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Jan Phillips � September 12, 2007

Freeing our thinking from the limitations of its biological form is essentially a spiritual undertaking.

Ray Kurzweil








The more evolved you are, the more of the universe is in your view.

 Yasuhiko Kimura









This hour in history needs a
dedicated circle of transformed nonconformists.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.












The spiritual life cannot begin until people allow themselves to be invaded by the reality of suffering, realize how fully it permeates our whole experience and feel the pain of other beings, even those to whom we do not feel congenial.

Karen Armstrong
























Adoration is the essential
preparation for action.

Evelyn Underhill

















Mysticism leads to the
 transcending of all limits.

Leonardo Boff





















Stop learning, start knowing.
 
Rumi



















Engage with joy in all the sorrows of the world.

Buddha

















If the whole world would hold hands, God would go back together again.

My 8 yr old nephew Noah


















Ever age has to redefine its reality, that's what writers and historians are about; we're all revisionists.

To look at your life in this way is a way of creating  it, a way of controlling it, so that the mythology shall spring from the life and not the life from the mythology.

 Shirley Abbott





Earl


In Sitka, because they are fond of them,
People have named the seals. Every seal is named Earl because they are killed one
after another by the orca,
the killer
whale; seal bodies tossed left and right
into the air.

"At least he didn't get
Earl," someone says. And sure enough,
after a time, that same friendly,
bewhiskered face bobs to the surface.

It's Earl again. Well, how else are you
to live except by denial, by some
palatable fiction, some little song to
sing while the inevitable, the black and
white blindsiding fact, comes hurtling
toward you out of the deep?

by Louis Jenkins, from North of the Cities. � Will o' the Wisp Books, 2007.



Greetings!,

A pagan went up to a rabbi and said he would convert to Judaism if the rabbi would explain the whole of the Torah to him while he was standing on one leg. The rabbi was incensed and sent the man off immediately. The pagan then went up to Rabbi Hillel with the same proposal, to which the great rabbi said: "What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow human being. That is the whole Torah. The rest is the commentary. Go and study."
 
The Jewish High Holydays, the upcoming Ramadan season and the Christian Eucharist have a lot in common. For the Jews, the season from Rosh Hashanah (sundown tonight) through Yom Kippur (Sept 22) is a time of making amends, reviewing one's life, determining where one needs to grow and setting goals to get there. The lamb of God that they sacrificed in order to achieve at-one-ment with God is the same lamb  the Christians refer to when they say, "Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us."

Ramadan, a Muslim time for fasting and prayer starting tomorrow, is derived from the word ramd, meaning "to burn". Since each of these traditions are derived from Abraham, it seems like a good time to give thanks for our common heritage, make amends, determine where we need to grow, and burn away the self-doubts that keep us from our magnitude and the real reason we're here.

I had a facilitator training here this weekend and it was almost miraculous to watch six women find that place where their "deep joy met with the world's deep hunger." And having found it, to design a life where that work would be the source of their sustenance and the focus of their attention. We are here to do the work that excites us and inspires others. As Rumi said, "The eyes are here for seeing, but the soul is here for its own joy."

I am extending my reach into the world by offering longer retreats both here in San Diego and at my lodge on Lake Bonaparte in upstate New York. The announcements for these workshops follow, and I hope to share this joyful work with many of you during the year.

Blessings and love across the miles,
 
Jan

Reboot Camp at Lake Bonaparte



cottage

kayak


lake
** all workshops limited to six people **
[email protected] or 858-571-1417 for more info


October 5-7 �  June 6-9 � July 18-20
 Reboot Camp for Facilitators and Speakers

� how to transform your knowledge/skills into a teachable format
� what to call your workshop and how to describe it
� how to let people know what they'll be getting from you
� how to price  and market your seminars and talks
� how to find the people who are looking for you



muse book

May 29-June 1 -Reboot Camp for Writers
� why what you're doing really matters
� how to create a book proposal that really works
� how to decide whether to self-publish or get published by
   exploring the advantages of both
� how to promote and market your book once it's published
� selling through speaking and how to get paid to talk


god book

July 18-21 ReBoot and Shoot
Photography as a Healing Art


This workshop, incorporating photographs and videos, poetry and music, makes a  case for the claim "a picture is worth a thousand words." For the photographer and non-photographer alike, this experiential  workshop opens doors into our  inner chambers, exploring the landscape of our wisdom, our loves, and our visions.

� Experience the healing power of a photograph
� Tap into your creative potential through the use of images
� Discover the wealth of creative material in your family albums
� Learn about yourself through photos that others have taken
� Find more joy in your life by expanding your range of vision


aot book

July 23-26 The Original Think Seminar: An Experience in Evolutionary Leadership for Women Executives, Managers and Business Owners
� discover latest research in expanding creative bandwidth
� how and why workplace diversity is worth its weight in gold
� triple bottom line thinking and why it "pays to be good"
� three changes you can make to increase employee commitment
� how to evoke spirit, provoke thought and inspire action


Announcing a FABULOUS new poetry book!
My friend and fellow Skidmore teacher Judi K. Beach has a new book of poems out and it is stunning! I have an advance copy, but the books will not be officially available until October. (possibly earlier on amazon.) You can pre-order there and they will send you the book as soon as it arrives at their warehouse. I'm including one of her poems since it seems so perfect for the Holy Days...

