Welcome to Borne, an online journal exploring the landscape of systemic personal, cultural, societal, and global oppression and its impacts upon person, place, and possibility. Our goal is to invite a broad dialogue rooted in the strength and wisdom of those who have experienced first-hand the darkness of oppression, as well as its partner, the undying light of freedom in the human spirit.

The definition of Borne is: “To bear, and to be carried or transported by…”

We all bear the burden of birthing a global society based on respect, acceptance, and that four-letter word, love. Loving who we are is the beginning and the end of love’s challenge. In between rests love for all sentient beings, and all life on earth. Connecting to the creative and unrelenting impetus of life as it generates itself throughout the universe means connecting to inner personal life and its ever-unfolding possibilities. When we heal ourselves, we begin to heal the earth. When we heal the earth, we begin to heal ourselves. When we create, we are created. There is no separation. We are continually being Borne-again, bearing one another, and being borne by one another, coming together to transform the isolation of suffering–of person and planet–into a river of light that bears us all into the sea of grace and possibility. And it all comes down to story: Who are we? What do we know? How do we know it? Where does it lead us? Why does it matter? These are the questions that matter in these dark times, the questions that let the light in.

The Borne collective is also developing workshops and conferences that inform and inspire. Our Borne-again belief is that surviving extreme trauma can result in extreme wisdom as well as compassion for others and passion for truth and justice. Survivors often get sidelined in life because of their history; we believe that survivors who explore the depths of healing surface as warriors for life and that we have the responsibility to share our wisdom, compassion and passion with others. Being a survivor is not about being sidelined–it’s about be empowered and empowering others. We live in beleaguered times–a Global Age of Abuse and a Global Culture of Denial. The spiritual, emotional, psychological, intellectual, and political insights we gain through our healing are needed in every way possible.

We invite you to join us on this journey, to bear witness to one another, and to the ever-unfolding gifts that life offers as it bears us forward in healing, even as we face, and are faced by, the darkest oppression of our times.

Welcome aboard. Hang on for the ride. Make a few waves. Turn the tide.

Posted in: Introductions.