Boundaries Overview

Boundary represents one of the four active principles of the process of incarnation (for further information click Incarnational Principles on this page). Boundary not only defines and creates the space within which the unique identity and intent of an incarnation may manifest, it is also the place where that incarnation—be it a person, an organization, or a project—engages with the rest of the world. Boundaries are not necessarily barriers, but are interactive interfaces of exchange, partnering, and mutual engagement. This page represents the creative and collaborative activity at Lorian’s boundaries: the thought and commentary of Lorian’s Vision Keepers and Associates as they carry the practices of Incarnational Spirituality into their lives; the thought and work of Dorothy Maclean, an international spiritual teacher who is one of the founders of both the Findhorn Foundation Community and Lorian; links to the websites of various organizations and individuals who work in collaboration with Lorian; articles by colleagues that expand our vistas of the spiritual work of our time; and announcements of conferences and events in which Lorian as an organization or individual Lorian Associates are participating.

Lorian Associates

Lorian Associates are people who actively support the work of Lorian and carry the practice of Incarnational Spirituality into the world in practical ways. This is where they can share their thoughts, articles and work.

Contents:
Accessing the Power of Love in the Workplace, by Roger Harrison, Ph.D.
What to Expect in Interspiritual Spiritual Direction, by Rev. Freya Secrest, and Suzanne Fageol, M.Div.

Author: Roger Harrison, Ph.D.

I have the privilege of calling Roger Harrison a good friend.  He is a legendary figure in the field of Organizational Development.  He is a consultant, trainer, and theorist who has influenced every phase of the evolution of this discipline.  He was there at the beginning when the first sensitivity seminars were emerging in the fifties and he is still offering his wisdom and insights as organizations struggle with a host of new challenges from dealing with a global environment to becoming more holistic and spiritual in their operations. He is a man of high integrity and honesty, and we have benefitted from his service as a member of Lorian’s Board of Directors and now as a continuing friend of Lorian.  He sent me this article on his most recent work on integrating love into the workplace, and I knew I wanted to share it widely.  –David Spangler

Accessing the Power of Love in the Workplace
Roger Harrison Ph.D.
For most of my working life, love has not been an idea in good currency in organizations—to say the least. When, in the eighties, I first wrote about the importance of understanding love in the workplace and tapping into its power, I did so against the counsel of trusted colleagues who had my best interests at heart and were concerned that I maintain my credibility. I went against this good advice because I believed, and still do, that we cannot fully access the power of a concept like love by using a euphemism such as caring, consideration, or the like. The "L" word wouldn't be as scary as it seems to be if that weren't true.

Early experiences with love in the workplace

I grew up in a family of scientists and engineers, and I learned early to value rationality. Although love was present, it was not something much talked about. I trained as an industrial psychologist, and I was well into my first professional job in personnel research with Procter & Gamble before an event occurred in 1958 that opened my eyes and heart to the potential power of love in working life. That event was a five day workshop billed as an opportunity to learn about the dynamics of small groups. It turned out to be a "T group laboratory." That experience changed my life by opening up possibilities of levels of openness and intimacy between strangers that I had not previously imagined. The vision was naive, but it was very powerful.  I was enthralled by the idea that by meeting with no agenda other than to understand what was happening in our group, we could come at the end of five days to respect and appreciate each one of the strangers we started out with.  We felt love for one another—though not necessarily liking for each one.

Dorothy Maclean

Dorothy Maclean is an internationally known spiritual teacher, the last of the three founders of the Findhorn Foundation Community in northern Scotland, the spiritual community where Lorian had its roots in the early Seventies.  Since she left the community in 1973, she has been part of Lorian.  She has traveled the world sharing her teaching about connecting with the inner Divinity and from that connection, contacting the Intelligences within nature which she has called the Devas.  Dorothy’s books are available from the Lorian Bookstore and a sampling of her articles is presented below. Click here for our Bookstore.

