News From Amy - February 1, 2025

New Beginnings In March – Opportunities in Spiritual Direction

As we move into February, I’m excited to share several possibilities for deepening your spiritual journey.  You can dive into training, supervision, continuing education, or receiving spiritual direction. If any of these speak to you, I invite you to explore further and take action. I hope one of these opportunities resonates with you. If you have any questions, I’d love to hear from you! With gratitude, Rev. Amy

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Class of ‘27 SpiDir Training Program Begins

Our next group (cohort IV) of spiritual direction training begins this March! If folks turn to you for listening, this two-year program provides the structure, support, and hands-on experience to grow in this sacred work.

Learn About SpiDir

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Supervision Group Openings for Spiritual Companions

If you’re already a spiritual companion, joining a supervisory group is a powerful way to keep the channel to your source clear and open. Show up fully for your seekers, and deepen your effectiveness. Group spiritual direction supervision is enriching, allowing you to learn from peers within a supportive, facilitated structure. A new group is forming soon—if you’re interested, I’d love to connect!

Explore Supervision

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Continuing Education: Join our Current Students!

For those with experience in spiritual care or direction, there’s an option to join the training as continuing education, entering midstream with our current Cohort III students. This is ideal for those who want structured learning without committing to the full program.

Join with Learners

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Receive Spiritual Direction from a Trained Companion

Spiritual direction offers a rare space to slow down, reflect, and listen deeply to your own inner wisdom. You may be in transition, seeking clarity, or struggling to stay connected to the holy as your heart is broken by the world. Or, you may simply desire a sacred listening space. Working with a trained Spiritual Companion can be deeply transformative. If you’d like to explore this, I encourage you to reach out.

Tend Your Spirit

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Join us for a spiritual feast

Feb. 2: Imbolc, Candlemas, Brigid's Day, Rising Sun. The sunlight is growing! Let’s find our inner resilience to bounce into the future. (With Amy Beltaine)

Save the date for Feb 16: Holding On! Finding safety in times of chaos or fear. Resist the undertow with the care and support of your spiritual community and relationship with all you hold holy. (With Kym Lamb)

Save the date for Mar 2: Peak spiritual experiences and moments of flow transform the moment or a life. What magic has moved you or elevated you? (With Pip Ollie Paris)

Save the date for Mar 23: What do Carl Sagan, Merlin, and the March Hare have in common? Find out and celebrate the coming of Spring. How shall we each embrace the new while still retaining our balance? (With Amy Beltaine)

Cherry Hill Seminary offers semi-monthly gatherings for exploration of spiritual topics such as Eldering, Integrity, Primal Cows, Spiritual Recharge, and Compassion.

Students, faculty, friends, guests, and seekers are all welcome!

• Sundays (Closest to the 2nd and 20th of every month)

• 1pm Pacific, 4pm Eastern, 9pm London time for 1 hour

• no rsvp necessary

Join us 10 minutes early for music and chatting. Let us gather for a spiritual feast!

Receive the Zoom Link: Click Here

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The pain of the world breaking your heart? Find what gives you life! 

Make an appointment to explore your spiritual landscape!

Discover your spiritual direction, with Amy

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I know my mailing list has gotten somewhat “uncurated” over the last couple of years so I send this newsletter to everyone on my list. I invite you to choose what you want to receive from me. You don’t need to “unsubscribe” to control what comes into your inbox.

I want to send to folks who actually WANT to read these mailings! :)

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Blessings of Moon*Forest*Bone,

Reverend Amy

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Spiritual Practice for Troubled Times: Writing a Lament

 Spiritual Practice for Troubled Times: Writing a Lament

I invite you to enter into the spiritual practice of writing a short lament (or psalm.)

This practice invites you to connect with your spiritual tradition through writing. We'll follow a traditional structure, allowing for personal expression within a shared framework. No prior writing experience is necessary – just an open heart and willingness to explore.

Crying Angel (Photographer unknown)

Materials: Paper and pen/pencil, or a digital document.

Instructions:

(0-1 minute) Introduction and Centering:

We'll connect with the Divine through a creative practice: writing a personal psalm or lament. This is a way to express our joys, sorrows, hopes, and yearnings within a sacred structure. No writing experience is needed – just an open heart and a willingness to explore.

We'll begin with a moment of centering. Close your eyes if you're comfortable. You might focus on your breath, imagine a peaceful image, listen for a gentle rhythm, or think of a meaningful word that resonates with your spiritual path. Let the breath, image, rhythm, or word fill you.

