The Fifth Season
Creativity in the Second Half of Life

Quotes

"Mark Nepo has a gift. Once again, he combines insight, perspective, and poetry with such propulsive force that it lifts the soul. I will pull this book off my shelf again and again." —Melinda French Gates

"In much of our world, aging is thought of as a disease to avoid. But as Mark Nepo beautifully shows, aging can be a process of transformation and expansion. The Fifth Season is an essential guidebook for how to explore your inner world, embrace the many gifts of aging, and live more fully." —Arianna Huffington, Founder & CEO, Thrive Global

"The path of becoming an elder is a sacred one. Aging, like dying, cannot be avoided—though our youth might believe otherwise. Mark’s invitation to age in a sweet, sacred, and conscious way is a delight, as he encourages us to closely examine our gifts, our myths, and to walk this path with courage. He illuminates the wisdom that cannot be forced, but only reveals itself with time. This book reminds those in the aging chapter of life that they are valuable and valued. What an incredible journey he has mapped out, weaving together the wisdom of so many wise elders. Want to feel good about aging? Read The Fifth Season." —Rev. Dr. Michelle Wadleigh, author of Shadow Work

“Illuminating, encouraging, heartening: a hymn to aging that is grounded in simplicity as well as truth. I am thrilled and inspired by it.” —Dr Stephanie Dowrick, Ph.D., D.Min, author of Your name is not Anxious

"Over the years, Mark Nepo has been a deeply attentive student of 'the inside of everything.' I know of no better guide to that uncharted vastness that animates all life. In this magnificent book Mark, now in his mid-seventies, helps us explore aging from the inside out. Drawing on personal experience, on stories of people he has known, on his deep understanding of a range of wisdom traditions, and on his poetic sensibilities, he celebrates the light that comes with age and sheds light in places where so many fear the darkness. Whatever your age, if living fully into the gift of life is your hope, this book will serve you well." —Parker J. Palmer, author of On the Brink of Everything, Let Your Life Speak, and A Hidden Wholeness

"In this luminous meditation on aging and creating, beloved poet Mark Nepo shows us how to fully live: with tenderness and passion, with a willingness to let go of our obsession with past and future in favor of a vivid curiosity about the present moment. Through stories and teachings, poetry, and questions for reflection, Mark has rekindled my excitement about the adventure of growing old. Regardless of your chronological age, these pages brim with nourishment for your journey home to your most radical aliveness. What a treasure—his writing is magnificent." —Mirabai Starr, author of Wild Mercy and Ordinary Mysticism

“We are clumsy when it comes to aging into wisdom in the West, which is where Nepo’s book breaks ground. Storytelling, accompaniment, and respect for multiple spiritual paths mark these beautiful chapters. I count on one hand the classics of spirituality for life’s later stages, and The Fifth Season is now one of them.” —Jon M. Sweeney, author of The Complete Francis of Assisi and Thomas Merton: An Introduction to His Life, Teachings, and Practices

"Mark Nepo's Fifth Season is a true wisdom feast. With a poet's heart and generous hand, Nepo lays out a buffet of nutrients to feed and expand our soul. While the aging body we bring to life’s table may be hindered by limitations and constrictions, this meal of words speaks directly to the wild depth and expansive breadth of consciously growing into our actualized, humble, joyous Self." —HeatherAsh Amara, author of Warrior Heart Practice and Wild, Willing, and Wise

"I am always moved by the grace and simplicity with which Mark Nepo guides his readers to be more awake and to find their way back to themselves. In his new book, Mark Nepo offers a way to walk in the landscape of aging, to weave together the threads of life and death, to increase our receptivity when noise gives way to silence. With the wisdom of one who has real soul awareness, he calls to the creativity that is within all of us, how it allows the song of our soul to be heard in its wonder, beauty and sorrow. Listening to his words invites us to be fully awake to the mystery which age brings to each of us." —Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee, Ph.D., Sufi teacher and author, Sufism, The Transformation of the Heart

"There is such wisdom and care and attentiveness in these profound pages. Such an honoring of aging, which our culture so desperately needs. What beautiful insights." —Brooke Warner, co-founder and publisher of She Writes Press

"Mark Nepo is a master teacher, a benevolent soul, and his style of weaving story with poetry, with myth and modern life is transformative." —Laurie Wagner, creator of 27 Powers

"Each page of this book felt like putting on magic contact lenses. Instead of seeing aging with dread, I saw it as an adventure in vitality and homecoming. I found myself wishing I’d read the teachings of The Fifth Season years ago, and lived these perspectives all my life. So don’t wait a minute more. Read this book now. Be flooded with abundance, gratitude, and intimacy with your own life." —Tama Kieves, visionary career coach and author of A Year without Fear and Learning to Trust Yourself