[Oe List ...] (More) news of Joanna's passing ... with a message from her colleague, Anne

[Ellie Stock]

 Dear Friends,Below is an email from Maureen Wild, Sisters of Earth, who forwards news of Joanna Macy's death and memorial service from Joanna's dear friend and colleague, Anne Symens-Bucher, also including a link to the song "When I Go."
Ellie elliestock at aol.com 
   ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: Maureen Wild <mawild at telus.net>To: Maureen Wild <mawild at telus.net>Sent: Sunday, July 20, 2025 at 02:25:53 PM EDTSubject: news of Joanna's passing ... with a message from her colleague, Anne  
 Dear Sisters of Earth,
This is just to let you know that Joanna Macy died at her home yesterday, Jul 19th, transitioning with gentle peace with her last breath, surrounded by the love of her family and dear friend and colleague of many years, Anne. Thank you for remembering her these many days of hospice care, united with so many in our global family holding vigil for her. 
Her assistant, Anne Symens-Bucher (who spoke livestream to SoE at our 2018 Conference in Cinci when Joanna wasn't able) writes this today. Also, so you're all aware, the family is planning for a public memorial for Saturday, Oct 4th, to be held at a venue TBA in the Berkeley or Oakland area. 
Maureen
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from Anne:


Sunday, July 20, 2025
Dear Ones,

Joanna's wish was to have a home wake. This is how we used to do it of course. And Joanna was all about reclaiming rituals and practices that helped us reconnect to understanding ourselves as part of the living body of Earth. In death, we return to this body from which we came. Joanna wanted us to see the beauty in death. She wanted to show us how to embrace death, as Francis of Assisi did, as a Sister. She wasn't afraid to die and she showed us that there is nothing to fear. In her dying process, and now in her death, she continues to be our teacher.

Joanna wanted a home wake so that people could have the opportunity to sit with her body in the sacred container of the home she loved.

Joanna believed in the brilliance of self-organizing systems, and so do I, and I know you do as well! So here we go with an event we have been waiting to plan, without knowing when it would be or how many people would want to attend!

The ritual will be mostly in silence. There will be people to act as guides and you will know what to do. When you arrive, there will be an instruction part!

Joanna's home (2812 Cherry Street in Berkeley) will be open on Sunday from 2pm to 8pm and again on Monday from 1pm to 8pm. We encourage you to carpool or take public transportation. Parking is limited.

We think it might be helpful to have an idea of how many people will be coming to the wake. Please let us know roughly when you are coming by filling out this form.

(here is the form URL incase the link doesn't work: https://forms.gle/GDq27hnZtAKhWVmw9 )

Below is from my heart to yours.


I am writing this just after Joanna died. It is very quiet and peaceful here now. After Joanna took her last breath, I listened to Dave Carter’s When I Go. He sings:



"I will fly like the falcon when I go."



For a time I mostly sat in Joanna’s living room, staying as balanced as I could in what still feels like a state of suspension.

I am watching myself as if from some other place. I wonder, am I in shock? Do I realize what has just happened?

I want to stay in this moment for a while longer. I hear through the open windows the sound of people on the street. They don’t know what has just happened, and neither do you as I sit here thinking of how very soon, you will know too. 

We have been on a journey together these last six weeks. We knew how it would end. We had no idea it would be so epic, so majestic.

Joanna was recently referred to in an email from Anna in Germany as the “great lady of deep ecology.”

The Great Lady of Deep Ecology has left us. 

  
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