Updates from Stoics Around the World

Each quarter, Stoic leaders from around the world share updates from their local Stoicism communities.

January 2023

Arizona Stoics

We have a thriving Stoa of over 200 people who meet weekly for dinners, lectures, and readings. All inquiring minds are welcome.

Brisbane Stoics

We have started fresh meeting once a month (2nd sunday of the month) in the New Farm library meeting room. We have access to multimedia and are focusing on producing some high quality content whilst not compromising our interactive inclusive approach. We like to blend academic theory, with practical approaches. In January we looked at Stoic psychology and therapy and next month we will cover different journaling techniques. Upcoming topics will include truth, happiness and virtue and many more. Part of our focus is to create an inclusive community spirit in which members collaborate both in sharing ideas and putting up topics of discussion. We hope to add something to the community and foster friendships, so come along and join us in person or find us on meetup, facebook, or elsewhere.

Denver Stoics

We still haven’t shaken off the Covid cobwebs and are still meeting weekly online via Zoom. This year we’re making an effort to have one monthly meeting where we explore a topic in depth with prepared readings and homework to be done in advance. This is in pretty stark contrast to our typical no-prep meetings where we explore life in general from a Stoic perspective (e.g. Truth, Empathy, Lying, Food, Roles, etc). So we are excited to see where it leads. If you’re free on a Tuesday evening, feel free to join us…

Der Weg der Stoa

We are a group of about 80 people. We meet weekly for a joint reading exercise (online) and hold additional meetings that focus on different topics of Stoicism and related ancient philosophies.

Hannover Stoics

Currently, we´re still somewhat in hibernation, but continue to offer a monthly meeting where we exchange our personal experiences of applying Stoic philosophy in our daily lives. We are also planning to host another Stoicon-X conference, which will take place in September. Those living in Hannover and its surrounding region who are interested in Stoicism and in meeting like minded people are welcome to contact us via email ([email protected]).

Kansas City Stoa

A trio of men (a principal, a college professor, and a podcaster) gather in the guttering lights of suburban library meeting rooms, deep and insightful in conversation and discussion of theoretical, emotional and practical issues arising from Stoicism. Currently working our way through the Immoderate Stoic's Good Fortune podcast. Joyfully open to new members, but surprisingly uninspired marketing the group (look at the quiet IG!). The college professor may start up a Facebook group for us. Stay tuned!

North Carolina Stoics

As just starting the Stoa towards the end of the year I am still on the hunt for members to hopefully meet in person and to spread the word. I have made a 2023 Stoic Planner that is for sale on Amazon. I'm looking forward to working with everyone, and to further my own learning.

Monterey Stoics

We continue to hold meetings once per week and are working our way through Seneca’s Letters. We punctuate our weekly meetings with a reading and contemplation on one of Epectitus’ Fragments, and draw a weekly card from the “Stoic Daily Challenge” card deck from Ryan Holiday. We continue to engage in monthly weekly beach cleanups for community service.

Munich Stoics

In January we celebrated one year of our Stoa. In 12 months, we organized 22 in-person meetings, with 179 total participants from all the world, with diverse backgrounds, age groups and life experience. Out of them, 64 are unique participants, and 26 are the “regulars”, coming more than once. We developed a beautiful feeling of friendship and we are grateful to the Universe for this community experience!

Nashville Stoics

The Nashville Stoics continue to do well with regularly attended meet-ups filled with thoughtful conversation and friendly dialogue. We started the year with a conversation on Goal Setting through a Stoic perspective. After finishing the Handbook For New Stoics with a small group last year we are starting a larger book club this year in which we will be working through the primary surviving sources. Fate permitting, we look forward to continuing to build the community and learn together through 2023.

