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Esoteric, Progressive, and Evolutionary Christianity?
by Rev. Dr. Susan Hamilton
What are these forms of Christianity and do they have anything in common? Those of us who have studied at Sancta Sophia Seminary know that Esoteric Christianity (sometimes called Mystical Christianity) focuses on our deep inward connection with the Divine, the Holy, or God by any other name. We see the life of Jesus the Christ as the initiatory template for our own spiritual growth. We study, use disciplines, and practice rituals which help us mature the Christ Within, attune to our higher consciousness (the Christ Consciousness), and progress our Soul on its evolutionary journey. We absorb the Ancient Wisdom teachings which transcend and yet value all world religions helping us to work in interfaith capacities.
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Sophia Schools
of Wisdom
Inner Light
Spiritual Center
Maryland
Rev. Nancy Kelly,
Director
410.841.6609
www.innerlightsc.org
nharpkelly1@gmail.com
Sophia's Well of Wisdom
Sutter Creek, CA
Rev. Patsy Walker Fine, Director
209-418-9003
www.sophiaswell.org
sophiaswell@volcano.net
Summer Classes
Community Center for Self-Unfoldment
North Carolina
Rev. Margaret Stephens,
Director
sophiawisdomctr@aol.com
Join our Wisdom Circle Last Tuesday each month 5:30-8:30pm March 29, 2011 through November 29, 2011 Click here for details
Sophia Schools of Wisdom offer several classes which are honored for credit at Sancta Sophia Seminary.
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Upcoming Classes
On Campus
Here are some of our upcoming classes and events, so that you can start to plan your visit with us.
For more information about classes, workshops and events at Sancta Sophia, call 918-456-3421 or toll free: 800-386-7161, or email information@sanctasophia.org.
To register for classes, please contact the Registrar at 918-456-1109 or toll free: 800-386-7161, or email registrar@sanctasophia.org.
September 3 - 4
Eight Limbed Path of Yoga:An Introduction to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
Rev. Bettiann Karuna Clark, Ph.D.
September 9 - 10
Shamanic Journeying Workshop
Rev. Maryphyllis Horn
September 12 - 16
GRADUATE PROGRAM TRIMESTER III:
CONVERGENCE OF SCIENCE AND SPIRITUALITY
The Lotus Steps on the Path to Enlightenment
Donna Mitchell-Moniak
September 16 - 18
Spirituality of the Mature Masculine: An Exploration of Archetypes
Rev. Mark Throckmorton
September 17 - 18
Three Faces of the Goddess
Anne Smith, Jennifer Pryse, and Karen Dillinger
September 22 - 24
Symbology-the Unspoken Language
Rev. Katie Ann Hillelson
September 26 - 30
Spiritual Healing in Our Time and Triage for Spiritual Emergencies
Dr. Carol E. Beyer
October 1
Spiritual Arts Event at Sparrow Hawk Village
October 3 - 7
Esoteric Insights into Spiritual Care for the Dying
Rev. Katherine James Klemstine
October 7 & 8
Hour by Hour...Find Divine Power
Rev. Tom Simota
October 14 - 16
The Kingdom of Heaven Is Within -- a Silent Retreat
ben Worth
October 18 - 22
Figueira Retreat at Sancta Sophia
David Cutrell and Resource group
November 7 - 13
LCCC 30th ANNUAL HOMECOMING AND CONFERENCE
November 12
ORDINATON SERVICE
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2011 Annual Conference
Keynote Speaker
Rev. Dr. Eric Elnes
Loving ministry?
Keep up the good work and recharge at our
Annual Fall Conference,
November 7-13, 2011.
Our keynote speaker is Rev. Dr. Eric Elnes, author of The Phoenix Affirmations: A New Vision for the Future of Christianity. Dr. Elnes is the pastor of Countryside Community Church (United Church of Christ), and the cofounder of CrossWalk America - a nonprofit organization which conducted a coast-to-coast walk in 2006 to unite progressive Christians and encourage meaningful discussion.
Dr. Elnes has also authored a soon-to-be-released book entitled, Lightening in a Dark Wood: Unexpected Guidance from Beyond You, and Within You, to Be More Fully You.
