Abbey of the Arts

Transformative Living through Contemplative & Expressive Arts

  • Welcome
    • Prayer Cycle
      • Introduction to the Earth Monastery Prayer Cycle
      • Day 1 Morning & Evening Prayer:
        Earth as the Original Cathedral
      • Day 2 Morning & Evening Prayer:
        Earth as the Original Scriptures
      • Day 3 Morning & Evening Prayer:
        Earth as the Original Saints
      • Day 4 Morning & Evening Prayer:
        Earth as the Original Spiritual Directors
      • Day 5 Morning & Evening Prayer:
        Earth as the Original Icon
      • Day 6 Morning & Evening Prayer:
        Earth as the Original Sacrament
      • Day 7 Morning & Evening Prayer:
        Earth as the Original Liturgy
      • Prayer Cycle Leader Resources
    • About the Abbey
    • About Christine Valters Paintner
    • About John Valters Paintner
    • About the Wisdom Council
    • Monk Manifesto
    • Join the Holy Disorder of Dancing Monks
    • Subscribe to Our Love Notes
    • Website privacy notice
  • Books
    • Sacred Time:
      Embracing an Intentional Way of Life
    • The Wisdom of Wild Grace: Poems
    • Earth, Our Original Monastery:
      Cultivating Wonder and Gratitude through Intimacy with Nature
    • Dreaming of Stones: Poems
    • The Soul's Slow Ripening:
      12 Celtic Practices for Seeking the Sacred
    • The Wisdom of the Body:
      A Contemplative Journey to Wholeness for Women
    • Illuminating the Way:
      Embracing the Wisdom of Monks and Mystics
    • The Soul of a Pilgrim:
      Eight Practices for the Journey Within
    • Eyes of the Heart:
      Photography as a Christian Contemplative Practice
    • The Artist's Rule: Nurturing Your Creative Soul with Monastic Wisdom
    • Desert Mothers and Fathers: Early Christian Wisdom Sayings Annotated & Explained
    • Lectio Divina–The Sacred Art: Transforming Words and Images into Heart-Centered Prayer
    • Water, Wind, Earth & Fire: The Christian Practice of Praying with the Elements
    • Awakening the Creative Spirit:
      Bringing the Arts to Spiritual Direction
    • Lectio Divina: Contemplative Awakening & Awareness
  • Poetry | Art | Music
    • Music + DVD
    • Poetry by Christine Valters Paintner
    • Poetry Videos
    • Dancing Monk Icons
    • Other Art Collaborations
      • Monk in the World art series by Kristin Noelle
      • Saints & Animals art series by David Hollington
      • Sacred Time art series by Alexi Francis
      • Mary block print art series by Kreg Yingst
  • Programs
    • Walk the Ancient Paths: Pilgrimage
      • Monk in the World (Ireland)
      • Writing on the Wild Edges (Ireland)
      • Poetry and the Sacred Garden of the World (Ireland)
      • Vienna Monk in the World (Austria)
      • Hildegard of Bingen (Germany)
    • Live Programs and Spiritual Retreats
      • Awakening the Creative Spirit: Experiential Education for Spiritual Directors in the Expressive Arts (Northwest)
    • Community Online Retreats
      • Lift Every Voice: Contemplative Writers of Color
      • The Way of the Hermit:
        A Spiritual Survival Guide for Dark Times
        with Kayleen Asbo, PhD
      • The Spiral Way:
        Celtic Spirituality and the Creative Imagination
      • Journey with the Desert Mothers and Fathers (Lent 2021)
      • Sacred Time: Embracing an Intentional Way of Life (Spring 2021)
    • Self-Study Online Spiritual Retreats
      • Creative Flourishing in the Heart of the Desert:
        An Online Retreat with St. Hildegard of Bingen
      • Dreaming of the Sea:
        A women’s discernment journey through the story of the Selkie
      • Earth, Our Original Monastery
        A Companion Retreat to the Book (SELF-STUDY)
      • Exile and Coming Home:
        An Archetypal Journey through the Scriptures
      • Eyes of the Heart:
        Photography as Contemplative Practice
        (Companion retreat to the book)
      • Honoring Saints and Ancestors:
        Online Retreat for the Season of Remembrance
      • Lectio Divina:
        The Sacred Art of Reading the World
      • A Midwinter God:
        Making a Conscious Underworld Journey
      • Sacred Rhythms of Sky, Sun, Sea & Stone:
        A Creative Retreat with the Elements (SELF-STUDY)
      • Sacred Seasons:
        A Yearlong Journey through the Celtic Wheel of the Year
      • The Soul of a Pilgrim:
        Eight Practices for the Journey Within
        (a companion retreat to the book)
      • The Soul's Slow Ripening: 12 Celtic Practices for Seekers of the Sacred (a companion retreat to the book)
      • Water, Wind, Earth & Fire
      • Watershed Moments
        in the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures
      • Way of the Monk, Path of the Artist:
        A 12-Week Companion Retreat to The Artist's Rule
      • The Wisdom of the Body:
        A 10-Week Online Companion Retreat to the Book
      • The Wisdom of Mary and the Sacred Feminine
  • Calendar
  • Reflections
  • Contact

Monk in the World Guest Post Series

Monk in the World Guest Post: CJ Shelton

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for CJ Shelton's reflection, "A Prayer for All of Creation."

