Today is the Autumn Equinox and we enter my favorite half of the year. These days have been marked by a heaviness here at the Abbey though. My mother-in-law who has Alzheimer's has been declining rapidly as of late. And in the last couple of weeks our sweet old dog Tune has developed canine cognitive dysfunction, which essentially leads to increased [...]
Posts in the Cycles and Seasons category
Poetry Party Winner and more on the spirituality of autumn
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Thank you to everyone who participated in this week's Poetry Party. What an incredible celebration of words it was. I feel deeply blessed by all of the beauty shared in this space. My heart is full of gratitude. Feel free to keep adding poems as they are inspired in you. The winner of this week's drawing [...]
Pink Petaled Profusion
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What are your pink-petaled dreams? What is the longing deep within you just beginning to blossom forth into the world? Will you say yes? And YES? ________________________________________________ © Christine Valters Paintner at Abbey of the Arts: Transformative Living through Contemplative & Expressive Arts
Stirring in the Belly
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Monastic practice offers me the gift of paying attention to the seasons of the day and the year. February 1st is a potent time. On the Celtic wheel of the year it is Imbolc (meaning "stirring in the belly") which is one of the cross-quarter days falling between the Solstice and the Equinox. Imbolc marks [...]
"Give Me a Word" (and Abbey New Year Giveaway)
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In ancient times, wise men and women fled out into the desert to find a place where they could be fully present to God and to their own inner struggles at work within them. The desert became a place to enter into the refiner's fire and be stripped down to one's holy essence. The desert [...]
Crossing the Threshold: New Year, New Beginnings
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The following reflection is excerpted from my latest Reflective Art Journal – Crossing the Threshold: New Year, New Beginnings – visit the Abbey Shop to order your copy today filled with reflections and suggestions for a creating a meaningful ritual for entering into the New Year ahead. ______________ I am fascinated by the human desire [...]
"The love of dark November days"
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These dark days of autumn rain, are beautiful as days can be; the desolate, deserted trees, the faded earth, the heavy sky; I learned to know the love of dark November days. -Robert Frost Thank you to everyone who participated in this week's Poetry Party – such a beautiful and transcendent collection of poems await [...]
Visual Meditation: Autumn Equinox
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The autumn equinox is tomorrow. What are you releasing that no longer energizes you? What dreams do you want to harvest this season? © Christine Valters Paintner at Abbey of the Arts: Transformative Living through Contemplative & Expressive Arts SALE at the Abbey Shop on ALL Reflective Art Journals! Become a fan of the Abbey [...]
Summer Solstice
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This week was the Abbey's first Photo Party and there was a lovely gathering of images. Thank you so much to everyone who participated and shared their photos and art in honor of the Summer Solstice. The winner of this week's random drawing for a copy of Illuminating Mystery: Creativity as Spiritual Practice is isa. Send me your snail mail [...]
In the Midst of Spring . . .
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. . . there is also a Great Autumn. What is being released within you to make way for summer's fruit? © Christine Valters Paintner at Abbey of the Arts: Transformative Living through Contemplative & Expressive Arts
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