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Links to Contents within This Portfolio
This portfolio references heavily into a page that documents my
personal psycho-spiritual adventure. Terms and concepts defined there
feed into this portfolio as a foundation. Here is a link
to the top of that document, while most other green links not underlined,
further below, go directly to
bookmarks within that document:
The Ever Unfolding Story of Scott Godlew:
Whispers-with-Forests
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One Spirit Code of Ethics
I am educated and ordained through
One Spirit Interfaith Seminary,
and I have accepted and vowed to uphold their Code of Ethics, articulated here as of 2023 for convenience...
Preamble
In order to promote integrity in the training of Interfaith/ Interspiritual ministers and in the practice of Interfaith/Interspiritual ministry and spiritual counseling, this code of ethics has been established for the staff, students, and graduates of One Spirit.
We dedicate ourselves to excellence in the performance of our professional service, and to living in a way which respects the fundamental dignity and worth of all people. We subscribe to the value of self-examination and to the principle that we need to give feedback to and receive feedback from each other in order to grow in personal and professional ethics. In this spirit, we commit ourselves to the following:
Code of Ethics
1. We commit to cultivating inclusivity and practicing nondiscrimination in our service to others.
Embracing the InterfaithInterspiritual vision of the oneness of the human family, we strive to live this inclusivity in our service to others. We will not discriminate against anyone on the basis of age, color, gender, gender identity, gender expression, race, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, economic status, or physical ability.
2. We commit to cultivating clarity of mind and understanding, and refraining from misuse of intoxicating/mind-altering substances.
Respecting that our ability to teach, learn, and serve others rests upon clear thinking and seeing, we agree not to use intoxicating/ mind-altering substances before or during One Spirit classes, retreats or functions, and for staff, in the workplace. We further agree not to misuse such substances at any time. Any substance abuse problem may be brought in confidence to the attention of the CEO, Ilene Sameth.
3. We commit to cultivating and maintaining healthy physical and emotional boundaries in our professional relationships. In particular, we commit to refraining from causing harm or pain to ourselves, others, or our spiritual community through sexual misconduct.
Recognizing that strong feelings of affection and caring can develop between any combination of staff, students and teachers or between counselors and clients, we agree to protect the integrity of these relationships by maintaining healthy emotional and physical boundaries.
Acknowledging that a romantic or sexual relationship between a teacher (or staff person) and a student or a spiritual counselor and a client is especially confusing and inappropriate, we agree to avoid creating harm through romantic involvement or sexuality. We will avoid romantic or sexual harassment, exploitation, or advances towards students, teachers, and clients. We also agree to refrain from accepting any such advances from any student, teacher (or staff person) or client. Should such an attraction develop, we agree that we will not pursue it until the teacher (or staff person) /student or counselor/client relationship has ended, preferably for at least a year.
In the same way, we understand that romantic and/or sexual relationships among students carry the potential for disruption and harm to the class community, particularly when such relationships end unhappily for one or both parties. Therefore, as a student, unless we are already in such a relationship with another student at the start of our training, we will not enter into a romantic and/or sexual relationship with any student during the course of our training without first seriously reflecting on the possible impact and consequences of such a relationship on the larger community, and without first discussing such possible consequences with a trusted spiritual advisor or counselor.
4. We commit to cultivating and practicing honest, loving, and responsible communication; we commit to refraining from gossip and other forms of harmful speech.
Recognizing the power of speech to create both good and harm, we agree to speak that which is true, useful, and kind, and to refrain from spreading gossip, rumors, or that which we do not directly know to be true. We will not communicate in ways that are demeaning or hurtful to others or ourselves. We agree to cultivate conscious and clean communication and to develop loving kindness and honesty as the basis for our speech.
5. We commit to acting with professional integrity and refrain from misrepresenting ourselves.
Striving for integrity in all of our relationships, we recognize the importance of representing ourselves accurately to those we serve. We will not mislead others concerning the services we can offer, nor claim, directly or indirectly through implication, any professional qualifications that exceed those we have already obtained. We will respect the work of others by citing the source of our materials and observing the rights of authors. Further, we commit ourselves to open and just dealings in all financial transactions in which we are involved.
6. We commit to respecting our need for ongoing professional guidance and support and to avail ourselves of supervision.
Acknowledging that situations may arise in our ministries that challenge our personal judgment and go beyond our professional skills and abilities, we recognize the need for supervision and guidance beyond our years of One Spirit experience and training. We therefore agree to have a supervisor who can advise us in these circumstances. In addition, we agree as spiritual companions to engage in ongoing professional and/or peer supervision for our spiritual companioning work.
7. We commit to creating safe and sacred space for growth and healing by maintaining confidentiality.
A sacred relationship exists between a spiritual counselor and a client, between a minister and the community served, between a staff person and other members of the One Spirit community, and, due to the deeply self-examining nature of our studies, between a student and faculty member. Therefore, we will hold all personal information shared in these relationships in strict confidence. We will discuss such privileged information only within legitimate forums of support, such as supervision, and only for the purpose of serving more lovingly and effectively. In order to create our classes as a space for heartfelt sharing and honest self-exploration, we also agree to hold as confidential whatever is shared within the class.
7a. We commit to extending this safe and sacred confidential space to our use of all internet/web materials and activities provided through One Spirit.
Recognizing that the internet has become an important form of education, communication and interpersonal connection, we understand and honor that the information on Claned is confidential and provided exclusively for use by One Spirit students in the course of their studies; that the usernames and passwords provided by One Spirit are for our individual use only; and that the personal sharing communicated through One Spirit provided internet venues (website, listservs, etc.) is confidential. We also recognize that information in Claned is the sole property of One Spirit, and may not be shared, copied or otherwise used outside the One Spirit educational experience without the prior written consent of One Spirit.
8. We commit to upholding the ethical principles of the spiritual path we follow.
We recognize that the moral and ethical precepts of most religions and spiritual traditions are basically quite similar. Therefore, whether our own practices are based on the Ten Commandments, the Eightfold Path, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, or any other moral guidelines, we agree to allow the ethical principles of the spiritual path we follow to guide our thoughts, words, actions, and choices.
9. We commit to ongoing spiritual growth and deepening of our understanding and practice.
Accepting that the strongest foundation for ministry is the integrity of our own spiritual life, we agree to ongoing spiritual practice in order to deepen our connection to the Divine and to each other.
10. We commit to continuing education and ongoing professional development.
Understanding that, regardless of our level of professional training, there is always more to learn, we commit ourselves to continuing education through professional development courses, conferences, retreats, seminars, workshops, or other forms of ongoing learning.
11. We commit to living the values of compassion, tolerance, respect, and open mindedness.
Being affiliated with an Interfaith/Interspiritual seminary that includes all authentic spiritual teachings in its embrace of spirituality, we agree to live by this vision of inclusiveness, excluding no person or group from our hearts or from our own concept of spirituality. We commit to confronting attitudes of prejudice and intolerance within ourselves, that we may better embody Interfaith/Interspiritual ideals.
12. We commit to the reporting of any abuse or ethical violations, with the intention of promoting healing for those involved.
Recognizing that these ethical guidelines exist primarily to support the safety, well-being, happiness, and integrity of our spiritual community, we agree to honestly and compassionately address any situations in which we feel someone is in danger or in which the ethical standards of One Spirit have been compromised. In such a case, we agree to report the situation as outlined below, with the shared intention of promoting healing for all those involved.
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My Personal Code of Ethics
This is my Personal Code of Ethics. This is the way that I will know that I am engaged in right-doing in the world – the physical manifestation of my Soulful Purpose to the extent to which I have been able to bring it, or any portion of it, into consciousness to act upon. So, it is not to be considered complete as an on-going process of discovery, but authentic as a point in time at which I have discovered as much as I can be aware of at that time, and so it will be necessary to remain mindful of new discoveries, refinements, and even revolutionary changes to my mytho-poetic identity, as to the impact on these ethics.
WHEREAS, I have an ongoing dialog and effort to understand the metaphorical revelations of my Soul, being a process of the unconscious mind, resulting in conscious discernment of meaning, identity, and purpose within the greater context of The Whole;
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And, WHEREAS, The Whole would not allow any facet of itself, or Soul, human and other-than-human, to have a purpose lacking integrity with itself, including All Souls;
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And, WHEREAS, I engage with my current understanding of purpose to determine my course of action relative to my present circumstances;
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And, WHEREAS, I intend and engage to act in an ethical manner with my fellow beings and Souls, human and other-than-human, in the world;
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And, WHEREAS, it is my primary imperative of ethical behavior to continue to seek a more complete understanding of my purpose as revealed by my Soul, regardless of the inherent ambiguity of the Soul’s manner of mytho-poetic revelation, resulting in the following CORALLARIES:
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a)
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It is necessary to engage in Inscendent practices to become receptive to Soul on a somewhat regular basis, even a continuous basis as may become more typical with continued practice and maturity, where such practices are held in reasonable regard and have been considered favorably with regard to efficacy, but which may offer diverse methods of Incendence and re-entry into the living world requiring such ethics. The Incendence methods are collectively referred to as Soul-itude in my personal literature, and Shadow-Work is an essential supportive aspect of the Soul-itude-work.
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b)
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Although refinements, or even complete restatement, of purpose may be required from time-to-time, the current primary channels or realms of understanding include:
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1)
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An understanding or appreciation of The Whole and its complete orchestration of ALL Souls in a manner of infinite integrity, including the recognition of Souls where we have difficulty identifying their existence, and the fully egalitarian and equitable participation in circumstances where ethical behavior is required.
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2)
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An understanding and appreciation of Spirit, Spirituality, Inter-Spirituality, and interconnectedness, as coordinated by The Whole.
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3)
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A realization that my Soul is within me as a facet of The Whole, thus bringing The Whole within me as a fail-safe and re-assurance of the universal integrity of The Whole.
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4)
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A realization that dualities and other systems of polarity present false opposites and categories that are simplifications, and therefore misrepresentations, of reality… and such polarities must be clarified and deconstructed as necessary to bring greater truth to bear on our understandings or ethical problems and our resulting behaviors.
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So, THEREFORE IT IS RESOLVED, the following ethical guidance, principles, and imperatives are adopted on the basis of the current understandings achieved in the framework, above:
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A)
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A Great Re-Wholing of All Beings must be a guiding principle for achieving greater integrity throughout The Whole. An essential outcome of this re-wholing is Loving Community.
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B)
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Injustices must be re-aligned into full justice and equanimity for ALL Souls, human and other-than-human, as described in my literature and summarily enumerated, here:
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i)
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Sanctuarial Justice
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ii)
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Demographic / Affirmational Justice
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iii)
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Ecological Justice
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iv)
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Economic Justice
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v)
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Ethical and Legal Justice
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C)
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Respect, dignity, and integrity are imperative principles of behavior.