Living the quiet and contemplative life of an artist and “monk in the world” in Ontario, Canada, I am blessed to have each distinct and seasonal quarter turn of Nature’s Wheel influence both my art and my prayers.

In the winter months, those prayers are often for the birds, animals and trees that must endure the harshness of our Canadian sub-zero temperatures and snowy storms. This winter though, it was another country, Australia, and the devastating loss of habitat and animal life from wildfires that became my focus.

My spiritual practices are a blend of the Celtic/Anglo Saxon traditions of my British ancestors and the Algonquin tradition of eastern Ontario I am aligned with through shamanic Medicine Rites. Seeing the natural world as sacred is a fundamental feature of both Celtic and First Nations spirituality, so a love of nature is literally coded into my DNA.

As I watched helplessly in the face of Australia’s unfolding tragedy, I realized I could take action through my art by creating a special collaborative mandala for the winter festival at the arts centre where my studio is located. In both my art and work as an educator and facilitator, I use the circular format known as a mandala. Knowing a mandala acts as both a container and an amplifier of whatever is placed within it, at the very centre of the piece I painted our planet earth. I then “ghosted” images around it of Australian animals such as koala bears and kangaroos, as well as other creatures being impacted by environmental disasters. Finally, during the festival, I invited anyone who visited my studio to contribute their own thoughts and prayers by writing them directly on the radiating concentric circles drawn around the earth.

Prayers for the Planet is still a work-in-progress as my intent is to keep adding to it, expanding its circle of prayer to include not only the land down under, but all areas struggling because of climate change and other human-caused indignities. Prayer is powerful and I know the effects of such an intentional process can ripple outwards in incredible ways.

The ancient Celts recognized this power when they used the “circling” form of prayer known as caim, a concept I was introduced to through one of Abbey of the Arts daily emails. On doing more research, I learned that caim is Gaelic for “protection” or “sanctuary” and is derived from the root word meaning to “circle”, bend or turn. In essence, a caim is an invisible circle of protection that is created or drawn symbolically around the body to encircle the one who is praying, as well as anyone, or anything, they wish to include. The power of this prayer-form is that all who are placed within its sacred space can feel safe and loved, even in the darkest of times.

As I created this painting, I recognized I am praying a caim whenever I open Sacred Space and call in the Seven Great Directions of the Algonquin Medicine Wheel:  East, South, West, North and the directions of Above, Below and Centre. And I often extend that space beyond my personal circle to the community in which I live and to the world at large, both natural and human. By encircling a space much larger than myself I am including the entire vast and diverse web of life – the plants, trees, rocks, birds and other wildlife – of which I know I am fundamentally a part, as are all humans.

Such an invitation also pays homage to the numinous in nature – that which is mysterious, spiritual and, at times, even supernatural. It acknowledges that I am just one of many interwoven threads within our planet’s much larger web of wonders. Casting such an encircling prayer also creates a space and an atmosphere of expectation, a knowing that mystery and magic can, and will happen, because the whole of Creation is now a part of my caim circle. In this way, my caim becomes an eco-centric (not ego) way of praying that includes All My Relations.

Creating sacred space in this way is empowering and tangible. It is a way of acting intentionally in the face of the relentless bad news being constantly filtered through the media. It is a way of focusing energy through speaking aloud about that which I wish to see change. Having these words witnessed by Spirit solidifies them, making it more likely I will follow through with my own conscious actions in the physical realm to help manifest these changes … because thoughts become reality and when said prayerfully, their power cannot be underestimated. Belief PLUS action is the key to healing our world.

Given the times we are living in, I will continue to say a caim each season as it comes around and offer my prayer of protection for all of Creation. And each time I do, I will feel the waves of concentric circles rippling out from my own little sacred circle to merge with the prayers of others and, eventually with the greater Sacred Hoop of our planet, and beyond. By doing so, I am quietly doing my part as a monk in the world. Even though that part feels small, I know every prayer counts. And, most of all, I know that Creation will respond.


CJ Shelton is an Artist/Educator who inspires and guides others on their creative and spiritual journeys. Through her art, photography, writing and shamanic practice, CJ opens others up to the meaning, magic and mystery of the Great Wheel of Life. You can view The Art of CJ Shelton at DancingMoonDesigns.ca

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Leave a Comment October 14, 2020

Upcoming Programs

The Way of the Hermit:
A Spiritual Survival Guide for Dark Times

January 22-24, 2021
with Kayleen Asbo, PhD

The Spiral Way:
Celtic Spirituality and the Creative Imagination

Hosted by the Rowe Center
February 1-21, 2021
with Christine Valters Paintner, PhD

Recent Reflections

  • Humility + Join us today for live prayer! ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess
  • Hildy Tales 2: Tús maith leath na hoibre – by John Valters Paintner
  • New Book Club for 2021: Lift Every Voice ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess
  • Hildy Tales One: Dia dhuit, is mise Hildy! by John Valters Paintner, Your Online Prior
  • Celebrate the Earth Monastery Prayer Cycle podcast with us!

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