Reflections

The Sunday immediately prior to Advent is what used to be called “Christ the King” and is now “updated” to “The Reign of Christ”. The readings for that day are Colossians 1: 15-20 & Luke 23: 33-43. As we enter Advent I ask myself who or what is this Christ? The image of kingship today is, obviously, anachronistic. There is no one God-king wielding unilateral power over humanity. Instead we have this Jesus – a man hanging from a cross. Who then is this “image of the unseen God

Anne Henderson June 26, 1939 – June 27, 2022 Former President and founding member of The Contemplative Society Anne Henderson died peacefully on July, 2022, with her husband Doug and sons at her side. In a beautiful tribute to Anne, member and former TCS President Pat Manning spoke at Anne’s funeral held at St John the Divine Anglican Church in Victoria, BC. We share the tribute with you here, celebrating Anne’s time with us, honouring Anne’s generous and gentle spirit, groun

In anticipation of the upcoming Zoom Retreat with Douglas Christie, TCS Board Member  Therese DesCamp shares wit us this reflection: Holding the Post:  An invitation to know our place within the sacred space we live I recently went up Red Mountain Road to drop off some jam for friends. Their driveway being an impassable pile of snow, I parked below and followed a trail up the side of the mountain through a tract of mature forest. I felt those woods before I really saw them.

This Advent we share with you a verdant reflection by Paula Pryce, who writes from the Yasodhara Ashram on the shores of Kootenay Lake in the interior of British Columbia, Canada. Paula takes us on a journey to an apple orchard nestled deep in the mossy rainforest. She considers stars and caves, apple seeds and birthing, trees and song, and she invites us to listen deeply and to attend to the advent of spirit and fullness of being amidst the darkness of this time… Star at the

This post is shared by Brian Mitchell as a follow up to our recent release of “Practicing Living Presence: Discovering the Mind of Christ Within – Part One” a teaching by Cynthia Bourgeault. Brian is one of the intrepid team of volunteer Editors (together with Peggy Zimmerman, Diane Walker, Harrison Russin and others) who have worked diligently to transform the raw audio of this teaching into a format we can all listen to and learn from. We are grateful to Brian and the editi

In late June Cynthia started an important series of posts with a message to students, sharing her ideas and suggestions for “a worthy project for our Wisdom circle to take on.”  Cynthia also presented a riveting keynote address at the American Teilhard Association (ATA) annual meeting. Find links for both below. THE ‘COMMON GOOD’ BLOG SERIES BY CYNTHIA BOURGEAULT Cynthia provides an orienting emphasis toward the evolving terrain of the ‘Common Good’ and the rebirth of moral l

Yukon Yurt This post is shared by Jennifer England as a follow-up to our Wisdom Solstice event offered on Zoom on June 21st.    In describing her experience and the backstory, including what was occurring ‘behind-the-scenes’ as the event was about to begin, Jennifer provides a real-life example of applying our Wisdom practice to tap into a calm centering presence even while suddenly facing an unexpected set of circumstances.  TCS is very grateful to Jennifer and the whole tea

Photo by S Migaj  from Pexels After a short hiatus in her series of reflections, Cynthia Bourgeault continues with a new post drawing upon Jean Gebser’s Ever Present Origin and his perspectives on Integral consciousness.     Go Beyond the Mind, LESSON 13 When I say that the ability to access and sustain the Integral structure of consciousness is developmental, I mean just that: it is fundamentally a question of physiology, rather than of moral virtue or mystical yearning. We

“I am so grateful for this labor of love by The Contemplative Society, which once again makes accessible Raimon Panikkar’s extraordinary teaching on the universal mysticism of Jesus Christ.”  ~ Cynthia Bourgeault   In addition to Cynthia’s encouraging words above, we also want to share Brian Mitchell’s wholehearted endorsement for our updated audio release of CHRISTOPHANY: Experiencing the Fullness of Christianity , a recorded teaching by Cynthia based on the 2004 book by Ra

The following is part 2 of a Holy Week reflection provided by Paula Pryce from Vancouver, Canada. Please make sure to reach the first part Absence: Forest of Longing on our blog .  I throw open the gate to rushing wind and creaking branches.  Not knowing what lies ahead, I step into the forest with my companions, fear, awe, and more hesitantly, joy.    Like many, perhaps even like Mary Magdalene, I have found myself increasingly worn by heavy times.  A veil of uneasiness and