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Reflections on Spiritual Counseling & Companioning
(with ritual)
Essential Elements of Companioning
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Sanctuary
Merriam Webster: “a place of refuge and protection.” In the context of companioning, there are a variety of factors that contribute to sanctuary as a foundation for openness, honesty, and intimacy of sharing, receiving, understanding, and being seen. It is important to have a sensitivity to what confounds the client’s sense of safety. Typical and assumed sanctuaries may not be so for the client: home, church, school, police, medical/psychological settings, and many others – there is a reason the client is here rather than some of those places…
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A safe place: refuge from eaves dropping; refuge from intrusion/interruption; refuge from unsafe people and places…
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Confidentiality: protection of what is discussed, and even whether it is a companioning discussion at all; refuge from gossip and betrayal…
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Non-authoritative: refuge from criticality; protection from prescribing; no fixing, saving, advising, nor setting-straight…
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Non-abuse: refuge from exploitation and hostility; refuge from hidden agendas and victimization; refuge from discrimination and othering…
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Assisting with Regulation
A client might become excessively excited, either enthusiastically or in frustration, or they may become disengaged or distracted, among other dysregulated moods. Of course, if there is a possibility of mental pathology, then other care may be necessary, but if there is more of the reasonable swings of ups and downs of the struggle to reach clarity and stay on track, then some assistive tactics may become appropriate:
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Starting a session with meditation or prayer or poem will help set the stage for calmness; ask permission.
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Centering on a perceived challenge and scope might be helpful for starting with purposefulness; this is essential, even if it is just seeking clearness as a first or only step.
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These might become beneficial again as frustration or dysregulation emerges at other points in the companioning.
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Self-regulation for the helper is important: remaining warm and open to genuine understanding; remaining calm; stopping to breathe and settle, and taking time to listen to the inner witness… the helper needs to prepare with calm and centering prior to the session
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Authentic Partnering
Clients can tell when “helpers” are just going through a process or a checklist, and when they are being treated like a cog in the machine. It is necessary to be engaged “as a companion” in reality. Skills, knowledge, experience, and resources must be applied purposefully and naturally – not as solutions imposing on mismatched problems, like a hammer being used for a screw.
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Genuine concern: gentle; empathic; patient; respectful; compassionate…
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I must be honored and humbled for being allowed to hear their story.
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Having an intention to walk with the client on the path that helps them – as simple as witnessing/listening as they do all the processing, sorting, and clarifying; perhaps reflecting or recognizing their points to stay in touch without intention to twist their words; perhaps helping to uncover what they know only pre-consciously with open/honest questions; less likely problem solving if requested, but still only through full understanding or mutual exploration of what might stimulate their own solution.
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Building trust: providing refuge from cutting off understanding; protection from rushing to conclusions; being present… (continued sanctuary)
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Big Picture
It is necessary to understand the scope of the clarity or solution being sought by a client. Perhaps the companioning and partnering will need a series of sessions to reach an objective… Perhaps a series of objectives need to be mapped out… Or, maybe the objective is more a matter of a single interaction.
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Non-dependence: take care to empower the client to act independently… homework… teach self-care methods… model self-care…
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Non-attachment: not being stuck on a static view of the challenges… perhaps intermediate revelations and discoveries warrant a fresh look at the bigger picture… or perhaps being stuck means that the scope is not right, or the question or picture is distorted…
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Model Practical Determination
There will always be a way forward. Practicality will require the client to become present with their true circumstances as a starting point, and this includes resources and capabilities and realizing what is beyond control. A complicated plan is mostly just that, but a simple target with initial steps that can help to refine the remaining steps – even if further partnering is needed from time to time – is better.
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Envision a practical outcome…
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Foster hope that emerges from client’s own clarity or problem solving…
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Celebrate achievements, including what emerges from companioning sessions…
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See if you can be informed of success without imposing approval…
Companioning Session
Part A
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How might you prepare yourself to be of service to a client?
Centering: I will be sure to know who and when I am meeting, and what context has been shared already about the need for meeting.
I will settle and calm, using meditation and prayer as needed.
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What does it mean to hold a vision of a person’s wholeness?
I will begin with the sure knowledge that they are enough: that they have within their self the image or essence of what lies ahead of them, and that I cannot see it or know it for them; that the past does not matter except for the lessons learned of knowing where they truly are right now, in the present; and that they will continue on their path forward from where they are based on their understanding of what lies ahead of them.
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What are the strengths and/or gifts you bring to relationships of spiritual service, such as spiritual companioning?
Maybe my own recovery processes from a variety of magnitudes of adversity… Maybe my own encounters with shadow and soul… Maybe my own acceptance of being enough and being on my own path toward wholeness… Maybe my understanding that these processes are never done, but that being done is not the point… Maybe my compassion for others, wanting to help them with their processes as a way of moving toward greater unity… Maybe I fall in love with people and the world a little bit more every day…
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What are your own challenges or difficulties to being fully present to someone and deeply listening?
I still face adversity (!)… I still have shadows… I still encounter more of my soul… I am still on the path toward wholeness… I am vulnerable as I help and love…
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How might you work with moving through these challenges or difficulties?
For an on-the-spot encounter, I need to be aware of my inner witness as I feel the challenges and difficulties arise, and I need to take time for myself to re-calm and re-center. Otherwise, on a longer scale, I need to be informed by these instances of encounter to continue the deep work on the path toward wholeness, and seek companioning for my own clarity.
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What training and/or practice have you already completed that supports your work as a spiritual companion?
Participation in Center for Courage and Renewal Circles of Trust; Unitarian-Universalist Soul Matters small group participation, training, and facilitation; crisis intervention hotline training and duty; high school peer counselor training and duty; working at camp as a cabin counselor, recreation teacher, and head counselor; a broad array of leadership training over my entire life, but some very focused periods of learning about people, self-care, listening, and understanding that leadership often includes being a good disciple; and having people trust me to help. My daily practice helps me to be centered, process some of my junk, learn about others encounters, and read about what spiritual leaders have to say and for me to contemplate.
Part B
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Background:
I met with a friend of mine that I met at church and who was in a small covenant group with me for recently divorced people. The covenant group met for about a year, but we have remained in touch since then (5 years). As she has explored relationships with various people, we have often convened to stay in touch, and a few times to “debrief” when relationships have ended badly or amicably, but often also to check-in about how well things are going and other life challenges. We met in-person at my house. I had a candle and lighter, and my iPad with readings cued. We sat at opposite ends of a large couch (this is not unusual for us) with the Christmas tree nearby for comfort. I had explained all of the factors of the assignment in our phone conversation prior to meeting.
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Open Sacred Space:
I lit a candle on the coffee table and declared that it represents our partnership in companioning and the sacred trust of confidentiality – that what we discuss stays with the flame that only the two of us can light together.
We did a “light” check-in, just to offer a sense of mood and outlook.
I read a poem that I wrote some time ago (mostly uplifting and subtly poignant):
Let your Light shine:
Brightly in the morning… Like birds declaring the new day.
Steady in the evening… A welcoming beacon in the dark.
With gentle assurance in service… Humble generosity of compassion.
On re-ignition from a Divine spark… Grateful acceptance of love.
Let our Lights shine!
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Opening Question:
“______, what clarity are you seeking as we begin this companioning session together?”
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Summary:
She began to tell me about her predicament… mostly good things at first, but then presenting some challenges and obstacles… I asked open/honest questions to help with what she seemed to be describing at intermediate stages… often recognizing how she was being open and honest with her friend… often recognizing how their relationship was very satisfying… recognizing how she was setting boundaries… recognizing how each challenge and obstacle compounded on the others… recognizing the investment that she has put into the relationship… recognizing how her ambitions were to build a life together… recognizing how she was torn about how to reconcile all of those factors… in some cases correcting some of my misunderstandings of what she had told me… in many cases helping her to remember things we had discussed before, both good and bad… she cried a few times, but not excessively… (this lasted more than 20 minutes)
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Close Sacred Space:
I thanked her for her willingness to confide in me, and for being a companioning partner.
I read a poem that I wrote some time ago (motivated by my own divorce):
"COMING OF GROWTH"
Look back fondly on so much that was joyful…
Contemplate tenderly what arises that was painful…
and heed presence and purpose in being more mindful.
Honor grief for the losses with authenticity…
Offer gratitude for the gains with due humility…
and heed presence and purpose in being more mindful.
I extinguished the candle, and offered assurance that what has been said stays with the flame that only the two of us can light together.
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Assessment:
She felt better for having been able to sort through things and hear me recognize her struggles and joys… I felt fully engaged. I felt I was keeping up, and that I could make connections that were confirmed by her. I think she knows what she needs to do, and that she was doing a sort of “sanity check” with a trusted companion.
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Reflection:
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What worked for you in the session?
I liked the framework that I used to encapsulate the meat of the session.
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What you might do differently next time in a session?
I won’t sit on the same couch with just ANY client. I would need to set better time boundaries with professionally managed clients.
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How was conducting this session of spiritual companioning for you as a ministering person?
I felt like a lot of the things I learned in seminary AND in past life lessons all came together to provide value in this convening of companions. I am looking forward to doing this with people that I don’t know right off the bat, but then building a strong, professional relationship that supports this sort of companioning.
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Do you anticipate pursuing a practice as a spiritual companion? If yes, please describe the training you already have or will seek in order to move forward.
Yes. I already described my past training and experience. My intention has been to enroll in the OSLA ISCC program, and in fact, that is what I applied to attend originally, but then decided to have the OSIS experience. The timing is really ridiculous with the program starting in April this year – I mean, WHY!? – that has stuck a wrench in the middle of the works for me, so I will assess how to move forward accordingly. I believe that I need to attend a program with rigor that includes breadth of skills, knowledge, and resources to use, and includes extensive experience in companioning practice and supervision. There appear to be options for training with the UU church (nationally from the UUA), and supervision in the UU Companion Ministry program at my church.
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Worship Service
(with guided meditation)
(bulletin is below)
Tech Team:
in general, block individual audio unless “open audio” is noted
create random rooms of 3 or 4 people
– wait until the Greetings, below…
Just allow chat all the way through
Welcome (Curtis) - 1m
Tech Team:
*ring the singing bowl*
Spotlight: Both
SCOTT: [light a candle]
CURTIS:
Good afternoon and merry meet.
We are pleased to gather with you all to share this
experience of devotion, praise, and reflection.
We invite you to come as you are, with the beauty and
divinity that is present in each and every one of us,
to celebrate together in community.
Greetings (Scott) - 1m
Spotlight: no change
Scott:
Let us briefly enter into random rooms of 3 or 4 and extend
our greetings to each other, and then we will rendezvous
back here for the unison greeting, below…
Tech Team:
pop everyone into the rooms
bring them back in 1 minute
with a 10 second switch-back button
Tech team: Open audio
Scott: and now, unmute yourselves, and lets greet each other
all together in unison…
All: “We honor the divine wholeness in all Souls”
Tech team:
block participant audio
Music (video) - 2.5m
Scott:
…and now for Louis Armstrong, What a Wonderful World…
lyrics are in the program… sing along privately if you choose
Tech Team:
Music — “What a Wonderful World” - Louis Armstrong
Spotlight on video – share both audio and video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBrd_3VMC3c
Centering Chant (Curtis) - 4.5m
Spotlight on Curtis
CURTIS:
I’d like to invite you to join me in a chanting practice
to help center us individually and collectively in this
experience. This chant is 5 lines long, and there are
hand and arm motions that go along with each line that
you may adapt as feels most comfortable for you.
