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Monk in the World Guest Post: Tom Delmore

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Tom Delmore’s poems Sparse hay does not a savior make and Ascension Thursday ~ Heal Thyself. These two poems come on the heels of retirement and a shift in writing. What is God calling me to in this craft? I began to see this as words jumped onto the page that seemed part of the poem but out of place, but not wrong. “A push the envelope moment” that sent shutters of not what I think but

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Abbess love notes

Samhain and the Grace of Descent ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dearest dancing monks, artists, and pilgrims, We live in times when it often feels like everything is coming undone. The Celtic hinge points of Autumn Equinox, Samhain, the Winter Solstice, and Imbolc offer the wisdom of living into a rhythm that honors the importance of times of rest as essential to our personal and collective wellbeing. This Friday, October 31st begins the Feast of Samhain. Simon de Voil, Jamie Marich, and Polly Paton-Brown will lead us in a mini-retreat to deepen into the wisdom of the season. Samhain marks one of the two great doorways of the Celtic year. The Celts divided the

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Monk in the World Guest Post: Liuan Huska

I’m delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Liuan Huska’s reflection A Holy Shitshow: Being Present to Sickness and Dying. This article is adapted from a post from Liuan’s Substack newsletter: Becoming Whole.  I’m not sure how else to describe the last few months. My mom has been in and out of the hospital five times with complications from stomach cancer. Our car has been in and out of the mechanic four times, not to mention the time my husband and neighbor fixed the catalytic converter at

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Abbess love notes

Spiral of the Work ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dearest dancing monks, artists, and pilgrims, We are so delighted to be welcoming Lydia Violet and Te Martin who will lead an online program based on The Work That Reconnects, created by Joanna Macy, on Tuesdays from October 21st – November 11th. This work is so vital in our challenging times, offering us a pathway to be able to name our gratitude, process our grief, be inspired, and offer ourselves in service.  The following is an excerpt from Coming Back to Life: The Updated Guide to the Work That Reconnects:  The Spiral of the Work Over the years, we have come to

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Monk in the World Guest Post: Karen Southall Watts

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Karen Southall Watts’s reflection Sturdy Shoes and an Open Mind. My practice is not new or unique. In fact, I suspect that long before the Transcendentalists began tramping about the woods of New England in the 1800s, humanity was well-versed in the spiritual connection of a nature walk. I know I am not the first to discover the thick quiet of a lonely copse of trees, or the brilliant joy of a rabbit or deer bounding across your path.

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Abbess love notes

The Work that Reconnects ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dearest dancing monks, artists, and pilgrims, Throughout history saints and mystics remind us that we are called to be a loving presence in a world that often feels it is being pulled apart. They also remind us we are called to do this work in relationship. This month I’m excited to welcome seasoned facilitator Lydia Violet Harutoonian accompanied by community song leader Te Martin to lead us in a 4-part series The Work that Reconnects (WTR). WTR is Joanna Macy’s experiential group work that has helped thousands find clarity of vision and emotional sanctuary while living through this precious and precarious moment on our planet.  Lydia offers

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Monk in the World Guest Post: Tarja Cajudo

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Tarja Cajudo’s reflection on the spirituality of being an elder sister, an Ate. I am an Ate (pronounced Ah-teh), the eldest sister. People who speak Tagalog use “Ate” as an honorific, a title in front of the names of our older female relatives. We always use it for an older girl or woman because Tagalog is a language that values age. Sometimes “Ate” replaces the elder sister’s name entirely. The Ate of a family is named through the irreplaceable relationship

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Abbess love notes

St. Francis and the Gift of Song ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Canticle*They sat in the convent gardenbreathing in rosemary and thyme,Francis ill and frail, his vision obscured.Clare had lost use of her legs,both their faces markedby lines that told stories—how their chosen povertyhad intensified their love,had freed them from unnecessary burdens.They talked for hours,stretched like a tent above them,their laughter and weepinghung in the air like rose garlands,interrupted by moments of stillnesswhen they paused and listenedto the way the breeze rustledthe world, coaxing forth its song.And when sunlight emergedthey turned their faces toward it like daisies,and when rain pouredthey huddled under the roofto hear how its rhythm echoed their hearts.As summer

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Monk in the World Guest Post Series

Monk in the World Guest Post: Polly Paton-Brown

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Wisdom Council member Polly Paton-Brown’s reflection“I wanna be where my feet are.” November 6th 2024 was a misty day in the part of the UK where I live. As I walked my dogs, everything in the landscape felt muted and still. I was so aware of my many friends in the US who were waking up to a changed reality. The fear and distress of so many came rolling off the internet in waves. As I walked a

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Abbess love notes

The Art and Wisdom of Savoring ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dearest dancing monks, artists, and pilgrims, My newest book Give Me a Word: The Promise of an Ancient Practice to Guide Your Year has been published by Broadleaf Books! (You can download a free reflection guide or small group leader’s guide here).  In 2012, the year we moved to Europe, the word that claimed me was savor. I had been reading In the Company of Rilke by Stephanie Dowrick.  The German poet Rilke has been a teacher of mine for many years but that previous year his wisdom became even more necessary for my life.  Each morning as a part of my daily prayer and journaling time I

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