Writing Like an Old Soul

Back about a thousand years ago when I was making the perilous transit from midlife to older age, I met a fellow traveler named John C. Robinson. While I was equipped to attempt to make the most out of aging relying upon my doctorate in adult development, John was already a self-avowed mystic. It was John’s 2012 book The Three Secrets of Aging that introduced me to the concept of aging as evolution in slow motion, building a strong foundation for Bob Weber’s and my 2015 book The Spirituality of Age and my subsequent work in the field of conscious aging.

So, spinning the clock forward a decade or two, how could a mystical prodigy like John evolve any further over time? His latest work, a book of poems, points the way. I’ve invited John to share an introduction of his new work below.

Meanwhile, we are all evolving over time, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some increasingly sophisticated pitfalls that may challenge us along the way. Evolving my own work in life stage theory, melded with mystic consciousness drawn from a wide range of influences, I will be leading a retreat hosted by Spirit of Sophia titled The Making of an Older, Wiser, Fiercer Soul : A Virtual Retreat for Women. The registration link for the November 11 event follows.

Fiercely Yours,

Carol Orsborn

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THE MAKING OF AN OLDER, WISER, FIERCER  SOUL

Carol Orsborn’s Upcoming Online Retrreat

November 11 @ Noon to 2 pm Eastern:
The Making of an Older, Wiser, Fiercer Soul : A Virtual Retreat for Women hosted by Spirit of Sophia

The nearer we draw to the peak of human development, the subtler the psycho-spiritual challenges become. By popular demand, Dr. Carol Orsborn, who introduced Spirit of Sophia to conscious aging last December, returns this fall with The Making of an Older, Wiser, Fiercer Soul.  All women are welcome as we continue our journey to aging as the fulfillment of life’s promise and more!

This interactive online retreat builds upon the work of a wide range of scholars and mystics from Carl Jung and Florida Scott-Maxwell to Ram Dass and Joan Chittister. In addition to sharing insights rooted in life stage theory, the retreat will include journaling and group discussion,

Registration link:  https://spiritofsophia.org/the-making-of-an-older-wiser-fiercer-soul/

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2024:

A Gathering of Old Souls: Carol Orsborn’s first On-going Discussion for Women Who are Growing Older, Wiser and Fiercer

Tuesday, January 9 from 12:00 to 1:30 pm Eastern time – and then meeting the same day and time every other month. Hosted by Spirit of Sophia.

Stay tuned for further details on this and my forthcoming book with Inner Traditions, September 2024
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WRITING LIKE AN OLD SOUL

Guest Contributor, John C. Robinson, Ph.D., D.Min. 

Lending Soul Our Voice

The soul speaks quietly inside but has no physical voice of its own.
It waits, sometimes for decades,
for us to listen and lend it our voice in the stands we take
for love, justice, and awakening.
When we speak as soul
we speak with
authority and power.

What’s it like to write in mystical consciousness? Picture an old monk sitting at a table before a softly glowing ancient manuscript. In the shadowy quiet of his hermitage, illuminated by a single candle, the monk merges his consciousness with the all-pervading Presence. Holding a quill pen dipped in ink, he awaits inspiration for the next line of sacred poetry. Working alone in hallowed space, I write from the deep sanctity of spirit.

But there is more. When he is finished, the old monk steps out into the light of Creation. This, too, is part of my practice, for after writing, I venture out with my dog, Oona, into nature’s now-enchanted wonderland to witness neighbors’ yards overflowing with vibrant colors of rhododendron, hydrangea, and dogwood blossoms along a road sheltered by whispering pines. Everything is highlighted by Puget Sound’s sparkling waters that surround our island home. Soil, bushes, ferns, and grasses tease me with complex fragrances, luring me further into the world’s mystery.

Like the Tarot’s Fool, I wave happily at each passing walker, loving everyone I meet. Then, while Oona enjoys a new scent on our path, I stand mesmerized before Creation’s latest greatest show, joy swelling my heart. Finally, resting on a bench, I am overcome with gratitude for the generous gifts of nature’s sacred incarnation. In this way, my life begins anew each day.

Mystical consciousness has been my spiritual practice for decades. In an intentional, thought-free state of heightened awareness, I sense God’s consciousness all around me. Here I find peace, joy, and love. I receive insights about God’s nature and how our absorption in it transforms our lived experience.

In my 75^th year, I took a sabbatical from professional activities to deepen this immersion. I wanted to fully imbibe the mystical life I had written about for a quarter century. Not only did I remain in its thrall, I began writing mystical poetry.
Some people approach the divine through scripture, others through ideas, beliefs, and intuitions. The mystic seeks direct experience of the divine to explore its perceptual, emotional, and metaphysical nature. For the mystic, the entire universe is conscious and alive, saturated by an all-encompassing eternal and loving Presence.

Those who awaken from the ego-driven, patriarchal dream of reality discover who and where they really are—divine beings in a divine world. Mystical poetry awakens us to this transfigured world, a vision embraced by Rumi, Kabir, Hafez, Whitman and so many other poets who leave ecstatic, liberating, and radically hopeful footprints.

Poetry written in mystical consciousness carries spiritual energy. It awakens the same states, perceptions, and realizations in the reader. To accelerate this awakening, I encourage people to read mystical poems aloud, discuss them with friends, use selected lines as mantras, prayers, or silent contemplation. Approaching the verses with a still and silent mind lets poetry become a personal workshop for mystical realization.

Connect with John’s work at i-am-god.net and facebook.com/becomingspirit to sample “I Am God: Wisdom and Revelation from Mystical Consciousness.” www.johnrobinson.org

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