The first time through, we’ll do the chant in a call and
response style, so I’ll demonstrate the motion and chant
the line, then give you the opportunity to repeat it back.
Once we’ve gone through each line, we’ll do the entire
chant twice together.
To start, find a comfortable position in your chair,
or you may stand if you feel so moved.
For the first line, we put both arms up to about shoulder
height with palms facing down–and during the chant we
will slowly lower our arms with our palms still outstretched.
*demonstrate*
And the line is “Earth beneath me.” Now together.
Great. For the second line, we arch our arms up bringing
our palms to face the sky as we look upward, like this.
*demonstrate*
The line is “Stars above me.” Now together.
Okay. On the third line, we turn our forearms inward
slightly and make our hands into fists, like we’re holding
onto two ropes–and slowly pull them down to roughly
shoulder level.
*demonstrate*
And we chant “Water within me.” Now together.
Excellent. For the fourth line, we turn our forearms back out
and open our palms to face away from us. During the chant, we
extend our arms forward and outward to our sides like we’re
spreading our wings.
*demonstrate*
And the line is “Air around me.” Now together.
Perfect. And we close by grabbing onto those ropes again,
only this time we pull them in toward ourselves, allowing our
arms to cross and rest on our chest.
*demonstrate*
And the line is “I am at peace.” And now together.
Wonderful. So, now let’s put it all together, twice through.
Earth beneath me.
Stars above me.
Water within me.
Air around me.
I am at peace.
Spotlight: back to gallery
Earth beneath me.
Stars above me.
Water within me.
Air around me.
I am at peace.
MEDITATION 25m
SCOTT:
I have a guided meditation to offer us, or you can
contemplate quietly on your own…
I invite you to find a position to sit or lie comfortably…
…
Close your eyes or soften your gaze…
…
Let’s take a few deep breaths together…
In through the nose… and out through your mouth…
Breathe in the love that surrounds us in this gathering…
Breathe out the deep compassion we feel for our community…
Once more: deeply breathe in love… Breathe out compassion…
And now breathe normally without trying to control what
comes naturally…
…
Feel your body resting in your chair or on the floor…
…
The solid foundation of the earth supports us from below…
…
Hear the sounds in your environment… just let the sounds
become a part of your presence…
…
Let’s check-in with our bodies…
…
We are aware that some of us have lost some body parts,
and we honor the divine wholeness of all souls without
regard to missing physical parts…
you might check-in with your internal organs or finer
details of parts where you carry your stress…
…
Casually scan from your feet into your ankles and legs…
just noting any tension or discomfort…
no need to change anything – just notice…
…
Scan into your hips and waist…
just noticing your body sensations…
…
Now into your belly and chest…
just breathing comfortably…
…
Your hands… arms… shoulders…
…
Your neck… jaw… ears… eyes…
…
Just allowing your attention to rise to the top of
your head…
and then know that you are whole in the sanctuary
of our community…
…
And just breathe comfortably…
…
Breathe in love…
…
Breathe out compassion…
…
(allow 2 minutes of quiet)
…
If thoughts intrude, it’s ok… just return to focus on
your breathing…
…
You are floating up above the softly drifting clouds…
Intrusive thoughts are like clouds that have drifted
closer to you…
We don’t struggle to chase them away or evade them…
Just softly touch them gently with a feather,
and POOF… they dissipate or float away…
…and we come back to our breathing…
…
(6m total to here)
…
(allow 5 to 8m with very little speaking, as time allows)
…
Just a gentle reminder to gently return from any
intrusive thoughts…
…and come back to your comfortable breathing…
…
Breathe in love…
…
Breathe out compassion…
…
(allow 3 to 5m with very little speaking, as time allows)
…
(up to 20 minutes total to here)
…
And in this moment, at least for this moment,
each and every one of us can be at peace…
…
Breathing the love and compassion we are sharing
with each other…
…
(allow 2 minutes of silence)
…
As we begin to return from our stillness,
just remember this feeling that we are experiencing here
together…
…
And now… releasing our attention on the breath…
we return to our bodily sensations…
…
Becoming aware that you are in your chair
or lying comfortably…
…
Become aware of the space around you
and our community around us…
…
And when you are ready… open your eyes
and see the peace in our community…
…
And so it is.
…
Thank you.
Joys & Sorrows (Scott) - 2m
Spotlight: Scott
SCOTT:
Lets take a few minutes to bring our joys and sorrows
into our circle. I have a few that I received since
our last gathering that I will read, and you are welcome
to type anything you would like to share into the chat
Here is a sorrow:
...
Here is a joy:
...
Now, Lets take a minute to privately contemplate the
joys and sorrows in the chat.
SCOTT:
We hold these named and un-named people in our prayers
even as we go our separate ways into the week ahead.
Reading (Scott) - 1.5m
United in Mother Earth by Joseph White Eagle
We who walk the Red Road have been chosen by the
Ancestors to be the sacred torchbearers, we shine our
light to illuminate the darkness and we envision a
lasting love, peace and harmony to Mother Earth.
We should never waver but keep the torch in our heart
burning until we all unite together in one sacred circle,
all people from different nations, with one vision,
one struggle, and one prayer to start following the
original instructions that is imprinted within all our
hearts. We will not be separated by beliefs, language,
gender or politics, but we will see that all of us come
from the one source and we are all related in spirit.
We will no longer be fooled by the false illusions of
why we should be separated and we will all realize
that we have the same hopes, visions and dreams.
It will be our love for Mother Earth and the Great
Spirit that lives within everything that will keep us
in this divine bond and it will keep our torch burning
in our hearts. We who walk the Red Road can hear the
sacred calling and soon we all will have to act upon
this calling.
Inspiration (Curtis) - 5m
Spotlight: Curtis
We are often told that “time is a human construct”.
And this seems to never be more relevant than when,
as many of us did just a couple weeks ago, we change our
clocks between daylight saving time and standard time.
After all, if we can just arbitrarily change the hour,
then certainly humanity has mastered time, no?
But then there are those who take the phrase to mean that
time has little real meaning. After all, when I changed
the clocks in my house, our dogs did not magically expect
to wake up and have their meals an hour later. They don’t
live their life by the clock on the wall; they live it by
an internal rhythm, one that not only exists inside of
themselves but also connects them with the world that
surrounds them.
While our ancestors may have constructed the way we express
and experience time today, there is certainly an element of
time that is universal and cannot be denied. Ecclesiastes 3:1
reminds us: For everything there is a season, and a time
for every matter under heaven.
In a world of modern conveniences, we often are able to
find ways to work around that assertion, though. We can
travel and communicate at speeds unheard of even 100 years
ago. We are able to complete tasks that used to take hours,
like complex calculations, in minutes…or even seconds. Our
experience of time–both in how we spend it and in its
value–is vastly different from our ancestors, even going
back one or two generations. And there’s nothing wrong with
this. These advances in technology have led to amazing
developments for civilization–and sometimes for the planet.
Though they do also allow us to lose sight of one very
important clock, one that has provided gifts and insight
to all beings throughout our planet's history.
This time of year, late autumn, for those of us in
the northern hemisphere, is marked by shorter days and
longer nights. It is a darker, colder time, overall,
but one that can easily be ignored/overcome/disregarded
largely thanks to technical advances. These advances have
greatly improved our quality of life. At the same time,
they allow us to disconnect from what is happening all
around us in nature. While we often see the shorter days
as an inconvenience in our daily lives, we forget about the
value of the darkness. The coming winter is a time of repose,
restoration, and renewal. This darker time on the Wheel of
the Year reminds us that it is okay to take a break, that
dark times do not necessarily signal an ending, and that
there can be as many gifts derived from times of reflection
and introspection as from times of activity and productivity.
As Wendell Berry once wrote,
To go in the dark with a light is to know the light.
To know the dark, go dark. Go without sight,
and find that the dark, too, blooms and sings,
and is traveled by dark feet and dark wings.
Many of us go through life looking for a great spiritual
teacher, that teacher who not only understands the secrets
of the universe but also willingly shares them with us if
we might only take the time to understand. But for all of
our seeking, we often overlook a teacher who is present
for all of us. A teacher who gives freely and asks only for
our attention and respect in return. This teacher will
always work to provide for us as best as possible, but it
takes an intentional and purposeful connection on our part
to not only ensure we learn the lessons…but that those
lessons will remain to be learned by others for
generations to come.
As Thich Nhat Hanh tells us:
When we suffer, the Earth embraces us, accepts us,
and restores our energy, making us strong and stable again.
The relief that we seek is right under our feet and all
around us. Much of our suffering can be healed if we realize
this. If we understand our deep connection and relationship
with the Earth, we will have enough love, strength, and
awakening to look after ourselves and the Earth so that
we both can thrive.
So mote it be.
Reflection (Scott) - 3m
Spotlight: Scott
Scott:
As Friar Curtis has so beautifully put it, and as I see it,
ALL of the world is interconnected. We cannot say we exist
individually… not within humanity… not within the environment
and ecology, and the whole Earth — and, yes, not even within
the whole cosmos. In a recent daily meditation, Richard Rohr
was highlighting Mirabai Starr, who said:
Waking up is a community affair…
We each need to bring the best of who we are to
the spiritual table and offer our own imperfect selves
as the medicine for the critically ill spirit of humanity…
…and I say we need to “be” and “offer” the medicine for
the critically ill Earth as a living system and being of its own.
Starr and Rohr go on to say that even though no religion
or tradition seems to have ALL of the answers, that’s even
more reason for us to build on Interfaith friendships and
alliances to bring all of the best medicine to our world.
May it be so.
Music (video) - ~4m
Scott:
Here is a beautiful song along with imagery that calls us
to action in our love for mother earth…
Tech Team:
Miracle - Above & Beyond pres. OceanLab:
Show video & audio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsL9q3Pr4kw
Benediction & Offertory (Scott) - 2m
Spotlight: Scott
Scott:
Please note the link in your program to make an offering as
you may be so moved to do in appreciation for our time together.
Your contributions are appreciated in this and in so
many other ways.
In closing, I have a prayer that I have evolved over the past
year or two that I have come to love as a way of wholing for
ourselves, both individually and corporately as a way of
reconnecting with Mother Earth… I call it “A Wholing Prayer”
Dear Great Mystical Whole:
That which is within and around us all,
and throughout the universe;
That which goes by many names
and is honored by many traditions;
That which is The Divine All
which holds a place for all Souls
to engage Spiritually with all Beings...
We seek a greater, truer, loving community
of all Beings.
We seek both collective and individual purpose
within that community.
We seek wholeness and integration of old wounds
into our expanding presence.
We are grateful
– regardless of losses that thwart us.
We are humble
– regardless of temptations that inflate us.
We are genuine [i.e., authentic]
– regardless of judgements that misrepresent us.
We are joyous
– regardless of pain and suffering that burden us.
We are forgiving
– regardless of offenses that wound us.
We are compassionate
– regardless of differences that divide us.
We are faithful
– regardless of doubts that dishearten us.
We are intentional [i.e., hopeful]
– regardless of obstacles that undermine us.
We are loving
– regardless of carelessness that baffles us.
We seek revelation that will
clarify our purpose
while relieving our burdens.
We seek comprehensive dignity, equity, and belonging
within the greater, truer, loving community
of all Beings.
