Listening Circle on the Polycrisis (London) - after Silent Walking Vigil
Wisdom In Nature (WiN) In-Person Gathering:
1) Listening Circle on the Polycrisis (London)
What we face, feel, and find as we come together
An invitation for Muslims and friends. In central London after the Quaker organised Silent Walk for Peace (See next notice below).
Date: Saturday 19th September 2026
Time/Where:
Meet 4.15pm @ Courtyard of St Johns Church (Map), 73 Waterloo Rd, London SE1 8TY
The gathering will take place outdoors, or if poor weather, we hope to have indoor space, either at the church or at a nearby venue.
(We will walk to St Johns Church after the end of the silent vigil which is in the courtyard of St Martin-in-the-Fields Church (just off Trafalgar Square). (see next notice below). They are about 15 minutes walk apart.)
"We have... made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another..."
Qur'an 49:13
At this time of a several simultaneous global crises, we may be feeling overwhelm, rage, anxiety, passion, or perhaps emotions we find hard to name.
This in-person gathering is an opportunity to immerse in the collective, and to open ourselves to one another, as we co-hold a space for heart-felt sharing and being witnessed as we are.
It is a space where we acknowledge the pain of human suffering and ecological disruption. It is a space where we are open to the possibility of a new story, however remote that may appear right now.
Some of the themes we wish to name and acknowledge include: the genocide by the Israeli state to Palestinians; Global heating / the climate and ecological crisis; Increased intensity of racism, and persecution of asylum seekers; Wealth and power concentration with a cost of living crisis; State oppression of protests and of individuals standing for justice.
This is a space for sharing, welcoming felt emotions, connecting with our bodies and hearts.
We will lean into a spiritual relationship and response to the injustices and to the fasaadic / degenerative systems of our times.
We acknowledge that we are part of a wider field that these systems also exist within.
It is helpful if you were to fill this short form by clicking the button below, if you are intending to attend. We will then be able to keep you more fully updated.
Note: If you wish to attend the gathering, please aim to be at St Johns courtyard at 4.15pm. We will start at or near that time. Once started the gathering will last 1hr 15 minutes.
We may close the doors to newcomers 15 minutes into the gathering as a way of maintaining coherence and safety in the space.
Once the gathering formally ends, people may wish to organise to hang out at a separate venue for coffee, food etc.
WiN is also participating in and supporting the SIlent Walking Vigil for Peace below, which takes place before the Listening Circle.
2) Silent Walking Vigil for Peace
WiN is supporting this event.
12.00– 4.00pm, Central London
Quaker organised 'Silent Walking Vigil for Peace'. "Showing solidarity and care for everyone impacted by violence, conflict and war. Walk with us. Witness for peace.
The walking vigil is being coordinated by a group of Quakers from across the UK.
It is a positive, public witness for peace with an invitation to all who are supportive to join. We want to show our solidarity and care for those impacted by violence, conflict and war. The date has been chosen for its proximity to the United Nations International Day of Peace.
We will be walking quietly at a slow pace. A walking vigil is an inherently peaceful activity: not a protest, not a march, not a demonstration.
Let the organisers know: Register with the vigil organisers here.
Meeting place: Meet in Victoria Embankment Gardens in a section known as the MoD Gardens. The location is shown by the red dot on the plan below (What3words reference: ///relate.begun.upper)
The vigil will end in the courtyard at the back of the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields, just off Trafalgar Square
The route length is under a mile. We will be walking quietly at a slow pace.
Underground stations:
Westminster: The closest and easiest underground station for the gathering point is Westminster which is on the Jubilee, District and Circle Lines.
Charing Cross Station: a 10 minute walk away
Victoria Station a bus or tube ride to Westminster.
Many bus routes run down Whitehall including 12, 24, 88, 159 and 453."
Afterwards, WiN will be walking to St Johns Church, Waterloo, (a 15 minute walk away), for 4.15pm, for a ‘Listening Circle on the Polycrisis': see first notice