Experiential Education for Spiritual Directors in the Expressive Arts Betsey Beckman and I have scheduled new dates for our next offering of this wonderful program.  Consider joining us May 17-22, 2009 on the beautiful Hood Canal for five days of creative exploration and deep discovery through storytelling, poetry writing, visual art-making, movement, and song. The International Expressive Arts Therapy Association defines the expressive arts as “combin(ing) the visual arts, movement, drama, music, writing and other creative processes to foster deep personal growth and community development. . . By integrating the arts processes and allowing one to flow into another, we

I have been listening a lot these days.  My life feels full and rich and I am also feeling a bit gluttonous for wanting it all, not really wanting to say no to anything.  There is a playful, exuberant little girl inside of me relishing the sheer abundance of possibility. And yet there is also my inner hermit who hears the call of spaciousness, the invitation to make sure in the coming months as my work energy shifts and continues to pick up speed, that I also have time to spend with my beloved, with my dear Abbess, with my amazing friends, and oh yes, time just

Today I am continuing our theme this week of illumination.  Several weeks ago I did my Sacred Artist Interview with Jan Richardson.   I shared the kinship I have felt with Jan because of her love of illuminated manuscript and the way they serve as inspiration for her own work.  Several years ago Phil Cousineau edited these two wonderful books (which you can still find used copies of) — The Soul of the World: A Modern Book of Hours and The Soul Aflame: A Modern Book of Hours, which was really the first place I had ever seen anyone create a contemporary version of

I didn’t end up finishing a post for yesterday because I have been getting ready for a two-week trip I am leaving on this Saturday.  For several months now I have been studying and working with Bowen Theory and some genealogical work as well.  I first started seeing a Jungian analyst for spiritual direction about a year ago, mainly to move more deeply into dream work.  The unexpected gift of our work together has been exploring family systems theory and then having an opportunity to participate in a workshop on it where I was able to go even deeper into the

On Monday I received a very disheartening email.  The bookstore at the Graduate Theological Union where I did my graduate studies will be closing its doors.  They simply can’t keep up with online retailers anymore.  It is such a fine source of theological resources and the fact that a university bookstore can’t stay open is very sad to me indeed. I think even sadder to me right now is recognizing my own culpability in this.  I buy a lot of books, and I buy most of them through Amazon.  I wholeheartedly believe in supporting independent bookstores and have often thought I would be

I adore poetry and often find it to be a source of profound wisdom as valuable to me as other sacred texts. I sometimes write them myself and post them, although they often stay tucked in the pages of my journal. I love to lead poetry-writing exercises in some of my retreat and training programs, and of course I adore hosting the Poetry Parties here at the Abbey where you, my splendidly creative readers, share your own poetic gifts so generously with me. I’m feeling inspired to make poetry-writing a more sustained practice in my quiet moments, so I am pulling some good books off of my

How refreshing a Sabbath day can be.  I feel a little more spaciousness in my soul, more light-heartedness about the work I still have to do. I spent much of the day lounging in pajamas and reading through some books I have had sitting on my shelf calling to me. (Does it count as work if the fruits of my lounging ends up here in this week’s edition of the Abbey Bookshelf?) :-) First, I found these delightful art journals at the website of Teesha Moore.  Teesha is the person behind ArtFest held each April in Port Townsend.  I had never been before and last