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The Guild for Spiritual Guidance

February 2022 Newsletter

Monthly Reflection: Some Thoughts on Community
by Steve Allen, chair of operations

60 years ago, Thomas S. Kuhn published The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, a book which challenged the notion of “development-by-accumulation” and introduced the idea of paradigm shiftas a helpful way to understand evolution. Kuhn suggested that worldviews, whether in science, society, or individual lives, over time disclose anomalies – things that don’t seem to fit smoothly into expected patterns – which eventually “crack” the worldview and disclose a new, more inclusive map of reality which reinterprets the elements of the old paradigm.
 
I believe that this notion of paradigm shift lies behind The Guild’s four strands: our sense of the world based on Teilhard’s evolutionary expansion, our sense of the self derived from Jung’s probing of the collective and the shadow, the mystics’ embodiment of unmediated encounters with the numinous, and the community strand of voluntary dispersed relationships. I would like to speak a bit more about the paradigm shift of this latter strand: community.
 
Under the old paradigm community was geographically based. The home, the school, the church, the youth center, the drug store were all within walking distance of one another. The neighborhood playground was across the street from my house. This geography is long gone. But I am not sure we have fully embraced the new, where the context of “neighborhood” is the global village, virtually based.
 
There are at least three important contrasts between the old and the new paradigm of community.
 
First, the old community was homogeneous. Folks of a single culture stayed together. The new community is a place of glorious diversity. And it calls for an expanded sense of being human and a greater sensitivity to the nuances difference.
 
Second, the old community was omni-relational. I went to school with, played with, worshipped with, worked with, socialized with, and collaborated with the same people in all those relationships. The new community is multi-relational. I work with one group of people, worship with another, and socialize with a third. This means that I am not given my community, I must create it. And I decide each day who the members are to be.
 
Third, the old paradigm of community style was rural. Its pace was slow, its rhythms, cyclical. It created summer vacations so school children could work the farms during growing. This style persists, even as folks leave city high-rises for suburban homes surrounded by lawns that have to be “harvested” weekly rather than yearly. The style of the new paradigm is urban, fast-paced, constantly in motion, busy with busyness. Relationships are not established by custom; they must be created and recreated by decision. External space is constricted rather than expansive; internal space is just the opposite.
 
So how are we to create intentional community which embraces the new paradigm in all its unfamiliarity and discomfort? That is our challenge and our promise. The Guild is uniquely prepared to meet the challenge and claim the promise. We have navigated the paradigm shifts of our other three strands with power and integrity.

Register Now for the Six-Part Dream Tending Seminar Beginning March 7

The Befriending Dreams Seminar will explore the realm of dreams and how we can become better acquainted with them and the messages they offer. The presenter, Dr. Dianne Frost, will introduce us to the lively art of "dream tending" and social dreaming. In dream tending, dreamer and dream tender invite a past dream to become animated in present time and offer its wisdom. Dream tending touches personal, collective, and environmental understandings. Social dreaming springs from the dreams of groups of people and provides a way of reflecting on shared wisdom. It may reveal conditions and possible directions to take for couples, families, businesses, neighborhoods, cities, and even countries.

The presenter, Dianne Frost, PhD, is a depth psychologist who has long been intrigued by sleeping dreams, waking dreams, and the wisdom gleaned from dreams of any kind. She is an advocate for the expansion of consciousness and love in our world, so her passions are to educate and facilitate people’s growth in healing their hearts, expanding their insights, and offering their love and gifts to the world. Sharing her experience with dreamwork is one way she expresses her passions.

Offered on six Mondays from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. March 7, 14, 21, 28, April 4, 11. The cost is $125.

This seminar is open to all, members and non-members alike. See the website for registration information.
Register

Register for the Spring Graduate Circle Retreat
Reconnecting to the Spirit through the Senses
April 2224, 2022 at Wisdom House

Our senses are the first gifts from our creator; endowments with endless opportunities to connect, reconnect and be at one with our source. But how often do we ignore them, take them for granted and fail to see their pathways to inner wisdom and connectivity? Join us this weekend to reestablish and rekindle our sense pathways and our relationships with our spirit and each other!