(1-2 minutes) Explanation of Psalm Structure:

Psalms traditionally have four parts. Think of these as guiding points, not rigid rules. We'll use them to structure our reflections:

1. Address: Begin by addressing the divine forces you connect with. This could be God, Goddess, Spirit, the Universe, your ancestors, specific deities, the elements, or any other name or concept that resonates with your spiritual path. Be direct and personal. Examples: 'O Source of All,' 'Beloved Ancestors,' 'Great Mystery,' 'Compassionate One,' 'Great Oak.'

2. Complaint: Express your current struggles, concerns, or sorrows. What burdens your heart? What challenges are you facing? This is a safe space for honesty and vulnerability. Examples: 'I feel disconnected,' 'My path feels unclear,' 'The world feels overwhelming,' 'My heart is heavy with grief.'

3. Request: What do you need? What do you yearn for? Ask for guidance, strength, healing, clarity, or whatever feels most pressing. Be specific. Examples: 'Show me the way forward,' 'Grant me the courage to embrace change,' 'Bring peace to my spirit,' 'Remind me I have the strength to face my fears.'

4. Commitment/Praise/Expression of Trust: Conclude with a declaration of your faith, a promise to act in accordance with your values, an expression of gratitude, or a statement of trust in the Divine. Examples: 'I trust in your wisdom,' 'I commit to honoring the earth,' 'I offer my gratitude for your blessings,' 'I will always return to your compassion,' 'So mote it be.'

(2-8 minutes) Writing Time:

Now, let's begin writing our psalms. Allow the words to flow freely, without overthinking grammar or structure. Short phrases or images can be very powerful. Remember, this is a personal reflection – there's no right or wrong way to express yourself.

(Optional: Play soft, instrumental music.)

(8-10 minutes) Sharing (If you are in a small group, you may wish to share):

If you feel comfortable, please share your psalm. Sharing is entirely optional, so please only do so if it feels right for you. When someone shares with you, offer brief, supportive responses, focusing on acknowledging the emotions and sentiments expressed. Phrases like 'Thank you for sharing,' 'I connect with those words,' or 'I appreciate your vulnerability' can be very meaningful.

(If sharing is not possible or desired) Take a moment of silence to honor the lament you created.

(Closing):

Thank you, everyone, for participating in this sacred practice. May your words and reflections stay with you, guiding you on your path. 

You are whole, holy, and worthy,

Blessed be,

Rev. Amy Beltaine

This is the sort of exercise we might engage in during spiritual direction work. To find a Spiritual Companion, visit http://AmyBeltaine.info or https://shorturl.at/pr0ue or http://UUSDN.org 

To apply for training as a spiritual companion, visit our Spiritual Direction Certificate Program page.

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Example Psalm (Wiccan):

"O Triple Goddess, Mother of the Moon and Earth, and Horned God, Lord of the Hunt and Wilds,

My heart is heavy with the weight of the world, the balance seems lost, and shadows creep into my light. I feel adrift, like a leaf scattered by a harsh wind.

I ask for your guidance, your strength, and your unwavering love. Show me the path that I am meant to travel, illuminate the darkness that surrounds me, and restore balance within my soul.

I commit to honoring the Old Ways, to seeking harmony with nature, and to seeking wisdom in the turning of the Wheel. I trust in your eternal love and guidance. So mote it be."

Spiritual Care in Wicca and Neo-Paganism: What Exists, What’s Missing, and What’s Possible

Spiritual Care in Wicca and Neo-Paganism: What Exists, What’s Missing, and What’s Possible

In many religious traditions, spiritual direction provides seekers with a critical form of spiritual care. Spiritual direction work provides guidance, companionship, and deep listening as folks navigate their spiritual path. But what does that look like in Wicca and neo-paganism? While Wicca and broader Pagan traditions do not have a formalized role exactly equivalent to spiritual direction, they do have established ways of providing spiritual support. However, there are also notable gaps - areas where seekers may struggle to find the kind of deep care and discernment that spiritual direction offers.

I'd like to offer my initial thoughts on the roles that serve a similar function, how major Wiccan traditions have met (or not met) the need for spiritual care, and what might be added to deepen and expand that support. I hope this serves as an invitation to deeper and larger conversation.

Existing Roles That Parallel Spiritual Direction

While Wicca and neo-paganism tend to emphasize personal spiritual autonomy, several roles within these traditions offer guidance, teaching, and support similar to spiritual direction:

May Day Dawn Celebration on Glastonbury Tor, Getty Images

1. High Priestesses, High Priests, and Teachers

In initiatory Wiccan traditions (such as Gardnerian and Alexandrian Wicca), High Priests and High Priestesses lead covens, initiate students, and provide spiritual mentorship. They guide seekers through training, facilitate rituals, and support members in their spiritual development.

