Spirit
A phenomenal site promoting religious tolerance and scholarship, providing the sacred texts of any and every faith and spiritual path freely. The most recent version is always available to purchase, and the collection keeps growing as new texts are added. I have happily devoted many hours to this site over the years, reading books no longer in print, versions I've never heard of, and peeking into the teachings of one faith after another. Worth a sojourn!
(meaning "light/flame of Brigid") The Brigidine Sisters are based in Kildare, Ireland, and welcome all travelers and pilgrims from every path to their home. They tend Brigid's eternal flame, which burned from the 5th to 16th centuries and was relit in Kildare in 1993. Following the example of the saint, their mission includes advocating for the poor and fostering integral spiritual growth. Currently they are fundraising in order to build a new retreat centre.
A woman connected to the motion of her life by the rhythm of breath and the pulse of blood flowing through her body. She teaches sacred dance, where movement is prayer, and has developed a philosophy of motion called 5Rythms. Moreover, she is a gifted percussive musician and a fluid, poetic writer. Her website is truly a unique experience. It flows like her music, like her dance, like her life. Her book, Sweat Your Prayers, is an inspiring read.
Fire On The Mountain: A Gathering of Shamans
This is "a documentary about the connection between consciousness and nature, as embodied in the spiritual traditions of Indigenous Peoples, whose ecological metaphors of the sacred are so relevant to the modern world." Shot in the French Alps in 1997 at a Tibetan Buddhist retreat centre, the film runs 1:46:03 and can be viewed online. It follows a "10-day gathering of shamans from five continents," a monumental exchange of traditions.
A Buddhist nun, and director of Gampo Abbey, located north of Chéticamp in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. She is a prolific writer, teacher, and shares in the goal of helping to establish the monastic tradition in the West. I have visited the abbey several times over the years and a more peaceful, attuned, and vibrant place I've rarely touched upon. Those who make this place their home even for a short while radiate their love of simplicity, community and joy.
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