New York City Stoics

The NYC Stoics will continue to hold a mix of online and in person in 2023. The online meetings will focus on the theme of “ancient alternatives to Stoicism”. We’ll tackle readings focusing on some of the alternative Hellenistic philosophies that competed with Stoicism, such as Epicureanism, Skepticism, and more. Anyone around the world can join! You can sign up for NYC Stoics here: https://www.meetup.com/New-York-City-Stoics/ . Our in-person meetings will occur a little later in the year. Their format hasn’t been determined yet, but will likely focus on either Q&A or reading the Stoic classics together.

PDX Stoa

In January 2023 the PDX Stoa transitioned from a virtual Stoa to in-person meetings. We will meet monthly with the intention to build a community of fine folks to grow, share, and learn together in the study, sharing, and practice of Stoicism.

PSYSK (Kyiv, Ukraine)

We try to publish in our telegram daily Stoic texts. And we have started monthly meetings.

REDWOOD STOA

Our Stoa continues meeting monthly, generally on line, when we reflect on Stoic tenets and principles, on the cardinal virtues, and on our own lives, with an eye to our progress as students of the philosophy.

San Antonio Stoics

The San Antonio Stoics continues to meet monthly on every third Thursday. For the first quarter of the year we’ll be completing our readthrough of The Practicing Stoic by Ward Farnsworth.

Stoa Madrid

Dear Stoas! We spent a pretty cool quarter doing group readings and practice exercises, meetings, walks and even got to welcome some new faces in our group. Also, we finally went back to in-person meetings, so that’s something to celebrate for us! 🎉🎉 We went from meeting twice a week to every week in the last months, to discuss our readings and weekly practices. We’re still following Jonas Salzgeber’s Little book of Stoicism for practice and Hadot’s Inner Citadel as group reading. I’d say our most important achievement is that members stick around long, so we have a stable group of frequents of around 35 people attending our meeting and activities. This quarter we organized 27 online meetings and 4 online talks with guests, including:

  1. Stoicism’s Aesthetic Talk with Professor Carlos Roldan from the Juan Carlos I University, Spain
  2. Stoic Practice Talk with Tim LeBon, Co-author of the Stoic Week 2022
  3. Tranquility Parenting Talk with Brittany Polat, author of Tranquility Parenting
  4. Stoicism for teenagers Talk with Psychologist María López Silanes

We also carried out 8 in-person activities, between theme-group dinners and philosophy walks, including our Annual 6-day philosophy Hiking trip “Camino de Santiago”, also known as St. James Way in Galicia, Spain. Also, we were glad to participate in a Panel at STOICON 2022. Stoa Madrid’s Facilitator Kellys Rodriguez was invited to join the panel: “Stoas around the world”. It was a really interesting and nice discussion and experience. I don’t want to make this summary too long, so you want to see further details of our activities, you can check our quarter’ summary in images on this LINK If you happen to visit Madrid (Spain) and you want to say hello or join us in an activity, just send us an e-mail to: [email protected] Cheers!

The Practicing Stoic

After a hiatus of two years our Stoa is again up and running. Previously, called The Baltimore Stoic Fellowship, we are renewed and renamed The Practicing Stoic, the name changed to emphasize our commitment to putting our Stoicism to work. In-person gatherings have begun again with a close-reading and discussion of the Encheiridion. We plan to launch a virtual Stoa this year as well as maintain the current bi-monthly (2x/mth) in-person gatherings. You can find us at ThePracticingStoic.org.

The Scotland Stoics

We are currently looking at reorganising and rebooting post-covid. Currently seeking a new lead to take the group. Contact at [email protected] for details.

Trondheim Stoics

We ended with a good meetup the last two meetings in 2022 and are looking forward to continuing meetings in 2023. We will primarily have physical meetings, and will be starting with a meeting on how to implement and sustain personal improvement. We will also try to hold one or more meetings together with the Norway Stoics.

Western Slope Stoa

Centered in Grand Junction, CO and led by a mathematician at the local university, we initiated this Stoa to attract any Stoicism-interested folks living between the Salt Lake City and Denver metropolitan regions, and connect them to the Stoic community at large.