There is sometimes (often?) irony to be found in the reflectiveness and goal-setting of January. I rang in the New Year bemoaning how creatively on-fire – to the point of agitation – I was in 2019 for a vision that has met only roadblocks. Then today, I came across my New Year’s 2015 intention to feel *inspired* moving forward and had to laugh. It seems my intention kicked into high gear a few years after I had forgotten about it, and that I probably should have added something about “accomplished” to the mix.
Our intentions – whether we remember or are conscious of them – do matter. Creative inspiration and expression is something I value. Some of my happiest times have been dreaming up and then bringing to life the wanderings of my imagination. New Years 2015 I was still in the midst of emergencies (that I thought were over, ha!) that required me to squelch creative ideas and projects – and it was 2019 provided the freedom to dive back into them.
Yes, I met some frustrations – but looking back at my reflections and intentions reminded me that creativity is a core value and that it was a gift of 2019 to have the time and space to be inspired. Moving forward into 2020, I will do what I can to bring my project to life AND appreciate the process regardless of the outcome.
What are YOUR core values? What are your intentions moving forward into 2020? Join me for an afternoon of clarity, reflection and visioning at my Moving Forward in Sync with Your Soul workshop on January 18, 2020. Click here for more information and to register.
During the breaking newscast of the Notre Dame fire, the words
“They were creating a giant prayer…” in reference to the creation of the cathedral caught my attention.
I cried.
I cried again later during another news report which said, “Firefighters directed much of their efforts towards saving the artwork stored at the back of the cathedral.”
It moves me deeply to know that my fellow humans value art, beauty and history to the point of risking their lives.
Years ago, I cried while watching a documentary about Afghan professors rescuing art from the taliban. And while reading about US soldiers rescuing art from the nazis.
These acts of heroism speak volumes to me about what it means to be human and what it means to care about the legacy we offer future generations.
But
the people who cried on 4/15/19 and put their resources and power towards saving Notre Dame,
my people – the ones of European Christian ancestry,
allow corporate greed to destroy God’s art.
Indigenous peoples go to court to save the Amazon from oil company greed. Image Credit: Mitch Anderson/Amazon Frontlines
Imagine the state of our planet today if
those who claim to believe that God created the forests, valued natural Creation as much as the Creation of our greatest human artists.
Imagine too the state of the world if we recognized the Sacred in every culture.
What if we saw God in the history and traditions of every race and continent? What if those saving Notre Dame did all they could to stop the destruction of the Sacred in all its expressions around the globe?
During yesterday’s fire, I was privileged to know that the wealthy and powerful shared in my grief, and were doing all they could to stop the destruction of the Sacred art and history of my own spiritual ancestors.
Today I ask what if the wealthy and powerful did all they could to stop the destruction of the Earth and of all peoples?
Halloween is more than a month away, and already the stores are cluttering our minds with Christmas merchandise. Dread of the imminent Holiday muzak is starting to make us sweat. But…what if Christmas 2018 was different? What if this year you reimagined the spiritual essence of the season?
What if……every time you saw a nativity scene, you visualized the baby as a metaphor for the mysterious, beautiful Spirit that is constantly birthing itself into the world?
…every time you heard a song with lyrics such as ‘O Come Let Us Adore Him’ you remembered to honor the Spirit that is already alive within you and within everyone you meet?
…every time you encountered any version of the Christmas story, you allowed it to serve as a reminder that although the Spirit is “forever being born in the human soul,” we must constantly make room in our awareness for it – emptying our minds of the clutter, opening to the reality of the present – because otherwise “there is no room in the inn for such a mystery?”
Using art, music, storytelling and guided visualization, we will:
reconsider the Nativity story – angels singing in the sky, refugee woman giving birth in stranger’s shed, lowly field men approaching in awe – as a metaphor for the moment when suddenly the Universe stops and loudly announces “The Spirit of love is here! Alive in the world! Incarnate!”
and
reflect on ways we can be like the wise men who followed their intuition and outsmarted evil so the Spirit could flourish.
What if the point of the Christmas story has always been that:
1) this mysterious, beautiful Spirit is already present “hidden inside of everything”
2) yet we’re still always waiting (longing!) to see it revealed in the world because we’re so clouded from the reality that Spirit is everywhere and already birthed inside of us?
As a spiritual director (and also as a parent, friend and public speaker), I try to tap people into their own wisdom and creativity.
Depending on your worldview, you may see wisdom and creative inspiration as coming from your intuition, communication with God, a collective unconscious or some combination of all three. However you define the source, practices of quiet (prayer or meditation), mindfulness (deep presence to the moment) and increasing self-knowledge (awareness of how your ego derails you) better allow wisdom and creativity to flow within you.
A spiritual director can offer guidance in these practices, help you discern when you are tapping into this flow and stand beside you as you grow in the confidence of access to your own wisdom.
One person who clearly accessed her inner wisdom and creativity – and had a spiritual director – was a 12th century woman known as Hildegard of Bingen.
Hildegard composed powerful music that is still widely enjoyed today and which scientists have discovered activates our brainwaves in unique ways. Enter her name in YouTube and listen to some of the recordings yourself. Here’s a couple:
Hildegard wrote encyclopedias documenting the healing qualities for over 300 plants and trees. She also wrote philosophical volumes on the spiritual and natural worlds that earned her such widespread respect even emperors, popes and kings sought her counsel.
Hildegard saw everything as existing within an interconnected web of creation – and understood that by studying the microcosm we could come to understand the macrocosm. This was in the 1100s! Long before quantum physics verified her teachings.
