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Lughnasa and Gathering the Fruits ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dearest monks, artists, and pilgrims Lughnasa (pronounced Loo-nassah) is one of the ancient Celtic feasts celebrated on August 1st marking the time of the beginning of the harvest and the gathering in. It is said to honor the Celtic sun-god Lugh who was an ally to the farmer in the struggle for food. With the Summer Solstice six weeks before, you can start to really feel the shortening of the days in August in Ireland. There is a subtle shift in the light and the air that leans towards autumn’s crispness and cooler days.  The energy in the world is changing.

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I Am Not a Mistake: A Healing Service for the Queer Soul

Sunday, June 26, 2022 11:00am-12:30pm ET with Rev. Simon Ruth de Voil (he/they) and Dr. Jamie Marich (she/they) The Institute for Creative Mindfulness is happy to invite our friend Rev. Simon Ruth de Voil for this special program that they are hosting for Pride Month. Dr. Jamie Marich spends a great deal of time speaking about spiritual abuse and working with LGBTQ+ persons from a clinical perspective. This year, their clinical training organization wants the Pride Month offering to be something that is much more personal for members of the queer/LGBTQ+ communities and their allies. So many individuals who identify

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Monk in the World Guest Post: Laura Musick Wright

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Laura Musick Wright’s reflection, “My Rule of Life – A Daily Prayer.” “Dearest monks and artists, it has been such a privilege and honor to take this journey with you.  It brings me such deep and profound joy to support others in integrating the contemplative and creative paths of life.”  —Christine Valters Paintner, The Artist’s Rule – A twelve-week journey.  Allow me, dear Christine, to thank you!  My participation in your 12-week creative journey, The Artist’s Rule, has brought forth such deep and

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Monk in the World Guest Post: Rosemary McMahan

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Rosemary McMahan’s reflection “The Eyes of Wabi-Sabi”. I recently was introduced to the Japanese Buddhist tradition of Wabi-sabi.  According to Leonard Koren, “Wabi-sabi is a beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete.  It is a beauty of things modest and humble.  It is a beauty of things unconventional”  (Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets, and Philosophers).  Wabi-sabi has an ancient history which began with Chinese Buddhists and eventually made its way to Japanese Buddhists who influenced its current meaning.  Wikipedia explains that

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Post-Surgery Health Update from Christine

Dearest monks, artists, and pilgrims, First enormous gratitude for your generous love, care, and prayers for me. I have absolutely felt surrounded by them along with the angels, saints, and ancestors, Mary as Life Giving Spring, and the Divine Healer infusing me with greening life energy. I checked into the hospital Tuesday and had my transadominal hysterectomy first thing Wednesday. My doctor was so kind to come hold my hand as I went under. According to her all went very well. Yesterday I felt pretty awful but to be expected after anesthesia and a major surgery. The nurses and assistants

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Introduction to Birthing the Holy: Exploring the Sacred Feminine and Archetypes

Seminary of the Wild recently welcomed Abbey of the Arts online abbess, artist, contemplative, and prolific author, Christine Valters Paintner as a guest Wild Luminary speaker. Christine shares from her new book exploring the archetypes of Mary and the sacred feminine. “The sacred feminine is not at the expense of the masculine. We need both in healthy balance to one another. The feminine values qualities of intuition, dreaming, receiving, and resting among others. We all hold the feminine and masculine within ourselves. Mary offers us many faces of this sacred feminine presence and can help us to cultivate a slower,

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Monk in the World Guest Post: Laurie Klein

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Laurie Klein’s reflection titled “Alphabet of Presence.” I keep sensing, maybe as an amateur mystic, that the whole world is every moment saying the name of God. —Li Young Lee After my father died, ragged bereavement steamrolled my days. Journaling, therapy, and medication helped. I also took up calligraphy. A focused return to the ABCs might reawaken curiosity, make me feel less numb, more present.  Cautiously hopeful, I tackled Uncial, an uppercase medieval script historically used by monks. Ancient

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