The Creation Spirituality Lineage Calling All Social and Environmental Activists, Mystic Explorers, Justice Makers, Cosmic Thinkers, Earth Keepers Daily Meditations with Matthew Fox |
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Week of
11/11-16/2024:
Navigating These Times 11/17/2024 |
As the results of the election ripple out, learn the deeper stakes involved. Get your copy of Trump & the MAGA Movement as Anti-Christ: A Handbook for the 2024 Election today! Choose your format in the book block below. |
November 11, 2024: Veterans Day 2024
Matthew reflects on the veterans in his family. A long-ago uncle served as a Union officer in the Civil War. After heroicly saving a general, Fort Sill, near Oklahoma City, was named after him. Matthew’s Uncle
Bob served as a marine in the Pacific during WWII. Matthew’s Uncle George was one of the soldiers to liberate Dachau, a highpoint of his life. Matthew’s brother, Tom, recently deceased, was in the army in Germany in the 1960’s. Matthew’s brother, Nat, who also passed recently, served in the Vietnam War, as did Matthew’s friend, Buck Ghosthorse. Buck experienced great soul suffering as a result of the war but experienced healing through recovering the Lakota ceremonies that were stolen from
him when he was kidnapped as a child. His mentor was Wallace Black Elk. Let us be grateful for those who, in Lincoln’s words, offered their “last full measure of devotion.” |
Matthew’s uncle, Brigadier General Joshua Woodrow Sill,
after whom Fort Sill was named. Image from the US Army’s website. |
November 12, 2024: From Buddhism: More Spiritual Practices To Deal with Grief
A fine book came out this year: We Were Made For These Times: 10 Lessons for Moving Through Change, Loss, and Disruption, by Kaira Jewel Lingo. Kaira Jewel's father was a minister who worked with Dr. King
and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He became a “devoted student of Thich Nhat Hahn” and was ordained a Buddhist Dharma teacher in 2008. She cites her father: When we see ourselves as victims, that is the separate self. When we see ourselves as beloved, that is no-self. Her husband is Father Adam Bucko, with whom Matthew co-authored the book, Occupy Spirituality: A Radical Vision For a New Generation. Kaira and Adam are creating a center
dedicated to both contemplation and activism. November 13, 2024: Are We Made For These Times? More Practices from Kaira Jewel
Are we really made for these times? What does it take, spiritually speaking, to be up for times like ours? We
are considering some practices as laid out by Kaira Jewel Lingo from her tradition as a nun in Thich Nhat Hahn’s community in Plum Village, France and other places around the world. Here is one: Moving throughout your day notice the people, animals, plants, situation in your life and silently remind yourself, ‘This is me.’ On seeing a flower or a tree, ‘this is also me.’ Encountering other persons, ‘they are also me. I am also them.’ You may also recite this Plum
Village song: And when I rise, let me rise like a bird, joyfully. And when I fall, let me fall like a leaf, gracefully, without regret. |
Kaira Jewel Lingo introduces her book, Ten Lessons in Moving through Change, Loss, and Disruption. Watch her series of 10 lessons, companion to the book, HERE. |
November 14, 2024: What Happened Ten Days Ago Today?
Ten days ago, a majority of Americans linked hands with Christian nationalists, neo-Nazis, and Putin to return to the White House a man who is a convicted felon and rapist,
stole hundreds of classified documents and stored them in unsecured places, instigated a violent insurrection against our government and then ridiculously called it “a day of love.” The death of American democracy and the hope it extended to others be damned. Climate change and the health of Mother Earth and future of our grandchildren be damned. How do we fight this? How do we resolve
this? November 15, 2024: Otto Rank on Curing a Weakening Democracy
Democracies appear to be crumbling in both the U.S. and Europe. Americans, by apparently voting for the man who appointed the right-wing majority of the unsupreme court, also voted to kill all checks and balances on presidential overreach. Psychologist Otto Rank, a great thinker and soul of the 20th century, said, regarding a weakened democracy: The only remedy is an acceptance of the fundamental irrationality of the human being and life in
general. Contrary to “typical intellectuals,” we need “a real allowance” for the irrational and “its dynamic functioning in human behavior, which would not be lifelike without it.” The irrational includes the mystical and the arts and what religion brings to the table. |
The importance of balancing the left and right sides of the brain. BnD TV |
November 16, 2024: Love, Mysticism, Anger: Healing of Democracy via the Irrational?
