Image: Dublin Library. The WSRL is a humble and intimate gathering, but we love books and we dream big!

Waverly Reading Library

The Waverly Reading Library was established in January 2014 to host conversations that matter in the same spirit of fellowship that lit up the early freedom founders of Philadelphia.

The collection is a private, free reading library with a beautiful 3000-book collection specializing in world philosophy, spirituality, and psychology. The writers, visionaries, and thinkers who created these books were individuals like us, curious about our world and what makes it—and us—the way we are. They asked questions about how to facilitate the emergence of our higher potentials. They looked within to penetrate the mystery of consciousness and spirit. And they came together with others to share their love of discovery and innovation.

Philadelphia was founded on a spirit of inner freedom, equality, peace, and the discovery of a new way of living together that fostered the realization of our higher human aspirations.

May the conversations at Waverly breathe new life into these intentions. Let’s see how far we can go!

 

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

PROGRAMMING

The monthly schedule is sent out at the beginning of each month. Each month we try to include 4 different inquiries so you can come when something strikes you. Events include a philosophy talks, dialogues with a local or visiting thinker, guided meditations, and collective awakening practices. If you would like to speak at the library, please contact moderator and program director Amy Edelstein.

SIGN UP

Sign up for the Waverly Library monthly newsletter here.

Audios, announcements, photos on the Waverly Library Facebook page 

DETAILS

Events are weekly, Wednesday evenings from 8:00 – 9:00

Most events have a 30 min Q&A from 9:00 – 9:30.

Light refreshments and hangout afterwards. Please bring a vegetarian snack to share.

SCHEDULE

March Newsletter

March events are held at the UPenn Bookstore, 3601 Walnut Street, Second Floor of Penn Bookstore, Philadelphia, PA 19104

March 4: “Making Meaning of Urban Greening in the Anthropocene”
In the first of a two-part series, Theodore Eisenman, PhD, will share the findings of his recently completed dissertation, which explores the historical and contemporary contours of a global phenomenon – the introduction and conservation of vegetation in cities. This assumes heightened significance as humans are now for the first time mostly urban, and perhaps the dominant agents of change in the biosphere.
March 11: “Urban Greening, Biophilia, and the 21st Century City”
In part two of this series, Theodore will partner with Helena van Vliet, a forward thinking local architect, in an exploration of the philosophical, scientific, and evolutionary bases of urban greening. In particular, we will explore the premise and potential of “biophilic cities.”
March 18: “Philadelphia’s Youth – Can Mindfulness Help?”
Our city’s youth are plagued by troubled neighborhoods, under-funded schools, and a precarious future. No wonder students say they are stressed. Can the simple and time-honored tools of mindfulness help? Amy Edelstein will speak about her innovative program at Bodine International High School and plans to scale that program next year.
March 25: “New Seeds – Thomas Merton’s Centenary“
New Seeds of Contemplation and the bestseller Seven Storey Mountain have inspired millions of readers around the world. Amy Edelstein will read passages from Merton’s classics and talk about the contemporary need to contemplate and reflect on inner and outer matters with the depth of Thomas Merton. This talk will foreshadow themes from Amy’s upcoming retreat April 24-26 at Pendle Hill.

 

February Newsletter

February 18 A New Spiritual Movement: Eco-Ministry

We’ll hear what this is all about, who are the leaders in the movement, and what impact they intend to have as they work to support ecological health and work to change the way we relate to our environment.

February 25 Integral & Interspiritual 

What is the philosophical difference? How are these perspectives being absorbed into mainstream culture? What are they bringing to the contemporary spiritual and philosophical discussion?

 

January Newsletter

January 7

Meditation without Seed

Experience freedom as a foundation for profound transformation. This type of meditation creates the space for a profoundly different way of seeing.

 

EXPLORATION: What is the value of peering beyond the veil? How does we allow that experience to shift our perception and response to the world? How do we translate this experience into action and relationship?

 

January 14

Breath Meditation

Why mindfulness and focus creates self-knowledge. How understanding of the nature of thought reduces our experience of tension and separation.

 

EXPLORATION: What is “clear mind”? What is thought? What is awareness? How does this help us purify – have conscious choice – over “defilements”? Why is this important? Is this something we realize or cultivate over time?

 

January 21

Body Scan Meditation

How physical awareness, focus on physical sensations creates self-knowledge and important cues for health and well-being.