   Dorothy's Message from the Rue Deva

Contents:
Choosing God First, by Dorothy Maclean
Issues, by Dorothy Maclean

Choosing God First
by Dorothy Maclean

Early in my life I made the choice to put God first. To me putting God first is not just following guidance or commandments, though this is an invaluable stage. Instead, putting God first means that one enters into a closer relationship with the love within, choosing to love rather than to act from simple obedience. The Findhorn Foundation community developed out of the commitment of Eileen and Peter Caddy and myself to put God first and do what we called God’s will.  Each of us had experiences of the sacred and attempted to live according to inner guidance.  We found that inner contact was relevant at all levels of our lives; the brilliant and unusual garden growth that Findhorn became known for was just one example of the practical evidence of that relevance.  We sought to choose love in everything we did. I certainly found that when I followed my constant inner reminders to do everything with love, I felt better, things worked out, relationships with others improved. 

The wonderful experiences that have clarified my being have stemmed from “listening” to my inner knowing, to God the Beloved.  I grew up in Guelph, Ontario, and in my teens wondered about the purpose of life, but my church gave me no satisfying answers.  I finished college in 1940 and volunteered for war work in New York.  My job was with the British Secret Intelligence Service in North and South America, and after about a year in New York I moved to work in Panama.  There I met, and following a deep intuition, married an Englishman, who was the first person to give me answers about life’s purpose that did make sense to me.  He was a member of the Sufi order, who like me accepted that all religions led to the same God within, and studying the different religions was mind broadening.  In 1943 he and I went to England, where I met Peter and Eileen Caddy and with a small group of other like-minded spiritual seekers we began to meet and study together.
To read the rest of Choosing God First, click here.

Issues
by Dorothy Maclean

In the last year or so, the threat of global warming has become common front page news. The evidence is building to link the impact of western industrial attitudes and methods to the breakdown of the delicate balance of nature that our lives depend upon.  For example, some of the customary assumptions of our view of nature are being proved incorrect, for it turns out that forests hundreds of years old can continue to actively absorb carbon, holding great quantities in storage, while re-sprouting clear-cuts, on the other hand, often emit carbon for years despite the rapid growth rate of young trees.  Thus, protecting ancient trees can be an important new strategy in the fight again global warming.

    This particular new scientific knowledge, and any truth, can be given to us humans directly from the intelligence of Nature. Fifty years ago during our Findhorn Garden experiments, I was told by the tree devas “We need a fully grown tree for our real influence - a child cannot do what an adult can do…” and ”You have touched on still another reason for the need for large trees. We channel a type of force that has a steadying influence on Life….” Such wisdom, just now being verified by human science such as the studies referenced above, is available from within nature whenever we take the time to stop and deeply listen. 
To read more from Issues, click here.

Friends of Lorian

These are individuals who have their own organizations or are teachers in their own right working to enable a more holistic and planetary consciousness to emerge in the world.  They have been friends and collaborators with Lorian for a number of years.  We want to acknowledge their unique work and encourage you to visit their websites.  (For other teachers who are colleagues of David’s, please see Colleagues under David’s Page.

William Bloom: William is a major spokesperson for the holistic movement in the UK. He is the originator of Core Energy Management and founding partner of Holistic Partnerships. William's many books include The Endorphin Effect, Psychic Protection and The Penguin Book of New Age and Holistic Writing (ed). He works and teaches internationally. He co-founded and directed the Alternatives Program in London and has been on the faculty of the Findhorn Foundation for twenty-five years. Visit www.williambloom.com

Rue M. Haas: Rue is a long-time friend and support of Lorian, a one-time staff member of the Findhorn Foundation in Scotland, and an intuitive mentor, counselor and coach using EFT techniques.  Her book Opening the Cage of Pain with EFT is available from the Lorian Bookstore. Her website is http://www.intuitivementoring.com/.

Dr. Lee Irwin: Lee is also a long-time friend and colleague of Lorian.  He is Director of the Religious Studies department at the College of Charleston specializing in Native American spirituality and Western mystical traditions. He sits on the board of the Association for the Study of Esotericism. Lee is the author of many books including The Dream Seekers: Native American Visionary Traditions of the Great Plains, Visionary Worlds: The Making and Unmaking of Reality, and Awakening the Spirit: On Life, Illumination and Being.  His book, Alchemy of Soul, is published by Lorian Press and is available through our bookstore.  For more information, you can go to http://www.cofc.edu/~rels/irwin3.htm.

