June 8, 2024
The mystical is not
how the world is,
but that it is.
Ludwig Wittgenstein
Spiritual retreat. The phrase always lands for me as somewhat oxymoronic. For we are not retreating from the spiritual but into it. We are, however, retreating from the noise and chaos of our lives which is essential for experiencing the mystical.
That opportunity, that invitation, is the nature and purpose of the Gatherings here in Ireland. Walking the land. Living the rhythms. Integration with the patterns, especially the patterns of earth, ancestral, and otherworld energies. Beyond an experience, it is a merging that calls us to weave the threads of this mystical wisdom in the fabric of our lives.
After two amazing Gatherings over these past weeks, I’m now settling back into the gentle rhythms of the cottage and tending those threads. There will be much to share. But for now, I am just being and listening. The wisdom of the mystical merging is still arriving.
Beannacht,
Judith
I’m happy to hear you’ve been having such full experiences. Yes, I often think retreat is an odd word to use. We retreat so we may better advance after into the world. Or some such. When I’ve been on retreat, I’ve enjoyed the setting first and also the easier pace of things. Then I’ve enjoyed the hours and the opportunity to talk with God in all parts of the day, however unofficially or unformed the prayer. I trust you’ll keep on having a spiritually grand time.