Similarities to Spiritual Direction:

• They offer one-on-one mentorship to initiates.
• They guide seekers through major spiritual transitions.
• They provide a space for discernment and spiritual growth.

What’s Different?

• Their role is often hierarchical, requiring initiatory lineage, whereas spiritual direction is typically non-hierarchical.
• Their focus is usually on conveying a specific tradition, rather than open-ended spiritual exploration. This usually amounts to training and formation: defining one's spiritual beliefs, practices, and community, versus an expansive invitation to seeker-focused exploration over time that is provided through spiritual direction work.
• They primarily serve and are accountable to, their coven or lineage as a whole, rather than individual seekers.

2. Pagan Clergy and Ministers

Many pagans have sought ordination through organizations like the Covenant of the Goddess (CoG), Sacred Well Congregation, or pursued ministry degrees through Earth-based seminary programs like Cherry Hill Seminary. Pagan clergy often officiate rituals, provide pastoral care, and offer spiritual counseling.

Similarities to Spiritual Direction:

• They provide spiritual care beyond just their own coven or tradition.
• They may offer guidance in times of crisis, transition, or deep questioning.
• Some receive formal training in counseling, chaplaincy, or pastoral care.

What’s Different?

• Their role often includes officiating rites and public rituals, whereas spiritual direction is more about deep listening.
• Many Pagan ministers focus on community leadership rather than sustained one-on-one accompaniment.

3. Elders and Wise Women/Men/Persons

In non-hierarchical or eclectic Pagan circles, elders - respected figures with years of experience - serve as informal spiritual guides. These individuals may be approached for wisdom, storytelling, or advice, much like a crone, sage, or village witch in older traditions.

Similarities to Spiritual Direction:

• Their role is based on deep wisdom and personal experience rather than institutional authority.
• They often listen deeply and help seekers make sense of their spiritual experiences.
• Their guidance is based on relationship and trust rather than structured training.

What’s Different?

• There is no formalized process for becoming an elder; it is based on community recognition.
• Their role is often advisory rather than an ongoing spiritual companionship.
• There is no system of ethical accountability, leading to reported instances of abuses of power and position.

4. Pagan Counselors and Coaches

Some Pagans seek spiritual guidance from counselors or life coaches who integrate Pagan spirituality into their practice. These professionals might not identify as “spiritual directors,” but they offer similar forms of accompaniment.

Similarities to Spiritual Direction:

• They provide structured one-on-one spiritual support.
• They help seekers work through spiritual struggles and life transitions.
• They may integrate ritual, meditation, or divination into their sessions.

What’s Different?

• Coaching tends to be more goal-oriented, while spiritual direction is about open-ended exploration.
• Therapy or counseling may focus on mental health and problems, whereas spiritual direction assumes the seeker is whole and holy, and centers on the seeker’s relationship with the sacred.

Aura by John Hain, Pixabay

How Have Wiccans Met Their Needs for Spiritual Care?

Different Wiccan traditions have developed various ways to support seekers’ spiritual growth.

• Initiatory Traditions (Gardnerian, Alexandrian, etc.) rely on coven-based mentorship. A High Priestess or Priest trains initiates and provides guidance, but this support is typically reserved for those within the tradition.
• Eclectic Wiccans often turn to books, online communities, and personal practice for guidance, with less structured spiritual mentorship.
• Reconstructionist and Polytheist Groups emphasize learning from ancient sources, community rituals, and sometimes priestly training, but may lack personal spiritual guidance outside of structured priesthood roles.
• Solitary Wiccans and Pagans often struggle to find spiritual support outside of personal meditation, divination, and informal online groups.

Each of these approaches meets some needs, but often leaves gaps - especially when it comes to deep, long-term spiritual companionship that is not tied to hierarchy, initiation, or counseling.

What’s Missing?

1. Non-Hierarchical Spiritual Guidance - Many seekers want one-on-one accompaniment without the coven structure or an initiatory hierarchy.

2. Support for Solitary Practitioners - Solitary witches and pagans often lack mentorship and may struggle with spiritual discernment alone.

3. Deep Listening and Discernment - Unlike coaching or teaching, spiritual direction focuses on listening for the seeker’s own wisdom and relationship with the Divine rather than providing answers.

4. A Safe Space for Doubt and Exploration - Many existing roles focus on teaching a tradition, whereas spiritual direction allows for questioning and wrestling with beliefs.