The following is part 1 of a 2-part Holy Week reflection provided by Paula Pryce from Vancouver, Canada.   Absence mills around the body like a guard dog pacing the fence line.  Rigidly keeping off the night creatures, jealously defending its property.  I am within a picketed sphere of isolation.  Longing, despair, confusion at the memory of the banquet torn to pieces, guests fleeing, music stopped.  Not long ago the home was filled with shining lamps and food for all – now

What’s new with our Principal Teacher Cynthia Bourgeault? Recently we’ve heard from a number of you wondering  what Cynthia is up to   while in-person events and retreats are widely curtailed.   Well, unless you happen to spot her on the high seas, here are some opportunities to tune into Cynthia’s activities and catch some of her upcoming  appearances: CONVERSATIONS & BLOGS   New ICN Podcast:   From a Cosmic Nudge to an Integral Christianity – A Conversation with Cynthia Bou

Photo by Andy Vu  from Pex els In this potent and engaging conversation, Cynthia Bourgeault is hosted by Paul Smith (author of Integral Christianity ) and Luke Healy of the Integral Christian Network . Together they offer deep insights and personal experiences to illuminate the emerging scope and potential for Christianity. The dialogue is infused by their shared appreciation and revelations inspired by Jean Gebser’s seminal work Ever Present Origin .  As the conversation unf

If you’re considering the multiple online course opportunities with Cynthia that are coming up, she provides this message to the Wisdom community and offers some additional input for consideration. It occurred to me that people may want a little guidance as to how to pick and choose among the sudden embarrassment of riches of Cynthia Bourgeault online course options currently opening up for registration. Here’s a bit more information to help you make your selection(s).  Spiri

The following reflection has been provided by Linda Coggin from Victoria BC.  Linda was one of 100 people who participated in the recent virtual event with Matthew Wright, where he offered his heartful and profound insights, teaching, and practices on the theme of “Julian of Norwich…A Voice for Our Times.” You cna now purchase a recording of this retreat in our store! Thank you so much Linda, for sharing your experience here! Julian of Norwich (window in Norwich Cathedral) f

The following reflection has been provided by Martha Keller from Victoria BC.  Martha was one of 100 people who participated in the recent virtual event with Matthew Wright, where he offered his heartful and profound insights, teaching, and practices on the theme of “Julian of Norwich…A Voice for Our Times," now available in our store! Thank you so much Martha, for sharing your experience, and Matthew for guiding the event so beautifully!   In August, with a global pandemic i

In 2001 Cynthia Bourgeault published a grace-filled guide for facing difficult times, offering insights and pointers in the small and powerful book entitled MYSTICAL HOPE: Trusting in the Mercy of God .  Many in Cynthia’s community and beyond are turning (or re-turning) to this book to navigate current concerns and challenges, and finding it a source of deep spiritual sustenance.  Over the coming months, Northeast Wisdom will be providing reflections and chapter summaries of

NOW AVAILABLE: This groundbreaking book shares the evolution of Cynthia Bourgeault’s spiritual journey and offers a new map to understanding energy and our collective reality. In Eye of the Heart , Cynthia Bourgeault investigates the imaginal realm–an energetic realm well known to the mystical traditions but often forgotten in our own times. It is invisible to the physical eye, but clearly perceptible through the eye of the heart. The imaginal realm has long been associated w

From a fairly young age, Mary-Clare Carder has had mystical encounters with the spiritual world. In her late twenties, she developed Sjogren's syndrome – a painful, incurable condition which blunted her career and made her life very challenging. This challenging life led her to a deeper spiritual path and an enriched interior life. Along the way, she learned about the wisdom of silence, a form of meditation known as centring prayer, energy healing, and has had after-death com

My journey with the teacher named ‘covid’ began with odd symptoms that I did not connect and so for a couple of days worsened until the telltale cough put the lights on and my doctor sent me for a test. Soon I had night sweats, fever, nausea, diarrhoea, body aches, a ferocious headache upon waking in the morning and pain under my shoulders, and I couldn’t stay awake all day. My first reaction was denial quickly followed by waves of panic. My body has a history of over-reactio