The Arousal of Spirit

 You must awaken while in this body,

for everything exists in it:

Resurrect in this life.

                                             -  Gospel of Philip

 “You must awaken while in this body.” This is a definite statement of present time and present life. There seems to be a natural tendency to think of resurrection as something beyond physical death, that is, if we think anything at all about resurrection. For most, it is too large of a mystery to even truly consider with a genuine enquiry. For some it has become lost in the recesses of a defunct Christian concept, or for others it lies further back in the mythological realm of Osiris and Isis and their story of death and resurrection.

What does it mean to resurrect? The Gospel of Philip takes us into a deeper layer of the meaning of resurrection. He is telling us to awaken in this body, for within it everything exists. If we take this into contemplation we begin to touch on our enormity as human bodily beings. It draws us into what it means to be fully human, what it means to be made in the image and likeness of God, and what it means to become the risen Christ, the enlightened Buddha, the compassionate Bodhisattva, the embodiment of Sophia.

Philip tells us to resurrect in this life. Don’t wait until death. You do not physically die then resurrect. You can only go as far in death as you have in life, so therefore it would behoove all to let the ego lie down and allow the spirit to resurrect in this life. Teresa of Avila understood this as she joyfully (and sometimes not so joyfully) sang, “I die, because I do not die.”

 One definition of resurrection is to arise. The spirit arises. Or, another is to arouse, the arousal of the spirit. Is your spirit aroused? Perhaps this is a question we can pose to ourselves during this Easter-tide, and open ourselves to the resurrection that awaits us.

Rumi understood this mystery as he wrote:

I called through your door,
“The mystics are gathering
in the street. Come out!” 

“Leave me alone.
I’m sick.”

“I don’t care if you’re dead!
Jesus is here, and he wants
to resurrect somebody!”

Blessings of Peace to All Beings
Megan

Pilgrimages

Contemplate your next evolutionary step in your life.

Avila, Spain: May 16-22, 2010

Deposits & Committment Required by November 15, 2009

Experience the peace and the power of Teresa of Avila

 Ireland: June 14-23, 2010

Deposits & Committment Required by Dec.1st, 2009 

Explore the mystic land of Ireland and the role of the divine feminine in Celtic spirituality 

Assisi, Italy: May 24-29, 2011
Know the wisdom of St.Clare and St.Francis and the sacred silence of the stones of Assisi. 

Glastonbury, England: May 2012 

Experience the mighty Tor and the healing waters of the Chalice Well, bringing unity and harmony to your being

Private Group Pilgrimages:   
If your church or group want to do a retreat/pilgrimage at another time we can create something personally for you.

Kripalu Retreat: March 14-17, 2010

Celtic Spirituality: The Wisdom of the Divine Feminine

“Set out upon your voyage!

Go to the pure land over the sea.

And may you, with joy everlasting,

Come to the Land of Women.” – The Voyage of Bran

See Kripalu Website: http://www.kripalu.org/presenter/V0000668/

Or call: 1-800-741-7353

The Celtic Tradition places great importance on the role of the feminine in its spirituality. This feminine quality is expressed through the Truth of Wisdom – a power present in the land itself, in the Mother Goddess, and embodied in a woman. We all, both women and men, need to marry this wisdom in order for right-relationship to be had, both with ourselves and with Mother Earth.

In this workshop we will explore what this Truth of Wisdom is, and how each one of us are called to uniquely live this in our daily lives. Using the Celtic inspirations of earth, sea, and sky, and otherworldly realms of existence, we will weave our way in and through myth, poetry, ancestral wisdom, ritual, and practical Celtic spiritual practice. We will use these practices to reveal our hidden truth, honor, and sovereignty.

We will also enter into the Holy Well, that is, through guided meditation and inner journeying, we will enter into the very womb of the Mother to know the healing and unifying powers of the feminine moistness and darkness, discovering what they offer to our world and to us today.

We will write, sing, dance, and honor our ancestors, the land, and our souls.

This workshop is suitable for all persons who want to connect more deeply with the land, the nature spirits, and their feminine self, and to learn a practical path of Celtic spirituality. 

 Highly recommended for those joining the Ireland Pilgrimage in June 2010.