Navigating the Mysteries - Finding authenticity and the way to a more loving world.
“To listen as well as to tell involves risk.
When we listen empathically, we take what we hear into our heart, imagination, body and soul.
When what we hear from another is beyond our own experience and even our comprehension, the task, and opportunity [is] to become “bigger” and be able to hold . . . hear and bear our own pain and the pain of others and have mercy.”
Goddesses in Older Women: Jean Shinoda Bolen MD
Without my planning it, days of note for Navigating the Mysteries are, so far, falling on days of historic importance. My launch day, one month ago had personal significance – my father’s birthday and today, 14th July in 1789 marks the beginning of the French Revolution, after which a republic was established based on the ideals of ‘liberty, equality, fraternity’.
With a moment of resistance, then a smile I relax into the memory that I, that we are all caught up in something much larger than the immediacy we see.
As I realign myself, I recognise that the work I am now doing is my contribution toward a new expression of those values in the world. And I am deeply appreciative for your support as I find my feet and voice.
Thank you, to those who joined me during the first month, in one of the Navigating the Mysteries New Moon gatherings or Navigating Mystifying Change workshops.
As we immersed ourselves in the ancient story of soul-initiation, Seal Skin, Soul Skin, we were reminded how powerful questions and warm hearts can thaw previously frozen aspects of ourselves and the words or cries of others, to bring greater understanding and compassion.
And we were prompted to listen deeply – non-judgementally, with all my being, to all your being, to all that is around us.
Since being a young child, I have had great concern for nature and for others. For years, I called it empathy – but now I know that it is more than that. With the help of Jean Shinoda Bolen (who had been helped by the Dalai Lama) in Goddesses in Older women, I now understand that what I am feeling is empathy plus the spontaneous sense of responsibility to do something to alleviate the suffering I see.
It is called compassion.
Compassion has expressed itself in some form through all the roles I have played in my life.
And now – well, it’s why I’m following the International Days and offering workshops to help us to learn more about the mysteries of The Holy and of ourselves!
I believe that compassion is asking two things of me today.
Firstly, to allow it to flow through this newest form of myself, to hear the cries of the world, to warm them, thaw them, and make them accessible to others.
Secondly, compassion is asking me to invite you into its flow, so that together, we might respond to the cries of the world.
Of-course, our responses can take many forms, from prayers, to campaigning and financial support to on-the-ground social action and more.
If you would like, you are invited to join the next New Moon Gathering. We will hear and learn more about the issues that are calling to us as individuals and then together, send encouragement and love out into the world, to those working to bring greater ‘liberty, equality, and fraternity’.