We seek wholeness and wellness
of The Living System of The Earth,
and all that it comprises.
With gratitude for our sacred places within The Whole,
we pray...
Amen.
Tech Team: Open All Audio
Back to Gallery view
Scott: you may unmute your audio to say your farewells
into the space as we end our service…
[Extinguish the candle]
Tech Team:
Allow 5 minutes for goodbyes – encourage anyone lingering
at that time to arrange for connecting in the regular
fellowship link; post fellowship link into the chat: https://... )
Personal Reflection
It was a joy working with Curtis to create the majority of this worship experience to be performed in class in November. I found that we were both familiar with a basic structure that seemed comfortable to us, and for me, this was very much like what I experience in my Unitarian-Universalist church. I modified the section from our original effort that has the now existing guided meditation. I created it from scratch, but it follows a structure that I have experienced with so many different meditation guides over many years. I was following that meditation format when we did the in-class small breakout groups, and although I ran out of time, my partner felt that it was taking her in a calming direction.
Bulletin
|
Naming Ceremony
Mytho-Poetic Soul Naming Ceremony
Theresa Benson, PhD. --> "Dancing Heart"
Officiant: Scott Godlew
Assistants: Judy, Gene, Florence
Participant: Theresa Benson
Videographer: Sierra Benson (to follow Theresa)
Audience: family, mentors, friends...
Setup:
- Theresa seated in normal daylight, to left of a doorway
- to the right of this doorway: liminal space
o chair in front of a dark background;
o her metaphorical mask is on the chair
o bright light shining from right onto mask
- to the right of liminal space, 2nd doorway
- to the right of the 2nd doorway: Inscended Space
o chair in a bright area
o a metaphorical heart is on the chair
o a variety of baloons around chair on the floor
[-15:00 - prior to start of ceremony]
Arrivals:
- Audience arriving on Zoom link provided; passcode; no wait room
- Music: Motez, "SOULITUDE" https://youtu.be/L-H2Fx7GKX4
- Gallery View
[0:00]
Welcome and Opening
- Theresa in pre-threshold appearance: no mask
Scott:
We are gathered here today as witnesses to Theresa Marie Benson’s
psycho-spiritual re-emergence as guided by her own soul and
fostered by a myriad of others who have nurtured, accompanied,
mirrored, and even challenged her claim to authentic wholeness.
Theresa has been remembering her name – remembering her
identity and purpose that her soul has held for her all her life
and even longer… She has needed to face the shadows that were
repressed deep inside in the near vicinity of soul…
where Ego likes to push the things that are too much to deal with…
where Ego likes to put the things that impose on its importance
and pride, and bring it fear.
Something inside Theresa is waking up to face these aspects of
her being to integrate them and emerge authentically whole.
Call in the four directions of wholeness
Judy:
Life can be seen through many different lenses using many
different metaphors and descriptive models.
Theresa lives with an understanding of facets of wholeness
arranged according to the four directions…
North – the nurturing generative adult –
the ways that Theresa shows up productively in the world
South – the wild indigenous one –
the ways that Theresa shows up as eco-aware and connected to
her sensuality and instinctive being, and embodied in the world.
East – the innocent sage –
the ways that Theresa shows up with connection and presence
with the more than human world…
bringing her experience and wisdom to the world for its wholeness
West – the muse beloved – the ways that Theresa shows up with
her inner self…
remembering and integrating the parts pushed aside by Ego…
shadows and soul…
bringing stability to Ego to manifest her purpose…
This is the source of being that has given Theresa her Soul Name:
her soul’s name for her.
[15:00]
Honoring Supporting Roles
Scott:
We honor the supporting people in Theresa's journey to wholeness:
- Family:
o children: Sierra, Paul, Isaac
o husband: Scott (myself)
siblings: Kari, Dennis, Ginny, Jessica
o extended family, …
- Mentors/Guides: Gene, Florence, Judy, …
- Community: Animas Valley Institute, One Spirit, UUCUC, …
- Ecology: child adventurer, mother guide to her children,
steward as a Master Naturalist,
wanderer in reconnecting with her soul,
co-conspirator with her husband to guide others
who are remembering their way.
- More than human world:
o manzanita tree…
a tree that seduced her and became a soul
partner for her as she navigated her liminal space
o snake & hawk…
the animals that became guides for her as she
became bathed in her eco-awareness and
encountered her under-world
o and others:
frog, fire ant, black beatle, river, lake,
ocean, fire, dragon’s breath, blade of grass
- We honor the complexity and challenges of childhood
which she has worked diligently to befriend
[20:00]
Action:
- Theresa now moves into the liminal space
o picks up the mask, sits, holds mask on lap
Prayers – to be delivered by her mentors
- For Father Sun – Gene
o Dear Father Sun…
+ the generator of light and energy that nourishes
Earth and all of us…
+ the reason behind wind and rain and currents and
biology and ecology…
+ holder of space and time for Earth and all of the
Solar System emerged from star dust…
+ vortex of masculine energy from The Universe into this space…
+ We are witnessing, here, a new commitment:
Theresa is illuminated into being and re-emergence
as her authentic being…
+ unique among all that you hold and yet integral to the
wholeness of The Universe. Amen
- For Mother Earth – Florence
o Dear Mother Earth…
+ the collection of star dust that resources our incarnations
in this physical reality…
+ the living being that hosts us and welcomes us no matters
how much we take from her, or impose on her,s
or neglect her…
+ Transforming all she receives into feminine energy tos
support our wellbeing…
+ We are witnessing, here, a new commitment:s
Theresa is awakened to your song and her memberships
in the wholeness and balance of all beings, and shes
and they are one with this entirety of being.
+ May she bring peace and healing and balance to all that shes
encounters in your care. Amen
- For Theresa – Judy
o Dear Theresa…
+ on your emergence beyond wholeness into purpose…
+ You have explored the physical/rational world in seven directions:
North, South, East, West,
Outward & Up, and Inward and Down,
and right here where ever you are…
+ You have explored a psycho-spiritual world, with its seven
directions and facets of wholeness…
+ having healed and matured to encounter and remember your
wholeness, you now see and embody your true identity
and purpose…
+ You are integrated into your own wholeness, and also integrated
in purpose and place with Mother Earth and Father Sun –
receiving their feminine and masculine energies in the
unique balance that has become you.
+ You are ready to traverse the threshold that brings you
authentically into the world. Amen
Action:
- Theresa now puts on her mask and moves into the Inscended Space
o she picks up the heart
o she dances spontaneously kicking baloons and spinning
- Theresa takes a seat
[30:00]
Scott:
Presenting "Dancing Heart"
- Theresa has emerged from her Cocoon of metamorphosis
- Now Unmasking – she is rising from the ashes of the old ego
Action:
- Theresa takes off her mask & puts it on her lap
[Theresa shares her arrival into her wholeness and purpose]
Theresa:
It has been a long journey
- integrating the challenging parts of my experiences
- realizing more and more of my divine wholeness
- offering my past identity as sacrifice - as death of ego
- meeting and encountering my Soul and its metaphoric images
- understanding what it means as a new purpose for life
I am now moving into the enactment phase of being what is mine to be
An authentic thank you to all who have been on this journey with me
It is a happy day for me.
Scott:
Congratulations to Theresa on reaching this milestone.
- here is some pertinent poetry from David Whyte:
o ...There is only one life
you can call your own
and a thousand others
you can call by any name you want.
Hold to the truth you make
every day with your own body,
don’t turn your face away.
Hold to your own truth
at the center of the image
you were born with.
Those who do not understand
their destiny will never understand
the friends they have made
nor the work they have chosen
nor the one life that waits
beyond all the others...
Benediction
"A WHOLING PRAYER" by Scott Godlew
Dear Great Mystical Whole:
That which is within and around us all,
and throughout the universe;
That which goes by many names
and is honored by many traditions;
That which is The Divine All
which holds a place for all Souls
to engage Spiritually with all Beings...
We seek a greater, truer, loving community
of all Beings.
We seek both collective and individual purpose
within that community.
We seek wholeness and integration of old wounds
into our expanding presence.
We are grateful
– regardless of losses that thwart us.
We are humble
– regardless of temptations that inflate us.
We are genuine [i.e., authentic]
– regardless of judgements that misrepresent us.
We are joyous
– regardless of pain and suffering that burden us.
We are forgiving
– regardless of offenses that wound us.
We are compassionate
– regardless of differences that divide us.
We are faithful
– regardless of doubts that dishearten us.
We are intentional [i.e., hopeful]
– regardless of obstacles that undermine us.
We are loving
– regardless of carelessness that baffles us.
We seek revelation that will
clarify our purpose
while relieving our burdens.
We seek comprehensive dignity, equity, and belonging
within the greater, truer, loving community
of all Beings.
We seek wholeness and wellness
of The Living System of The Earth,
and all that it comprises.
With gratitude for our sacred places within The Whole,
we pray...
Amen.
[45:00]
Scott:
The ceremony is complete. We'll now enter a period of audience
blessings and Q&A -- please "raise your hand" to take a turn.
At the bottom of your zoom screen is a button called "reactions"
and one of the choices upon clicking that button is a button
called "Raise Hand" -- your name will be called, and then you may speak.
Life Journey Reflection
This is a joyous endeavor: to write a Mytho-Poetic Soul Naming ceremony. This brings up a lot of what Theresa and I have been pouring our lives into to create Manzanita Mozaics. I see it as a celebration of my own journey to Soul.
I think I have tried to focus on Theresa, and I have consulted her extensively, but I am aware that I am also remembering my story and identity, along with the shadows I have encountered and am still encountering in new ways. I know that I want to continue my own work in this area.
|
Wedding Ceremony
The Wedding Ceremony of Theresa Benson and Scott Godlew
Saturday, February 8, 2020 at 12pm
(57 minutes total)
Note: Scott and Theresa and Florence collaborated
extensively in creating and gathering materials
for all parts of this wedding. A substantial part
of it was performed by Rev. Priestess Zenshin Florence Caplow,
our officiant, but others are called out throughout
this ceremonial design…
Scott specifically handled:
• Calling the Directions
• St. Brigid’s Prayer for Beer
• his vows
• the sand ceremony
Prelude (5m): A Thousand Years, by Christina Perry
Welcome (3m):
Welcome! I am Rev. Florence Caplow, the minister of
the Unitarian Universalist church of Urbana Champaign,
where Theresa and Scott met. and I will be supporting
them as they take vows together.
They asked me to say a word about the altar behind me:
Buddhist, Christian, Earth based religion,
Unitarian Universalist, earth, air, fire, water
Incense in a lotus incense holder, air
Brigid, paganism
Manzanita branch, earth
Goblets with beer, water
Tibetan singing bowl
Vows
Rings
You who are here are gathered because you love these two,
and you want to be with them as they take this great leap.
I’d like to ask you now to think of yourselves as more
than observers. In many indigenous traditions, no ceremony
can happen without witnesses, who are pledged to remember
the ceremony forever.
You are their witnesses, and together we will create
and hold a beautiful circle for them to make their
wedding vows.
[Silence… ring bowl]
[Processional (4m): Someone Like You, Van Morrison.
