Spiritual Direction and Meditation Instruction

with FATHER BRENDAN

 

Spiritual direction is fundamentally an ascetical and 'wild' tradition, and originates in the ancient custom of seeking out elders on the path of spiritual practice: seekers who have uncompromisingly dedicated their entire lives to the project of human transformation, who have borne fruit in that pursuit and therefore have something to offer others by way of direct guidance and support on the path. Traditionally, the one giving spiritual direction is therefore a spiritual elder, monastic, healer, seer, yogī, sādhu, or ascetic of some variety (depending on the cultural context) who lives outside the boundaries of normative, materially focused society. The true spiritual director is a bridge between the ordinary, visible world and what in my ancestral tradition we would call the Otherworld. This is the tradition in which I was brought up over many years of practice, study, formation, and ascetical discipline, and the spirit in which I now offer teaching and guidance to others as a spiritual director. As a priest and mystical theologian, and as someone deeply rooted in my indigenous ancestral traditions, this work is what I live and breathe, and it is my joy to humbly offer whatever support I can to others along the way, in dedication to the wholing and liberative illumination of every being.

 

We live in a time and cultural environment of extraordinary pressure, uncertainty, endless distraction, corrosive stories and unhelpful beliefs about what’s actually important in human life. If one wishes to walk a genuine and fruitful spiritual path, it is therefore crucial to have the guidance of a qualified teacher and wayshower who can point out the pitfalls before we fall into them, transmit to us genuine practices with transformational capacity, help us to integrate those processes and their results into our lives in a way that actually gets us nearer to the highest aims of human experience.

 

As a long-time spiritual director and formator, I have accompanied many students and clients through the spiritual, psychological, and practical, real-world challenges of developing a sustainable and transformative spiritual life—one that’s especially right for the individual seeker and that's fully integrated into their daily lives. Taking on the development of meaningful spiritual practices—particularly meditative and contemplative disciplines, which are key in the spiritual journey—and making them into regular commitments that actually change our lives is a particularly challenging affair in today’s world; but the benefits, if achieved, cannot be overstated. In fact, I would argue that an integrative and genuinely fruitful spiritual life is the single most important thing that any human being can pursue, because it is life-giving not just for the practitioner, but, by extension, all beings.

 

To bear fruit on the sometimes perilous path of spiritual development, we need experienced guides with plenty of wisdom from the proverbial wayside. For most of my life I have been a serious spiritual seeker and practitioner, and have cultivated deep roots of experiential and theoretical knowledge, not only in the mystical theology and contemplative practices of Catholic Christianity, but also in my ancestral Celtic traditions, in animism more broadly, in Vajrayāna (Tāntric Buddhism), and in what some have called the Sophía Perennis: the perennial wisdom tradition. It is my honor and calling to share this knowledge with others who are seeking real depth and transformation in this life.

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Duration: 1 hour

Requested Donation: $120 / session *