spirituality – Seeking Wisdom

Soul and Sea Glass

Every Monday, I meet with some friends in the early morning and walk soulfully on the beach for world peace. This practice started during Lent. We felt the pressing need to do something in a world gone mad with violence, hurtful discourse, and an alarming disregard for compassion. For one hour of silence, slowly strolling the same coastline, peace reigns mightily in our souls, and we stream that tranquility over the divine internet of grace to those in need. We do not measure success or failure, preferring to allow the Holy One to do that calculation.

The walk is silent, contemplative, and slow. This is the opposite of a power walk! Senses open, we allow the Spirit to guide our feet, as we look for signals of transcendence. The secrets of the universe unfold as waves crash on the shore, rocks clap applause, and the sun slowly cracks open the curtains of the marine layer. When on foot, found items abound: brightly colored beach toys, lost jewelry, pulverized fins, seaweed, kelp strings, driftwood, shells, and pieces of multi-hued sea glass. Childlike wonder rises with the tide.

Before these walks, in all my beachcombing during the forty-plus years I have lived here, sea glass eluded me. I envied those who found handfuls and would spread out the blue, green, and white orbs that looked to me like precious gems on velvet. Were my eyes deficient? I asked the group. No, they said, finding sea glass would take some intentional effort. First, I had to know what I was looking for and where to find it. Ah! There’s a piece of wisdom if I ever heard one. Sometimes we need to learn how to see the tiny miracles hiding in plain sight. Sometimes we need guides to show us the way.

I listened to the instructions from my wise companions. Walk intentionally. Trust. Let the sea glass find you. Look with new eyes. Be patient. Finally, one morning, Ureka! Tiny white shards appeared! Different from the ubiquitous white stones, the sea glass was smooth, flat, and opaque, a product of the tides’ tumbler. As I carefully massaged the sought-after pieces with my fingers, I felt my soul begin to soar and the troubles of the world flew to the horizon in a fraction of a second. Peace be with you, I heard. And with your spirit, I replied.

Peace be with all of us who cherish this planet and every soul who walks on it.

Read-Walk-Write-Create

Summertime has arrived in all its sun-drenched, salty air beauty in Southern California. I wake at dawn and breathe deeply. Birds perform their daily arias, jasmine incense perfumes the air, and my heart lifts in gratitude. I have been gifted with another day, another chance to embrace life. How can I make the most of this time, surrounded by a million distractions? This is a question people frequently ask in spiritual direction. Choosing action words can help. Here are mine: read, walk, write, create. Prayer is the umbrella over all.

My day begins and ends with reading, nourishment and sustenance for my soul. Long ago, wise spiritual guides told me that with so many choices, I should make a list and only read “the best.” Such a great idea! I love lists and will post some on future blogs. My goal is to read about a hundred pages a day, and I usually have a novel and spiritual book going simultaneously. Reading every day provides a pleasurable escapism, but also provides opportunities for lifelong learning and spiritual growth.

Commitment to writing every day has long been a fulfilling practice. This may not be your thing, but I invite you to try journaling your thoughts about life sometime. Remember, no one will read what you wrote or give you a grade. I promise your concentration and memory will benefit greatly. Writing calms and grounds the restlessness that often accompanies mindless activity. Your writing does not have to be long, nor even your own. Handwritten thoughts and inspiring quotes decorate a paper calendar I keep on my desk. Blank verse poems fill a digital spiritual journal on my computer. Both connect me to the present and give me reflective material for the future.

Walking an hour a day has become an embodied prayer that I never skip, even when I am not feeling well! The Buddhist monk, Thict Naht Hahn, a friend of Thomas Merton, wrote about the importance of walking mindfully by opening the senses and noticing everything in nature. (His book, The Miracle of Mindfulness, is on my top ten list of most influential spiritual books.) I cherish my early morning and late afternoon strolls with my aging Golden Retriever, who slows me down so that I can take a long, loving look at the Real. Walks on the beach several times a week also fill me with wonder. On Monday mornings at 9:00 AM, I meet with friends on Beach Road for “Soul Walk,” an hour-long, silent prayer for world peace. Come join us!