Registration is now open for the spring Graduate Circle retreat at Wisdom House in Litchfield, CT. This will be our first in-person retreat in two years.  Acclaimed vocalist Leslie Valentine AP XX will be the presenter. Make it a point to stay and attend the Apprenticeship Program graduation ceremony. 
Painting by Becky Nielsen XIX
Register
Iona College Student Kate Russo created an archive for the Guild for Spiritual Guidance as her honors project and presented it in February. Christina Carlson, guild board member, was her advisor. We hope to tell you more about this project in a future newsletter. 

November 2021 Fundraising Campaign Results

Dear Guild Community,
 
In November 2021, we sent 240 letters to Guild graduates and friends of the Guild. As a result of that mailing, 33 people made generous donations to the Guild in the amount of $18,418. Gifts ranged from $25 to $6,000. The $6,000 gift was designated for scholarship for the 2022 Apprentice Program. Eight people give monthly which is a great way to give a substantial amount and spread the payments out over the year.
 
Our projected 2022 operating budget is: $31,200, so we still had a lot to raise to meet our goal.  In late January 2022 we received the wonderful news that the Guild had received a bequest from the estate of Helen Hoover in the amount of $11,000. Helen was a member of AP VII with Cari Keith. Cari remembers Helen as a woman with a wise voice, deep soul, and tender heart.  Helen was a talented artist.
 
As of this writing, with the money raised from our fall campaign: $18,418 and the $11,000 bequest from Helen Hoover we have $29,418 toward our $31,200 goal. Thank you all so much for your generous giving. We would love to hear from anyone who hasn’t yet given and perhaps some of you who have given might consider another gift. Let’s go over our goal and have more to spend on scholarships and programs. Please think about Helen’s generosity and consider making a bequest to the Guild when planning your estate.
 
Blessings to all,
 
Phyllis Huber
Development Chair
 
Donate Now

Check Out the Books the Apprentices Are Reading

Remember how wonderful it was to discover or delve more deeply into some of the basic books in the apprenticeship program? 

Basic books remain: Carl Jung's Memories, Dreams & Reflections and Pierre Teilhard de Chardin's The Human Phenomenon, and The Divine Milieu. We will list other books in future issues of the newsletter.

And if that gets you all excited about the apprenticeship program, go out and spread the word!
Do you know someone who is seeking a deeper spiritual life? If so, s/he could be a great candidate for the Guild's Apprenticeship Program. S/he may be looking and just need some direction or a gentle nudge. Share with this person how transformative the AP Program was for you.

The AP program immerses participants in the life affirming, change engaging teachings of depth psychology, evolutionary cosmology, and spiritual writings in the midst of supportive community. 
The next cohort will begin in September 2022, so now is the time to apply. 

Download the AP XXII brochure from the website and give it to him or her, or send a 
link to the program description on the website.

Creative Oasis Begins Again April 4, 2022

Well over a year ago, at the height of winter pandemic isolation, the Guild offered its members an opportunity to play and laugh and create together on Zoom. Named, The Creative Oasis, members met weekly throughout its first winter and spring. By the summer of 2021 the Oasis began to meet twice a month and has continued to do so until this month when facilitator travel and care-giving needs caused a pause in the process! There is, however, no desire or intention to permanently stop what has become a most remarkable experience.

The Oasis will resume meeting again beginning April 4, 2022 at 7:30 pm EST. All Guild members are invited to join (see zoom link below) – simply bring a pen or crayon; a paint brush or knitting needle; a whatever or whatchamacallit!   The use of crayons and markers seems incongruous to the intimacy which develops during this time; the gathering spirit remains a mystery. Somehow the opportunity for creative self expression and shared conversation held together by technology and the vibrational pull of soft music, brings folks together week after week. Those who gather speak of a deep relaxation by the end of the session, better sleepquality, a greater sense of well being, and the smiles that emerge from shared creations (see examples below).  If, at the end of a day, you find yourself feeling the need for a deep breath, left brain instead of right brain engagement, an alternative to nightly news, or a soothing approach to sleep, then chose a color and click the link at 7:30 on April 4!  Questions?  Do not hesitate to contact Cari at: cari.keith@gmail.com.  
 
