Good Company to Birth New

Are you a spiritual seeker, yearning for greater connection and meaning?  

Do you feel like your religious traditions no longer fit?  

You are not alone. We are together in this.  

Earlier this month, on a chilly morning, I arose before the winter sun, looking forward to cracking open a new book recommended by a soul friend: The Great Search: Turning to Earth and Soul in the Quest for Healing and Home by John Philip Newell. A renowned spiritual teacher, speaker, and author steeped in Celtic tradition, Newell urges us to reawaken to the sacredness of Earth and every human being. His previous books nourished and enriched my soul.  

With a candle lit and my journal and pen nearby, I nestled in with his latest writing. He opens with this observation: “We are living through a time of immense transition as old systems of authority and belief are questioned. A new vision of reality is trying to be born.”  

Yes! I wholeheartedly agree.  

Then, this passage glistened, leaping off the page: 

“We are living through an age that is characterized by exile and spiritual search. Something new is trying to be born within us and around us.” 

My heart burned.  

I jotted the sentences down in my journal, slowly pondering them.  

How can two simple sentences explain so succinctly the work that I am called to?  

I am one of many who feel exiled from religious traditions that no longer fit. The way forward, as I can see it, is to make time and space to pay attention to this stirring, sometimes alone, sometimes with others who might be feeling the same sense of confusion and disillusionment. I am grateful to have companions and colleagues at Well for the Journey who wander this path with me, along with other small circles of companions who are exploring. Also, I am grateful for YOU, because as you read this now, our hearts are meeting. It is my deep hope that we are already birthing a newness yearning to be born, though we cannot yet see or comprehend it.  

The good news is that we can find refuge and belonging in our exile through a practice that I call “soul-nesting.” Let me explain.  

I am working on a collection of reflections that invites people into the vital work of soul-nesting. A bird’s nest is a powerful spiritual metaphor for these times.  Our souls need a space to nurture, protect, and incubate what wants to be born. Like a bird gathering materials to build a nest, we need only look around and begin. Soul-nesting practices include small activities such as pausing, breathing, journaling, resting, gathering with others in sacred conversation, walking outside, and listening. Building a nest for our souls where we are—in the middle of our everyday lives—allows us to remember our deep, innate connection with God and incubate the new life longing to emerge. We can give birth to more love, over and over again.  

I look forward to unpacking this concept further in the year ahead with an enhanced website and, with God’s help, a book to be published. (Gulp-I have put my dream out there!) 

Turning back to John Philip Newell’s book, I appreciate that he focuses on people throughout history who left traditional religion to find a deeper connection with Earth and all of humanity. Some of my favorite formative teachers are highlighted: Etty Hillesum, Carl Jung, and Julaluddin Rumi, for instance. Each of them has touched my soul through their lives and writings. Though we’ve never met, I think of them as friends in spirit. 

Hillesum (1914-1943) was a courageous and compassionate Jewish woman who experienced a spiritual awakening while suffering and facing death during the Holocaust. Her diaries reveal a remarkable strength, depth of soul, and love amid the most horrific circumstances. Jung (1875-1961), who founded analytical psychology, posited that we find healing and wholeness only as we become more conscious of our inner life. I’ve drawn on his wisdom personally and professionally, applying it most recently to the Conscious Aging classes I lead. Rumi (1207-1273) lived in the Middle East and wrote an incredible breadth of poetry, some of which I’ve selected for a “Love Poems from God” program that I’ve led over the years. Rumi calls us to remember that love is the true religion. 

If you are searching for inspiration as you live through these times, you will find good company in John Philip Newell’s The Great Search: Turning to Earth and Soul in the Quest for Healing and Home.  

And quite possibly—just maybe—my book that is being born will be a companion for you in the years to come.  

With a heart of gratitude, I offer you blessings and love for the new year, friends.  

Mabeth