On balance, the introspection of reading, writing, and mindful walking prompts me to create something tangible each day. Most passive spiritual practices need the concreteness of action, and great joy emanates from the process of creating something with my hands. Whether it’s planting flowers, baking a cake, knitting a blanket, painting with watercolors, or simply rearranging my many-layered collections of home treasures, I feel most enlivened by the process of doing something creative. Giving away or sharing the product also enhances the experience!

How would you describe your practice in four words or less? Everyone is different with different needs, time constraints, and circumstances. The most important part of cultivating a spiritual practice is to actually practice. Whatever you do, I honor and bless your way. This summer, no matter what you decide, stay faithful, keep seeking.

Gaia Love

I have recently read Amy Tan’s new book The Backyard Bird Chronicles. She wrote and illustrated this personal account of her obsession with bird-watching during the Covid years. I am especially fascinated by her descriptions of parent birds teaching their babies to fly. There was a time in my life when I was a fledgling on the mystical journey. I was constantly encouraged to leave the nest of my comfortable container of faith and although I was often resistant, the ecstasy of flight was always worth it.

One of the first times I was kicked out of the nest happened way back in the early eighties at a liturgy called “Missa Gaia” (Mass of the Earth). Paul Winter, a celebrated jazz musician, composed the music, utilizing the howls of wolves, the songs of whales, and the call of loons for the main motif and then imitating them on his magnificent soprano saxophone. Mesmerized beyond all words during the mass, I felt the transcendentals–One, Beauty, Truth, and Goodness– permeate my body, mind, and spirit. All wobbling doubt turned into a fiery faith during that hour of holy, extraordinary transmutation.

I immediately purchased the cassette tape and played it so many times that it broke in several places and could not be repaired. I deeply mourned the loss. Before the Internet, there was no way of finding another copy easily even though I tried valiantly for years. A sweet consolation at a particularly needy time, I surrendered the experience, as all on the mystical path must do. Yet, the music of Missa Gaia echoed through many moments of joy in the natural world.

Much to my astonishment, the music of Paul Winter returned to me this Christmas, quite by accident. A friend gifted me with John Phillip Newell’s new book, The Great Search: Turning to Earth and Soul in the Quest for Healing and Home. There, on page 14, was a reference to Missa Gaia by Paul Winter. I flew to my iPhone, opened the Apple Music app, and my heart pounded when the album quickly appeared. The divine sensations came flooding back as I listened once again in rapt ecstasy. No longer a fledgling on the journey, my seasoned spirit flew high, while simultaneously grounding me back into the primordial dust from which we emerged.

Since then, I have listened to Missa Gaia every day. My love for the Creator of our Earth has increased with every listening. Lifted out of the many cares of the world, I rest in the arms of the Beloved, my face often streaming with joyful tears, what I often refer to as “the holy water of the Spirit. “

“Rejoice, rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven.” Heavenly moments right now. Here is the link on You Tube that will take you on this mystical mass journey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYW3tgB10Wg

Celebrate Love (another name for God) on this coming Valentine’s Day!

Epiphany Moments

Traditionally, January 6 marks the Feast of “Epiphany,” when three kings, or Magi, arrived in Bethlehem and paid homage to the Christ child with their mysterious gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The word “epiphany” means a “sudden manifestation of the divine in the ordinary” and has grown in popularity these days to mean a sudden realization or enlightenment. It’s like a flash of mystical insight when there is no doubt, even for a few seconds, that a loving God exists. Obviously, these moments are fleeting. As soon as an epiphany happens, the flash is gone like a sunset and no amount of alchemy can conjure it up again.

I have had many epiphany moments in my life, some bigger than others. Most of the time, these flashes of insight are so subtle, they disappear into the mist of forgotten memories. This past year, in aid of my aging monkey mind, I kept track of epiphanies using quotes from books, friends, and other notable sources, in a special log called a “commonplace book.” Re-reading these entries has been most epiphanous! (I think I just made up a word!) Anyway, I highly recommend this process.

