Hello dear ones –

Welcome to the first edition of the Friday Mirror.

The Mirror is The Way of the River’s take on the spiritual practice of self-reflection.

It’s a way for us, as a community, to reflect on the past week externally and internally. The Mirror is what it sounds like, a place to take a look at ourselves and our spirits and see how they’ve been doing this week. It’s a place to check in with yourself and with others. The Mirror will be a regular practice of The Way of the River, so jump on in anytime, as much or as little as you like.

Please do put your responses in the comments section below.

The Mirror, 29 August 2014

This week had been a whirlwhind in some ways…a whirlwind that has begun to settle down in some ways, but not in others.

On the external, out-in-the-world front, I have been continuing to think a lot about violence against people of color–young Black men and women killed at the hands of police or unjustly treated by the justice system; Native Americans who continue to live in the worst poverty in the nation; immigrant families who are separated from one another, as well as those who die in the desert trying to come to the States. All these people are on my mind and heart.

I’m also trying to figure out where my “external” service needs to be. A teacher and former spiritual director of mine, Thorn Coyle, works as a soup kitchen in San Francisco, and that public service with those in poverty informs her practice in a profound way. Where is my call?

On the interior front, Spirit and I have been having some good talks:  Some in the form of conversation with people I love and trust, and some with Deep Self.

July was the month of Restoration. August was a month of Work. September needs to be the month of Integration.

The folks at The Way of the River have been working so hard to get content on the site that we’re all a little tired at the moment. The Chief Officer of Everything Else (besides content) has another full-time day job, so does the layout and design director (I’m inventing these names as we go), and I have been working night and day to bring you my thoughts and ideas.

We need to calm down a little. And I need to make sure that I continue to nurture the spiritual practice, awakening, and radiance that are at the heart of The Way of the River. So the content may come a bit more slowly or it may not. But what I’m committing to do is to have my practice be at the center, and allow my work to spiral out from that practice, that communion with Deepest, Wisest Self.

What has your week been like? What are you feeling about it? How do you feel about doing this kind of reflection at all?

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Post in the comments below.

blessings on you and on your house –

~~Catharine~~

PS — The comments section of River is meant to be supportive, loving, and encouraging. I’d love to have some conversation there, but let’s always remember the twin virtues of gentleness and kindness, shall we?

LOVE

CBC