Hello Everyone! Welcome to this class on Awakening the Sage Within 2023! This is an introductory workshop designed by Sage-ing International (www.sage-ing.org) in which we will explore such issues as images of aging, life review, forgiveness, mortality and service. We are both Certified Sage-ing Leaders who believe strongly in the mission of Sage-ing International “to help elders reclaim their role as leaders, sharing wisdom and spirit essential to creating a better world for current and future generations.” It is a privilege to be offering this workshop through the auspices of Rite of Passage Journeys, an organization dedicated to fostering rites of passage across the life-span. We will be meeting online in three separate sessions, beginning on Saturday, January 14 from 1-4pm PST. Subsequent sessions will be on Sunday, January 15 and Sunday, January 22, 2023, at the same time. Please check to adjust for your time zone. The Zoom link may be found on the program information page. We will also send out the link to you in an email the day before we meet, and again an hour before we meet. We encourage you to sign-in 15 minutes before the start time in case there are any technical issues you encounter. When you sign in, you will find yourself in a virtual waiting room. You will then be admitted to the Zoom gallery altogether promptly at 1pm. We have a full schedule and want to start on time, so please sign in early and be ready to go. While we try very hard to end on time, we recommend that you not schedule anything else until a half hour after our end time at 4pm. You may appreciate the extra time to breathe and reflect. As preparation for our gathering, we invite you to read the attached article by Ron Pevny on “The Inner Work of Conscious Eldering”. Ron has taught for both Rite of Passage Journeys and Sage-ing International in the past and his article gives a good overview of the themes of our work. We would also like to invite you to gather a center piece that can be located near where you will be working on your computer. It doesn’t have to be big, but minimally we hope it will have a candle, a small container of water, a rock and something to represent your hopes and dreams for your elderhood. Of course you may want to add pictures or mementos or flowers that have meaning to you as you engage in this work. If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact us via email. We look forward to being with you as a learning community and exploring the many facets of conscious aging. In Anticipation, Janey Talbot, MA, CSL (janeytalbot@gmail.com) Randy Morris, Ph.D., CSL (rmorris@antioch.edu)