Here are some of the quotes that have resonated, inspired, and enlightened:

Every sadness brings its own recompense.
After relief comes grief.
Ask for what you want, then notice what happens.
If we can lean on each other, we can bear anything, anything at all.
You will feel love when the sun shines on your face.
Believe what you love.
Theopoetics is the language of religion.
Keep moving.
Without mythology, you have pathology.
Joy is resistance.
Christianity is not a rational religion. It is a logic of love and love has its own logic.
We’re all born with the greatest treasures we’ll ever have in life.
You will die with a broken heart. That’s what lovers do.
The aging process turns us all into monks and that, indeed, is its plan.
It’s a huge mistake to read the signs of aging as indications of dying rather than as initiations into another way of life.
When you are a writer, all that matters is the story within.
I’m not going back.
I’m not going to give up.

May you be open to the many splendid epiphanies all around you.

Books on the Tenth Day of Christmas

“I wish I had a river I could skate away on; I wish I had a river so long it would teach my feet to fly. . .I wish I had a river I could skate away on. . .” from “River” by Joni Mitchell

No secret: I am a bibliophile. Libraries and bookstores rank high on my list of favorite places. Lately, one of my most pleasurable activities is scouring the bookshelves of Friends of the Library and local thrift stores. Today, on the tenth day of Christmas, I made a little excursion to offset the “after Christmas” doldrums. The treasured volumes I find delight and astound me! I love rescuing favorites so I can gift them to friends and family. I only buy the books I have already read and know are worth the time and effort. The best part, these precious tomes are a bargain—each a dollar or two at the most.

I have skated away on a river of books ever since I learned to read for pleasure. Novels, nonfiction, classic literature, children’s books—well, I love them all. My children and grandchildren are well aware of this facet of my personhood. One of their Christmas gifts every year is a book I think they need to read. I resist the urge to question them later. My hope is that they keep the books and someday, when ready, will read them.

In our technologically-oriented culture, people today do not read much for escape and pleasure any more. That does not settle well in my soul. According to a recent YouGov survey, around 54% of Americans reported reading at least one book in 2023, with a significant portion (46%) stating they did not read any books in the past year; this data suggests a decline in overall reading habits compared to previous years. I find this shocking, especially with anxiety and depression on the rise. We all need a reading river to skate away on sometimes!

Unfortunately, that river is most often social media, texting, or internet cyberspace environments that do not transport to a land of enchantment and beauty. My youngest daughter is a high school English teacher, and we have many conversations about how to nurture the next generation of readers. Her students read all the time on their phones but not the literature she assigns so she often reads with her students in class to pique their interest in the stories. I think this is a good strategy—sort of like reading with children at bedtime, evoking a sense of intimacy and enjoyment. Admittedly, this does not work all the time. Mysteriously, many people do not find reading for pleasure a priority and sadly, there are no quick fixes.

Meanwhile, I will continue my crusade to help others find this enriching and free pathway. While challenging, perhaps we elders should share our wisdom (without judgment) and teach our young ones how to skate.

May you feel the glorious freedom flowing from the river of books right at your fingertips.

Soul Collage on the Seventh and Eighth Days of Christmas

For over a decade, every December 31st morning, I have entered into a reflective prayer process called “Soul Collage.” For several hours, sometimes alone and sometimes with a group, I sit down with print images that I have collected and create an icon of my inner state. This year, two days are devoted to this creative endeavor. Engrossing and contemplative, the process taps my right brain to record and chronicle the soul’s quest for meaning.

I began making collages out of magazine photos when I was very young, and used the finished products as greeting cards, journal entries, and scrapbook pages. Resources were tight in those days and this was an inexpensive way to express myself. Many years later, after having completed the certification for the Art of Spiritual Direction, I was thoroughly delighted to meet Seena Frost, author of Soul Collage: Evolving an Intuitive Collage Process For Self-Discovery and Community, who introduced me to an expansive way to collage for spiritual growth. Since then, I have facilitated the creation of these unique soul expressions on retreats and small group gatherings. The group process doubles the pleasure and galvanizes the creative process, especially on New Year’s Eve, a perfect time to reflect.

This year, the subject of my soul collages is “The Mystic’s Journey” because I am presently guiding a study group on mystical theology. It is a work in progress as I play with the many photos collected over the past few months. Look carefully–there are over twenty images incorporated into these collages and I am not yet finished. More ideas are rising to the surface by the minute and I am riding on the wings of the Spirit into this new year!

I wish you every happiness! May your souls soar into 2025 with hope, resolve, and a tidal wave of love.