The Restory Retreat Centre

  Dreams “For God does speak—now one way, now another—  though no one perceives it.  In a dream, in a vision of the night,  when deep sleep falls on people as they slumber in their beds,” ‭‭Job‬ ‭33‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ NIV                 ‬‬ The Conversation Elements From The Conversation Music As always, with our love.  George & Matilda

Matilda and I discovered contemplative spirituality, as an element of the age-old Christian mystical tradition, in our middle ages. “Discover” is probably not the right word. We grew into it, it grew on and in us, through our reading we were gently and graciously guided and called into it, our religious disillusionments and disappointments and the longing for the more led us to it, very difficult periods in our lives and emotional crisis prepared us for it and almost made it inevitable. As is the case with so much in this type of spirituality it is shrouded in mystery and paradox. To such an extent that you find that the phrase No one catches the wild ass by running,  and yet only those who run ever catch the wild ass. exactly expresses what has happened, without clarifying it at all. I probably use the word “discover” to describe the process, because it says something of the fact that this was not a tradition we were familiar with or were exposed to in our...

Down by the river. Photo by George Angus "At the age of 37 She realized she'd never ride Through Paris in a sports car With the warm wind in her hair" Marianne Faithfull's raw voice singing The ballad of Lucy Jordon , had me in tears on my 37th birthday. Like her, I would never make it to Paris before the day was done and a sports car was definitely out of the question. Hearing the song being played again recently, and thinking back sixteen years, I tried to remember what made me feel so wretched. Outwardly my life was not that bad, but it struck a deep chord that I myself was not yet fully aware of:  of a soul longing to be realised.  In all honesty, Paris or any city abroad and sports cars are not my criteria for happiness. It would be fun, but no reason to throw myself of a roof like poor old Lucy. Surely it is not merely about a longing to be someone special, or of experiencing the most romantic dream one could possibly have amidst the drudgery of...

Internet image O, to write like this! Every now and again I read this piece of exquisite writing by Clarissa Pinkola Estes which I found as part of an advertisement for her storytelling training courses on her facebook page  with a link to the website mavenproductions.com I read it for the pure joy it brings me. But also to keep a dream alive. "Dear Brave Souls:  ORIGINAL VOICE™ STORYTELLING TRAINING: Rowing Songs for the NightSea Journey Do you want to tell the stories that flower from your lives, and from the lives of your blood and bones? Do you hope to move people for good reasons? Do you hope to learn about yourself and what I coined a term for "your farback people"? Do you have a calling to tell stories or even just one story? Do you want to speak to the souls of others? Do you hope to delve and know and speak and create story in your own one of a kind voice so that you sound only as yourself and no other? Do you have nonotmei'mnotgettingupinfrontofother-...

My soul has expensive taste, sometimes. This confuses me as I strongly believe, in trying to live consciously, that simplicity is an important principle to steer by. This goes hand in hand with incorporating periods of silence, living creatively and being nourished by what Nature offers us. We all know, of course, that if simplicity in food implies that it be fresh, organic and not chemically tampered with, it is not come by cheaply or easily. Quite the contrary! And that might explain things. Living with simplicity does not mean living a deprived or lowly life.      I once bought a book because it was beautiful. What made the purchase extraordinary is that it was newly published and I paid the full price for it in a book store that is generally overpriced. I hardly ever allow myself such luxuries, always veering towards second-hand book stores or at best the tables beneath the  SPECIAL OFFER!   poster. I'll convince myself that the plain skirt at the wint...