Stranded on the Mainland: Inner Pilgrimage and Living Alone as a Spiritual Path:

This Lent I journeyed (and am still journeying) with more than 80 people through St. Teresa of Avila's Interior Castle (CAC course, Feb. 2024).  There have been unexpected graces received, also "reptiles and inquisitors" encountered along the way. I can't help wondering if St. Teresa's 16th century "reptiles and inquisitors" have morphed into modern-day narcissists?  For those of us with a history of trauma, narcissists can be triggering, whether encountered in our interior castle, or exteriorly as we try to navigate our everyday lives. That said, at the end of this post I will share a helpful video from a podcast called, Surviving Narcissism .  The video is by Dr. Les Carter and reminds me of the "reptiles and inquisitors" connected with St. Teresa's 7 mansions, especially the early ones. On a last pilgrim note, the video supports the spiritual notion that as we progress through St. Teresa's mansions (on the way to the Beloved) the ...

This Lent I'm trying to give up who I thought I was, and who I thought they were. Makes me think of Joni Mitchell's song, Both Sides Now . How she sings, "Something's lost and something's gained"-- And I chime in! In every footprint in the sand, In every gust of the one same wind . In every loss, In every step, In every lose, In every win, A journey begins. "Something's lost and something's gained-- in living every day." And it's hard to do, Until it isn't. Below is a link for a remastered version of Both Sides Now . https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=yXr2EFomFkU .   Cb Amen