Awakening to Spirit – Workshops

~ an opportunity to explore themes from the Apocalypse of John.

Each session will include a short introductory talk and then we will work with cards exploring the images in terms of our own spiritual journey. The cards used are images from the book of Revelation designed and drawn by G Roland Smith

Saturdays:
18th October: Opening the door
8th November: Deepening our awareness
29th November: Receiving Spiritual vitality
10.30 am – 1 pm

Cost: £10

Venue: Swedenborg House
20 – 21 Bloomsbury Way
London WC1A 2TH

Facilitator: Helen Brown

Helen Brown is a spiritual seeker whose journey has taken her down many inspirational paths. Helen is both a Jungian psychotherapist and Swedenborgian free-lance minister as well as an Usui Reiki healer.

Please book your place in advance: contact Helen Brown
by phone: 01932 848997
or by email: helenbrown7@hotmail/co/uk

Dreams and Symbols

A dream is a microscope through which we look at the hidden occurrences in our soul  ~Erich Fromm

A dream not understood is like a letter unopened. The dream always presents us with another part of the jigsaw puzzle that belongs to our journey towards healing and wholeness. It gives a different viewpoint from the blinkered one belonging to ego and consciousness.

A series of four Saturday morning workshops will cover the following topics:

What is a dream? Jungian map of the psyche; dream language/symbols; dream journals [Swedenborg and Jung]; the symbolism of biblical dreams; how to engage with dreams. The first part of each session will be informative and the second half will focus on working with our own dreams.

Venue: Swedenborg House, 20 -21 Bloomsbury Way, London

Dates: 17th May, 7th June, 21st June & 5th July

Time: 10.30 – 1 pm

Cost: £10

To book contact Helen on helenbrown7@hotmail.co.uk

Cloud Watching

Do you ever watch the clouds floating past in the sky? Can you make its shape into a face or a rhinoceros? Perhaps we all see different things. This Charlie Brown quote about cloud watching makes me smile.

 “Aren’t the clouds beautiful? They look like big balls of cotton… I could just lie here all day, and watch them drift by… If you use your imagination, you can see lots of things in the cloud formations… What do you think you see, Linus?”

“Well, those clouds up there look like the map of the British Honduras on the Caribbean… That cloud up there looks a little like the profile of Thomas Eakins, the famous painter and sculptor… And that group of clouds over there gives me the impression of the stoning of Stephen… I can see the apostle Paul standing there to one side…”
“Uh huh… That’s very good… What do you see in the clouds, Charlie Brown?”
“Well, I was going to say I saw a ducky and a horsie, but I changed my mind!”
– Charles M. Schulz                     

This makes the point that we all have our own viewpoint and can see the same object, situation or person or cloud from very different ways. In general terms it’s like the pessimist seeing the glass half empty and the optimist seeing it half full.  I ‘m aware that I can also fluctuate as to how I view a situation – it is often guided by my attitude, be it hopeful, despairing or even ambivalent …….

To be aware of my inherent tendency to be limited by what is my inner intent or motivation is a real strength as it may open up an opportunity to look at things differently. Often I have been sucked into how things appear on the surface not realising that there was a different reality hidden within.

For example, fears of what might happen in the future may eschew how we judge a situation. I then have a very negative view – the fears have ‘clouded’ my perception and it all seems rather black and threatening. Is this real or is it just illusory and may never happen.

But sometimes I do receive insight which transforms my attitude.  And then life seems full of possibilities, I understand more, see with greater clarity. Always there is more to learn, a deeper perception to grasp.

This following quote helps me to know this: –

If we look at the world with our outer sight alone, which is from a materialistic viewpoint, only the superficial, material world will be seen. Focusing on this level alone closes the inner or spiritual sight. How can we look up if we are looking down? How can we look within if we are looking without? But when we shift our focus to what is spiritual, searching for the ultimate truth behind the veils of the way things appear, we find true understanding of life on all levels.

Way of Wisdom; Emanuel Swedenborg

Happy cloud watching – may the light shine through ……

Seasons of the Soul

It is winter at present where I live, which means wet, cold and shorter days. All of this means that life takes on a more inward existence. But this can bring its own blessings. Perhaps it gives more rest from frenetic activity, allowing space for reflection. Maybe even time for a spiritual stock take, timeout to look at what is of value or importance in your life. Are the things I’m looking towards of lasting value or just a momentary short-term endeavour?