John and Caitlin Matthews:  John and Caitlin are two of the most prolific writers in the area of Celtic spirituality, the Western Hermetic Tradition, the Arthurian Tradition, and shamanism. Two of John’s books, The Sidhe and A Constant Search for Wisdom are published by Lorian Press and are available through our bookstore. For further information about their work and books, please go to http://www.hallowquest.org.uk/.

R.J. Stewart:  Robert is one of the most knowledgeable and wise teachers currently practicing in the area of Western Hermeticism.  A scholar of Celtic traditions and folklore, the Hermetic path, and the Faerie Traditions, he is also a musician and a prolific writer, as well as an old friend and colleague of Lorian. His website is http://www.rjstewart.org/.

Dr. William Irwin Thompson: William is the Founder of the Lindisfarne Association and the Lindisfarne Fellows, as well as being one of Lorian’s oldest collaborators and colleagues. He is a poet, a cultural historian, and a prolific writer on themes of cultural transformation and planetary consciousness. You can read more about his work and about the Lindisfarne Fellowship at http://www.williamirwinthompson.org/.

William Wittmann, M.Ed., LMP: William supports people in living the lives they were meant to live. He uses his experience of over thirty years in various body therapies including CranialSacral Therapy, Visceral Manipulation, and in life coaching to inspire and aid people on their journey. You may contact him at (206)328-2073 or e-mail: William@VitalArts.net, or see his website: http://www.vitalarts.net/.

Vistas

From time to time, colleagues and friends of Lorian write articles that we feel expand our spiritual horizons and widen the vista of human potentiality and spiritual development or give important insights into the situations which we face today in the world.  It is an honor to present these articles here.

Contents:
What Can We Know?, by Arthur Zajonc
The Flight to Abstraction, by John Michael Greer

Vista Author: Arthur Zajonc

Arthur Zajonc (his last name rhymes with “science”) is a practicing quantum optical physicist, a professor at Amherst College, one of the participants in the dialogs between the Dalai Lama and Western scientists, the former President of the American Anthroposophical Society, a long-time student of Western Hermeticism, and a contemplative practitioner.  He is also one of my colleagues in the Lindisfarne Fellowship.  In the following article, he outlines the steps of a “contemplative inquiry” that is almost exactly the pattern I follow in my own inner perceptions and connections with the non-physical worlds of spirit.  I was very excited when I read this and knew I wanted to share it widely.  It is the basis of a new book he has written, published by Lindisfarne Books, titled Contemplative Inquiry.  If you would like to read more of his writings, including material on pedagogy and an epistemology of love, I recommend his website, www.arthurzajonc.org. –David Spangler

What can we know?
Knowledge between science and spirituality.
by Arthur Zajonc
Physics Department, Amherst College
Director, Academic Program, Center for Contemplative Mind in Society
Co-Founder, Barfield School of Graduate Studies, Sunbridge College

Lecture given at the systemic constellations conference, “Coming Together”
Cologne, Germany, May 27, 2007.

Let me begin by expressing my thanks to Wilfried Nelles for inviting me to this Congress. And also express my amazement that so many of you got up in time for an 8:30 am lecture!
I am here not as a constellation worker, but as a fellow traveler in a much broader sense. I think that my experiences will be relevant to your work. As a quantum physicist with long-standing philosophical interests, I have found myself situated between science on the one side and spirituality on the other. The “Spannugsfeld” or field between these two has been filled with controversy and misunderstanding. In 1925 the British-American philosopher Alfred North Whitehead wrote:
When we consider what religion is for mankind, and what science is, it is no exaggeration to say that the future course of history depends upon the decision of this generation as to the relations between them. (Atlantic Monthly)
Nor has the tension or importance faded in the 80 years since Whitehead wrote these words. One need only read the recent best-selling books by biologists Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion or Francis Collins’s personal testimony, The Language of God, to see how passionate and unproductive the debate remains. There is hardly any topic that is more important for us today than finding the right and fruitful relationship between science and spirituality.
Click here to download the rest of the article.

