Weaving Our Lives
Hands-on Celtic Wisdom for Spiritual Companions
Presenter
Rev. Simon Ruth de Voil
Duration
6 hours (total)
Webinar is recorded.
"The sea, the sky, the trees, the animals, the stars – all these are continually speaking the praise of God but without human speech. It is the vocation of the whole creation to praise God, not only in songs & poetry but also in living creatively within the divine design & pattern."
~ Mary Earle, 'Celtic Christian Spirituality'
This four-part webinar series explores Celtic wisdom as a framework in spiritual direction and companionship.
This series will explore tools for bringing embodiment and a felt experience of the vibrant, animate world to our companioning practice. To do this, we are invited— indeed at times required— to move beyond the comfortable and sedate container of one-to-one conversation.
Song and story are central to the way Rev. Simon Ruth de Voil explains everything, and this series will be enlivened by music, song, and joyful storytelling. Please join us as we explore Celtic wisdom and deepen in the calling of deep listening.
“The ancient rhythms of the earth have insinuated themselves into the rhythms of the human heart. The earth is not outside us; it is within: the clay from where the tree of the body grows.”
~ John O'Donohue from the book 'Beauty: The Invisible Embrace'
In This Webinar Series
- Small group discussion (breakout sessions)
- Lectio divina and audio divina – Sacred listening and reading
- Elemental ritual - Bringing in the elements (fire, water, air, earth) as allies in transformation
- Song & Storytelling
- Guided meditation
“Awake, O my soul,
To the beauty of the divine deep within you
And awake to its fragrance in the body of the earth.
Know its strength of attraction
And its grace to heal what has been torn apart.
Awake, O my soul,
To the beauty of the divine deep within you. Awake, O my soul. Awake."
~ John Philip Newell from the book 'Sacred Earth. Sacred Soul.'
Sessions
Session I: Finding Our Home in the World
Here we will introduce key concepts and questions. Simon will share his experience of growing up in a culture where place and people are known through their stories and song. We will discuss different creative ways of seeing a living landscape around us in a way that can deepen our sense of belonging and soul purpose.
Session II: Tying and Untying the Knots
Embodiment and kinesthetic awareness are crucial as we learn to touch the world and weave our days. Celtic vision sees that the world is alive, and that we are very much chosen to participate in this magic and vitality. Our job is to weave together the threads with ingenuity and bring a human touch to the details of a wild world.
Session III: En-chanting—Bringing in the Bard to Spiritual Direction
We live in an intricately interwoven, magical universe, and human inspiration and artistic expression taps into this lifeblood. Music, story, song, and chant are all tools of the bard, which s/he uses to spark connection, open the heart, and invite new perspectives. Musical “skill” is not a prerequisite for bringing the enchantment of the bard to our companioning work!
Session IV: Building the Container — Crafting the Sacred
In spiritual direction and companionship, we consciously create a container with our clients. Traditionally this has happened in an actual room, and our physical environment (including color, objects, sound, and more) is part of that container… whether we realize it or not. In the Celtic perspective, objects and places have their own sort of soul, and that’s particularly true of those intentionally crafted for sacred use. This session explores ways we can bring the wisdom of sacred object-making to bear as we weave a container for the sacred, both for and with our clients.
Watch Simon craft a sacred object in the video below!
“Let the beauty we love be what we do. There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.”
~ Rumi
- Participants from all spiritual traditions and orientations are welcome in this webinar series as are those with all levels of spiritual experience. We will use the term God in this webinar, as it is the name Hildegard uses, but we welcome all participating to use their own name for the divine, the infinite connection that joins all beings.
- Each session runs 90 minutes.
- All sessions will be recorded and be viewable for at least 12 months after the last session goes live.
When
Each session is recorded so you can watch at your convenience.
Presenter
Reverend Simon Ruth de Voil
is an ordained interfaith/interspiritual minister, trained to be a sacred presence outside the conventions of traditional religion. As a sacred musician, spiritual mentor and worship leader he incorporates chant, ritual, poetry, storytelling, and mindful practice to create a space for profound connection and sacred witness. Simon provides music for worship, ceremony, and prayer in a wide variety of churches and non-religious spiritual communities. He particularly loves to create music for meditation, healing services, and rites of passage.
Simon is also an experienced workshop and retreat leader, drawing on 15 years of study, training, and practice that grew from his time living and working in Iona Abbey. Although influenced by many traditions, Simon’s spiritual path and teaching is deeply rooted in Celtic Christianity, the wisdom of the earth, and in the Scottish land where he’s spent most of his life.
Learn more about Simon on his website: simondevoil.com
Additional Information
- Participants from all spiritual traditions and orientations are welcome in this webinar series as are those with all levels of spiritual experience.
- Each session will run 90 minutes. We understand that the timing of the seminar will not be convenient in every time zone on the planet. For those who have trouble making this time, a recorded copy of each session will be made available to all those who sign up.
- CEU credits are available for all those who participate. SDI will provide a certificate of completion for self-reporting to agencies. More information can be found here: continuing education units (CEUs).
- Cost: $119 for non-members, with significant discounts for SDI members
- Scholarships are available for those facing financial hardship. Please apply here.
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