 

The natural world goes through seasons each with its own beauty and part in the whole cycle. The dominancy of winter gives way to the new growth of spring. The abundance of summer turns into harvest and fall of autumn. This cycle is a mirror of an inward cycle – seasons of the soul.

 

Each season of the soul’s growth has its own challenges and its learning. To be aware of the inner season is to embrace it, allow it to be and learn the lesson it brings to us, even the more difficult waiting that can be part of the winter season.

 

Winter can involve waiting, perhaps struggle. Yet through this season in nature there is beauty that emerges from the cold damp earth. I’m waiting for the first signs of new growth – the first snowdrops that emerge from darkness into light. These bloom in the harshest of conditions. And sometimes from inner struggle comes beauty of soul. Perhaps we catch glimpses of this inner beauty radiating from those individuals have been moulded and refined by life experience and so shine with wisdom and peace.

 

Such glimpses give me hope and the courage to keep on with the promise of deeper insight being the treasure held within the challenge of my ‘winter’ inner season.

 

These words by Joyce Rupp give me hope –

 

… finally I stood before a new door:

the Hall of Oneness and Freedom.

uncertain and wary, I slowly opened,

discovering a space of welcoming light.

 

I entered the sacred inner room

where everything sings of Mystery.

no longer could I deny or resist

the decay of clenching control

and the silent gaps of surrender.

 

there in that sacred place of my Self

Love of a lasting kind came forth,

embracing me like a long beloved one

come home for the first time.

much that I thought to be “me”

crept to the corners and died.

in its place a Being named Peace

slipped beside and softly spoke my name:

“Welcome home, True Self,

I’ve been waiting for you.”

from the poem Preface

Light and Darkness

Recently I have been reflecting on the contrast between light and darkness. At this time of year when in our northern hemisphere the days are getting shorter it focuses my awareness on light or the lack of it.

This interaction of light and darkness is present right from the beginning of the Bible. In the first day of creation light is separated from the darkness. This divine allegory of the spiritual creation of humankind begins with the coming of light or the enlightenment of inner darkness. This dynamic is echoed throughout the Bible and in particular in the Christmas story with its theme of light coming into the darkness.

John’s Gospel reminds us of our spiritual creation when it starts with the words In the beginning was the Word.

In John 1:5 we read ‘the light shines in the darkness’. This particularly struck me when I read it again recently; the light shines in the darkness. The presence of the darkness highlights or intensifies the presence of light. It reminds me of other contrasts between clarity and confusion, the unknown and the known or wisdom and ignorance. The light of truth shows up the darkness of ignorance, illusion and lack of loving kindness within the human spirit, mind and heart.

Our human understanding is limited to see just what is around us or just ahead.  What the future might bring lies in the darkness and is unknown.

However, Divine Light raises up human reason into a greater light, bringing a higher perspective. And in its wake comes a deeper appreciation of the quality of Divine Love and the Divine Purpose for all humankind to be in loving connection that is The Way. Perhaps it is possible to see the experience of both light and darkness as a necessary part of the dance that is spiritual development. We are called to be children of the light and allow the light to be born in us and shine forth.

With good wishes for your Christmas and the coming New Year

Helen

Fragments of Life

photo by peteaylward

Have you ever noticed frost patterns on window panes? Such a little thing, yet it shows a beauty and pattern that is part of the physical world. The frost grows in patterns, like crystalline structures.

I remember being given a crystal tree where you pour a chemical solution over a cardboard cut in a tree shape. And it began to grow crystals true to its chemical nature and order.

The Clovenhoof Society

The pattern is mirrored on the smallest scale (microcosm) and is the small pattern on the largest scale (macrocosm). This fractal -like growth is seen in other parts of the created world like this picture of a particular type of broccoli.

Here we can see the pattern repeated on a physical level. I wonder whether this repetition of pattern in also true of human affairs whether on a personal level or on a global level. I am aware of my ups and downs on a personal level as I struggle with inner conflicts interspersed with oasis’s of peace and joy. And as I look at human history I see the rise and fall of empires, ideologies and power struggles.

