complete, the New Story requires the fundamental change of mind and heart that comes with the inexpressible gift of awakening to the energies of Love. This begins the focus of the second half of the book, The Unknown. The remaining chapters explore the qualities and the consequences of living with the kind of love, compassion, and truth illuminated by the world's great spiritual masters of every era-and to learn what Teilhard meant when he wrote, "for the second time in the history of the world, humanity will have discovered Fire."

Author Biography

Since 1978, Anne Hillman has continued to develop and teach a contemporary philosophy of consciousness that can contribute to fundamental changes in individuals and their cultures. She mentors individuals and groups who are serious about deepening a mature spirituality, and her books are opportunities to go beyond existing personal and cultural perspectives-an invitation into a larger embrace. Inspired by Brian Swimme and Thomas Berry during a year of postgraduate study in 1987, Anne's work turned to serving the critical needs of the community of life on Earth, and has focused on the radical transformation required for Homo sapiens to adapt. To that end, she has led experiential learning groups and retreats in the US, Australia, and Canada about the essential inner preparation for the emergent consciousness of Love. Educated at Smith College, Anne was originally a classical musician, choral director, and singer. Widowed early in life with two young children, she was offered one of the first Radcliffe Institute fellowships for part-time graduate study in 1970, and received a master's degree in adult learning and organization development from Boston University. She worked as a consultant and for twenty years, helping a broad spectrum of organizations tap new levels of group functioning and creativity in times of rapid change. The Dancing Animal Woman-A Celebration of Life was published in 1994, and the first edition of Awakening the Energies of Love-Discovering Fire for the Second Time in 2008, with a completely revised second edition was published in 2016. Her articles have appeared in national journals and newspapers, and her poetry in several anthologies. She offers small groups in Northern California, and webinars and conference calls for the larger community on request. www.annehillman.net