Spirit Journeys

27/02/2025

Hello My Friends! I wanted to let you know that I and Q***r Elder Andrew Eli Ramer have created our upcoming online webinar, Q***r Spirits Rising on Saturday March 1 from 1 to 3:30. Andrew is the author of a groundbreaking visionary trilogy that began with “Two Flutes Playing,” continued with “Two Hearts Dancing,” and concludes with the soon-to-be-published “Our Tribe Chanting.” Eli holds a vision of q***r folk as “walks-between people,” a tribe of people with unique gifts and callings to connect, create, nurture, and heal humanity. In our webinar we’ll be exploring his vision, and supporting you in facing the challenges, cultivating the skills, and recognizing the gifts and callings you bring to this challenging moment in human history. The webinar is open to q***r folk and all our wonderful allies. Here's the link:

https://www.spiritjourneys.com/q***rspiritslightingtheway.html

04/02/2025

Spirit Journeys' 2025 Calendar is up! From our Desert Meditation Retreat for GBTQ men, to our Sacred Magdalene pilgrimage for everyone in Southern France; from our weekly Heart Circle to our Monthly Webinars, Spirit Journeys is committed to providing safe and sacred spaces for people to catch their breath, connect with each other, and reclaim the resilience, joy, and peace of mind that are our birthright. In this month's newsletter, I share a few of the touchstones and strategies that help me to stay sane, stay focused, and do what I came here to do. I hope my thoughts are helpful!

Email from Spirit Journeys Save with Early Registration!     Spirit Journeys 2025 Calendar! How shall we live when the world turns upside down?     Dear Hunter, How shall we live ... when the world tu

01/04/2024

"Don't take anything personally," admonishes Don Miguel Ruiz in "The Four Agreements." This agreement is remarkably helpful in diffusing shame, guilt, and embarrassment triggered by the words and actions of others; at the same time, it is poor advice indeed in navigating the complexities of a real relationship. It can even be outright dangerous in the hands of narcissists who use it to deflect basic accountability. Like all spiritual truths, the second agreement can be used against ourselves if we apply it unskillfully or uncompassionately.

In ten years as Don Miguel's apprentice, I learned how to begin using the second agreement more skillfully. The key is in understanding the word, "personally." it doesn't mean that the thoughts, words, and actions of others have nothing to do with us. It doesn't mean we are weak if we allow others to matter. It is simply an encouragement to refrain from defining ourselves by others reflections. First, their reflection is influenced by the quality of the mirror itself. Second, it is not a reflection of who we are -- it is a reflection of the mask we are wearing with them in that moment. At this level, it can be very useful to understand what their reflection tells us about who the other person is, and how our mask is being experienced; masks are useful, and it is worth our time to become more skillful in using them.

At the same time, this agreement offers an even deeper invitation. Who we are isn't a mask; it is a mystery. "Don't take anything personally" ultimately encourages us to stop regarding ourselves as "persons" and to discover ourselves as extraordinary mysteries. We stop worrying about others' reflections and become more interested in discovering the endless mystery of our own being ...

19/03/2024

When I first met my teacher Miguel Ruiz, author of "The Four Agreements," I created a horrible mess with the First Agreement, "be impeccable with your word." I brought to it all of my perfectionism and judgment; it became one more way to hold myself to rigid and unrealistic standards and hurt myself in the process. Over the years, I slowly stopped using even Miguel's words as a moral absolute, though. I began to listen to how words felt in my body, how they impacted the other human bodies around me, and how the world responded to each and every word. As my awareness grew, I was able to respond to that feedback more quickly and shift my words mid-sentence, sometimes before they were fully thought or spoken. I chose words that grew my love and gave life, simply because I didn't want to hurt anymore, and I wanted to enjoy this beautiful life I've been given to share. I learned that" be impeccable with your words" means simply, use words in ways that grow love and give life. Every time I stand before the pyramids of Teotihuacan, my words overflow with such gratitude ...

https://www.spiritjourneys.com/2024teotihuacanpilgrimage.html