Writing for Grief & Manifesting in Times of Uncertainty

When Darkness Meets the Light: Writing for Grief & Manifesting in Times of Uncertainty

In these times of collective change, it is easy to focus on one of two stories: the dystopian (or the “dark”) story that views the personal and political polycrises unfolding as a series of losses, or the utopian (or the “light”) story that views these events as catalysts for the collective awakening and ascension of humanity. In the healing arts, these stories have led to different responses for how to weather the storm of this time: the first approach calls for collective grief work in response to the losses we are experiencing, and the second approach calls us to step into our power as creative manifestors to build a new world.

While grief work that honors the dark and manifesting work that honors the light are equally important, most healing arts focus on one side or the other. This neglects the reality that grief work and manifesting work are two sides of the same coin that mutually enhance one another. Since loss is a catalyst for growth, a conscious grief practice that honors loss can enhance manifesting work and create space for calling in abundance without spiritual bypassing. Conversely, a conscious manifesting practice that honors our creative power serves as a necessary complement for grief work to avoid being stuck in hopelessness and despair.

This course series will examine how grief work and manifesting work are not separate but complementary practices that can alchemically transform one another. Using Francis Weller’s “Five Gates of Grief,” each session we will spend time writing about a specific loss. After collectively processing our losses, we will then use a different take on the "Gates of Grief" to spend time drafting a manifest to bring a new blessing into our life. Between sessions, you will be asked to keep a record of losses and corresponding blessings in order to practice noticing the interplay of dark and light in your own life and the world at large.

FREE Course Information Session (on Zoom): Sunday, 5/31/26 5:00-6:00pm (click here for the Zoom link)

Note: This course series will be limited to 8 participants in order to maintain an intimate environment. Attendance at all 4 sessions is recommended but not required.

Course schedule:

Session 1:

7:05-7:10: Opening Grounding Exercise

7:10-7:40: Journal Prompt 1: "The First Gate: Everything We Love We Lose" (& optional share)

7:40-7:55: Group Reiki & Sound Healing

7:55-8:25: Journal Prompt 2: "Everything We Love We Lose... And Everything We Lose Creates Space for Everything We Need" (& optional share)

8:25-8:30: Closing Circle

Session 2:

7:05-7:10: Opening Grounding Exercise

7:10-7:40: Journal Prompt 1: "The Second Gate: The Places that Have Not Known Love" (& optional share)

7:40-7:55: Group Reiki & Sound Healing

7:55-8:25: Journal Prompt 2: "The Places that Have Not Known Love... Hold the Potential for the Greatest Love" (& optional share)

8:25-8:30: Closing Circle

Session 3:

7:05-7:10: Opening Grounding Exercise

7:10-7:40: Journal Prompt 1: "The Third Gate: The Sorrows of the World" (& optional share)

7:40-7:55: Group Reiki & Sound Healing

7:55-8:25: Journal Prompt 2: "The Sorrows of the World... Accelerate & Amplify the Joys of the World" (& optional share)

8:25-8:30: Closing Circle

Session 4:

7:05-7:10: Opening Grounding Exercise

7:10-7:40: Journal Prompt 1: "The Fifth Gate: Ancestral Grief" (& optional share)

7:40-7:55: Group Reiki & Sound Healing

7:55-8:25: Journal Prompt 2: "Ancestral Grief... Unearths Ancestral Support & Gifts" (& optional share)

8:25-8:30: Closing Circle

About your instructor: Raina Levesque, PhD has been teaching writing workshops for over 15 years. After experiencing multiple losses of close family members as a young adult, she was introduced to conscious grief work and manifesting practices that changed her life and now aims to spread awareness of the power of these tools in this time of collective change. She received her BA in English Literature and her PhD in French Literature, and she currently teaches first-year writing courses at San Jose State University. She is also enrolled in Francis Weller’s Grief Ritual Leadership Training and co-facilitates a monthly manifesting group in the San Jose area with Motoki Healing Arts founder Brian Rainie.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher Raina Levesque