Creative Oasis Zoom Meeting Link
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88682241968?pwd=bFZsMFlGWVlpTTVMVC9ma1dZRlRNQT09

Meeting ID: 886 8224 1968
Passcode: 360150
 

Film Festival on Hope and Resilience Continues

The Guild film festival on hope and resilience continues through April. Film festival participants explore hope and resilience, how the promise of life and freedom can break down the limitations of self-sufficiency and fear. The presenter, Father Larry Lewis, is conducting the discussions following the films along the lines of group spiritual direction.

Julie Gross, who has been participating in the film series, observes,
"The choice of films took me to “places” in my heart and mind not visited before. I was taken by unimagined circumstances and experiences performed by remarkable characters/actors. There was much to take in, and a pleasure and challenge to process.  I look forward to the next film!"

Mark your calendars for:
Tuesday, March 15, 2022, 7 p.m. ET         Pig  (US)                              
Tuesday, April 12, 2022, 7 p.m. ET           Coda (US)                              

The presenter, Father Larry Lewis, has facilitated film discussions since 2004. The author of The Misfit: Haunting the Human – Unveiling the Divine, Lewis received his Ph.D. in spirituality from Duquesne University, and has been a friend of the Guild since 1997. A Maryknoll missionary, he spent many years in China and now serves in the Maryknoll Office of Society Personnel.  

This Engaged Wisdom film course is free and open to all, Guild members and non-Guild members.
Register

Good News from the Universe for Bad Times:

Crisis, Transformation, and Deep Trust from a Cosmic Perspective

This seminar invites us to reflect on the universal nature of crisis, change, and transformation as well as the resources available for cultivating resilience and trust during difficult times. Drawing on insights from modern cosmology and the evolutionary perspective, we find sources of support, renewal, and guidance that can sustain us through the challenges we face personally, culturally, and globally at this critical time.
 
The presenter, Steve Martin, is an astronomer, educator, and author. He has taught astronomy, physics, and consciousness studies at colleges, universities, and learning centers across the U.S. for over 25 years. He is currently one of the lead instructors for the Deeptime Network, and he also consults at the Center for Spiritual Emergence in Asheville, NC. 
 
Three virtual sessions, Mondays, 6—8:30 p.m. ET beginning April 25, 2022
Dates: April 18, 2022, April 25, 2022, May 5, 2022       
The cost is $75.
This course is open all, members and non-members.                                       
Register

“Pilgrimage to Assisi” Website Live • Register!

 Join us in May 2023 when the Guild is offering a unique opportunity to walk in the footsteps of beloved mystics and peace activists, St. Francis and St. Clare, in the medieval city of Assisi, Italy, and surrounding countryside. “In the Footsteps of Francis and Clare” is an immersion experience in one of UNESCO’s world heritage sites — a unique pilgrimage to contemplate your own spiritual path in companionship with these beloved saints.

There’s a choice of three pilgrimages. Each highlights the life events, spirituality, and writings of Francis and Clare, explored through talks, meditations, and contemplative practices.  On Pilgrimage A — May 14-20, 2023 — you will visit well-known sites deeply connected to rich Franciscan legacy in and around Assisi – most significantly, the Basilicas of St. Francis and St. Clare, the original Little Portion Friary, and the San Damiano convent, among other wonders (including the ancient Roman Temple of Minerva). On Pilgrimage B — May 21-27 — you will venture out into Umbria and beyond, to visit, among other sacred sites, some lesser known, the town of Greccio, where Francis originated the living nativity; La Verna, where he received the stigmata; and, Gubbio, where the Jungian story of how Francis tamed the wolf took place. Join us for Pilgrimage A, or B, or both (with a discount)!  Your facilitators and co-hosts will be the Rt. Rev. Br. Mark D’Alessio, Guild graduate of AP XVIII and a Franciscan friar, and Paul Kimmerling, a spiritual director and resident of Assisi. You can also see their bios on the Pilgrimage website page.  Register today for Assisi - a place to gather, a place for peace.
Learn More and Register

Sacred Travel Pilgrimages to Switzerland and Iona

 

Penelope Yungblut, AP I, Jungian analyst and faculty member at the International School of Analytical Psychology in Zurich, will lead an eight-day Guild-sponsored “Pilgrimage to Sacred Places in Switzerland” May 22-28, 2022. Penelope has chosen places that she loves and finds illuminating. The pilgrimage will be based in Zurich. For more information, see the website or email Christina Carlson.
Let the gifts of sea, sky, stone, and sun will nurture your spirit in a pilgrimage to Iona in the summer of 2022, led by Cari Keith. You are invited to an act of pilgrimage; to lay aside a need for answers, and to allow curiosity, yes, even holy curiosity, to nurture and nourish your spirit. You are invited to a time of pilgrimage; to a time of processing, holding, and listening to all that bubbled up during this pandemic year and to what is yet to emerge. For more information, visit the website or email Cari Keith. 

