The Mystic Cave

7 Episodes
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By: Brian E Pearson

An exploration of the spiritual terrain on the far side of conventional religion. A sanctuary for seekers.

"Writing by Heart:” Meredith Heller on How Poetry Can Lead us Home
04/07/2024

You can hear it in her voice. This is a woman who knows herself and her place in the universe. But fortunately for us, she believes that that place is to help others find their voice too. "Writing by Heart" is Meredith Heller's invitation to find the inner path to yourself ... through poetry. It's a book. But it's also a portal. And it's beckoning ...

Resources:
Meredith's latest book: Writing by Heart: A Poetry Path to Healing and Self-Discovery by Meredith Heller; New World Library, 2024
Featured Song: "Come Undone" from Meredith's album, Soul Siren
Meredith's...


Making Peace with Impermanence: Zen Teacher Ryushin on True Liberation
#16
03/24/2024

Psychedelics can show us what's beyond our ordinary consciousness. Meditation can help us to live day by day from that place. But in the end all practices fall short: the spiritual journey requires a letting go, not a holding on. Zen teacher Ryushin uses words only to point beyond those words ... to the actual peace and enlightenment we seek.

Resources relative to this conversation:
"Healing with Form, Energy and Light," by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche; Snow Lion (Shambhala Publications), 2002
Body-Mind Centering: https://www.bodymindcentering.com/

Contacting Ryushin directly:
Email: fusanryushin@gmail.com

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The Way of the Shaman: Healer Wade Prpich and a Cosmos of Spirit Helpers
#15
03/10/2024

The Ordinary Reality we experience every day may not be the only reality there is. It may not even be the real one. Non-Ordinary Reality is a fantastical cosmos populated by Spirit Beings—plants, animals, and people—who are devoted to our health and wholeness. It's the job of shamans like Wade Prpich to travel to that world and seek the help of those Beings for the sake of our spiritual healing here in this one. For real!

Links
Wade's Website: http://calgaryshaman.com/index.html
The Foundation for Shamanic Studies: https://www.shamanism.org
...


Spirits Ascending: Reiki Master Jan Thompson on the Light We Cannot See
#14
02/25/2024

It's like we're walking around blindfolded. We feel we are alone in the universe while spirit guides hover close by, waiting for us to acknowledge them. We feel it all comes down to our wills and to our efforts while energy pours into our hearts from a cosmic Source. Reiki Master Jan Thompson knows those spiritual realms, relying upon them for the healing work she does. It makes her humbler than most, and wiser too. Because she knows we only live our lives on this plain because of the life-giving energies of another.

Correction
Jan wants...


“How Not to be Afraid:” Gareth Higgins on New Stories for Frightening Times
#13
02/11/2024

There's something encoded in our souls that seeks hope even in the face of hopelessness. That spark, that gene, that impossible dream is what allows us to discover new stories to replace the old ones and to usher in the new world we seek. Activist, storyteller, and writer Gareth Higgins, in his book, How Not to be Afraid, evokes the life-giving possibilities that are hidden within our fears.

Links to Gareth and his work
Gareth's book: How Not to be Afraid: Seven Ways to Live When Everything Seems Terrifying; Broadleaf Books, 2021.
Gareth's Website: http://www...


Women Catholic Priests: Teresa Hanlon and the Rebirth of Christianity
#12
01/28/2024

Teresa Hanlon was doing ministry within her church long before she was ordained. But when she became a priest, her Church excommunicated her and inhibited her from doing the work she loved. Providentially, for her and the other women priests ordained within the Catholic tradition (if not in the Roman Catholic Church itself), it was not an ending. It was a beginning,  signalling perhaps the rebirth of Christianity itself ... with women at the table.

Acronyms & their links:
LICCF (Lethbridge Inclusive Catholic Community Fellowship): https://liccf.ca
RCWPC (Roman Catholic Women Priests Canada): http://rcwpcanada.ca/


Stepping Out: Barry Foster on Soulful Haberdashery
#11
01/14/2024

Everything we do reflects Soul. Because Soul is about what's inside. How we dress is one way we let our inner self out, to be seen. Barry Foster, known by some as "the best dressed man in church land," knows that our sartorial choices are so much more than fashion statements. They are about who we are.

Resources
"True Style: The History and Principles of Classic Menswear," by G. Bruce Boyer; Basic Books, 2015
"The Rake" magazine ("the modern voice of classic elegance"): https://therake.com/magazine

Personal Links
My web site (where...