Weathering

Earth wisdom for hopeful living

By: Ruth Allen

Narrated by: Ruth Allen

Brought to you by Penguin.

Rocks and mountains have withstood aeons of life on our planet - gradually eroding, dissolving, recycling, shifting, solidifying, and weathering. We might spend a little less time on earth, but humans are also weathering: evolving and changing as we're transformed by the shifting climates of our lives and experiences. So, what might these ancient natural forms have to teach us about resilience and change?

In a stunning exploration of our own connection to these enduring forms, outdoor psychotherapist and geologist Ruth Allen takes us on a journey through deep time and ancient landscapes, showing how geology - which has formed the bedrock of her own adult life and approach to therapy - can offer us a new way of thinking about our own grief, change and boundaries.

In a world shaken by physical, political, and medical disasters, Weathering argues for a deeper understanding of the ground beneath our feet to better serve ourselves and the world we live in.

©2024 Ruth Allen (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

It's not hyperbole to say Weathering changed my life. In Weathering, Allen has produced a revelatory book that reshaped my relationship, not only with landscape but with my own body, allowing me to finally explore its true potential.

This beautiful book so lyrically connects the weathering of our internal life with the erosion of deep-time. I felt anchored by Ruth’s words

A beautiful and nourishing meditation on how our exterior and interior landscapes shape and are shaped by the different weathers of our lives

A fascinating exploration of the literal ground of our being, and a wise and profound reflection on what rock can teach us about what it is to be human.

This is a book that feels worldy as well as spiritual; solid as well as shifting; realistic and deeply hopeful too.

Who would have thought that the rocks beneath our feet could feel so intimate and personal? A profound and beautiful journey into the unique world of geotherapy, bringing us into closer relationship not just with the natural landscape, but with ourselves. A metaphorical mind-changer, revealing the weathering that shapes who we are and who we might become.

A convincing, considered read for those who enjoy a deeper exploration of our place within an unromanticised natural world: "What if know your place was a call to action and not a reprimand?"

A lovely journey through rock and mind

Ruth Allen takes the reader on a wonderful journey, asking us to explore both the metaphor and reality of weathering in our internal and lived realities. It leaves you with so much to sit with, return to, and ponder - all of which doesn’t feel like too much!

Rejuvenating

This book put words to what I’ve often felt but could never quite articulate. It is a heartfelt, wise, and important book. I have been feeling more alive ever since I started it. The narration is also lovely — earnest and soothing.