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Learn more about “Spiritual Direction 3 – Drinking from the Well”
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
Lesson 1:
How Truth Pursues Me
A mystical perspective: Personal truth is a subjective, exclusionary force that is pure illusion, precisely because it is personal. A mystical Truth such as the reality of Karma is inclusionary. It applies to every person and it is not rooted in any one person’s experiences.
In this session, we will examine:
- What does it mean to have “Truth pursue you?”
- How do your personal truth and mystical Truths find expression in your life;
- Does it matter if you ignore something you know is a soul-Truth?
- How to identify a personal truth that conflicts with a mystical Truth;
- Why do we struggle with Truth?
Lesson 2:
The Power of My Words
A mystical perspective: Your words are your power tools. Each word you use initiates an act of creation and is a thread holding together a part of the fabric of your life. Take one word out of your vocabulary and all the creative power that that word contains evaporates from your life. Take the word “love” out, for example, and everything you understand, know, feel, and experience about “love” would no longer exist.
That’s the power of one word. In this class, we will explore:
- Why all spiritual teachers gave/give instructions on mindful speech;
- In the beginning was “my” word – what does giving your “word” mean to you? Or giving your “word” away?
- Is a “vow” words bound in sacredness?
- What do I mindlessly create each day?
- What words wander “on their own” through my mind and heart?
- What words have authority in me?
- Words I should and should not use.
Lessons 3:
The Time for Soul-Choices
A mystical perspective: There comes a time when we need to make choices that serve the harmony of our soul or our inner nature rather than the immediate needs of our personality or ego. We eventually come to recognize that the needs of our inner soul nature are consistent and grace-driven whereas the needs of our personality and ego are more responsive to what is happening “in the moment”. Eventually our mind, heart, and soul need to come into a conscious partnership of faith, personal power, and lifestyle choices because as mystical wisdom has taught for centuries, “We cannot serve two masters”. We either talk about our spiritual/intuitive path or we make our path our lifestyle. Learning to interpret mystical Truths such as these is one of the most empowering “tools of the soul” we can acquire. This class will look deeply into
- The meaning of the Prodigal Son story;
- The story of the Mountain and the Mustard Seed;
- Take no action; Leave nothing undone.
- The Truth Shall Set You Free.
Before I tell my life what to do, I must listen to my Life telling me what I should do.
Lesson 4:
Meeting The God of Paradox, not Paradise
A mystical perspective: The nature of the Divine is one of paradox. Prayers are never answered as we thought they would be. What is up is really down. What is big is really small. What looks safe is really the risky path. What looks dull is really Divine gold. When you make a choice out of fear, you rarely find safety. When you think you deserve a reward, you get nothing at all. When you aren’t looking for a reward, you are given more than you could ever imagine. When will we ever learn to trust the paradoxical nature of the Divine?
This class will examine:
- Perspectives on paradox;
- Is there a Promised Land or just a Paradoxical one?
- Light dwelling in darkness; darkness emerging from Light;
- Forgiveness – the greatest paradox;
- Seeing your life through paradox and blessings.
Lesson 5:
Therapy for My Soul
A mystical perspective: You will always need to heal something. Nothing about the spiritual path guarantees the end of problems or a perfectly safe life on Earth. Chances are that the more reflective, honest and truthful a person you become, the more you will feel the pain of others and even of the world around you. The role of Spiritual Direction in your life is to support your growing ability to see clearly and respond to your world with spiritual stamina.
This class will look more closely at:
- Living impersonally while loving personally;
- Letting Go of My Way;
- What does my soul need?
- Silence is not escape.
Lesson 6:
I And This World Are One
A mystical perspective: Though we may begin our spiritual journey motivated by quiet, personal reasons, ultimately we will emerge from our cocoons feeling as if we have been transformed from something passive to an active change agent. If this transformation hasn’t yet happened to you, it will. It always does. Not everyone is called to set the world on fire, but every one “is called” to be a part of the transformation of this planet and humankind. Imagine all the people helping you.
This final class in this series will explain:
- What is a “calling” and how do you recognize it?
- The collective soul of humanity can call you as well.
- The awakening of a new global morality: The emerging spiritual voice.
- What is the Truth about what I see happening around me?
- The mystic’s soul: Truth is painful because it’s the Truth.
- The daily spiritual work you need to sustain yourself.
- Pray like you’re crazy.
About Caroline Myss
Caroline Myss is a five-time New York Times bestselling author and internationally renowned speaker in the fields of human consciousness, spirituality and mysticism, health, energy medicine, and the science of medical intuition. Caroline established her own educational institute in 2003, CMED (Caroline Myss Education), which offers a diverse array of programs devoted to personal development and draws students from all over the world. In addition to her written work, Caroline maintains a rigorous international workshop and lecture schedule and has produced more than eighty audio/visual products on subjects that include healing, spirituality, personal development, and the study of archetypes.