Theresa will come down the stairs to the front door,
they will walk in together]
Chalice Lighting (officiant; 2m):
In the Unitarian Universalist tradition we begin
our services and other sacred times with the lighting
of a flaming chalice, symbolizing the light of spirit
and truth held in a chalice of compassion and community.
Please, as I say these words, hold these two dear ones
in your hearts, as the chalice holds the flame.
The sacred bond of matrimony
is a gift of love and hope
uniting two people in a relationship
unique and blessed.
We light our chalice in honor of the love
between Theresa and Scott, and all true love everywhere.
(Theresa and Scott light the chalice)
Calling in the Four Directions (5m):
[facing the east]
From the east we have the rising sun…
the sun inspires the air:
the element of air to move either gently or ferociously…
it is our breath;
it is how we draw in what is a common source of life for us…
the east is a source of great inspiration…
[facing the south]
From the south —
at least from the perspective of the northern hemisphere —
we have warmth coming from the south…
and the element of fire…
fire that is transformative and action-initiating…
the south is the source of our sense of wildness
and our sense of our inner ingenuous authenticity…
[facing the west]
In the west the sun is setting…
going down…
and we have the element of water,
seeking the lowest point that it can find…
in these depths it may bring us to encounter
our shadows in our unconsciousness…
and as we befriend our shadows,
we quiet the fray and can begin to hear
our shy soul as it is persistently
offering to help us understand our purpose…
[facing the north]
From the north, we have the element of the Earth…
grounding us…
nurturing us…
bringing birth and regeneration,
wisdom, and a sense of maturity.
[facing the people]
All of these come together
to give us a sense of balance in our spiritual lives,
and a sense of inspiration, wilderness, purpose,
and maturity to Theresa and Scott.
Opening Words (officiant; 2m):
You have been asked here today to this intimate circle
because each one of you has touched Theresa or Scott’s
lives in some profound way.
They hold you, their family and friends, as a valued part
of what they are as individuals, and what they will become
as a married couple.
Your presence is a gift of support and caring, today and
as they move forward into marriage.
We are gathered here, not to witness the beginning of
what will be, but rather what already is.
We celebrate with them the wondrous and joyful occurrence
that has already taken place in their lives,
the coming together of two people,
the mystery of both two and one,
and the coming together of a new family.
Reading (2m)
Scott and Theresa have asked me to offer this reading,
The Sacred Marriage, by Ann Mortifee.
Anyone who knows these two knows that each of them carries
both the masculine and the feminine principle.
The feminine principle in nature always upholds
relationship, while the masculine principle upholds
autonomy.
The one seeks to merge while the other seeks to individuate.
We can only experience true relationship when we are
capable of standing alone.
And we can only truly stand alone when we realize
that we are forever interconnected with everything.
We are a paradox of opposing urges.
We are both separate from, and one with,
all of creation.
We must stand alone and we must stand together.
This is the sacred marriage.
-Ann Mortifee
Honoring of Family Members (2m)
Scott and Theresa want to honor their ancestors
as part of this ceremony.
In the words of Alice Walker, “To acknowledge our
ancestors means we are aware that we did not make
ourselves… that the line stretches all the way back,
perhaps to God…The grace with which we embrace life,
in spite of the pain, the sorrows, is always a
measure of what has gone before.”
In addition to those family members who are present,
we acknowledge the spirits of Scott’s grandparents,
Edward and Emma Godlew and Leslie and Eleanora Walker,
who have passed.
We also acknowledge the spirits of Theresa’s
grandparents, Paul and Edith Bartell
and Manfred and Iola Gray.
Many cultures pour wine or spirits as blessing.
Theresa comes from German ancestry and Theresa’s
great grandmother made beer as part of family
tradition. This is Brigid’s prayer about beer.
As Simon reads, Theresa and Scott will each take
a sip (hand glasses).
Simon reads (2m):
I would like a great lake of beer
for the King of Kings.
I would like to be watching Heaven's family
drinking it through all eternity.
I'd like to give a lake of beer to God.
I'd love the Heavenly
Host to be tippling there
For all eternity.
I'd love the men of Heaven to live with me,
To dance and sing.
If they wanted, I'd put at their disposal
Vats of suffering.
White cups of love I'd give them,
With a heart and a half;
Sweet pitchers of mercy I'd offer
To every man.
I'd make Heaven a cheerful spot,
Because the happy heart is true.
I'd make the men contented for their own sake
I'd like Jesus to love me too.
I'd like the people of heaven to gather
From all the parishes around,
I'd give a special welcome to the women,
The three Marys of great renown.
I'd sit with the men, the women of God
There by the lake of beer
We'd be drinking good health forever
And every drop would be a prayer.
Celebrant’s Address and Lives Lived poem (3m)
This is a joyous day for me as well.
I got to know both of you before you came together
as a couple. Both of you are relatively new members of
the church, but Theresa, you and I share a history of
Zen practice, and Scott, I have watched you travel
from a time of great sorrow to this day.
What I have been struck by both of you is the quality
of heart and generosity that you bring to all that
you do,
to those around you,
and to each other.
That you two found each other through our church
community just makes my heart sing.
Love is beautiful at any age, but there is a special
quality to the love that comes later in life,
after heartbreak, after loss, after betrayal –
and all of us know these things eventually.
A life that has walked through those fires has
been burnished, refined like fine metal, has risen
again stronger and clearer on the other side.
I see that in each of you.
The choice you make today is a real choice,
an awake choice,
a choice that recognizes that love is not always easy
and yet chooses to say yes nonetheless.
I’d like to share a poem that was written for you
by an itinerant poet, after hearing the story of
your love and life.
The vows that you are about to take will transform
you and help you to walk this path of commitment.
Feel the love of the people that are gathered
around you. As you say these vows,
they are holding you in their hearts,
and know that they will be there for you when you
stumble and need a hand. And although you may not
know this, I know your love has already been
inspiring, and will continue to be a force of
goodness in the world.
So thank you, for what you’ve been
and for what you will be.
Declaration of Intent (1m)
The covenant of marriage is one that can be entered into
only by persons who are both legally and spiritually free
to offer themselves to each other.
Therefore in the presence of all the witnesses here,
I will ask Theresa and Scott to state their intention.
Theresa and Scott, have you come here freely and without
reservation...
to give yourselves to each other in the holy state of matrimony?
The couple answers yes.
Officiant (2m): And so I ask Theresa and Scott
in the presence of this community:
Have you come here today to be joined together
as husband and wife?
To take this fabulous team and make it a partnership
for your lifetime?
To love each other, care for and comfort one another?
To be a safe haven and create a marriage that is
a safe place for you to grow?
To listen deeply to each other
and speak honestly and openly?
To nourish each other with gentleness and encouragement,
while pushing one another to achieve your very best?
Accepting your faults as well as your strengths?
Do you vow to love, cherish and care for each other
for all the days of your lives?
If so, please answer-I Do. (Adapted from Turchin).
Vows (5m)
And now we come to the heart of the marriage ceremony,
the stating of vows and exchanging of rings.
Theresa and Scott have indicated that they would like
to share personal vows that they have written for
one another before stating formal vows and exchanging rings.
[Theresa and Scott share personal vows].
Scott:
Theresa… YOU are my soul mate:
We were fortunate enough to find each other,
and spiritually adept enough to recognize our match;
emotionally prepared to bond;
and mentally disciplined enough to channel our energies
toward our souls’ visions — both jointly and individually.
I VOW to protect our bond, forsaking and defending
against any phenomenon that might threaten to erode it.
We will spend the rest of our lives TOGETHER as
willing teammates:
sharing in all we need to do, joyful or tedious;
sharing in all the richness and good fortune we might
encounter;
sharing in all turmoil and burdens we might encounter;
sharing in launching Sierra, Paul, and Isaac into their
blossoming lives...
Sharing in the evolving wholeness we are constantly
exploring and discovering and intentionally growing
toward.
I love you with all my heart and soul.
I am grateful for our joy together.
Theresa:
[lost to the mystery of loving abandon]
Officiant (1m): Theresa, repeat after me.
Theresa:
I, Theresa Benson, take you, Scott Godlew, to be my
lawful wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this
day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer,
in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish,
until death do us part. This is my solemn vow.
Officiant (1m): Scott, repeat after me.
Scott:
I, Scott Godlew, take you, Theresa Benson, to be my
lawful wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this
day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer,
in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish,
until death do us part. This is my solemn vow.
Ring Warming Ceremony (8m)
Before Theresa and Scott exchange rings, we are going
to invite each of you to hold them for a moment, warming
them with your wishes, prayers, and blessings for Theresa
and Scott, their marriage, and their future together.
(Rings are passed then returned to the officiant before
the ring exchange)
music for that part:
- Emerald Dawn, Bill Douglas;
- Forest Hymn, Bill Douglas.
Florence, sotto voce:
These are the hands of your best friend, strong and full
of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding
day, as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow,
and forever.
These are the hands that will work alongside yours, as
together you build your future. These are the hands that
will love you and cherish you through the years, and with
the slightest touch, will comfort you like no other.
These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief
fills your mind. These are the hands that will countless
times wipe the tears from your eyes; tears of sorrow,
and tears of joy.
These are the hands that will give you strength when you
need it. And lastly, these are the hands that even when
wrinkled and aged, will still be reaching for yours,
still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with
just a touch.
(Instrumental music plays out...)
Ring Exchange (3m)
Theresa and Scott, these, your rings, now contain within
their precious metal, that which is priceless – the love
and care of your family and friends. As you wear your
rings let them remind you that you will always have this
community of friends and family to support you and your
marriage.
These rings, as a circle, symbolize wholeness, a state
in which everything is possible. I give you the words
of the I Ching: When two people are at one in their
innermost hearts, they shatter the strength of iron
or even of bronze.
Scott, take Theresa’s ring, place it on her left hand,
and repeat after me: “I give you this ring as a symbol
of my vows.”
Theresa, take Scott’s ring, place it upon his left hand,
and repeat after me, “I give you this ring as a symbol
of my vows.”
Scott and Theresa, may your love be a moving sea between
the shores of your souls. Just as there will never be
a morning without the ocean's flow, may there never be
a day without your love for each other.
Sand Ceremony (5m)
You have just sealed your relationship by the giving
and receiving of rings. This beautiful union is
symbolized through the combining of two colors of sand.
The first represents you, Scott, in all that you were,
all that you are, and all that you will ever be, and the
other represents you, Theresa, in all that you were,
all that you are and all that you will ever be.
Just as these grains of sand can never be separated and
poured again into the individual containers, so will your
marriage be a molding of two individual personalities,
bonded together forming one heart, one love.
But you are also making a bond with Theresa’s children,
Sierra, Paul, and Isaac. As they also contribute their
unique personalities and strengths to this new family,
they will also individually add a layer of sand to this
unity vase. (Pause as the children pour their sand
individually, forming separate layers over their parents'
blended sand.) As you now combine your sand together, your
lives also join together as one family.
Pronouncement (1m)
It is a great and joyful occasion when two people choose
each other wholeheartedly, accepting the fullness and
limitation of each other with respect and gratitude.
This benefit extends to the whole world. Scott and Theresa,
I now declare you completely married!
You may now seal this ceremony with a kiss.
