Last year, I was invited to join the planning committee for the Friends Conference on Religion and Psychology (FCRP), one of the oldest conferences in the United States dedicated to individual spiritual exploration from a Jungian perspective. As their website says, “The conference began in the dark shadow of war in 1943.” It was the brainchild of a group of Quakers, many trained as Jungian analysts and psychologists, after a dialogue they had with Carl Jung. He encouraged them to come together to explore an inward journey through the dark and light of the unconscious, in order to develop their Inner Light, so that they could shine it more brightly in a world that desperately needed it.
FCRP’s tag line is "Inspiring Inner Journeys for Change in the World," something that really resonates with me. This is an idea that has been echoed with more and more frequency by elders across a wide variety of traditions, as being essential for us to rise to the next evolutionary level from homo sapiens to "homo luminous," as Alberto Villoldo and the Q'ero Shamans say.
The conference has taken place annually for 78 years. It was to be held over Memorial Day weekend at Pendle Hill, in Wallingford, Pennsylvania. I was really looking forward to spending a long weekend at this bucolic international study center, enjoying the organic meals made with love, and taking in the peaceful vibe. But, then COVID-19 happened. And in March, all in-person Pendle Hill events were cancelled for the year, something that was occurring in gathering places all across the country. The planning committee was crestfallen that there would be no conference this year.
Then, three weeks before Memorial Day weekend, some of the newer members of the planning committee suggested holding a smaller gathering via Zoom. They quickly planned how this would work. Having redesigned the website in preparation for the annual conference, I had everything that was needed to throw together a quick online registration process. We sent out an invitation to past attendees, and we were off and running.
The response was overwhelmingly positive, with many people who wouldn’t have been able to travel to the in-person conference expressing gratitude that they would be able to participate.
A few days before the gathering, I was asked if I would be up for hosting a Reiki healing session for the group on that Saturday afternoon. I wasn’t sure if I should say yes. Since the shut downs began, I had offered Reiki to individuals with great outcomes. But, I wasn’t sure how it would work for such a large spread out over a very wide geographical area. My head was finding reasons not to do it, but then my heart told me to set aside any concerns. This opportunity was being handed to me for a reason.
The time came for my healing event. I was lead to start with a relaxation exercise, followed by a guided meditation. I then sang a brief sacred Celtic song I had learned in Ireland, followed by 30 minutes of Reiki and energy healing. The experience was incredibly blissful for me, and I wondered how it was for the participants, since their sound and video were off.
The next day, several participants told me how much they had enjoyed it, calling it “extremely relaxing,” “heavenly,” and “a quintessential healing experience.” At their encouragement, I have decided to hold regular virtual healings following the same format that I used at the conference.
The healings will be offered bi-monthly, on the second Friday at 8pm ET, and fourth Sunday of the month at 4pm ET. This event is being offered on a sliding scale. And, this month, free spaces are available for Black and Brown Folx as an offering for Racial Healing and Action (http://love.consciouscityguide.com/racial-healing-action).
To register or for more information, visit my events page https://www.yourstellarself.com/book-online
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