Recently I have been aware of my feelings of fragmentation, seeing it in my community ad also mirrored on a world scale.

It seems overwhelming.

Yet I find some reassurance that this process of fragmentation can be a precursor for the energy of renewal or rebirth. Don’t get me wrong – I’m negating the pain, distress of this process of disintegration. But maybe this is the only way that we learn of our limitations and our inherent desire to control and dominate when we see it played out in human relationships on either a personal level or a global one.

It is only when I become aware of this tendency that I can choose to turn and desire a different way. The way of Divine Love that yearns for connection with all human individuals and so to bless each one with joy and inner peace. Often I am left with holding onto a belief and inner knowing of the reality of this encompassing and immense creative Love that never ceases. For me herein lies the hope that ins beyond our limited human understanding.

Where is peace? Will there ever be peace?

photo by MojoBaer

It seems to me that in every generation there is some conflict going on in some part of the world. To me it seems that it is part of our human nature to want to control, dominate and possess resources …….  There seems to be an inbuilt tendency in human beings to make things happen to our agenda. ‘I am in the right’ I say to myself to justify my thoughts and actions.

On another level within my inner world I am also aware of a dialogue and conflict at times. It could be struggles with my conscience. Or just a feeling of being uncomfortable, not being at peace with myself.

Is there a different way of viewing or being with outer and inner conflict?

When I read this quote from Julian of Norwich, a 14th century mystic it speaks to me of a calm and peaceful assurance –

 “All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well.”

To my outer mind as I grapple with the conflict displayed in the news items there seems to be no end to how we human beings mistreat each other. Don’t get me wrong we need to work towards resolution of conflict, and increase honest and respectful communication. This is one sort of reality.

But Julian points to a deeper or higher reality that we can tap into. A spiritual reality that we can open ourselves to if we so choose. In the midst of conflict there can be an experience of inner peace – like a river of peaceful energy. It is the still eye within the storm. This is not something that we can create, but it is something that we can be given – it can flow into our deepest inmost soul.

Whenever I fall into the trap of thinking that I need to control, that I need to set things right I am depending on myself. This will never bring inner peace in my view.

This quote encapsulates the difference between these two for me…….

Peace holds within it trust in the Divine, the trust that he governs all things and provides all things and that he leads to an end that is good ……Everything bad, especially trust in self, takes away the experience of peace.             Secrets of Heaven; Emanuel Swedenborg

Peace be with you

Why is this happening to me?

I wonder if you like me, have ever thought or said these words when faced by crisis and everything going pear-shaped.

Sometimes it is because events seemingly unrelated to my world have forced themselves on me. Sometimes it is because there have been consequences to my words and actions which I did not intend. And sometimes I have been foolish and unthinking and acted in a blind-fashion.

Whatever was the cause I react negatively and wish it wasn’t taking place. I expend a lot of energy and heartache agonising over the circumstances. My knee-jerk reaction is to attempt to make things better, but I discover that this fails. This is my need to salve the pain and make me feel better.

Is there another way of viewing this?

When I read this quote below it made me pause and reflect ……

We must regard life as an infinite progression in which there are really no hardships or trials or mishaps, but only experiences or states of being ….. the idiom in which the story is being written.                                                                                Author Unknown

This puts my crisis in a different light. I see the crisis as part of something larger and with a long-term value to it. It reminds me of wise individuals that I have known who have weathered dire events and come to a peaceful and deep acceptance.

I remember someone saying that any situation that we are faced with is neutral. It is how we react to what is happening that gives it an energetic quality.

I recall parents having lost their son in drink-drive accident saying that they forgave the perpetrator. And I remember my respect for how their reacted. This is not easy and it may take a process of working through the need to blame, be angry and grieve.

Perhaps this seems a bridge too far at times, but what is the alternative? Otherwise I get stuck in the energy of revenge, hatred …… is this what I want to promote, to live in?

I need to search for the gift held within the difficult situation. I need to be open to understanding and compassion from an awareness of my own need for compassion and acceptance in the light of my own mistakes.