Spiritual Autobiography Course Strikes Chord 

Guild member Leigh Fletcher took the course on writing your spiritual autobiography. She shares her appreciation: "Over the four weeks we have been encouraged to tell our stories and to create myths that are meaningful about our lives.  This process allowed me to gain a different perspective on how I think about some of my stories and really helped me to think about what is significant in my life. Getting to share my stories and pair with another classmate in between classes enriched the experience and kept me connected throughout the month. Now as I am working on compiling my "final" autobiography I am pulling together strands from my classmates' stories and myths that resonated with me and my stories. Definitely an amazing experience!"

Join the Virtual Coffee Cafe Tuesdays at 10 a.m. 

Guild graduates, if you love the idea of connecting with friends from your Apprenticeship Program and other Guild graduates, join the Coffee Café every Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. There are people who would love to see you and reconnect.

There is no cost to attend the Coffee Café.
Join us via Zoom

Silent Meditation, Thursdays at 6:30 a.m.

Every Thursday morning at 6:30, Guild members gather for time together in quiet. There is no program as such. Log on as close to 6:30 as you can, settle in, breathe, and sit together with our Guild family, holding the world, the Guild, our lives in holy space. The meeting closes around 7:00 with a reading. You are welcome any Thursday morning.

For more information and the zoom link please email Holly Moore at:  hollynelmesmoore@gmail.com

There is no cost for these meetings.

In Memoriam

Death is not extinguishing the light; it is only putting out the lamp because the dawn has come.  - Rabindranath Tagore
 

Rest in peace Guild members Alice Houghtaling and Helen Hoover
 
Alice Houghtaling was a spiritual director for a number of apprentices. She also did presentations for AP. Holly Moore recalls that Alice did a wonderful evening about labyrinths, including a candlelit labyrinth walk that evening, and another time she came to talk about the Quakers. "Whenever I saw her, I felt her Quaker spirit of calm and peace," Holly recalls. 

Cari Keith rememberers Helen Hoover as a talented artist who had a wise voice, a deep soul, and a tender heart. Helen remembered the Guild in her will with a bequest (see the article by Phyllis Hoover earlier in this newsletter). One of Helen's paintings is pictured above. 

 Upcoming Programs at Wisdom House

Check out these upcoming programs at Wisdom House, particularly those offered by Guild members Br. Mark D'Alessio and Laura McEvoy.

Making Room for the Holy, Lenten Retreat, March 3 - April 14
Celebrating Lent in a Time of Pandemic, March 3 - April 7
Springtime Breathe and Restore Retreat, March 4 - 6 
Lenten Series: Taize Prayer and Guided Meditation, March 8 - 22, presented by Guild member Br. Mark D'Alessio
Women in Recovery: Recognizing, Managing, and Healing our Trauma, March 18-20
Face the Rising Sun: Reflections on Spirituals and Justice, March 19
Modern Irish Poetry, March 26
Parallel Teachings of Jesus and Buddha. Part 4: Developing Great Love-the First Sermons of Jesus & Buddha, April 8-9, by Guild member Br. Mark D’Alessio
Praying Simply, April 23, by Guild member Laura McEvoy
People of Light in Times of Darkness, April 30
Wisdom House Program Information

Check out these Deep Time Network Courses

Deeptime Leadership Practicum, April 6 - June 17 
 

Writers and Artists Wanted

Would you like to write a reflective piece for the newsletter? Would you like to share your poetry, artwork, or remembrances of what made the Guild such a special experience for you? Would you like to write a profile of a Guild member for the newsletter? If so, please contact Lou Anne Bulik. 
You’re receiving this because you’re a member of the Guild or a Guild member has recommended you because of shared interests. We hope you enjoy hearing from us, but if you would prefer not to receive this, then feel free to unsubscribe at any time.   Shalom. Salaam. Peace.
 
February  2022
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Header Photo Credit, John Keith

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