Good morning, everyone. I am so moved by your responses. Linda, thank you for sharing with us the depth and breadth of your journey into soul. I love how you wrote of the FELT sense of the divine. You anticipated a line of Teresa's toward the end of the play as she listens to Alma's description of the light coming from the dust, the leaves, "the swirl in a little girl's dress." Teresa whispers, "the divine light in all things". Linda, you bless us all with your sharing that you feel this, and have, as perhaps a paradoxical "gift" of your early trauma. Amazing. Alan, I took the liberty of sharing your comments on the video of the opening scene with Lindsey Rosen. She said to thank you for your beautiful insights. We both know that you described the liminal state of waiting for God's love with poetic precision. Thank you!
The rest of you, please jump in! Linda, you mentioned a sister you know who would be a great asset to our book club. Please invite her to join!
Some of you are still waiting for the book, so I won't assign new pages at this time (though you are always welcome to read ahead. I know I always did when I was in school...)
I will refer to Teresa's speech on page 11, beginning with "I did this myself for many years, only praying to a passive mental image..." What experience might you have that corresponds to Teresa's discovery that she can pray ACTIVELY by feeling and knowing Christ's reality as he knelt in the Garden of Gethsemane? Feel free to share your own practices of meditation, or being with the divine in an active way.
My suggestions are jumping off points. Feel free to toss our your own thoughts, questions, and feelings.
In gratitude,
Elizabeth
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OCT 5/15 – Good evening. How wonderful an experience we are into…all taking our own steps in virtual wonderland with each other...how lovely…the taking leave of steps...can be sacred ground...for a virtual wonderland [awe] with each other… I am humbled to be here with your direction, Elizabeth…inward, into and up…to the far-reaching experiences of these two amazing mystic women…them then, us now...
I am holding at your words “stepping further” …unable to go beyond...in this moment…for to even speak of going "into the castle" [Jung’s place]…as for me to have been…am I still there...in a reception area full of people…etheric and moving upward on stairs that move all by themselves... and then, stopping mid-way…turned around…towards and just above my body, lying in the bed…out from God’s mansion…my beloved at the doorway...to even utter this…returns me…takes me and my breathe away…
The member in the DPA community I am thinking, and praying about and for her…to be able to join us in all of this – is Sister Helen E. Provost [I wonder if the E is for Elizabeth]? How synchronistic would that be! Her last name has great significance for me…my provost during my PhD process and now...another last name Provost crosses my path!
I am unable to concretely invite her for I am patiently waiting for her, hoping she can accept my ‘friend request. Sister Helen knows and wrote about deep diving and the “etches in the soul.”
Perhaps Bonnie has a way of inviting her? I hope my book arrives on Wednesday…and in the meantime…morning meditations with Theresa’s letters is - so good. Peace + Love Linda