Save the date, tell your friends, and plan to be there! 2011 Annual Conference |
Sancta Sophia Seminary
11 Summit Ridge Dr.
Tahlequah, OK 74464
Rev. Dr. Susan C. Hamilton,
Dean
shamilton@sanctasophia.org 800.386.7161
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Greetings from the Dean~
Energy and Force, that's a working definition of "esoteric," according to one of our most popular advanced teachers, Margaret Stephens. Having attended her recent class, Beyond the World of Soul, I was reminded of the subtle energies and forces at work in our lives and with which we are to intentionally work for our soul's advancement.
This understanding of esoteric as energy and force also applies to the rest of the curriculum at Sancta Sophia. When we offer a class on yoga (as is coming up next month), we are learning to work with the energies of the physical body as they come into alignment through the various postures. Many yoga students report an increase in their personal energy as they continue practicing yoga. When the seminary offers a class on spiritual healing, it is easy to see that we are teaching how to work with the subtle energy of someone's etheric field to bring healing and balance to their physical body. Symbology helps us understand the various images associated with the archetypal energies of the Buddhic plane; the Sabian images associated with astrology; and the vibrations of color all of which affect our soul's journey. Even classes on sacred texts provide us with the opportunity to learn how the energies and forces in the universe were experienced by people in ancient times - allegorical or historical. Esotericism can be said to be the lens through which we view the world and make sense of the tests, initiations, and achievements which our personalities experience as we strive toward soul-infusion and service.
Join us for any of the upcoming classes to deepen your esoteric understanding of your own life.
Peace, Susan |
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September 3 - 4
Saturday AM & PM and Sunday AM
Eight Limbed Path of Yoga:An Introduction to the Yoga Sutras of PatanjaliRev. Bettiann Karuna Clark, Ph.D.
 More than 2,000 years ago, the Indian sage Patanjali put into writing the oral tradition of yoga. The treatise of the Yoga Sutras provides the framework from which all yoga is practiced. In this experiential workshop, we will explore the first three limbs of the yogic path: 1) Yama (behavioral guidelines) 2) Niyama (spiritual observances) 3) Asana (the physical postures in yoga, and the limb with which most westerners are familiar). This class is appropriate for all levels of yoga practitioners - from the first-time student, to the most experienced one. Please bring your own yoga mat. Additional props will be provided. $125 Learn moreRegister for this class |
September 9 - 10
Friday and Saturday
Shamanic Journeying Workshop
Rev. Maryphyllis Horn
 Shamanic Journeying is the safest form of psychic development there is. In this workshop you contact your true angelic guides (spirit guides, power animals, spirit teachers) to ask them for nurturing, emotional and physical healing, protection and detailed guidance. Power animals give you the experience of being healed or provide beneficial end-results of their teaching. Spirit teachers obtain detailed answers from your Akashic Records. You feel and know that the aid is accurate. You gain tools for contacting them on your own at any time you choose, whether for yourself or for others. Successful communication and rapport with your spirit guides form the pre-requisite for advanced work. This is an experiential workshop. $150 Learn moreRegister for this class |
September 12 - 16GRADUATE PROGRAM TRIMESTER III: CONVERGENCE OF SCIENCE AND SPIRITUALITY The Lotus Steps on the Path to EnlightenmentDonna Mitchell-Moniak
 The lotus has been a symbol for evolving consciousness for ages. Its purity, unfolding, and simple beauty well describe this. But the lotus also symbolizes spiritual wisdom born of emptiness. Thus the growth of the lotus describes humanity's amazing Path to Enlightenment. Donna will water the seeds of these subjects in hopes that your awakening is their bloom. This course is open to non-graduate students for $300 and also includes two optional sessions on Meditation* with the instructor.$300 / 500 Graduate students Donna Mitchell-Moniak is the founder of Spirit Fire Meditative Retreat Center and is the source of the Practice of Living Awareness, a meditation practice that permeates one's life. Learn moreRegister for this classInquire about enrolling in the Graduate Program |
ARTICLE: The Evolution of Consciousness: the mutable and fixed crosses
By Donna Mitchell-Moniak
 Consciousness evolves. Various macro-influences ensure that. The mutable and fixed crosses are such. To think that the 'modes' are merely astrological factors would be a mistake. They are what move nascent humanity through the development of identity and finally to at-one-ment and full participation as consciousness itself in the creative manifestations of life. These influences are not really astrological per se; though it is through astrology that we name them. Instead, they are modes of experience that span great lengths of time slowly evolving a human being. Therefore, the thoughts that follow do not pertain to one's personal astrology per se. We need not know anything about our horoscope in order to see the evolution of consciousness presented in this essay. Yet, I believe these thoughts reveal the Path that we all live, and give us a deep understanding about the psycho-spiritual journey of becoming illumined. Continue reading |
 Men struggle to find and inhabit a 21st Century masculinity. When women become spiritually opened and empowered, many men fear they are losing the last bastion of traditional male superiority: the "right to rule" that they have learned is granted by God, supported in sacred texts, or bolstered by their long exposure to dichotomies of male-female roles.
