International Foundation for Spiritual Knowledge
October 2013 Newsletter
Welcome!


I hope you enjoyed the first newsletter I sent out in June. My goal is to send out a newsletter about every 3-4 months. Lots of fun and interesting things can happen in that short time. We had our 7th Annual Stansted-in-Florida in July. In August, I went back to my hometown in Wisconsin and attended the Spiritualist Church there that my Grandparents and Father attended back about 100 years ago. It was great to do that. For special events and other neat things please check out the website in between newsletters. If you did miss the first newsletter, it is available on the website also. As always, I'm open to suggestions for workshops and other special events. Thanks for your interest in the International Foundation for Spiritual Knowledge.


Marilyn

Office: (407) 673 - 9776
IFSK Director



Marilyn Desk


Our Mission:

To promote the Religion, Science and Philosophy
of Spiritualism in an environment where Seekers can explore and develop freely and safely.
InThisIssueIn This Issue
There are a lot of great things coming this year, and more things being added all the time. There are special events for everyone, and there are local development classes where anyone can come and learn. See the articles below for more information...
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UpcomingSpecialEventsUpcoming Special Events
Smoky Mountain Fairy Retreat
(May 15 - 19, 2014)
 
This retreat is simply for relaxation and for the lovely experience of the Smoky Mountains. It is an opportunity to meet and connect with like-minded people. You will also have an opportunity to learn about the Fairy Realm and Other Elementals. We will likely do a meditation or two. Also, there will be an opportunity to learn about Therapeutic-Grade Essential Oils and Reflexology. Each evening you will have an opportunity to sit in the lovely Mediation Garden to observe whatever happens there in the early summer evenings. The food is all home-cooked...by me...and I've been told I'm quite a good cook.

*For more information, or to sign up for any of 
these events, please go to the events page of the IFSK website.
Stansted-in-Florida
(July 17 - 20, 2014)
 
A 4-day intensive course focusing on the development of your personal Psychic / Mediumistic skills. It is patterned after courses taught at the Arthur Findlay College in Stansted, England. The Tutors will be Professional British Mediums Janette Marshall and Eamonn Downey, both Tutors at the College.
Janette Marshall
coming to Florida
 
Professional British Medium Janette Marshall will again be in Florida in 2014. We are planning Psychic Art Demonstrations, Workshops, and Private Readings for Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Orlando, Gainesville, and The Villages. Look for more detailed information in the next newsletter or on the website.

NewsPastEventsNews from Past Special Events

7th Annual Stansted-in-Florida 

(July 18 - 21, 2013)  

 

We held this annual event at Marywood Retreat and Conference Center in St. Johns, Florida again this year. It is such a lovely place, so peaceful and relaxing. We had our largest attendance ever...38 students and one person who simply came with her daughter for the enjoyment of being there. Eamonn Downey and I ended up being the Tutors as Janette Marshall needed to return to England unexpectedly due to the death of her husband. But Jan was definitely there in spirit. It felt like she was with us everyday.
 
This event is a chance to be around like minded people, to talk about our beliefs with people who think like us...that is such a freedom. Friendships form over the years and it's lovely to see people as they greet each other and catch up on life since the last Stansted-in-Florida. It would be great if you could join us next year.

SuggestedReadingSuggested Reading

 

On the outside of the front cover of this book is a quote by Dr. Wayne Dyer. Dr Dryer is quoted as saying this book is "Perhaps the most important and significant book I've read in the past ten years." And I found it also to be one of the most significant books I've ever read. Power vs. Force The Hidden Determinates of Human Behavior by David R. Hawkins, M.D., PhD addresses an issue I've seen so many times in my development classes and life in general...confusing personal power with force in our everyday world. The two are not the same at all. Dr. Hawkins helps you understand the differences through this book. He uses the idea of Kinesiology to show various levels of enlightenment and has created a rating scale from 1-1000 to explain the levels of personal power as he understands them. For a better understanding of the scale he created you may want to also read Transcending the Levels of Consciousness The Stairway to Enlightenment which deals with the "exploration of the ego's expressions and inherent limitations and gives detailed explanations and instructions to transcend them". These two books will not be light reading...they cover serious but important personal developmental material but are well worth the effort.

 

Dr. Hawkins spent the early years of his career as a Psychiatrist with an extensive practice in New York. Over the years he published many scientific papers including one he co-authored with Nobel Prize Winner Linus Pauling. He chose to give up his lucrative medical practice to do research on understanding the mental processes and to do spiritual teaching. He is considered a "leader in research on the nature of consciousness". Dr. Hawkins has published many books which can easily be obtained in all your normal book outlets.

