An extra-terrestrial view of our perplexities When even slightly plausible explanations fail, it’s time to try some which look highly off the wall, so give this one a test flight. It came to me in a dream while on holiday in the wilds of the Pennines. In my experience, dreams are one way that unusual […]
Book blog: Journey of Souls by Michael Newton Perhaps covid-19 has made many of us reflect about our mortality, and wonder if this increasingly strange world is a preparation for something else. I have long believed that our soul lives long before and after a human lifetime, and this book offers evidence I find persuasive. […]
The Wisdom Way of Knowing, by Cynthia Bourgeault
Practical approaches to spiritual resilience This small, readable book is one of the best guides I’ve found to the principles and practicalities of spiritual resilience. Whilst it’s based on Wisdom teachings within the Christian tradition, Cynthia points out that “no matter which spiritual path you pursue, the nuts and bolts of spiritual transformation end up […]
Hope and Resilience in the Climate and Ecological Emergency
A retreat led by Alan Heeks and Jonathan Herbert Friday Feb 3 – Sunday Feb 5, 2023 at Hilfield Friary, Dorset Using material from the Christian contemplative tradition, from Joanna Macy – a Buddhist and deep ecologist, and from Jem Bendell’s Deep Adaptation approach, the group will explore ways to grow through emergency. We will […]
A Sufi way to discern reality
As material reality gets more uncertain and alarming, I have found that using spiritual practices to find my way forward is really helpful. I’ve been exploring Sufi teachings for over 20 years, and want to share a couple of processes which have helped me. So what do I mean by Sufi? It’s an elusive idea: […]
Death and beyond: a close-up view
Guest blog from Palden Jenkins Alan Heeks writes: Palden is an old friend, who plays a Merlin-like role in my life, popping up periodically with cryptic insights. He’s a deep thinker out of the box, a seer and astrologer, who usually offers a radically different point of view. Palden is currently living with terminal cancer, […]
2022 Climate Outlook: pray for miracles
The holiday time around New Year 2022 has been a chance for some of us to reflect on the outlook for the climate crisis, and it’s not a cheery prospect. I have been digging deep to find some constructive responses. In reviewing current information, I was startled to learn that, if you adjust for the […]
An introduction to Soul Resilience
If you hope to thrive and grow through your life, not just cope and survive, how will you do this in the stormier times we can see ahead of us? It needs a quantum step up in resilience, and that’s what Soul Resilience could offer you. Exploring the soul’s journey is one of the best […]
Climate alarm? Learning to live with it
The IPCC report this week on the climate crisis has left me alarmed and unsettled, maybe you too. I’m writing this blog for myself as much as anyone, as part of my long-running search for ways to live with this. There are plenty of good processes out there, and many of us have been using […]
How do we find the spiritual roots of resilience?
There’s so much talk about resilience these days, but little of it explores spiritual sources. My focus is resilience in everyday life: how we can stay steady, and grow through daily stress and bigger crises. There’s plenty of research to show that people who feel a higher sense of purpose, who have a spiritual path, […]