EXPLORATION: Do we have the power to move energy, release blockages, be involved in self-healing? How could this change our experience of life now? Change our experience of pain? Our ability to manage stress? Does the cultivation of relaxation facilitate spiritual development or hinder the call to evolve?

 

January 28

Sustained Practice

Exploring the difference in long retreats, disciplined practice, imposing structure on our meditation.

EXPLORATION: What is the value of long retreat? Is disciplined practice over years important for everyone? How do we know if it is a hindrance or a help? Is it useful to track our insights? What happens when our practice becomes dry and tense? How do we go deeper when we encounter fear and obstacles?

Waverly Reading Library

December Newsletter

December 3               Alfred North Whitehead (U Penn Bookstore)

December 10             Vimala Thakar (U Penn Bookstore)

December 17             Teilhard de Chardin (U Penn Bookstore)

November Newsletter

November 5 – Guided Meditation (Society Hill)

November 12 – Guided Meditation  (Society Hill)

This evening will include a short presentation on Mindfulness, why it is showing up in more and more venues in our contemporary culture, and how it’s touching the lives of Philadelphians from gradeschools to corporate board rooms.

November 19 – Women Mystics: Profiles of Courage, Challenges of Gender

This special evening gives insight into the lives and work of 7 mystics and explores some of the challenges they experienced as outspoken women and that culture experienced in response to their independent thinking, passion, and insight. (For women only, a pre-curser to a deeper immersion early next year. Come for an intriguing look at these role models and culture-changers, and for a personal exploration of the hurdles–and rewards–of breaking through.)

October Newsletter

Charles Sanders Pierce, father of Pragmatism (made easy to understand)
In this 5 week series, Wednesday nights, Jeff Carreira will take us through the 5 seminal papers of 19th century philosopher and educator Charles Sanders Pierce. You can come to one or all of them. The papers are challenging to read (all available free online) but Jeff will make them fully accessible and we’ll find out why some key American philosophers felt he was one of our most important contributors to new thinking. These will start next week. This week, we’ll start the month with a meditation evening.

October 1 – Guided Meditation (Society Hill)

October 8 – The Architect of Theories (U Penn Bookstore)

October 15 – The Doctrine of Necessity Explained (U Penn Bookstore)

Determinism, Freewill and Our Magical Universe 
The Second Lecture on the Evolutionary Philosophy of Charles Sanders Peirce 

Last week in the first lecture of this series we discussed the evolutionary theory of the brilliant American philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce. Thank you for all who came, it was wonderful to explore this great thinker with you. This Wednesday we will continue with this profound inquiry by discussing Peirce’s critique of determinism. We will see why Peirce feels that logical consideration reveals irreconcilable inconsistencies between the notion that we live in a deterministic universe and reality as we experience it. An evolutionary universe cannot possibly be deterministic and Peirce’s penetrating logical argument against determinism reveals an enormous amount about how his philosophical system was created. 

October 22 – The Law of Mind (U Penn Bookstore)

October 29 –  Evolutionary Love (U Penn Bookstore)

The Final Lecture on the Evolutionary Philosophy of Charles Sanders Peirce
This week we complete our series on Charles Sanders Peirce with a talk and discussion about his paper Evolutionary Love. As he worked out his evolutionary philosophy Peirce came to believe that it was love that drove the apparent directionality of cosmic unfolding toward ever-greater harmony of separate parts. This love he called “Agapism” or Evolutionary Love and he saw it as a compulsion toward, and concern for, growth that is inherent in the fabric of reality. Join us for a lively exploration of a cosmic interpretation of love and evolution. Discover why Peirce came to conclude that love was the ultimate driver of universal integration.
For those who may not know, Charles Sanders Peirce is one of the most brilliant philosopher America has produced. His far-reaching ideas set the foundation for the American philosophy of Pragmatism. He anticipated Einstein’s theory of Relativity and influenced the development of Quantum Mechanics. The French paleontologist and theologian Pierre Teilhard de Chardin read Peirce’s collected papers on one of his trips to China and the influence on Teilhard’s later evolutionary philosophy is obvious. In this lecture series, Jeff Carreira will make Pierce’s subtle distinctions accessible, fun, and applicable. You’ll also engage in discussion about Peirce’s philosophy particular as it is presented in a famous series of papers that published between 1891-1892 in a journal called The Monist. (These famous papers are all available online at:

September Newsletter

September 10th – How to Read Spiritual Books for Inspiration & Transformation – we often don’t pick up books because we feel like we don’t quite have the time or focus. Tonight we’ll learn (and practice) some very satisfying, uplifting, and accessible (time-friendly) ways to read for depth and transformation.