Hildegard had “visions” through which these secrets of the universe were revealed to her. She described these visions in her writings, oversaw their portrayal in painted mandalas (such as the one above) and talked about them on her speaking tours.
She also wrote about how the process of sharing her visions with her spiritual director strengthened her confidence in them and gave her the conviction to share her message with the world.
Everything that is in the heavens, on earth, and under the earth is penetrated with connectedness, penetrated with relatedness - Hildegard of Bingen
What if we all took seriously our own “visions” or moments of clarity when spiritual connectedness or creative inspiration seems to flow through us? What if we all nurtured these moments with meditation or other spiritual practices? What if we all had someone to talk to about these moments?
Hildegard may have seen her visions in what today we might call migraine auras, and much of her imagery stems from the lush forest that surrounded her monastery.
I believe we can all nurture our ability (as well as our children’s ability) to find meaning in everything around us. We all have the potential to better understand the secrets of the universe as revealed in something as simple as the veins of a maple leaf.
While Hildegard seems to have been blessed with more talents than the average human, the design of her daily life was ideal for nurturing her spiritual and creative gifts.
Since early childhood, Hildegard’s days were focused on practicing the quiet of meditative prayer and cultivating awareness of the sacred within each moment and all of creation. Knowing this helps us understand how her music and visions came to be.
How can we emulate Hildegard’s practices so as to enhance the wisdom and creativity flowing through our own lives?
Hildegard was a woman to be reckoned with. She understood the value and importance of her visions. Claiming unheard of authority for a woman not only of her time but perhaps any time in history since, Hildegard did not shrink from challenging those in power. She wrote sternly to those who she saw abusing their power, and her views were taken seriously by them.
O king, it is of utmost necessity that you take care of how you act... I see you are acting like a child. You live an insane, absurd life before God. There is still time. - Hildegard to Emperor Bararossa
If you are not familiar with Hildegard, I encourage you to get to know her better. And talk about her to the girls and young women in your lives!
Every creature is a glittering, glistening mirror of Divinity - Hildegard of Bingen
Then you’ll see for yourself why Hildegard is an inspiration for so many reasons – her access to wisdom, her holistic knowledge and creative talents, her ability to claim authority in matters not normally granted to women, her confidence in her visions and the strength of her convictions.
I will be presenting a program on Hildegard of Bingen at St Gerard Church in Brooklyn Park, MN on Feb 2, 2018, details to follow.
Let me know if you’re interested in having me speak at your event or if you’re interested in a spiritual direction session. Email me at Carolyn@spiritfulldirection.com.
self, others, the world around you and the great Mystery.
Medications and therapy ease the symptoms, but are not a cure.
You know that, right?
My guess is that every person reading this either takes, or knows someone who takes, anti-depressants and still experiences some level of depression.
Why? Because CONNECTION is the only path to relief.
Anti-depressants can give us the boost we need to get out of our ruts and seek connection,
but without that critical step – connection – there is no real end to the misery.
Need some ideas of what can connect you?
I have suggestions,
but the key is to do something mindfully,
meaning that you are present in the activity
rather than just trying to get through it or pass the time.
Connect to the moment.
Be present to the moment and clear in your intention.
If your intention is to connect with yourself,
then create something that releases your spirit onto a physical form – paper, clay, garden plot – even if just for your eyes only. Or move your body in a way that focuses your attention on how the air fills your lungs or the sun warms your face or each of your muscles pulls and releases.
If your intention is to seek connection with others,
then be mindful during your interactions with others of feeling tenderness for each person. Dare to have deeply honest and meaningful conversations.
If your intention is to connect with the world around you,
then be present to the clouds, the grass, the birds.
If you intention is to seek connection with the great Mystery,
then let your mind soar into the space of your ancestors, the moment you came into being, or the source of all Love and Beauty.
You can connect by:
gardening, painting, writing, running, playing, volunteering at a senior living center, dancing, volunteering at an animal shelter, taking a slow walk in the forest as the trees graciously fill your lungs, performing your own water ballet in the deep end of the local pool, meditating, volunteering at a crisis nursery, praying, heart to heart talks with an old friend, heart to heart talks with a new friend, doing something for the sheer joy of it, reading a book that questions reality, watching a movie that shows you life through fresh eyes.
What works for you?
If this sounds overwhelming or you don’t know what will connect you and you don’t have the energy to find out –
then get the boost you need from medication, therapy –
and then take that next step towards
connecting yourself to what brings meaning to your life.
I’m watching an American Experience episode about Walt Disney on PBS. He certainly was a flawed human, but I’m fascinated by his early designs and models of Disneyland and how deeply satisfied he was when his vision finally came to fruition. He kept an apartment underneath Disneyland’s Main Street USA, and could be found walking the park early mornings in his bath robe.
Six months after Prince’s sudden death, people are flying across the globe to visit his home and studio, hear the music he was creating and absorb his energy. Just as he had hoped.
A few days ago, I met with a dear 90 year old friend, who after serving as an important spiritual and meditation mentor for decades in our city, is retiring out of town. She presented me with beautifully printed booklets of her writings and icon paintings.
Meanwhile, a dear longtime friend, my age, has entered into hospice care. The trees around her house are filling with ribbons placed by friends and loved ones, each bearing a blessing for her. Messages are pouring into the house, telling stories of how she has impacted the lives of others and positively influenced her community. I read some of the messages aloud to her, and she smiled.
As I sit here only middle aged and in fine health, I can’t help but wonder:
What can I do for my loved ones and my community?
What can I create that will surpass me?
I also wonder about the connection between the quality of the relationships we nurtured, the work we’ve done in our communities, the creativity we brought to life – and our comfort with death and dying.
