Six On-Line Seminars. Recorded July 22-August 26, 2015.

As a way of introducing Drinking From the Well, let me summarize briefly the previous courses as a progression for those of you who have already taken the first two classes in this series as well as for those of you who are considering them. In the first six-week-course, Pebbles at the Well, you are introduced to the imagery of a sacred Well within you, an inner meditation space. You are guided to imagine dropping a pebble into your Well as your connecting inner focus point. Drawn to your inner Well, your only instruction is to “listen, just listen” to the beginning silence where you meet your soul. You are introduced to Spiritual Direction in this first course by examining the most commonly asked spiritual questions about life purpose, personal beliefs, values, doubts and challenges about the nature of God, and inner guidance. The subject matter of Jewels at the Well, the second course, progresses from the external life matters emphasized in Pebbles at the Well to exploring the organic, creative power of your soul (as represented by the different jewels in the weekly lectures). This course directs you to more inward-looking questions about your spiritual life and the nature of the power of your soul. The key learning in Jewels at the Well is recognizing that you are always engaging in acts of creation through your beliefs. You have the power to change the whole of your life through the choices you make each day. Why, then, do we find it so challenging to make empowering choices for ourselves?

In Drinking From the Well, we enter into the next sequence of subjects that naturally flows from examining the power of our choices in everyday life, drawing upon a deepening understanding of how mystical truths influence everything we are and everything we do. In each of the six sessions that form the body of work for Drinking From the Well, spiritual teachings will be presented that are known to challenge the mind but expand the soul. These mystical truths make sense to our spiritual intelligence, that part of us that has the capacity to heal “terminal” illnesses, to channel grace to others near and at a distance, and to trust in guidance from our inner Well. At the same time, we still have to contend with the struggles in our everyday life. For all of our inner work, we may wonder why we are still battling depression or why we still have no idea what to do next with our life. There does come a time in our spiritual journey when we have to ask, “Do I actually believe in the authority of my inner spirit, or is this all a waste of energy?” How you examine this question and other questions of spiritual significance are part of the rich content of this third seminar. We will also continue the practice of praying together with the additional closing moments set aside for discussions on the meaning of the prayers we are saying together. As you will come to appreciate more fully in Session Two of this series, the words you say – and pray – are vessels of profound power.

Finally, I wish to add a very personal note to all of you. The Spiritual Direction classes are as significant spiritually to me as they are to you. The pleasure I find in taking days to prepare for these classes has allowed me to deepen my own spiritual life. Sharing spirituality with you is a gift but watching all of you grow into a global spiritual community that is thriving on the grace and aliveness of your own spirits is breathtaking to me. I did not expect the Spiritual Directions class to continue to a Part III, and now I hope it goes on for several more courses, as there is so much territory in the human soul to explore.

I look forward to being with all of you in July with so much enthusiasm and love.

Caroline