Wednesday, July 24, 2013

The Black Madonna

Please donate or pass this on to anyone you think would be interested, thanks so much!
Hi All! August 9th, 2013 @ 11 59 pm, a few days after the Feast of the Transfiguration, is the end of the crowd funding opportunity for my book on Indiegogo. My book is called The Black Madonna:Journey of the Human Heart, and is a unique view of the history, folk lore, spiritual and religious symbolism surrounding these most beautifully enigmatic depictions of The Virgin Mary in Europe. http://igg.me/p/434709/x/3595911 This link will take you to the funding page and has all the premium perks listed there, which range from signed copies of the book, Webinars, workshops and a tour to the Black Madonna's of Czestohowa, Einsiedeln, Montserrat, Le Puy and Chartres in Europe in August/September 2014. There are several opportunities to learn more about The Black Madonna: Journey of the Human Heart. I have started a Blog on the subject which offers excerpts of the book as well as insights on current events in the light of The Black Madonna. You can visit and subscribe here http://blackmadonnaheart.blogspot.com/ You can also "like" my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Heart-of-the-Black-Madonna/452078264864169?ref=stream&hc_location=stream which features thoughts, excerpts and updates on public lectures, upcoming tours for the Book, and Webinars. You can follow me on Twitter https://twitter.com/BlMadonna and watch video blogs on You Tube at http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcDgyP-SIKd6qf9vYDOi5gQ I will be hosting three free Webinars where I will introduce the book and allow for questions and answers. The dates for these on line events will be: Saturday July 27 at noon PDT 3pm EDT Saturday August 2nd at 9 am PDT, noon EDT Wednesday August 7th at 3 pm PDT, 6 pm EDT. Links to those Webinars will be published soon via email, twitter, blog and Facebook, so stay tuned for details. I cant thank you enough for your generosity, and ask you to please donate what ever you can, as well as pass this on to anyone and everyone you think would be interested. With your help, this incredible message of hope, endurance and our spiritual task in these turbulent times can be spread by my book. Sincerely, Stephanie Georgieff

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Spiritual Eldering

Well, it's taken a little longer than I had hoped to get back to finishing what I started. Grandparenting takes up a lot of my spare time at the moment! The book I mentioned in my previous blog will be the basis for this one, and it's very interesting how it ties in with a lot of what I hold dear in our own church, and amazingly, two talks held today with regard to St. John, so here goes. "All of life is a preparation for old age and its crowning task of Self-development. It encourages us to begin cultivating a spiritual life in middle age. Spiritual eldering implies an inner search for God, a self-directed flowering of the Spirit that unites all people in a common quest. In this approach, people practice ways of life that promote a direct, inner experience of the divine." I purposely began my own quest 7 years ago, when I lost someone very dear to my heart. It meant that all the mirrors I had held up to myself at that point shattered, and I had to begin a deeper search for, and actualization of, my Self. "Spiritual eldering is an ongoing process. It deals with developing contemplative skills, harvesting one's life (i.e., coming to terms with our mortality, healing our relationships, enjoying our achievements), leaving a legacy for the future, and preparing for passing over the Threshold. This can be accomplished by attending classes in a supportive community with people who are committed to the same high aspirations." It's an interesting thing that this is also along the lines of an inspired sermon from the pulpit today by Werner Grimm, with regard to a constant flowing and enlivening of our own inner lives from the Spiritual stream - that is to say, Movement! I think this also offers a great deal of scope for classes that could be offered at the Seminary. According to Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and Ronald S. Miller, an elder is "flexible, unattached to outcomes, tolerant and patient, and willing to teach when asked. Because personal coercion is absent, such a person radiates an enormously beneficial influence by evoking the questing spirit in younger people. They evoke the individuality of their apprentices, applauding them as they struggle to clarify their values and discover their authentic life paths. Such a person evokes our questing spirit, not by giving answers, but by deepening our ability to question and to search for meaning. They can model how to slow down our feverish pursuit of material possessions by embracing inner-directed values that stress unconditional love, self-acceptance, and service to others." Now stop a minute and think of someone you know who embodies these qualities. I can think of several people in our congregation, and I bet you can, too. The authors go on to write about developing a new community of Spirit. In Susan Locey's talk after the service today, this also is a theme for St. John. By beginning the work of becoming empowered once we retire, we benefit not only ourselves, but the younger generation that comes after us, in as many ways as there are individuals, for we all have something unique that we can give back. If you may allow me to say so, my new little granddaughter is to me not only a manifestation of a precious gift from the Spiritual world, but perhaps also a herald of many new and wonderful things about to come into my life. Sparky