This class explores the four archetypes of the "Mature Masculine" set forth by Robert Moore and Douglas Gillette's King, Warrior, Magician, Lover - outlining the journey into these four "man psychologies" from immature "boy psychologies". This journey can lead men to a masculinity that is powerful, while not controlling; supportive and nurturing, while not passive; and balances, complements, and even energizes the archetypes of feminine spirituality and power.
$150
View special flyer for more detailsRegister for this class |
September 17 - 18Saturday - Sunday Workshop Three Faces of the GoddessAnne Smith, Jennifer Pryse, and Karen Dillinger
 Come be a part of our sacred community. Discover the Goddesses who are active in your life. Using guiding meditations and then discussions, we will learn about the triple Goddess: how She manifests as the maiden, mother and crone, (spending a session on each). We will discover and share how our own Goddesses have worked and are working in each of our lives. In this process we will discover areas within ourselves that need healing, and we will do rituals for healing the Goddess within. Finally we will commit ourselves to Service in light of our new understanding of the Sacred Feminine within each of us. $150 Learn moreRegister for this workshop |
September 22 - 24Thursday - Saturday Symbology-the Unspoken LanguageRev. Katie Ann Hillelson
 We live in a sea of symbols, from company logos and letters of the alphabet, to the artwork we display in our homes. Our five senses are very familiar with this 'language', and use it daily, to communicate concepts and feelings. However, do these things we take for granted have an esoteric origin waiting to be discovered? Beyond our outer world lies a Divine Language known as Sacred Geometry. Join Rev. Katie Ann Hillelson in this experiential class as she shares her passion for this subject. Allow yourself to discover the secrets of the Flower of Life -- the basic creation pattern of the Universe. Learn how we use Sacred Geometry in our daily lives as well as its use as a tool for transformation. $175 Learn more Register for this workshop |
September 26 - 30Spiritual Healing in Our Time andTriage for Spiritual EmergenciesDr. Carol E. Beyer
 Spiritual Healing: New states of consciousness are rapidly being accessed in society today. As evolving humanity opens to a new healing consciousness, it will become healthier and more harmonious. Spiritual energies uplift physical matter, purifying and sanctifying our vehicles of expression. We will experience many soul-centered healing practices by addressing all levels of our being. As we heal ourselves, we heal the world. Triage: Spiritual emergencies relate to the physical, emotional, and mental aspects of our nature that are being stimulated by the evolutionary forces within. The fiery energies of spirit transform us in ways not yet recognized by mainstream medicine. Recognition and assimilation of these powerful energies is the goal of the evolving human. We are learning to cooperate with these emergent forces as we grow in spiritual awareness. $250 enrolled seminarians / $275 others
Learn moreRegister for this class |
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ARTICLE: Devas and the Healing Process
By Belinda Baird and John F. Nash
 | | Original artwork by Cedar Carrier |
This article explores the role of devas in physical, emotional, and mental healing. It begins with a brief account of esoteric teachings on the deva evolution and continues with extracts from clairvoyant accounts of the process by which devas create the human form during pregnancy. The repair of human forms is assumed to involve similar processes. Devic entities have been observed building the human embryo. There is every reason to believe that they are responsible for continued growth from birth to maturity and also for repairing damaged human forms -- that is for accomplishing healing. On this belief is based our long-term interest in gaining greater understanding of the devas' role in healing and exploring possible ways to harness that role for therapeutic purposes. Read more
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 Our doors open wide to the public Saturday at 10 a.m. with a lecture and message service ($4 donation). From 11:15 until 3:00, students and other workers share their personal intuitive skills: astrology, numerology, psychic and Shustah attunements, Reiki, Healing Touch, and others in 15-minute private appointments ($8 each).