September 17 – The Soul of the New Self – transformative inquiry and the mystery of collective consciousness. A dynamic and fun way to dialogue. Come ready to lean in!

September 24 – Guided Meditation – our guided meditation will focus on taking stock and setting intentions for the coming year.

August Newsletter

On vacation for August, enjoy the sun. We’ll resume in September.

July Newsletter

July 4              Christ Church 6:00 – 7:00 PM
4th of July: Spirit of Freedom with Jeff Carreira & Amy Edelstein 
Outdoors @ 20 N. American St. (2nd & Market, Old City, Phila) INFO & RSVP

July 9             Mutual Awakening Practices
July 16           Guided Meditation: Body Awareness
July 23           Learning the Art of Collective Spiritual Inquiry
July 30           Guided Meditation: Exploring Consciousness

June Newsletter

June 4          Guided Meditation
June 11         Flow: What is it? How do we experience it?
June 18         SUMMER BREAK – no practice session

June 25        An Epicurean Relationship to Health: Master Vegan Chef & Transformative Nutritionist Katherine Miller
** U Penn Bookstore 8 PM

Pleasure is central to our experience of being human — in fact, pleasure is a motivating factor in everything we do. Everyday, we pursue this need for sensual satisfaction in our relationship to food. But how often do we ask ourselves: how can we use this pursuit of pleasure to support our best health? Come find out how combining ancient philosophical precepts with your desire for pleasure is a recipe for vibrant health.

May Newsletter

  • May 7    Guided Meditation with Amy Edelstein RSVP
  • May 14*   Mick Quinn, author of The Uncommon Path, will share the powerfully transformative work his organization Integral Heart is doing with teenagers in Guatemala.
  • May 28*    “The Practice of No Problem” a look at Jeff Carreira’s new meditation book and a powerful approach to de-stress our meditation and our lives.  RSVP

* These special presentations will be at the University of Pennsylvania bookstore, 3601 Walnut St., 7:30 PM

April Newsletter

  • April 2     Guided Meditation, deep practice with Amy Edelstein RSVP
  • April 9  Mutual Awakening Practice with Jeff Carreira, co-author of Mutual Awakening  RSVP
  • April 16   “The Art of Staying on the Inside” with Jeff Carreira, author of Radical Inclusivity RSVP
  • April 18-20 SPECIAL WEEKEND RETREAT at Pendle Hill Register & Info here.
  • April 23    “Why Practice? On the Value of Retreat, Teachers & Awakening in Our Modern World” audio interview with Tibetan nun Tenzin Palmo (Cave in the Snow) by Amy Edelstein (recorded March 2014) RSVP
  • April 30     Guided Meditation with Amy Edelstein RSVP

March Newsletter

  • March 5        Mutual Awakening Practice with Jeff Carreira, co-author of Mutual Awakening  
  • March 12     “Immunity to Change” An Inside Look at Harvard’s Robert Kegan’s Stages of Higher Development with David Zeitler, moderated by Amy Edelstein
  • March 19     Guided Meditation, deep practice with Amy Edelstein
  • March 26     The Philosophy of Radical Inclusivity with Jeff Carreira, author of Radical Inclusivity 

February Newsletter

  • February 5       Guided Meditation with Jeff Carreira, author of The Miracle of Meditation 
  • February 12      Mutual Awakening Practice with Jeff Carreira, co-author of Mutual Awakening 
  • February 19     “Ahead of Her Time” The Vision of Margaret Fuller (1810 – 1850). A dialogue on the work of this eclectic transcendentalist with Michael Barnett & Amy Edelstein
  • February 26      “Love & Evolution in Times of War” on Teilhard de Chardin, paleontologist, mystic, and philosopher with Amy Edelstein  (reschedule from snow day)

January Newsletter

  • January 15       The Movie “Her” & the Challenge of Intimacy in the Postmodern World: A Cultural Perspective with Amy Edelstein, author of Love, Marriage & Evolution 
  • January 22       Teilhard de Chardin, paleontologist, mystic, and evolutionary visionary with Amy Edelstein
  • January 29       Mutual Awakening Practice with Jeff Carreira, co-author of Mutual Awakening  

Other events have included: Ruth Golan on her new book The Consciousness Bearers, Bonnitta Roy & Jeff Carreira on Collective Awakening, Atul Singh on his media portal Fair Observer.