How to Forgive


Uncoil the long rope of memory,
that noose of transgressions
around our necks.

Untie the boat of hurt.
Sail it into the setting sun
and be blinded by its incineration.

Stretch out naked on the cold steel
of our inner eye and slip the scalpel
around, behind the cankerous lump.

Find our fault in the swarm,
reach in bare-handed to remove it
before it poisons the honey we make.

Admit culpability so there are
fewer steps between who has hurt us
and what it takes to forgive. 

Admit how we sometimes take a bit
of sand and build a castle of it.
Learn to make a pearl of it.



  aot book
To pre-order, click here:
Judi Beach poetry book



  aot book    
COMING ATTRACTIONS...

FOR ALL YOU CREATIVES OUT THERE...

I'm throwing a teleconference party with Judi Beach so she can share with us a few of her new poems and all she learned about co-publishing as she birthed her new book into the world. If you're a poet or writer and are thinking of getting your own book published, this would be the person to talk to. Join us with all your questions. It's going to be a fun hour!

Date: October 17, 2007
Time: 4 PM Pacific, 7PM EST
Number to call: 641-715-3200 (access code: 748010#)
It'll be recorded and I'll download it as a podcast into iTunes, so if you miss it you can find it on Judy's (soon to be up) website and in iTunes.

Click here if you'd like to hear a teleseminar I did with Noetics institue:
jan's teleseminar
http://www.noetic.org/SIA/audio/teleseminar_89__phillips_j_2007-04-12.mp3

UPCOMING JAN PHILLIPS WORKSHOPS
San Diego, CA

November 9-11
January 11-13
FACILITATOR TRAINING
a weekend intensive for people interested in becoming workshop facilitators (limited to 6 participants)
contact [email protected] for more details


Irvine, CA
September 26, 2007
Mystics in the Marketplace: Understanding the Connection Between Prophets and Profits
The Inside Edge Breakfast Forum
contact [email protected]; http://www.insideedge.org


Syracuse, New York
October 13, 2007
Celebration of Syracuse Cultural Workers' 25th Anniversary
Plymouth Congregational Church
contact [email protected] for more info



Philadelphia, PA area - Pendle Hill
November 30-December 2
Untying the K(n)ots That Bind Us
http://www.pendlehill.org/programs/

San Diego, Ca
January 18-20
The Art of Inspired Leadership: A Workshop for Women Creating the Future

Rockford, IL
March 7-8, 2008
The Art of Transformation: A Workshop in Consciousness, Creativity
and Community;
[email protected]


Denver, Colorado
April 3, 2:30-4:30 Tea Talk
The Art of Original Thinking-Transforming Wisdom into Action
Denver Mile Hi Church
[email protected]

Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY
June 13-20, 2008
Int'l Women's Writing Guild
The Word, the Image, the Stroy: Tools of Transformation
http://www.iwwg.com


Skaneateles, NY (near Syracuse)
July 27-Aug.2, 2008
Creativity as Sacrament
Stella maris Retreat Center
http://www.stellamarisretreat.org/


House Springs, Missouri
Rockhaven Ecozoic Center
Sept 19-20, 2008
The Word, the Image, the Story: Tools of Transformation
contact [email protected]


Jan Phillips
5187 Arlene Place

San Diego, California 92117
858-571-1417
NoteWorthy News & Announcements
aot book


 









http://www.womensenews.org/ has an opportunity for you to nominate a woman for their 21st century Women in Leadership Awards. A nice opportunity to further the work and reach of someone whose work you admire...

These workshops are being offered by two women whose work I respect a great deal...
February 9 - 16, 2008
Returning to our Senses: A Women's Circle in the Rainforest.
Samasati, Costa Rica; explore the virgin tropical forest, trek through waterfalls, meet indigenous healers and play in the nearby Caribbean ocean.
 
March 29 - April 5, 2008
Portals to the Self: A Women's Circle by the Sea.    
Isla Mujeres, Mexico; an island sacred to Ixchel, the Mayan Moon Goddess and historically a place for healing rituals among the Mayan people.
 
Women's Retreats - Yoga, storytelling, journaling; creating a circle of support, compassion, wisdom and replenishment.  For brochure: email [email protected]; www.islawomensretreat.com, 440 779-6727

What's out there worth looking at? Here's my top three picks for the week...

 http://www.flixxy.com/pet-hippo.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nG9TsTCfLec
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQLTI4pzeH4


That's it for now. Sorry these get to be so long. There's just a lot of good news to pass along. Feel free to forward to your friends. Happy days!
Jan

$50 Gift Certificate If you  register for any Lake Bonaparte workshop by October 1, I will give you $50 off the total price.