Lunch can be purchased.
Sophia's Nest Bookstore & Gift Shop will be open.
Spiritual Arts Event FAQ |
October 3 - 7Esoteric Insights into Spiritual Care for the DyingRev. Katherine James Klemstine
 Frequently in providing end of life care, it is necessary to view patients' distress from the perspective of spiritual care and important to assess the spiritual care needs of the dying person. Intended for clinical care providers, spiritual care providers, and loved ones of those approaching end of life, this course includes an esoteric explanation of dying. Comparing the wisdom teachings of death and dying to the medical model allows those involved to gain new insights about the dying process. Thus, all concerned are able to form a more effective team as they strive to prepare terminally ill patients for a more peaceful death. Through both lecture and experiential activities, course sessions also explore methods of being present to suffering, providing a compassionate spiritual presence to the dying, utilizing complementary healing therapies, establishing caregiver-patient boundaries, recognizing the need for self care, facing one's own mortality, and supporting the bereaved. 30 hours CEU: LCSW, LPC, LMFT, LADC, and CADC $250/275 Learn more |
October 7 & 8
Friday evening and Saturday AM & PM Workshop
Hour by Hour...Find Divine Power
Rev. Tom Simota
 The Liturgy of the Hours (also known as the Divine Office) is one of the richest single prayer resources of the Christian Church. It provides prayers, psalms, and meditation for every hour of every day. It has existed from the earliest times, to fulfill the Lord's command to "pray without ceasing." In this workshop we shall explore the ancient liturgical canonical hours with both a traditional and an esoteric focus. Participants will have the opportunity to experience the prayerful application of the "hours" and discover ways to incorporate this devotion (and esoteric adaptations) with their existing spiritual practice. Workshop concludes with an esoteric benediction ceremony. $75 Learn moreRegister for this workshop |
October 14 - 16
Friday - Sunday
The Kingdom of Heaven Is Within--a Silent Retreat
ben Worth
 Jesus regularly went apart from His disciples to be alone in the silence with God. He taught us by His example, that we can find the Kingdom of Heaven within - in the silence. This retreat will offer meditation techniques to quiet the mind, so that one can go within and rest in that silence. Attendees will meditate together for extended periods, from fifteen to forty-five minutes at a time. Through both lecture and experiential methods, you will be guided away from intellectualism and back to innocence, where you can enter the Kingdom as a child. $125 Register for this retreat
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October 18 - 22
Tuesday - Saturday, AM & PM
Figueira Retreat at Sancta Sophia
David Cutrell and Resource group
 The purpose of this retreat is to explore the principles of Jos� Trigueirinho Netto's work and how we may apply them to our daily lives. The group will delve into the material and formulate questions for the resource people: Alan (Micha-El) Berkowitz, David Cutrell, Linda Summer, Brenda Cutrell, and Beatrice (Gran) Berkowitz. Time will be spent learning the mantras and listening to selected recent lectures about the current times. Participants will be asked to help with the food preparation. There will also be time for personal reflection and connecting with the natural beauty of SHV. Expenses for the retreat will be covered by spontaneous donations. Learn more Register for this retreat |
 We hope to see you on campus for one or more of our inspiring classes or events. We think you will not only enjoy the valuable enrichment that they provide, but also the wonderful fellowship that is created by like-minded individuals. Please feel free to forward this email, via the link below, to anyone who you think may be interested in receiving a transformational spiritual education. And as always, thank you for your generous support of our programs. |
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Blessings,
Rev. Dr. Susan C. Hamilton |
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