CORONAVIRUS UPDATE (posted March 11, 2020): This workshop will still proceed as planned. The Eco-Institute has been taking extra precautions in light of health alerts, as we will be for this workshop, too: Please do not attend if you feel unwell or have a compromised immune system, and please avoid physical contact with others by elbow-bumping instead of hugging or shaking hands. Seating for this small gathering will be arranged such that we are not in close proximity to one another. Sounds like a raging party, right?! But really, it’ll be good. See you there if you’re feeling called. And for those who would feel more comfortable sitting this one out but would still like to learn more about this body of work, please submit your email address to this Google Form, and I’ll contact you within the next few days with a new day/time for an online discussion that will touch on some of this workshop’s material and answer questions from those who are curious about learning more.
***
Join me on March 12 for this free two-hour, purpose-deepening introductory workshop, which I’ll be following with future opportunities for diving further into this body of work during the year.
Soulcentric Purpose Workshop
at the Eco-Institute at Pickards Mountain, 8519 Pickards Meadow Road, Chapel Hill, NC
Thursday, March 12, 6:30pm-8:30pm in the upstairs barn loft (doors open 6:00pm)
Workshop followed by 30-minute Q&A/discussion for those who want to stay
Free admission; no registration required; please feel free to bring your dinner, if you like :)
“What shape waits in the seed of you to grow and spread its branches against a future sky?”
—David Whyte
How do we hear the mysterious call of what is wanting to emerge in our lives? What does it mean to live in service to one’s deepest calling and walk our authentic path in the world? Drawing on depth psychology and traditions of nature-based soul discovery, this workshop illuminates aspects of the journey of ever-deepening discovery and embodiment of one’s unique “mythopoetic” identity. In this workshop, we will touch on such topics as soulcentric models of human development and adulthood; principles and practices associated with hearing and following the call of one’s soul; the role of the imaginal realm, symbol, and mythic and poetic sensibilities; the place of nature-based practices and the vision fast ceremony; and eight different facets for understanding the expression of one’s mythopoetic identity in vocation. Participants will be exposed to some of the foundations of this work, while also engaging in guided activities and self-reflection. This workshop is suitable both for those who already feel they are following some of the threads of their deeper purpose, as well as for those who feel drawn to discovering these threads or are in a period of transition in their lives. There will be future opportunities for further pursuing these explorations, including within the upcoming Spring Emergent Quest.
The Eco-Institute also invited me to write an article for their blog in advance of the workshop, which is now live on this website and on the Eco-Institute's site.
About the facilitator: Simon Spire has trained in soulcentric purpose discovery with Purpose Guides Institute and studied it immersively with Animas Valley Institute and Bill Plotkin. He brings to his facilitation years of exploration of self-inquiry, non-dual contemplative traditions, and meditative practices; the perspectives of post-conventional human development and depth psychology; and his long experience with artistry and the creative process. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and finance from the University of Auckland and a master’s degree in clinical and counseling psychology from Columbia University; is a Certified Trainer of Focusing, a mindfulness-based, somatic approach to psychological healing and development; and has completed a yearlong Soulcraft and vision fast immersion with Animas Valley Institute, while also certifying as a Purpose Guide through Purpose Guides Institute—where he has served on staff as a mentor—and studying in Thomas Hübl’s Academy of Inner Science. He has been a director with organizations active in international sustainable development and social entrepreneurship, leadership development, and mental health, and was led from his New Zealand homeland to the US by his career as a recording artist and songwriter.