Amen and blessed be! Go in peace and celebration!
Music: You’re Are the Sunshine by Stevie Wonder, Recessional
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Memorial Service
[This is an actual service that the Associate Minister (Sally) and I created for David and Claudia Gross… friends of mine, friends of hers, friends of the UU church, and great contributors and coordinators of joy in the community. They have been married for 56 years and are now in the process of moving from their dear home of 17 years into a retirement community to simplify their lives and focus more on travel and their roles as elders in the church.
They specifically wanted a small, simple ceremony to honor past pets, for which they have ashes for many of them… and to honor friends, both past and present, through the scattering of a 56 year old top-tier of their wedding cake (the top-tier was fruitcake)
The above were the specifically requested objectives, while Sally and I both know there is a lot more going on…
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Morning the departure from their home
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Downsizing
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Re-homing of precious artifacts
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Wrapping up loose ends
-
Upheaval of Moving
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Continuing Along A Path Toward Wholeness
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Spreading their joy of giving to the community
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Some Modest Recognition of Them
We are gathering at their home, outside, on a brisk December day
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1009 Galen Dr, Champaign, IL
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Sunday afternoon, December 11th, 2022, 2:30
Co-officiants:
-
Scott Godlew
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Sally Fritsche
Honored Hosts:
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David Gross, husband
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Claudia Gross, wife
Friend of the Family:
We will gather by a raised garden bed beside their house.
It is a generally informal gathering, with light-hearted ad lib dialog in addition to the following…
]
1. Sally – Assembling and Opening – 3m
“We are gathered here today to remember the inspiring adventures of David and Claudia so far in their lives to this auspicious transition point. There is a deep history that has happened in this place: church gatherings for new ministers and big church decisions and planning for the future of our church, and celebrating our accomplishments and growing unity. David and Claudia have been through endless cycles of ebb and flow of the evolution of our church for 5 decades, and their generosity and diligence has been a driving force for that evolution. David and Claudia are embarking on a massive initiative of self-care that is well deserved – moving into more modest housing in a place that will hold them more gently than can be done in this place. Other people through the ages may not have gathered ‘round to bury a wedding cake layer, but people everywhere come together to say hard goodbyes and to say thank you to the places, people, and things that have touched their lives. We are part of a larger human experience that honors these stages in lives well-lived.”
Sally – Gratitude - call and response – 5m
“For each item of gratitude that anyone calls out, we will all respond: ‘we give thanks’
I’ll start with a few example gratitudes, and then any of us can continue to identify gratitudes…
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For the happy years spent in this home…. “we give thanks”
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For the sad years too, the tears shed in frustration or grief… “We give thanks”
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For…. “we give thanks”
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...
[Examples of gratitudes offered spontaneously: ‘gatherings of friends,’ ‘gatherings of family,’ ‘all of the pets,’ … this went on for about 5 minutes]
3. Scott - Scattering ashes, scattering cake – 6m
“There are 5 of us, and 5 containers of ashes, even though there were many more than 5 pets. Claudia will call out their names, and the corresponding person will enthusiastically spread the ashes in this garden area…
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Buddha
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Maggie
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Molly
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Calley
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Dottie
“Here we have a 56 year old Fruitcake that was the top-tier of the wedding cake for David and Claudia. The chunks that are left here in the garden will become food for squirrels, birds, and any other unsuspecting participants in this ritual…’
[We were each given a chunk and crumbled it into the garden.]
3.5 A reading requested by Claudia – 2m
“Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 NIV
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. What do workers gain from their toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”
4. Scott - Closing, sending forth – 5m
“Dear Spirits of all of us gathered here, today…
And Spirits of cats and dogs…
And Spirits of so many wedding guests, family, and friends over the decades…
And Spirits of this land and this house… this home… so many things that are meaningful…
And Spirits of so many facets of our lives and adventures and love of it all…
There are a lot of balls up in the air right now…
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Downsizing…
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Wrapping up loose ends…
-
Moving…
-
General mayhem and upheaval…
We have come here to honor all of that,
And to honor our intentions to continue the adventures…
We see the good in the process,
And we see the good in our hearts…
David and Claudia have shared in the harvest of their lives
By inviting friends and family to receive valued artifacts,
And to benefit from the abundance of lives well lived.
What we honor today, we will honor indefinitely…
Driving by from time to time…
Reminiscing from time to time…
Appreciating even more as we contemplate so many connections
Still being realized… there are infinite connections…
Sally and I have only known you for a few years,
And we are already aware of infinite connections
Running through the legacy that came before…
And will continue…
The Moving will be challenging, but so much has already found its place
The future promises more adventure…
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Cruises – and the ways of arriving and returning from them…
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Photo books with stories and wisdom…
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Settling into a new home – perhaps more simple – less back-breaking…
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Conversations over a beer at the pub…
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Continued connections with church and other interests…
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And more of the mischief we have come to appreciate…
It is our hope that this is a transition to a new “normal” – if “normal” is even a reasonable expectation…
Perhaps “normal” being change, as usual, but maybe at a more comfortable pace…?
Or, we could call it the new “abnormal”...?
The signs are clear: fruitcake from a wedding cake, now enshrined on this land!
Let us go from here…
Emboldened to know we are continuing the adventures…
Hearts warmed to know these treasured remnants are in their places…
With gratitude for lives past, present…
And every day, year, and decade we are given to greet the sun again…
On our paths to wholeness.
So, with love in our hearts,
And gratitude for our sacred places in The Great Whole of the Cosmos…
Amen, and may it be so…”
Personal Reflection
It was a joy working with Sally, the Associate Minister of UUCUC (Unitarian-Universalist Church of Urbana and Champaign). We have worked together on a variety of efforts: Soul Matters facilitating (Sally is the lead for our church); Co-facilitating a special Soul Matters group for new church members; and the UU Companion Ministry. We have a sense of how we each move in the moment, and so it was easy to create and then deliver this memorial ceremony. We met for 15 minutes to set the structure, and then independently composed our parts and put them together with web-based document sharing. Then there were some ideas we each had for simple refinements, and it was done. It took longer to document than to actually say what we wanted to do.
David and Claudia were very pleased. David was one of my references for my application to One Spirit, and he felt that his effort was somehow rewarded, although it was an authentic offer that Sally and I made to help them with this ceremony.
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Inspirational Talk
[This is intended to be a talk given to my
classmates or any other group studying spiritual
and/or soulful material together, or people
who might facilitate such studies.]
Loving Community
I want to talk to you about ways that we,
as seminary students, have built some pretty strong
connections with each other. Here are a few quotes
that I would like to offer as a way of setting the
stage for my remarks…
“I think I fall in love a little bit
with anyone who shows me their
soul. This world is so guarded
and fearful. I appreciate rawness
so much.”
~ Emery Allen
“Will you...
Hold my hand for a little while?
I don’t need you to save me
No need for you to fix anything
No need for you to hold my pain
But will you simply hold my hand?”
~ Zoe Johansen
While studying spiritual, faith, or world wisdom
traditions, we may find we can explore together
with our own evolving spiritual ways of being and
accompanying emotional and lived experiences that
are emerging. We may discover that we have more
questions than answers. We may find that we value
the mutual struggle as we consider ideas beyond
our pre-existing boundaries. We may find that we
have some degree of common purpose and intentions
of inquiry. What better way of exploring than with
others who are in the same space of openness to ideas
that we are mutually or sparsely unfamiliar with.
These explorations need not be a rapid exchange...
perhaps some will prefer not to explore mutually
at all... or the time may not be right for some
reason... but this curiosity to hear the perspectives
of fellow explorers will arise for some as it has for
me and others I know...
When I become self-assured and trusting with my
co-explorers, my Shy Soul becomes more accessible
and my Ego is less defensive and less fearful about
the sharing. I am not saying that assuredness and
trust must emerge without warrant and due diligence,
but perhaps they will as we explore more and realize
not all the answers are the same for everyone, and
perhaps not even the questions. When the Shy Soul is
able to voice itself, and the Ego is able to realize
that these sorts of things occur to others, then
more and more mystical and compelling phenomena
emerge for mutual awareness and consideration and
discernment and experience...
In many ways, the Deep Listening traditions of Quaker
origin spring into pertinence. Some derived
methodologies include Circles of Trust from The Center
for Courage and Renewal (a la Parker Palmer),
and Soul Matters small group covenant circles of the
UU Church (a major proponent of which is Rev. Scott
Tayler: "What began as a bunch of seminary and
preaching buddies supporting each other has
organically become a means for deep congregational
interdependence. Ultimately, for me, Soul Matters
is about healing spiritual disconnection.")
A valuable aspect of each methodology is the set of
ground rules that each emphasizes regarding manners
of presence, receiving matters of Soul's revelations,
and what tact of response is welcome or constructive
in these contexts (e.g. Touchstones for Circles of
Trust). There is much to be gained from practicing
the ways of these traditions.
In a face to face conversation, we get more ability
to dynamically “negotiate” what we are saying to be
more fully understood, but we need assurance in a
written exchange that we can refine what we have
said based on questions for clarification that may
return. So, we must offer each other that assurance.
The dynamics of written refinement are stretched out
over time, and we must be patient and not jump to
conclusions, but seek mutual clarity with intention
to fully understand. Again, ground rules about the
welcome and constructive ways of dialog about
Soul's revelations need be heeded.
Also, we may find that we will come to “be in love”
with our fellow spiritual explorers — that we
experience God’s love and our love for God “through”
the inter-spiritual connections with our fellow
explorers, and that we manifest and express that
love in reality as we connect and explore.
Revelation, discovery, articulation, refinement, and
validation of our Spiritual connection to Soul,
and of Inter-Spiritual common ground, are powerful
binding phenomena, and amplify our experience of God.
There may be joyful celebration in a way that Rumi
might recognize – even if we temper the degree of
physical intimacy that Rumi and other Sufi poets
often describe. Even so, a hug, or a hand hold, or
a finger touch, or a knuckle bump, or a
compassionate gaze into another’s eyes, or just
holding space and silence together, or a verbal or
written statement of loving kindness can be
powerful medicine. Sometimes it reaches right
through a Zoom session or a chat sequence or
an email exchange.
We must also be able to process darkness, depression,
and unknowing... As we explore the depths of
consciousness, we will certainly encounter shadows
and wounds that we have carried for a lifetime,
and often more than our own lifetime: generational
and cultural. We will certainly encounter
disappointment and frustration with the world as it
is and as it seems it may never recover from.
And, we will certainly encounter our inadequacy
to know the future or even how our purpose can be
fulfilled beyond our inter-spiritual awareness.
We need the support and resilience of our loving
community and our own emerging understanding to
struggle with these dark, depressing, and uncertain
feelings. They are mostly emotional, as God's
purpose, overall, is to be loving and receive
loving from ALL. So, the struggle is to find the
common ground of inter-spiritual energy that can be
our salvation in this world –
we need to collectively keep the faith.
For example… It has come to be an organized activity
for some in our class that we gather to hear the
“stories” of other class members – we call this Storytime.
Different classmates have different strategies:
• Perhaps a chronological telling of pertinent
experiences leading to seminary.
• Others have taken a “top ten” approach to things others
likely wouldn’t know.