Like us, psychologist Otto Rank was living during a time of rising fascism. His remedy has to do with calling
on the “irrational.” He is calling our attention to the excessive rationality of the modern era and its mechanism and reductionism, indeed patriarchy itself. What is included in the irrational? Such things as music, art, tenderness, forgiveness, myth, love…. Without these, we would lose our zest for living. The irrational is that which “does not fit into our scheme of things.” He and Einstein are on the same page, that values come not from the “rational brain” but from
the “intuitive brain” as Einstein puts it. Matthew calls it the "mystical brain" so ignored in western education. We need, says Rank, a whole new civilization—one that includes the irrational—because “human nature is at bottom irrational.” And "the epitome of the irrational is the marvel of creation itself." |
| A Caring Note from the DM Team: The results of the U.S. election are affecting us all in a variety of ways, and challenging times certainly lie ahead. If the burden becomes
overwhelming, we urge you, please, to seek support. Here are a few resources that can help: National Helpline for essential services: 211 or 211.org National Suicide/Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. Veterans Crisis Line: 1-800-273-8255 LGBTQ Youth Lifeline: Call 1-866-488-7386 or text START to 678678. Trans Lifeline: Call 877-565-8860 National Sexual Assault Hotline: Call
800-656-4673 |
Responses are welcomed. To add your comment, or read other comments and enter into dialog, please click HERE to go to our website and scroll down to the Comments field. |
Occupy Spirituality: A Radical Vision for a New Generation
Authors Adam Bucko and Matthew Fox encourage us to use our talents in service of compassion and justice and to move beyond our broken systems–economic,
political, educational, and religious–discovering a spirituality that not only helps us to get along, but also encourages us to reevaluate our traditions, transforming them and in the process building a more sacred and just world. Incorporating the words of young activist leaders culled from interviews and surveys, the book provides a framework that is deliberately interfaith and speaks to our profound yearning for a life with spiritual purpose and for a better world.
“Occupy Spirituality is a powerful, inspiring, and vital call to embodied awareness and enlightened actions.”
~~ Julia Butterfly Hill, environmental activist and author of The Legacy of Luna: The Story of a Tree, a Woman, and the Struggle to Save the Redwoods |
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Meister Eckhart: A Mystic-Warrior For Our Time
While Matthew Fox recognizes that Meister Eckhart has influenced thinkers throughout history, he also wants to introduce Eckhart to today’s activists addressing contemporary crises.
Toward that end, Fox creates dialogues between Eckhart and Carl Jung, Thich Nhat Hanh, Rabbi Heschel, Black Elk, Karl Marx, Rumi, Adrienne Rich, Dorothee Soelle, David Korten, Anita Roddick, Lily Yeh, M.C. Richards, and many others.
“Matthew Fox is perhaps the greatest writer on Meister Eckhart that has ever existed. (He) has successfully bridged a gap between Eckhart as a shamanistic personality and Eckhart as a
post-modern mentor to the Inter-faith movement, to reveal just how cosmic Eckhart really is, and how remarkably relevant to today’s religious crisis! ” — Steven Herrmann, Author of
Spiritual Democracy: The Wisdom of Early American Visionaries for the Journey Forward |
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Wrestling with the Prophets: Essays on Creation Spirituality and Everyday Life
In one of his foundational works, Fox engages with some of history’s greatest mystics, philosophers, and prophets in
profound and hard-hitting essays on such varied topics as Eco-Spirituality, AIDS, homosexuality, spiritual feminism, environmental revolution, Native American spirituality, Christian mysticism, Art and Spirituality, Art as Meditation, Interfaith or Deep Ecumenism and more. |
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The A.W.E. Project: Reinventing Education, Reinventing the Human
The A.W.E. Project reminds us that awe is the appropriate response to the unfathomable wonder that is creation… A.W.E. is also the acronym for Fox’s proposed style of
learning – an approach to balance the three R’s. This approach to learning, eldering, and mentoring is intelligent enough to honor the teachings of the Ancestors, to nurture Wisdom in addition to imparting knowledge, and to Educate through Fox’s 10 C’s. The 10 C’s are the core of the A.W.E. philosophy and process of education, and include: compassion, contemplation, and creativity. The A.W.E. Project does for the vast subject of “learning” what Fox’s Reinvention of Work did for vocation
and Original Blessing did for theology. Included in the book is a dvd of the 10 C’s put to 10 video raps created and performed by Professor Pitt.