 
Happy reading!

IWasThinkingI Was Thinking About...Power vs. Force

In my 13 years of teaching Psychic Mediumship Spiritual Development classes I've had the pleasure of watching people grow in many ways. I've loved watching the "ah ha" moments when something clicks and it's understood. I've loved watching the smiles and tears of Spirit communication as it's been understood by both the person working as the Medium and the receiver of the message. From teaching my classes, I can even imagine how a Momma bird might feel watching their baby bird take its first flights. That's really how I feel toward those in my classes. It's such a joy for me to see people develop, fly on their own so to speak, and fly away to a wonderful life.

 

People come to my classes for a variety of reasons. Some because they have been having things happen that are a bit frightening to them that they would like to understand and control. Some have skills already but want to fine tune them. Some have no idea if they have skills but are there to find out if they do. No matter why someone comes to my classes over time I give everyone the same directive....you are in control and are a powerful being....you set the standards for how you will work with Spirit. I eventually teach everyone about my "Intention Agreement" or contract with Spirit. Many times people who come to class think that if they don't do everything just as they perceive Spirit wants it to be done then Spirit will go away and never come back. They will have lost forever the opportunity for Spirit contact. Not true at all...Spirit wants to work with us for the betterment of all Mankind so they will always be there for us...it's simply a matter of learning boundaries and standards and understanding how to work together. Over time, as the skill level improves and a student is able to give clear accurate messages, students begin to develop confidence and a belief that they do have abilities...they do have the power to work with Spirit...they are and have the right to be in control of what happens. That's my favorite part of teaching....watching a confident student. And about that same time, a "funny' thing usually happens. I will learn from bits and pieces of conversation or from messages from other students to them, that their personal life is working better and they are more in control of it. What that tells to me is that the student has come to understand personal power in their work with Spirit and also has come to understand they have the right to use it everywhere, not just when doing Mediumship.

 

Too many people in this world confuse personal power with the less lovely ego driven use of force. They are not the same. The words are not interchangeable. The idea of force means to me that one or several people must submit to the wishes and demands of another person whether or not they agree or suffer harm. Power to me is an individual personal thing....a belief in one's own abilities to accomplish something WITHOUT someone else sacrificing anything. Power enables growth and new ideas and new inventions because someone who understands they are powerful, brings about positive actions for themselves and others. While someone who functions from the idea of force, actually restricts creativity, growth, progress.....diminishes the whole for personal gain. We are in this world together ...a whole unit...we eventually all rise or fall together. So I choose to rise together utilizing my personal power and helping others to understand and use their personal power also.

 

I might call my classes Psychic Medium Spiritual Development Classes but I really could call them "how to find and utilize personal power". Power is such a good thing.

 


WhiteStarPsychicChurchWhite Star Psychic Church, Brussels, Wisconsin
While I was on vacation in Wisconsin in early August, I had the pleasure of finally attending a church service at the White Star Psychic Science Church in Brussels, Wisconsin. The reason this church is so special to me is that my Grandparents, my Father and his siblings were members of this church nearly 100 years ago. I didn't know my Dad had attended there until I was an adult, because to marry my Mom he had to become a Catholic and not raise us in his religion. He kept silent on his past religious choice until I became a Spiritualist in my early 30's. What a surprise to find out this was my family history! 
The White Star Church was chartered in 1911 but actually began holding services in the mid 1880's in private homes. It's neither grand nor elaborate, just a simple country church ...but I found it so exciting.  As we meditated I "saw" the service when it was in its prime at the time of my family's attendance.  There were 300 members then and it was a busy bustling church. Not that many members now, a bit slower pace and in need of a new roof, but a true example of old time Spiritualism. For those of you who may go to North Eastern Wisconsin to visit, they hold services  the 2nd & 4th Sundays from Easter to Thanksgiving. And if you'd like to help them with a new roof, I know your donation would be very much appreciated and would help this old church keep going well into its 2nd century. 

OngoingDevelopmentClassesOngoing Development Classes
Home Development Circles are an opportunity to develop your personal Psychic / Medium / Spiritual skills in a supportive environment with other "like-minded people". They usually meet only once per month and are designed to be a part of your life...not your whole life. These types of skills need to be "grown into... absorbed... processed" until they feel right for you.

