Shadow Puppet Storyteller

So honored

In just another three weeks, my church community is holding a graduation ceremony for me and the two other students completing professional Religious Science practitioner coursework. Last night, our teacher, Rev. Karen, and her assistants, Monica and Linda surprised the three of us students with what I'll call a threshold ceremony. I have seen and read about similar activities, the most common of which is stepping over the broom in some marriage ceremonies. And this is all I mean by "threshold." A glittery deep purple scarf delineated our passage from book-mired students to active sharers in the practitioner experience. We were awed by the selection of music, both a piece by Michael Gott during her Wednesday service, and then The Secret Garden by The Secret Garden during our private ceremony. I know it was an unexpected gift all its own (and yet naturally rose up from the Law of Circulation) and the three of us, I know, were appreciative of both the personal words and the gifts bestowed.

Poet Robert McDowell communicated in his newsletter recently, just this week, that the global shift in consciousness is being led by a great number of women. He wondered if we might take interest in bringing the men along too. (I'm kinda joking here, this is a sloppy paraphrase!) And my answer is Yes. I am very interested in leading more men to treat themselves and others as honestly as spiritual living (not necessarily church) can. This will be the biggest and best transformation; when we truly partner.

"The world’s bold, new women must include men to make the world whole. Women must educate and train men to make peace with their own anima. Women must compel them to wake up, to dive down with Persephone into the pit and return as balanced agents of healing and clear-eyed purpose.

That’s the integrated world we need, the next thing we must birth if we choose life." (5/4 robertmcdowell.net)