• There have been accounts of amazing experiences and
synchronicities.
• There have been love letters.
Overall, there have been some intimate details and
vulnerable facts revealed and woven together into
stories that give us a better glimpse into the lives
of our classmates. As we have continued to get together
for these stories, 2 at a time, we have become very
trusting about what gets said, but more importantly,
we realize each-others’ humanity and soulful adventures
on our life journeys. I, personally, have found myself
literally “falling-in-love” with my classmates.
So, Storytime is a more concentrated arrangement of
these types of experiences, but what I have realized
is that we have been doing this throughout the entire
series of classes we have attended together over the
course of our seminary journey. We have been sharing
our experiences and insights pertinent to the topics
we are studying on our class weekends.
Over the course of the 2 years, most, if not all,
of our classmates have chimed-in with unique and soulful
experiences, authentic questions originating from deep
within them, and realizations that become insightful
for all of us. Some are more willing to share,
while others are more hesitant…
Now, maybe you see... that an embodied loving experience
could be taken as something too intimate, too vulnerable,
or as a violation of other devotions without further
clarification... but it is not meant as anything to
threaten our marriages, nor partnerships, nor morality,
nor personal space, nor intentions about how we manage
our independence, nor to create inappropriate
relationships between students nor others in the
learning ecosystem... but just to say that this love
is the authentic and sacred outcome of the experience,
and reinforces the container for presence and intention
for growth, and although spiritual and emotional energy
and intimacy may show up as part of our struggle to
expand our consciousness, it is not to be exploited for
a grab for dependency, nor devotion, nor control, nor
proselytizing, nor seduction, nor any unhealthy
overture. It is a manner of investing in our
interconnectedness and being in loving community with
a purpose to grow in understanding of our studies,
and ourselves, and each other, and of God's love as
personally meaningful to us individually –
but also Inter-Spiritually.
Maybe it’s just not clear enough... or maybe it’s just
not a way some are inclined to think about it...
or maybe it even seems dangerous – it certainly
requires vulnerability... So, it must be trusted
that we will all stay centered on our own ways of
being and stretching without breaking. We must
intend that our ways are compatible, and if we need
to adapt, then let us also realize what allows us to
meet in a place of mutual respect, safety, assurance,
and inter-spiritual energy and synergy to explore
and discover together.
Namaste… Amen… and may it be so…
Life Journey Reflection
This is a piece that I wrote in my big-bad-web-page, intended to be an inspiration to my classmates as I started to realize what was happening as I studied and worked together with them. The quotes at the beginning were matters of synchronicity that I found in my various readings, and became inspirations to me to begin consolidating my ideas into an essay.
As I was thinking about what to write about, these quotes came back to my mind, but I had forgotten that I wrote this essay. When I went to look for the quotes, I realized that I had already written about what I wanted to write for this assignment. I added the example, which is a true experience that had been part of my more recent inspiration. The example that came to mind is really just one of dozens of experiences like it that have been happening throughout my overall seminary experience.
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Sample Prayers, Quotes/Music & Others of My Writings
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One day, I was imagining what it is about being in loving community
that is so assuring and so abundantly generative of both grace and gratitude.
The imaginations were percolating up into feelings and inspirations that were somewhat abstract,
but I managed to find words to realize consciousness for many of the ideas –
tapping into mytho-poetic soulful senses to reach some poetically concrete intentions
as a deep listener and caring companion.
This blends into my intention to be a catalyst and not an X-splainer.
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| #Do_you_know_that_I_love_you |
Do you know that I love you...?
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Do you know
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that I love you?
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Do you know
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you have nothing to prove to me?
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Do you know
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that I want to understand, but I already understand how difficult understanding can be for either of us?
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Do you know
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I would look for the best in you, and disbelieve the worst — hoping to some day understand the truth?
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Do you know
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I would support you in any way I could?
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Do you know
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your sanctuary, safety, and self-identity are paramount to me?
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Do you know
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that I melt and shed my armor when you look my way... hear my pain... say my name... offer your presence...?
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Do you know
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that my soul sees your soul, and we only need to be true to what our souls see in each other: how ever little or much?
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Do you know
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how amazing you are to me and to the world?
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Do you know
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we are catalysts for each other, and I don’t want to impose my ways onto you, and I value our diversity?
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Do you know
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I will listen deeply to your needs and ambitions and ideas, and recognize your humanity and celebrate your ingenuity?
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Do you know
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that our connection is as valuable as anything else I can imagine, and I am powerless to break it?
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Do you know
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that I will mind my other business if you need me to be non-involved with you or honor other boundaries?
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Do you know
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that I never want to hurt you, and I become sad if I do?
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Do you know
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that I forgive you and I want us to move through and beyond any trouble we may encounter?
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Do you know
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that the interspiritual connection, not only between us but with the world, makes the world more whole?
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Do you know
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it is impossible to enumerate everything I want to say?
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. . .
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Do you know that I love you? Namaste 🙏
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~ Whispers-with-ForestsΞ
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A⌖Wholing Prayer
(see my dream: A Great Re-Wholing of All Beings)
work in progress...
Dear Great Mystical Whole:
That which is within and around us all,
and throughout the universe;
That which goes by many names
and is honored by many traditions;
That which is The Divine All
which holds a place for all Souls
to engage Spiritually with all Beings...
We seek a greater, truer, loving community
of all Beings.
We seek both collective and individual purpose
within that community.
We seek wholeness and integration of old wounds
into our expanding presence.
We are grateful
– regardless of losses that thwart us.
We are humble
– regardless of temptations that inflate us.
We are genuine [i.e., authentic]
– regardless of judgements that misrepresent us.
We are joyous
– regardless of pain and suffering that burden us.
We are forgiving
– regardless of offenses that wound us.
We are compassionate
– regardless of differences that divide us.
We are faithful
– regardless of doubts that dishearten us.
We are intentional [i.e., hopeful]
– regardless of obstacles that undermine us.
We are loving
– regardless of carelessness that baffles us.
We seek revelation that will
clarify our purpose
while relieving our burdens.
We seek comprehensive dignity, equanimity, and belonging
within the greater, truer, loving community
of all Beings.
We seek universal wholeness and wellness
of The Living System of The Earth,
and all that it comprises.
With gratitude for our sacred places within The Whole,
we pray...
Amen.
~ Whispers-with-ForestsΞ
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These mantras are derived from my other material, above, especially My Philosophical FrameworkΦ.
They are motivated and patterned from the Hindu spiritual mantra practices from seminary.
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From the One Spirit Hindu Pranayama Breathing Exercises...
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| | | • | Inhale: Truth... | [is it true, necessary, kind,
helpful, inspiring] |
| | | | • Exhale: Consequences... |
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| | | • | Inhale: Integrity... | [purity, wholeness, honesty,
peace-achieving] |
| | | | • Exhale: Corruption... |
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| | | • | Inhale: Non-Attachment... | [simplicity, forgiveness, in but not
of the world, Non‑isms Ω] |
| | | | • Exhale: Forcing... |
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| | Perhaps also... |
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| | | • | Inhale: Graceğ... | [gift, unconditional, unearned,
gratitude] |
| | | | • Exhale: Quid pro quo... |
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| | | • | Inhale: Compassion... | [seeing, feeling, understanding,
engaging] |
| | | | • Exhale: Self-absorbed... |
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#Metta_Meditation
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Buddhism Loving Kindness
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Sanskrit: मैत्री (Maitrī)
Pali: Mettā
English: metta (roots: gentle; friend)
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"The Buddha described a true friend as being a helper, someone who will protect us when we are unable to take care of ourselves, who will be a refuge to us when we are afraid. ...The culmination of metta is to become such a friend to all of life.
– Sharon Salzberg, Loving Kindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness
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| • | | Metta Meditation: (OSIS, Rev. Diane Berke, inspired by Stephen Levine) |
| | | May I be filled with loving kindness... |
| | | May I be free from suffering and fear... |
| | | May I accept myself and others completely... |
| | | May I be happy and at peace. |
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| | Perhaps also... |
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| • | | Metta Meditation: (my UU Minister, Rev. Zenshin Florence Caplow) |
| | | May I be safe... |
| | | May I be happy... |
| | | May I be healthy... |
| | | May I be peaceful and at ease. |
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• | | mmMetta Meditation: (a blend that I like**) |
| | | May I be filled with loving kindness and
humility η... |
| | | May I be safe and healthy... |
| | | May I be accepting and happy... |
| | | May I be peaceful and at ease. |
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**
This meditation variation forms pairs of roughly outward intentionsι and roughly inward states,
including all of what Florence and Diane have offered.
(Being "free from suffering and fear" is covered – according to my broader sensibility – by being healthy and safe.)
I added
humility η.
It is clear that there are some core concepts and some latitude for enrichment and arrangement.
I have encountered many variations from reputable / qualified practitioners.
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The ways I believe these meditations spread joy, healing, and more general "metta" into the world include:
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Tuning my attitude to be kind and loving intentionallyι and
observablyη outward toward others. |
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Tuning my attitude to be kind and loving within, and thus being
demonstrated in my demeanor and behaviorη
to be a distinct or even subtle example outward toward others. |
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Tuning my energyη
to flow from my Soul through The Whole and into the Souls of others from within. |
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All of these could be said about authentic prayer more generally. I believe all three channels are important.
The more subtle ways are helpful for all, but often most helpful for the well-healed and well-tuned among us.
The more outwardly noticeable ways are more important for others who are struggling or may need
supportη that also
comforts their EgoΙ to be less guarded and less obstructive to the more subtle ways.
Care must be taken to avoid exploitation and the creation of attachment and dependence,
as different EgosΙ with different wounds have developed different defense mechanisms.
The more noticeable ways are often expressed in teamwork as gifts and acts of
graceη
(e.g., collective generosity and volunteerism).
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Some of my Favorite Quotes/Music...
#What_is_the_greatest_gift
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What is the greatest gift?
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What is the greatest gift?
Could it be the world itself —
the oceans, the meadowlark,
the patience of the trees in the wind?
Could it be love,
with its sweet clamor of passion?
Something else —
something else entirely
holds me in thrall.
That you have a life
that I wonder about
more than I wonder about my own.
That you have a life — courteous, intelligent —
that I wonder about
more than I wonder about my own.
That you have a soul — your own, no one else's —
that I wonder about
more than I wonder about my own.
So that I find my soul
clapping its hands for yours
more than my own. "
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Mary Oliver
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#love_of_soul
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I think I fall in love a little bit
with anyone who shows me their
soul. This world is so guarded
and fearful. I appreciate rawness
so much. "
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| ~ |
Emery Allen
(one
of many links)
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#Alan_Watts_Falling_In_Love
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Falling in love...
it's crazy*.
Falling.
You see?
We don't say 'rising into love.'
There is in it the idea of the fall.
And it goes back, as a matter of fact,
to extremely fundamental things.
That there is always a curious tie at some point
between the fall and the creation.
Taking this ghastly* risk
is the condition of there being life.
You see,
for all life is an act of faithF
and an act of gamble.
The moment you take a step,
you do so on an act of faithF
because you don't really know
that the floor's not going to give under your feet.
The moment you take a journey,
what an act of faithF.