Then can come the healing unconditional love that is only from the Divine.

Here is another wise quotation ….

Another opportunity has been given you this day – as a favour and as a burden. The question is not: why did it happen this way, or where is it going to lead you, or what is the price you will have to pay. It is simply: how are you going to make use of it? And about that there is only one who can judge.                                            Dag Hammarskjold

Can I live creatively this day?

Beyond the Rainbow

When we see a rainbow – it’s like a eureka experience – ‘oh look there it is!’ It connects with a childlike delight and creates a spontaneous response. It is so unexpected and we react to the discovery of its beauty and energy.

Rainbows occur when light is refracted through water – the raindrops acting as a prism. The white light is separated out into its different wavelengths and we see the colours of the rainbow. Both rain clouds and sunlight are needed – and interact to form the colours we see. A rainbow shows up most against a dark cloud.

Perhaps we can relate this to experiencing delight on an inner level, spiritually, when we receive an unsought gift of inner perception or insight. This might be the gift of clarity showing us how to move forward or an inner peace and sense of connection with all that is living. In this way the rainbow and our reaction to it can mirror an inner experience of ‘rainbow’ spiritual insight and energy.

I also have had the experience of being immersed in inner darkness and discovering ‘rainbow’ moments that shine through, giving hope and guidance. If you like it is a spiritual eureka moment. I have had an insight into what is real and true and seen my existing belief structures unveiled as somewhat imperfect illusions. These limited viewpoints have always existed in my life and because they seem to have always been a part of my view of life I accepted them as ‘true’. 

All of us have illusory belief structures that need reviewing and adapting or sometimes throwing out. An example of this would be having been told in the past ‘you are stupid’ or ‘you can’t sing’. This becomes a limitation and an illusion that we live with. We believe it, and furthermore we expect it to be like that in any situation we are in. Because of this we live in a box and cannot realise our true potential – be the person we are created to be.

In the rainbow I see the beauty and energy of light against the dark rain clouds. The contrast shows up the colours, just as the darkness and limitations of old belief structures are revealed when I see more clearly. The juxtaposition of these two (what is true and expands my horizons compared with what is false, illusory and limited) moves me on in my spiritual development. Suddenly I can see beyond or within in a deeper way than before – it frees me from fears and a narrow-blinkered perspective. My horizon expands …..

The rainbow is something in the sky that reaches down to earth – heaven and earth together – connected in this moment of enlightenment.

Outwardly …. the bridge between dark and light … inwardly, the rainbow is what the soul itself is, the bridge between body and spirit.

                                                             Owen Barfield, 1963, Worlds Apart

Each colour in the rainbow symbolises a spiritual insight that is vital to our inner journey. And just as physically we see colours in our own unique way, so do we experience or receive this inner call in our own way.

I have written Beyond the Rainbow – which offers seven spiritual insights which I have received from reading and inspiration as I have connected with the spiritual energy of the colours in the rainbow. I offer them to you as a guide but not in a definitive way. I trust that they will be a focus for you in your spiritual ‘quest’. Fill out the contact form attached to this post.

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Coming Home to your true self

Purley Chase Centre,

Atherstone, Warwickshire

6th – 8th September  2013

At the beginning of each person’s life is the potential to delve deeper and engage with the process of giving birth to what is our true self. This journey involves times of challenge and also times of inner peace and rest – both are part of the process. This insight leads us out of spiritual captivity, guides our spiritual development, and brings us to our true self as a beloved child of God. Using cards based on spiritual-psychological principles, we will share and discover the next step on our own particular path to coming home to our true self.

The weekend provides space for meditation and reflection as well as talks, sharing in small groups. The central focus will be the ‘Journeying Home’ cards which have been developed from the insights from Swedenborg’s spiritual symbolism combined with whatever wisdom has been given through the life experiences of those who have been involved with this project.

Facilitators: Helen Brown & Rita Russell

Cost: Ensuite £108 Standard £88

For further information or to book for the event, please contact:

Purley Chase Centre

Purley Chase Lane, Mancetter, Atherstone, Warwicks. CV9 2RQ
Tel: 01827 712370

email: enquires@purleychasecentre.org.uk