Community & Connections—Inspiring Resilience and Hope.  Pacifica’s “Coming Home 2018”: JOIN US ON CAMPUS or ONLINE May 19^th  

In Homer’s ancient Greek classic, The Odyssey, the hero Odysseus, who has spent ten years of his life in exile, is described with eyes never dry and with his life force flowing away with his tears as he weeps for home. Many Pacifica alumni and students who have studied depth psychology, mythology, ecopsychology, somatic psychology, or related topics at Pacifica Graduate Institute can relate to the feeling that Pacifica serves as a sort of “home” for them, and once their studies end, they often long to return to the soulful landscapes of the people and the place. In his book, "At Home in the World: Sounds and Symmetries of Belonging," Jungian analyst John Hill (2010), suggests “home” is, in part, the need we each hold to create shared meaningful experiences. *

Dear Pacifica Community,

Over the past week progress has been made in the Carpinteria-Montecito-Santa Barbara area in our recovery from the fires and mud flows. While we are grieving the many losses, of lives, of property, of livelihoods for some community members, we are also very grateful for the vast amount of work which has been done towards recovery. On Sunday, January 21, highway 101 was re-opened in both directions between Carpinteria and Santa Barbara. Pacifica is also participating in this recovery: earlier in the week we re-opened the Lambert campus, hosted several tracks of students there as well as a track at the Pepper-Tree Inn in Santa Barbara. We have held a community meetings to discuss and coordinate a number of steps facilitating recovery. At the present time several plans to keep Pacifica fully operational are currently being implemented with the Lambert campus open but not the Ladera campus–we do not yet have a firm time line on when we can return there. Students, please note that all offices and departments are available to assist you. You can contact departments via phone or email. Please refer to our directory for phone numbers and contact information. 

Dear Pacifica Community,

On Saturday evening we learned that evacuation orders for Summerland and Carpinteria were being lifted, in addition to the opening of some roads and continued closure of others, as well as some alternate routes and methods of transportation. The Ladera campus, however, still remains in the mandatory evacuation zone because of road conditions there, so we must wait to reopen that campus. Throughout this time we have carefully monitored and adhered to the frequently changing County of Santa Barbara warnings, as safety for faculty, staff, and students is our number one priority.

This afternoon a small group of Pacifica staff and faculty living north of the Milpas exit off the 101 freeway in Santa Barbara came together in community. Simultaneously, Pacifica staff and faculty living in Carpinteria and further south also met. Joined via Zoom by others unable to access either in-person meeting spaces, we held our first community gathering since the dreadful mudslide that has destroyed a portion of the small town of Montecito after a heavy rainstorm on early Tuesday morning, January 9th. Despite being seperated by the mud and debris that has shut down the 101 freeway, we took comfort in coming together.

Here is the latest update on our recent trial by water...and mud.

Since accessibility to both of our campuses cannot be guaranteed for this upcoming weekend, we have rescheduled the classes for our Myth and Counseling cohorts, which were supposed to be on campus Friday through Sunday. While we have confirmed reports that the Lambert campus is unharmed, we still do not know in detail the condition of the Ladera campus.  However, there has been some observations that there is no widespread or severe damage.

Now that we have emerged unscathed by the wildfires, our next trial by the elements will be water.  

Due to the extreme weather conditions we are currently experiencing, our Ladera Lane campus will be closed today, and and there will be limited access to our Lambert Road campus. Our staff and faculty have made alternative arrangements for our students and guests to ensure everyone’s safety.

A guest post by Pacifica Alumna Jacqueline Spoehel O'Connor

With news of the Thomas fire nearing and passing Pacifica's campuses, we turned towards the media to bring us images of what was happening. Firefighters silhouetted small against the walls of flame, showing us the immensity of nature's power, surpassing a human's strength to control it. Maps of dots, squares, or illustrated flames depicting the advancing fire gave us imaginings of a vast creature consuming the overabundant growth of match-stick dry vegetation.

Thomas Fire update from Pacifica Graduate Institute
Wednesday, December 20, 2017 at 3:50 p.m.
Photos taken on Monday, December 18, 2017

Dear Pacifica Community,

Season’s greetings to all of you from Pacifica Graduate Institute. Throughout the last two weeks of wildfires in our region, which gratefully are now more contained, both of Pacifica’s campuses have remained free of harm, safe and completely intact. We remain very appreciative of your many expressions of concern, care and for your prayers; we also are deeply grateful to the brave, skillful fire-fighters who selflessly have protected so many properties with extraordinary diligence and perseverance.

Updates and current photos of the Lambert Road and Ladera Lane Campuses
Photos taken on Monday, December 19th at noon.

Yesterday, our local firefighters let a few senior staff members up to see our beloved Ladera Lane Campus at Pacifica Graduate Institute. We are pleased to report that Pacifica stands unharmed from the Thomas Fire. Our heroic firefighters stopped the fire at Romero Canyon, with spot fires less than a mile from Ladera Lane.

Thomas Fire update from Pacifica Graduate Institute
Tuesday, December 19, 2017 at 9:40 a.m.

Dear Pacifica Students,

Heartfelt greetings to you from Pacifica Graduate Institute. We are very grateful for your many expressions of prayers and caring. Throughout the wildfires, both of the Pacifica campuses have remained safe and fully intact.

We are looking forward to holding classes as scheduled beginning January on both Pacifica campuses. As usual, your academic program staff or faculty will be in touch with you prior to the first session of this new year.