 

Each class includes a meditation, a topic or lesson, and then finishes with each person actually doing an exercise to develop their personal skills. The classes are designed to build one's working knowledge and skill level over time. Classes are for those who have been having "things" happen in their life that they would like to understand and control, and for people who are not sure they have any skills but would like to try to develop them. They are for you if you want to use them professionally or if you want to use them only in your everyday life to enhance the journey. Besides personal development, these classes are an opportunity to be around like-minded people where one is free to discuss topics and beliefs normally not discussed in your everyday world.

 

Please let me know if you plan on attending a class at least one day before. If you are attending for the first time, plan to arrive about 30 minutes early so we can chat. Each class is $25 per person per class and can be paid either by check or cash at the class.

 

Yes...these are skills you can learn and use every day!!!

 

Below are the class dates and times in each area that I teach:

Edgewater
Mixed-Level
 

Saturday Morning
(10:30am - 1:00pm)
  

 

*New dates

pending  

 

 

 

Meets at:

Unity Community Church
Edgewater Plaza
2102 S. Ridgewood Ave., Unit #8
Edgewater, FL 32141
Gainesville
Advanced-Level
[Closed Group] 
 
Saturday Morning
(10:30am - 1:00pm)
 
 

Oct. 12th

Nov. 9th

Dec. 14th



Meets at:
Unity of Gainesville
8801 NW 39th Avenue 
Gainesville, FL 32606
Gainesville
Mixed-Level
  
 
Saturday Afternoon
(2:00pm - 4:30pm)
 

 

Oct. 12th

Nov. 9th

Dec. 14th



Meets at:
Unity of Gainesville
8801 NW 39th Avenue 
Gainesville, FL 32606
Melbourne
Mixed-Level
  
 
Tues/Thurs Evening
(6:45pm - 9:30pm)

 

Nov. 5th

Dec. 5th

Jan. 7th

Feb. 4th

 

Meets at:
Class meets in a private home.
Please call
(407) 247-7823 
for location and directions.
Jacksonville
Mixed-Level 
 
Wednesday Evening
(7:00pm - 9:30pm)

 

Oct. 23rd

Nov. 20th

Dec. 18th


Meets at:
1437 Flagler Ave. Jacksonville, FL 32207
Jacksonville
Mixed-Level

Thursday Afternoon
(1:00pm - 3:30pm)

 

Oct. 24th

then TBA



*Meets at:
Office of Brian Dean,
Caring Palms Massage and Reiki
1112 Third St., Ste. 7
Neptune Beach, FL 32266

*New location for future classes TBA
Jacksonville
Advanced-Level 
 
Thursday Evening
(7:00pm - 9:30pm)

 

Oct. 24th

Nov. 21st

Dec. 19th


Meets at:
Unitarian Universalist Church of Jacksonville
(Channing Room)
7405 Arlington Expwy.
Jacksonville, FL 32211
Orlando
Mixed-Level

 Monday Evening
(7:00pm - 9:30pm)

 

Oct. 21st

Nov. 18th

Dec. 16th


Meets at:
Center for Mind Body Spirit Connection
6832 Hanging Moss Rd.
Orlando, FL 32807
Tallahassee
Mixed-Level 
 

Thursday Evening
(7:00pm - 9:30pm)
 
 

 

 

Oct. 10th

Nov. 7th

Dec. 12th





Meets at:
Class meets in a
private home.
Please call
(407) 247-7823
for location and directions.
Tallahassee
Mixed-Level 
 

Friday Evening
(7:00pm - 9:30pm)
 

 

 

 

Oct. 11th

Nov. 8th

Dec. 13th





Meets at:
Class meets in a
private home.
Please call
(407) 247-7823
for location and directions.
The Villages
Mixed-Level
[Closed Groups]
 
Tues. Morning
Group
(11:00am - 1:30pm)
 
Tues. Afternoon
Group
(3:30pm - 6:00pm)
 

Oct. 29th

Nov. 19th

Dec. 17th

 

 

Meets at:
Class meets in a private home. Please call
(407) 247-7823 for location and directions.
The Villages
Mixed-Level


Tues. Morning Group
(11:00am - 1:30pm)

Tues. Afternoon Group
(3:30pm - 6:00pm)

 

Nov. 12th

then TBA



Meets at: 
Unity of The Villages
10935 SE 177th Pl.
Summerfield, FL 34491
 
*Class size limited 
to 10 per group; please call ahead 
(407) 247-7823

Hope to see you soon...
Marilyn