Living Sanctuary, Weekly Practices, 2, People

Wendy Robertson Fyfe

* Practices encourage us to keep in track with the greatest story we can be with all of who we are through all the many times, or years, or lifetimes, or cultures, of distraction or/and abduction by others and parts of ourselves who want to stay safe and small.

* Practices help us keep focus.

* Practices help us either strengthen muscles of our becoming further or grow previously unknown muscles in ways that support our journeys into wider/deeper bandwidths of experiencing our ‘one wild and precious life’.

* Practices help to shift us into different lived experiences of who ‘we’ are.

These are just a few example above of how practices serve.

You may find some of the practices offered weekly here have more resonance at some moments in your Pilgrimage of Soul than others. I’ll likely point out certain links too along the way. Let yourself sense into which ones you’re called into from a deeper place in you.

Use this growing collection as a kind of Abbey Of Soul Living Sanctuary space to be with and linger a while … you might imagine how the Sanctuary looks and feels for you to make it your own: where it is (inner/outer), what smells, colours, materials, sounds; what does the collection looks like? Are there old journals and parchments? Are there walls or not, trees? Do you add your own practices here? You might paint the Living Sanctuary, write a poem should you find yourself moved in these ways. You’re welcome to share them in Comments below or chat.

This week’s Practice, 2, People

Often in this soul-centred way of living, we invite wanders on the land for sacred conversations with the ‘more-than-human’ world. A start is needed someway in remembering a deeper intimacy that isn’t human-centred, beyond ‘the individual’, afterall. I’m imagining l’m not the only one who longed for/experiences depth of intimacy in life. Sometimes l wonder if this very invitation going out into the land continues to separate the worlds even in the attempts to shift such ways of being and entanglements. In many ways l prefer to shoogle the whole she-bang up like the Ancient Celts did with their art; art images with parts of many creatures making one body, including what we currently call ‘human’. I prefer to assume as little as possible; let everything open anew, open to the deep imagination. This week though, we’re just going to turn around and be more curious about ‘human people’; be where humans are, wonder about ‘humans’ as Earth expression and the daily conversations that affirm, or not, particular definitions and identifications.

Here's an invitation to let yourself be called to a particular place amongst other people or where people wander. This may be on the land somewhere, in a café, on a particular seat in the city centre or park; somewhere you can go regularly. You might notice people coming here regularly, ‘familiar strangers’, or strangers. You might notice people coming nearer you as you sit there over time, notice them. Listen with your heart for a conversation that might be longing to be called forth, likely different from the more usual one you would start; perhaps feeling risky in some way. Trust what comes and begin … likely not knowing where the conversation will lead. Let the conversation lead you. Just notice … see what happens, be surprised; an opportunity for something new in a new day. Share your experiences here in the chat/comments or send me a message. I’d love to hear from you.

Here’s one of many experiences now:

“After high winds the air is still and the sea calm this morning. As those of you who know me and my writing will know, l ceremony offering praise, gratitude, celebrations, every early morning l can with East Beach, Dunbar. The rocks here are like piano pedals as they seem to move up and down depending on low or high tidal sands. The sun is clear and, whilst still cold it’s not too cold to sit, linger a while in the stillness sitting on and with the rocks chords. The beach has been quiet of people wandering recently with the fierce weather, high winds and waves. This morning has brought more people and dogs back sauntering onto the sands. They wander past me, sometimes startled as they suddenly see me.

I find myself beginning a conversation with such a startled young woman. She loves coming to the beach, loves the sea, loves living in Dunbar where she has lived for two and half years now having moved from Aberdeenshire. My folks come from Aberdeenshire too. I ask her what she loves about the sea. She responds, “Because it was here long before me and will be here long after l’m gone.” She then apologises for being philosophical so early in the morning. I say that l love that; that l wonder about these depths in all of us, like the sea, usually unspoken; keeping them apologetic. She responds with a “well, it’s the social media, l’d be ‘a bit crazy’”. I express my sadness, that we can be crazy together. I see and speak an image, of everyone with such beauty depths untouched, unspoken, due to thinking they’re crazy; that, in fact, the craziness is that the depths are untouched by so many. I wonder with her whether it’s possible that she is speaking to part of what it is to be human; maybe most people have deep musings but don’t know or speak about them. Perhaps the craziness is not allowing ourselves to be fully human, whoever that is becoming. We linger in silence a wee while before she moves on.”  

I love these sacred conversations. What a delightful way to begin the day! I just love humans! What if we started everyday, or took time in every day, in such a way?

What depths in you are not yet stirred, moved through? What depths in other’s might you touch or be touched by this week?

This is another example of Weekly Practices at the Living Sanctuary, Abbey Of Soul. If you liked this, you are welcome to join in further practices via Paid Subscriber which also has other invitations available. You are warmly invited to join in the conversations stirring us more deeply down …

There are currently spaces available on the forthcoming Imbolc Dreaming on the Pilgrimage Of Soul, a unique opportunity for guided wilderness conversations on Holy Island, Lindisfarne, on Wednesday 31 January, as we approach Cailleach leaving and Brigit arriving across the causeway tide and dusk drawing into Imbolc. A deep synchronicity of particular confluences. Is participating in this unique moment calling you? If so, let’s chat … also see Imbolc Dreaming on the Pilgrimage Of Soul Substack post for further information.

As well as Soul Guiding, Abbey Of Soul also offers an intensive deepening 3 month of ‘The Soul Currach’ for those ready and ripe for diving to your unique soul threads and conversations in an alive Earth and Earth Community.

Testimonial

"is one thing to hear the voice of soul calling, it is quite another to be able to answer and follow that voice through the trembling beauty and the terrifying mulch. Being guided by you is a soft yet firm hand on the small of my back, a whisper of wisdom in my ear and a wry smile of knowing. You have held me with compassion, challenged me with love and offered me intuitive invitations to help me come back into relationship with my deep imaginal. The dreams, visions, stories and dialogues with other than human that you have welcomed in their sacredness has helped me to build trust in these ways of being in conversation with the world and opened a window into soul. Guiding me to the mythopoetic, tracking mystery and working tenderly with the parts of me that we meet along the way. Deeply grateful for you, your fierce, gentle and beautiful energy and your wise grounded holding" BS

If you are touched by this invitation from Abbey Of Soul, please consider sharing this post.

Image above: early morning stillness, Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland/Alba. wrf

… walk … talk … vision …