5. Emotional and Spiritual Integration - Pagan spiritual leadership often focuses on ritual facilitation, leaving little room for deeper conversations about personal spiritual struggles and milestone moments.

6. Accountability and Professional Ethics - Many Pagan spiritual traditions have little or no oversight or accountability to enforce consent, and mitigate against abuse. 

What Could Be Added?

1. Training Pagan Spiritual Directors

• Programs could emerge within pagan seminaries or independent pagan organizations to train spiritual companions who understand pagan worldviews. We're in luck! Cherry Hill Seminary is entering its 4th year offering such training!
• These companions could offer one-on-one guidance to seekers regardless of tradition, providing a safe, non-judgmental space to explore spirituality.

2. Creating Pagan Spiritual Direction Networks

• A directory of pagan spiritual directors could help seekers find mentors outside of traditional priesthoods or covens.

3. Bringing Deep Listening into Pagan Leadership

• High Priestesses, elders, and clergy could incorporate spiritual direction principles into their mentorship - emphasizing deep listening rather than just teaching.

4. Recognizing Spiritual Direction as a Sacred Pagan Role

• Just as we have ritualists, diviners, healers, and clergy, we could formally recognize spiritual companions - people trained to travel alongside others in their journey without imposing a path or tradition.

5. Professional Accountability

• Raising ethical expectations for those who mentor can help protect seekers, members, and initiates. 
• Asking practitioners of spiritual direction to be members of professional organizations with ethical guidelines and membership criteria is one time-tested way to give seekers recourse and protection.
• This, and other approaches can be healthy for all helping roles in Paganism and Wicca.

The Need for Deep Spiritual Companionship

Wicca and neo-paganism already contain many roles that provide elements of spiritual guidance, but few fully embrace the deep, ongoing companionship that spiritual direction offers in other traditions. As these paths continue to evolve, there is space for the role of the spiritual companion - one who listens, reflects, and holds sacred space for others to explore their own relationship with the Divine/Holy/Sacred/Deities.

For those called to this work, the invitation is open: to be a witness to the sacred journeys of others, to cultivate deep listening, and to create spaces where seekers can explore their spirituality in trust, reverence, and care.

Would you seek out a pagan spiritual companion? Would you be called to offer that role? The path is open. Let's explore it together.

You are whole, holy, and worthy... We need each one of us to survive,

Rev Amy Beltaine

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To find a Spiritual Companion, visit http://AmyBeltaine.info or https://shorturl.at/pr0ue or http://UUSDN.org 

To apply for training as a spiritual companion, visit our Spiritual Direction Certificate Program page.

Stories to Sustain Us: Building the World We Dream Of

The Power of Story

There is an old saying: “The universe is made of stories, not atoms.” Stories are the threads that weave together our collective understanding of who we are and who we can become. They shape our moral imagination, inspire our actions, and sustain us in the long, hard work of change.

Stories from history remind us of what is possible, Songs inspire and inform, moral tales teach, biographies remind us we are not alone, and fiction helps us imagine. Stories have power. 

What Are Our Stories?

For many of us, the challenges of our time—the erosion of democracy, climate chaos, rising inequality—may feel unprecedented. Yet history is full of examples of individuals and communities rising to meet immense challenges. Our ancestors, and the people who lived on the land we now call home, confronted injustice, overcame adversity, and fought for a more just and equitable world.

Whose Stories?

Stories can be transformative and life-saving. Take, for example, our congregation’s building is a sanctuary. Immigration officers may have the legal right now to enter a hospital, a school, or a church, but our Unitarian Universalist faith is grounded in justice and equity. We can raise our voices, and tell the story of what is moral and right. If they know that we will share the story of violating a sacred space, it might change their actions.

Whether today's fear, outrage, and anxiety is new to you or you’ve been doing this work since your momma explained what the words racism, sexism, colonizing, and homophobia meant…

We learn from stories.

These days, I find myself leaning into my Slovak roots and embracing the history of my adopted home, Portugal, by learning about how both nations overthrew oppressive regimes.

Last year, I was leaving the little village of Silves, crossing the bridge with the old Moorish castle in my rearview mirror. The bridge was decorated with little red flowers: crocheted carnations. I realized the flowers celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Carnation Revolution—a peaceful uprising that overthrew decades of dictatorship in Portugal.

Scene from Carnation Revolution AP

The Carnation Revolution: Wake Now My Vision

The Carnation Revolution of 1974 is a powerful example of collective action’s ability to bring about transformation. After years of repression under the Estado Novo regime, the Portuguese people rose up. Life under Estado Novo, established by António Salazar in 1933, was austere and harsh. People who spoke out against the regime often “disappeared,” and mandatory military service sent countless young men to fight unwinnable colonial wars.