“An awe-based vision of educational renewal.” — Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice. |
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Trump & The MAGA Movement as Anti-Christ: A Handbook for the 2024 Election Matthew Fox tells us that he had always shied away from using the
term “Anti-Christ” because it was so often used to spread control and fear. However, given today’s rise of authoritarianism and forces of democracide, ecocide, and christofascism, he turns the tables in this book employing the archetype for the cause of justice, democracy, and a renewed Earth and humanity. For immediate access to Trump
& The MAGA Movement as Anti-Christ: A Handbook for the 2024 Election, order the e-book with 10 full-color prints from Amazon HERE. To get a print-on-demand paperback copy with black & white images, order from Amazon HERE or IUniverse HERE. To receive a limited-edition, full-color paperback copy, order from MatthewFox.org HERE. Order the audiobook HERE for immediate download. |
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The Return of Father Sky: A Cosmic Mystery for Kids of All Ages
The second book in the Father Fox’s Fantastical Fables series, The Return of Father Sky helps boys and girls to celebrate a new relationship with the masculine by way of Father
Sky, whose return excites joy and wonder and possibility that enlarge the soul to welcome others and all creation. Written in a rhyming Dr. Seuss-like style, this full-color, beautifully illustrated book, written by world- renowned theologian Matthew Fox weaves together modern science and classic spirituality in a whimsical, entertaining format to illustrate important truths to readers aged 4 and up. With artwork curated from illustrators around the world, this book expresses the joy and wonder
of all peoples and cultures, planting seeds of respect, cooperation and hope to work together for the healing of our planet. |
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UPCOMING EVENTS See Matthew Fox's full calendar
HERE |
MONTHLY: Join Matthew Fox, Mariko Middleton, and Skylar Wilson of the Order of the Sacred Earth in a free virtual meeting for connection and networking with other mystic warriors. Last Tuesday of every month, 4:00-5:00pm PT.
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88665302478
Meeting ID: 886 6530 2478 Learn more at www.orderofthesacredearth.org |
Join Matthew Fox, Rev. Nóirín Ní Riain, and celebrated Irish performers Owen Ó Súilleabháin, and Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin in an Interfaith Advent celebration of Irish sacred music and storytelling to honor the varied Festivals of Light and explore the mysteries they reveal. Saturday,
December 7, 9:00am – 11:00am PT.
Register HERE. Join Matthew Fox for an on-site and online Advent Retreat titled “A Great Coming: Creation Spirituality and the Renewal of Religion, Humanity and Holy Mother Earth,” hosted by Immaculate Heart Community, Los Angeles. Saturday, 12/14, 9 AM -5 PM; Sunday, 12/15, 9-11
AM.
Register HERE. |
Join Matthew Fox as he discusses his two children’s books, Father Fox's Fantastical
Fables – In the Beginning There was Joy and The Return of Father Sky in an Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat, online. December 19, 4:00pm-5:30pm PT Register HERE. |
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Creation Spirituality Conversations |
Adam Bucko and Kaira Jewel Lingo
host a Christian Buddhist Gathering and Talk by special guest Matthew Fox on his book Trump & the MAGA Movement as Anti-Christ: A Handbook for the 2024 Election. |
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