August 2026 Newsletter
- The Contemplative Society
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 18 hours ago
“Somewhere in those depths of silence I came upon my first experiences of God as a loving presence that was always near, and prayer as a simple trust in that presence.”
- Cynthia Bourgeault, from
Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening.
In This Month's Issue...
Reflect with Erin Carson DeWolfe on That Kind of Fool.
Welcome the launch of - and explore! - TCS's new, open-access (free), Cynthia Bourgeault Digital Archive.
Deepen in contemplative listening this summer with TCS Wisdom teachers.
Live The Sacred Feminine in a Fractured World by joining on September 24, 2026 for this TCS online retreat with Cynthia Overweg.
Explore Christian contemplation as a seminarian or young faith leader aged 40-and-under through participating in Formed By Silence, a free TCS online retreat made possible through a bequest from The Estate of Constance Irene Burns and being held in partnership with the Faculty of Divinity, Trinity College, University of Toronto.
Open to TCS's Forthcoming Retreats, with online gatherings presented for you in September, October, November and December 2026, and a hybrid (both in-person and online) retreat offered for you in April 2027.
That Kind of Fool
by Erin Carson DeWolfe
Despite my efforts at positive thinking, I still spend a lot of time steering myself out of shame spirals over the mistakes I've made and the flaws I can't seem to shake.
Entering midlife, I'm at the halfway mark. It seems like no matter how many problems I solve, there are more. I thought this would get easier… I still think it will, I guess. Now it's money and a great career that will solve my problems, whereas before it was finding the right medication, or feeling attractive, or having a happy relationship, or an empty nest; etc, etc, etc. Ad infinitum.
Now I have many of the things I wanted when I was younger – things I thought would make my life complete, or at least completely different. But I'm still not "there." I often wonder – if I'm not "there" by now, when will I be? The goalposts seem to keep moving. How long do I have to wait to arrive at “happiness”? When will I have won?
Image: Art by Erin Carson DeWolfe with images from Envato
The Contemplative Society
welcomes you to explore our new:
Cynthia Bourgeault Digital Archive.
We are grateful to share details of the official launch of the
Cynthia Bourgeault Digital Archive, a new, permanent, and freely accessible online home for the teachings, history, and shared life that have grown through Cynthia’s longstanding relationship with The Contemplative Society (TCS).
As Cynthia Bourgeault’s pilot Wisdom School community, TCS has had the unique privilege of walking alongside Cynthia's work from its early beginnings. Over the past year, as TCS has been implementing our new website and digital strategy, we have isolated our resources and assets on Cynthia’s life, resulting in a rich collection of materials, now gathered into a digital archive of nearly 800 curated assets, including teachings, writings, photographs, and records of our shared community life.
TCS offers this archive as a gift to Cynthia, to you as a member of our contemplative family, and to future generations: a way to trace Cynthia’s unfolding contribution as a modern Christian mystic, and to support the ongoing renewal of contemplative practice in the world.
This initiative also reflects TCS’s commitment to caring for these materials with integrity, ensuring that Cynthia’s legacy is preserved and made accessible in a way that honours its depth and significance. We couldn’t have realised this archive without Cynthia’s beloved presence among us and without the generous support of our community of contemplatives, including those who are volunteers and donors. A special thank-you is extended by us to Heather Page, Mary-Clare Carder, and Pat Manning for the special paper materials they provided for the Cynthia Bourgeault Digital Archive.
Through the button-links of below, you can explore the archive itself and view an Introductory video explaining the archive.
With gratitude, Cynthia, for your example and presence in our contemplative community, and for gifting of yourself to the world around us.
In your summer downtime, consider opening moments for yourself to deepen in contemplative listening by absorbing the spiritual wisdom shared by TCS teachers. The spiritual insights of Cynthia Bourgeault, James Finley, Matthew Wright, Heather Ruce, David Frenette, Therese DesCamp, Justin Coutts, and many other equally-respected contemplative companions are available to you through downloadable MP3 recordings accessed through TCS's e-store. Welcome moments of contemplative listening this summer as a way to spiritually add to the proverbial 'good vibes' of this light-filled season.
"As God is our Father, so truly is God our Mother."
Julian of Norwich
“We are all meant to be mothers of God.”
Meister Eckhart
Thursday 24 September 2026
6:30pm to 9pm Pacific Time.
ONLINE.
(This retreat will be recorded for later access by participants.)
The Sacred Feminine and Sacred Masculine are regarded as equal and complementary divine energies that are beyond gender and form. The mystery of the Sacred Feminine dwells deep in the hearts of both women and men. She invites us to give birth to the inner transformation that dissolves the illusion of separateness from each other, from nature, and from the unconditioned love that underpins the whole of life.
This online retreat has four segments: An overview of the Sacred Feminine through time; Mary of Nazareth and the birth of the Christ consciousness; the Sacred Feminine as represented in the work of Hildegard of Bingen; and the significance of the Sacred Feminine in today’s world and within ourselves. Time will be time set aside for questions/answers/discussion.
$45 or pay-from-the-heart.
"Formed by Silence:
Seminarians and Young Faith Leaders aged 40-and-under, Experiencing the Tradition of Contemplative Prayer."
A FREE online retreat in honour of
Constance Irene Burns.
With Nicholas Fournie and Rev. Dr. Therese DesCamp.
Saturday 24 October 2026 9:00am - 2:00pm Pacific Time
Designed for seminarians and young faith leaders aged 40-and-under, this retreat offers a transformative entry into the Christian Wisdom tradition through contemplative stillness. Rooted in the 14th-century mystic text The Cloud of Unknowing, this gathering will guide participants from theological study into direct experience via Centering Prayer (an apophatic practice of self-emptying silence) and the somatic Welcoming Practice for embodying divine presence in daily life.
This retreat is made possible through a generous gift received from
The Estate of Constance Irene Burns.
This retreat is being held in Partnership with the:
Faculty of Divinity, Trinity College, University of Toronto.
"Forthcoming Retreats" with TCS
__________
"Why Ritual? The relationship of stability and openness in contemplative prayer,"
online with Paula Pryce.
Thursday 05 November 2026, 6:30-8:30pm Pacific Time.
___________
Advent 2026 Retreat
"Mary, the Mother of Jesus,"
online with Lorie Martin, Kellie Brown, and
Gillian Drader.
Thursday 10 December 2026, 6:30-8:30pm Pacific Time.
___________
"Tending the Threshold: Drawing on the Wisdom of the Three Marys,"
in-person and online with Heather Ruce.
Thursday 22nd April 2027 (7pm) through to Sunday 25th April 2027 (12noon).
The in-person retreat will be held on Vancouver Island, Canada.
TCS is a non-profit society and registered charitable organization in Canada run by a volunteer board and a dedicated circle of contemplatives. It was formed in Victoria, BC, Canada in 1997 to serve an emerging contemplative renewal, and to support and spread the teachings of Cynthia Bourgeault and other distinguished Wisdom teachers. We lovingly carry forward this work, adapting to the changing needs of the present and future, while anchoring ourselves in the ancient Wisdom tradition.
We would love for you to join us as a member and to help sustain and build our offerings with a donation of any amount.
Please visit our website to find out more about membership & support options.
Mail: PO Box 23031, Cook St. RPO
Victoria, British Columbia
Canada, V8V 4Z8
E-mail: admin@contemplative.org
Telephone: +1.250.381.9650
Copyright © 2026 - The Contemplative Society. All rights reserved.
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