July 2026 Newsletter
- The Contemplative Society
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 2 hours ago
"A human being is a part of the whole, called by us “Universe,” a part limited in time and space. [A human] experiences [It]self, [Its] thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest—a kind of optical delusion of [human] consciousness. The striving to free oneself from this delusion is the one issue of true religion. Not to nourish the delusion but to try to overcome it is the way to reach the attainable measure of peace of mind.”
- Albert Einsten, in a letter dated February 12, 1950 that he wrote to Dr. Robert S. Marcus.
[Masculine references in the original letter are converted to gender neutral language as found between square brackets.]
In This Month's Issue...
Reflect with Nicholas Fournie on Dust and Breath.
View our Invitational Video about TCS's upcoming, free, retreat for Seminarians and Young Faith Leaders 40-and-under: Formed by Silence: Experiencing the Christian Tradition of Contemplative Prayer (A retreat In honour of Constance Irene Burns).
Cultivate The Sacred Feminine in a Fractured World by joining with TCS on September 24, 2026 for this online retreat with Cynthia Overweg.
Discern a Legacy Gift to TCS, for a lasting impact to strengthen our living contemplative tradition... and for reducing tax bills!
Consider TCS's Forthcoming Retreats.
Dust and Breath
by Nicholas Fournie
To the stars, we are no more than an asteroid striking Earth: a momentous force of nature playing itself out. Life will shift, adapt, and go on without us.
But we are not indifferent to the pain of Earth. We grieve because we are Earth, made of dust and breath, spirit and soil.
God, too, is not indifferent. Through humanity and incarnation, the Creator joins creation, enters the elements, and suffers with us.
This is not just the story of extinction. It is the story of sacred kinship.
Image taken by: Nicholas Fournie
Free Online Retreat:
"Formed by Silence: Seminarians and Young Faith Leaders 40-and-under Experiencing the Christian Tradition of Contemplative Prayer."
(In Honour of Constance Irene Burns.)
An Online Retreat with Nicholas Fournie and
Rev. Dr. Therese DesCamp.
Saturday 24 October 2026
9:00am - 2:00pm Pacific Time
An event offered without charge through the generosity of a
Legacy Gift made to TCS by
The Estate of Constance Irene Burns.
"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.
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.
Legacy Gifts
A legacy gift (also known as a planned gift) is a charitable donation that an individual arranges during their lifetime to be allocated to
The Contemplative Society (TCS) after they pass away. Unlike standard annual donations made out of everyday disposable income, legacy gifts are integrated into a person's broader financial or estate planning. This approach allows donors to make a much larger and more lasting impact than they could afford through regular cash donations.
Common Forms of Legacy Gifts:
Bequests
(This is the most common form of legacy gift, where a specific cash amount, a piece of property, or a percentage of an estate is designated to TCS.)
Beneficiary Designations
(Naming TCS as a beneficiary on life insurance policies, retirement accounts (like an RSP), or bank accounts.)
Charitable Gift Annuities.
(An agreement where a donor makes a large gift and receives a fixed income stream for life, leaving the remainder to TCS.)
Gifts of securities or appreciated securities.
These structured gifts often reduce the overall estate tax burden for heirs or generate charitable income tax deductions.
TCS's upcoming retreat for seminarians and young faith leaders 40-and-under was made possible through a Legacy Gift.
For more information about Legacy Gifts, be welcomed to speak with your personal lawyer or notary, or contact The Contemplative Society.
"Forthcoming Retreats" with TCS
"Formed by Silence: Seminarians 40-and-under, Experiencing the Tradition of Contemplative Prayer,"
( In Honour of Constance Irene Burns.)
Online with Nicholas Fournie and
Rev. Dr. Therese DesCamp.
Saturday 24 October 2026, 9:00am - 2:00pm Pacific Time.
__________
"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.
___________
"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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