The revolution was sparked by military officers opposed to the regime’s brutal colonial wars, but it became a civilian movement. First, the brave ones chose, then people poured into the streets, placing carnations in the barrels of soldiers’ guns as a symbol of peace. Remarkably, the regime fell without bloodshed, replaced by a provisional government that ushered in democracy.

The lyrics of songs are transformative stories as well! The revolution’s spirit was captured in the song “Grândola, Vila Morena” by José Afonso. Played as a signal to start the uprising, its lyrics—“Grândola, Vila Morena, Terra da Fraternidade” (Grândola, Dark Village, Land of Brotherhood)—embodied the ideals of freedom, unity, and fraternity.

There’s a warning in the Salazar regime. He was an economist and beaurocrat who was elected. But prime-minister Salazar’s reforms turned into 40 years of repressive totalitarianism. There is also hope. In the end truth, courage, compassion, and vision won. The Portuguese people remember, and say ‘never again’.

The Carnation Revolution reminds us that peaceful resistance, joy, and solidarity can bloom even in the face of oppression.

The Velvet Revolution: A Testament to Peaceful Change

The Velvet Revolution is another example of the power of peaceful resistance. In 1989, when my son was three,  Czechoslovakia saw its dreams of freedom and democracy realized. Playwright and activist Václav Havel encouraged individuals to “live in truth” by rejecting the lies of the totalitarian state and reclaiming authenticity. His plays made fun of the regime, he defended a rock band that was imprisoned because they had long hair, and he himself was jailed more than once. But he persevered. In every soul and nation comes a time to decide if you will seek truth or falsehood. The people of Czechoslovakia chose to live in truth.

The name “Velvet Revolution” reflects the smooth and nonviolent transition of power. Millions joined together to peacefully end decades of Soviet rule, armed only with their voices, their keys, and their shared vision for a community transformed by care.

The Velvet Revolution teaches us that change does not always require violence; it can arise from trust, poetry, and collective action. As Vclav Havel wrote: "we never decided to become dissidents. We have been transformed into them, without quite knowing how, sometimes we have ended up in prison without precisely knowing how. We simply went ahead and did certain things that we felt we ought to do, and that seemed to us decent to do, nothing more nor less."

Vaclav Havel is acclaimed as President, 1989

What Stories Sustain Us?

Stories sustain us in times of upheaval. They remind us that ordinary people, daring to dream of a better world, have faced impossible odds and prevailed. Stories of hard times and hard work share a common thread: they inspire courage, resilience, and action. Let us remain faithful to the work that must be done.

When the challenges we face—climate chaos, inequality, systemic racism—feel overwhelming, stories whisper to us: “You are not alone. Others have traveled this path before you, and you can too.”

Building the World We Dream Of

As citizens of the world, we are called to build the world we dream of—a world of love and justice. This work requires vision, action, and the spiritual sustenance that stories provide.

The story of the Velvet Revolution teaches us that truth and peaceful resistance can overcome fear. The story of the Carnation Revolution reminds us that courage can bloom like flowers in the face of oppression.

When we tell the stories of the women’s suffrage movement, the civil rights movement, and the ongoing fight for LGBTQ+ equality, we honor the resilience of those who refused to let injustice have the final word. These stories teach us that change may be slow, but it is possible—and it is worth fighting for.

Fiction

Stories of real-life people being brave, or just doing the things they felt they ought to do, or what seemed decent to do, can sustain us. So can fiction. One of my favorites is the Lord of the Rings: The story of a small hobbit carrying a Ring through dangers, Finding friends and in the end, saving the world by being small and faithful to the task given to him. At one point he is speaking with the wise and powerful wizard Gandalf: I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo. "So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. 

Sustaining Ourselves Through Story

What sustains people through times of great upheaval? Stories of ordinary people daring to persist, dream, and act. Stories that remind us we are part of something greater than ourselves.

When we feel overwhelmed, we can turn to these stories for strength. They tell us, “You are not alone. Others have faced similar struggles and found their way forward.”

Stories are the lifeblood of our shared humanity. They help us remember who we are and imagine who we can become.

Call to Action

This week, I invite you to reflect on a story that inspires you. It could be from history, a loved one, or your own life. Share it with someone, and listen to their story in return.

Together, let us weave a tapestry of solidarity, perseverance, and action. Let us stay faithful to the work before us, and stay grounded in the power of our shared stories.

Blessed be.

You are whole, holy, and worthy,

Rev. Amy Beltaine