The moment that you enter into any kind of
human undertaking in relationship,
what an act of faithF.
See,
you've given yourself up.
But this is the most powerful thing that can be done:
surrendersu.
See.
And love is an act of surrendersu to another person.
Total abandonment.
I give myself to you.
Take me.
Do anything you like with me.
See.
So, that's quite mad* because you see,
it's letting things get out of control... ”
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crazy, ghastly, mad: vulnerability sacrificedsc by Ego
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| ~ |
Alan Watts
(hear and see more:
audio,
text)
[also, consider
falling in love
in a broader context beyond "partnered" people...
also explore Thomas Merton]
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| #Mytho_Poetic |
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mpMytho-Poetic
(Carl Jung)
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a.k.a. personal mythology, or active imagination
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It is of course ironical that I, a psychiatrist, should at almost every step of
my experiment have run into the same psychic material which is the stuff
of psychosis and is found in the insane.
This is the fund of unconscious images which fatally confuse the mental
patient. But it is also the matrix of a mythopoetic imagination which has
vanished from our rational age.
Though such imagination is present everywhere, it is both tabooed and
dreaded, so that it even appears to be a risky experiment or a
questionable adventure to entrust oneself to the uncertain path that
leads into the depths of the unconscious. "
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Dr. Carl G. Jung
Memories, Dreams, and Reflections
(a.k.a. "Active Imagination")
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One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light,
but by making the darkness conscious. "
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Jung had a unique record of self-investigation, self-inquiry, and self-scrutiny — in which he is attempting to explore his fantasies through the visionary method of active imagination, visual images in a waking state, and then writing them down. He determined that these fantasies came from the mytho-poetic layer of the psyche, which he later came to call the collective unconscious. "
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Prof. Sonu Shamdasani
Speaking of Jung, Episode 75,
The Black Books
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Mythopoetic Identity (definition):
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The way we consciously identify and experience the nature of Soul — namely, through metaphor in the form of poetic or mythic images or patterns. Since it’s not possible to directly describe our eco-niche in everyday descriptive language, we comprehend and appreciate it mythopoetically. Essentially what Carl Jung meant by “personal myth.” "
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Dr. Bill Plotkin
Animus Valley Institute
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October Project,
♪♪ Take Me As I Am ♪♪ (lyrics) (iTunes)
Soul-itude – consider:
the 1st person "me/I" (as my SoulΙ) singing (reaching out) to
the 2nd person "you" (as my EgoΙ/Consciousψ-SelfΙ)
...I can see you standing in the smoky entrance giving up your good intentions.
...never knowing who or what you are until you're living with the unfamiliar.
...there's a place where fear won't find you...
...where your secret dreams remind you...
...this is all you have to know and...
...this is all you have to go on.
...everything you have inside you...
...everything you need to guide you...
...this is all you have to know and...
...this is all you have to go on.
...even if you shine a light into the mirror you won't see me any clearer.
Leave... the shadows dancing,
Dancing on their own...
Let the moment free you now.
Leave... it all behind you,
I'll know where you've gone...
Let the world go on.
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| #Soul_Encounter |
Soul Encounter & Eco-Awakening...
Neglected in Contemporary
Spirituality[§]
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...realms of awakening; ...profound shifts in consciousness that result in enduring or permanent changes in perspective, identity, self-image, values, lifestyle, worldview, and world.
...a fourth category is comprised of the
inscendent[is]
spiritual[§]
experiences — awakening to the unique mysteries at the core of the individual human psyche, specifically the mysteries of the soul...
[I focus here] on two particular varieties of awakenings because they are rarely experienced and rarely considered in contemporary life,
and because they are arguably the most relevant and urgent in our time of radical, global change,
more essential and beneficial now than the
transcendent[ts]
variety of awakenings.
-
One is the distinct kind of awakening that catalyzes the passage between two particular stages of human development —
the life-shifting experience I call eco-awakening:
a person’s first conscious and embodied experience of their innate membership in the
Earth community[ξ].
-
The second is the fourth realm noted just above,
the experience of what cultural historian and eco-theologian Thomas Berry called
inscendence[is],
the encounter with soul, which is as
spiritual[§]
and transpersonal[tp]
as transcendence[ts]
but essentially absent from current maps of
transpersonal[tp]
experience, overlooked by the dominant religions
and most contemporary
spiritual[§]
practices, and rarely experienced or discussed in the world today
despite being perhaps the single most valuable and urgent realm of awakening in our times. "
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Bill Plotkin
from
Soul Encounter and Eco-Awakening: Two Essential Realms of Awakening Neglected in Contemporary Spirituality, Part I,
the first of at least 11 parts; culminating in fascinating perspectives of the elligance, importance, universality, and urgency of
inscendenceis
to
SoulΙ
– what I call
Soul-itudeΣ.
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Emphasis, superscripts, and list structure are mine: it is a whole paragraph preceded by the tail of the previous paragraph.
A few terms in the vast
Animas Valley Institute
lexicon:
-
isInscendence
"the encounter with soul... awakening to the unique mysteries at the core of the individual human psyche..."
[from the text quoted from the
linked document]
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tsTranscendence
"conscious experience of or as Spirit or the Ultimate Mystery"
[from elsewhere in the
linked document]
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tpTranspersonal
states of awareness... "consciousness expanded beyond the usual ego boundaries and the limitations of time and space."
[Wikipedeia:
Stanislav Grof, pioneer of Transpersonal Psychology]
especially the spectrum spanning
transcendencets &
inscendenceis
often refered to collectively and ambiguously as
Spiritual§
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#Soul_is_the_Blueprint
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Compare to Richard Rohr noting Carl Jung:
The God Archetype:
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Most people have never been told there is a place to go to that’s called the soul.
Soul is the blueprint inside of every living thing that tells it what it is and what it can still become. "
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Others of My Writings...
Pyramid of Being:
Body, Mind, Spirit, Soul
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Imagine the structure of this 3-sided
pyramid –
a tetrahedron –
formed by connecting vertices at the ends of vectors emanating with perfect 4-way symmetry from the center,
named as follows, starting from lower-left and moving clockwise around the image:
- Body
-
My body is what I have come to know as the most physically concrete aspect of my presence within the world.
I do most of my doing with my body: affecting the physical environment in ways that I can see, touch, hear, smell,
and taste with my physical senses.
My body is the most simple way that my incarnation in the physical world is evident to others.
- Mind
-
My mind is the primary seat of my awareness – using my body as a tool for relating to the physical world
and the mental presence of others.
It has many realms of its own: consciousness and unconsciousness; ego, id, super-ego, repressed regions, etc.
Rational/logical, emotional, expressive, needs, desires, ... Much of what my mind becomes aware may originate from any
of the other vectors of this model, including external physical, mental, and spiritual entities with which I relate.
- Spirit
-
Spirit is a phenomenon and energy that allows for mystical and non-rational and non-physical ways of relating
and receiving awareness of other spiritual entities and phenomena.
This is often described as transcendent being on the transpersonal axis.
We can become more aware of spiritual presence in altered states of consciousness.
- Soul
-
My soul is my dedicated facet of The Whole which gives me purpose and identity, and ways of making meaning from
all of my ways of being.
This is often described as inscendent being on the transpersonal axis.
My ego often represses my soul and builds protective parts to cope with perceived danger and exploitation,
and wants to create a knowing presence, even if falsely constructed, that can hoard resources and recognition to satisfy needs
and desires. Wounds and shadows and all of the complicated parts constructed by my ego conspire to keep my soul away from
my whole being – ostensibly as protection, but more like avoidance of true purpose.
Most of the rest of the document deals with the Mind, Spirit, and Soul Vectors of Being.
Then, there are these potentially metaphorical qualities:
- All "vertices" (the 4 corners where the lines meet) are connected to all other vertices; they are determined by vectors emanating from a central point and arranged in a perfect 4-way symmetry; the lengths in this model are simply 100% of my unique whole being – relative to none other than myself.
- All "edges" (the 4 lines between the 4 vertices) are of equal length, regardless of the angle of view which might exaggerate one or another: the pyramid was constructed with 4 identical toothpicks.
- All "faces" (areas defined by edges) are of the same shape and size, again regardless of the angle of view which might be deceiving.
- The entire "inner space" (contained within the faces) is equally accessible to the whole structure, although some vertices and edges and faces are closer to some areas within the space.
- The "outer space" would be where aspects of others may journey, and edges/faces/spaces may extend from my pyramid out toward others.
- A limitation of this model is its three-dimensionality, or possibly 4 dimensions if you can imagine how vectors or connections might change over the course of time. It would be exciting to represent some manner of the 5th dimenion (or more), as discussed
elsewhere
in my documentation.
dsDissociation – split vertices
One can imagine a vertex "splitting" and moving into the inner-space of the full strength pyramid to form a smaller inner-space
with the other vertices. This is a case of an under-developed vector or becoming dissociated from a full strength vector:
a suffering of less-than-wholeness of body, mind, spirit, and/or soul.
It is not uncommon for the soul-vertex to be split to a substantial degree in today's society, and even the spirit-vertex.
It can become somewhat more problematic to cope within society if the mind-vertex becomes split,
and I would be very concerned if there was much of a body-vertex split. Of course, combinations of splits are
of varying dissociative complexity and loss of harmony. Sometimes, the strength of our other vectors help us
to regain strength in our sagging vector(s), or the strength of external spiritual energy and presence can help us
to return to our own greater strength of association. This metaphor would be fascinating to explore further...
For further perspective about the splits and dissociation... The range of full strength association to total dissociation
runs from the unsplit 100% strength of the vector to the center of the pyramid from which it emanates: the center of the pyramid represents zero
with respect to any of the vectors. If all of the vectors were spent down to total dissociation (yikes!),
their end vertices would all be at this center-point – collapsed into a singularity: a black hole in astrophysical terms.
See also:
Dissociation
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Personal Statement of Ministry
This is an identical statement of my
purposeπ
from my psycho-spiritual foundation...
My purposeπ
– doing only by being what is mine to beΩ
– is to work in
companionshipж
& presenceρ
with others as a Catalyst∬
to enrich our mutual abilities to thrive in our seemingly
daunting & woundedĴ
world... as we struggle to love deeply & seek
loving communitylc
with human & other-than-human
SoulsΙ
– exploring the dynamics of rational &
mystical::
ways of knowing.
I will work person-to-person & with small groups... in natureξ as much as possible:
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to find sanctuary~ from the pressures & noises of the world & its demands.
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to cultivate our self-care & wholeness⌖ for robust & balanced well-being.
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and to notice & listen to our own soulful inner voices, & real-izeλ spiritual§ connections with the Wilderness‡ & other SoulsΙ of all sorts that touch us.
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As we find our centers & grow into our wholeness⌖, we will begin to emerge into a way of being in loving communitylc & being at peace & in league with the world & its diversity. We may endeavor to grow more resiliently into our Soul-itudeΣ.
I will be ever vigilantΩ in Soul-itudeΣ and with Inter-SpiritualΛ inspiration to recognize or envision opportunities to engageε – participate, lead, initiate; with due humilityη and presenceρ – to bring aboutΩ
A Great Re-Wholing of All Beings.
~
Whispers-with-ForestsΞ
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Personal Vows of Ministry
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