Vista Author: John Michael Greer

John Michael Greer is a friend and colleague who writes a brilliant blog, The Archdruid Report.  Yes, that’s right, he’s an Archdruid, the Grand Archdruid in fact of the Ancient Order of Druids in America.  He is also a prolific writer in a wide variety of areas, as befits his degree in the history of ideas, whose latest book is The Long Descent:  A User’s Guide to the End of the Industrial Age.  Indeed his blog itself mainly focuses on the phenomenon of peak oil and the coming de-industrialization of the world.  But he has also written with wide knowledge and deep insight about the Western Hermetic Tradition, Druid spirituality, and various elements of cultural history.  This article is from his blog (http://thearchdruidreport.blogspot.com/) and I am adding it here for two reasons. One it is a succinct and compelling analysis of the situation we find ourselves in with the collapse of the financial markets around the world, and two, it resonates with something my own inner colleague John told me thirty years ago, that the world as a whole but Western culture and the United States in particular were becoming increasingly detached from the living earth and increasingly caught up in what he called “an imaginal state, one existing purely in your minds with little connection to the actual world around you.”  This, he said, would have consequences.  I believe we are seeing some of these consequences now, for reasons that John Michael eloquently recounts in his article below. –David Spangler

THE FLIGHT TO ABSTRACTION
by John Michael Greer

My decision some two and a half years ago to launch a weekly blog on the future of industrial society has had its share, or more than its share, of unexpected results. The original plan was to start a conversation about the future within the contemporary Druid community, which is not precisely one of the largest religious movements in America these days, and I would have considered the project a success if the blog’s total readership topped fifty. That The Archdruid Report somehow failed to stop there still astonishes me.

Just as unexpected has been the impact on my own writing process. Some writers, like the hero of Edward Gorey’s wry tale The Unstrung Harp, have orderly habits: on November 18th of alternate years, with the creaking predictability of an old orrery, you can be sure that Gorey’s protagonist Mr. Earbrass will start a new novel. By inclination, at least, I fall on the other end of the spectrum, and it happens as often as not that I sit down at the keyboard Tuesday evening with no notion what my next post ought to be about. What astonishes me is that the muse has always come through, though there are times I can almost see her distractedly pulling down random volumes from the bookshelves of Parnassus, looking for scraps to toss me.

Very often, though, it’s her more improbable tidbits that bring the most unexpected insights. I can think of no other excuse for this week’s post, for the idea at its core came out of a moment of mental collision hard to describe in any other way. That moment arrived on the weekend just past, when I looked up from a paperback copy of Giambattista Vico’s New Science to the surreal skyline of Las Vegas at night.
Click here to download the rest of this John Michael Greer article.

Organizations and Services

There are a number of organizations and websites whose goals, services, or activities parallel or complement our own; some of them have been started by friends and colleagues. We’d like you to be aware of them; for it’s in collaboration with places and services like these that our boundaries truly expand and become more inclusive and engaged.

The Seven Pillars House of Wisdom.
This is an educational and cultural project growing out of the work of Sufi teacher Pir Zia Inayat-Khan, the grandson of Hazrat Inayat-Khan, the founder of the Sufi Order of the West. It's mission is dedicated to the fostering of beauty and depth in human culture. It seeks to cultivate awareness of the unity of existence and the qualities of heart that naturally arise from this awareness: nobility of character, genuine civility, and creative optimism. It organizes dialogues, media, courses and events to enhance the ability of individuals to actively participate in the flowering of a world civilization grounded in the awareness of the unity of existence, a purpose deeply shared by Lorian.  Their home website is http://www.sevenpillarshouse.com/. They publish an online journal, to which David Spangler is a contributor, at http://www.sevenpillarsreview.org/.

The Attitude of Gratitude
In each of us there is a spark that can reverse the trends of violence and depression spiraling within us and in the world around us. By setting in motion the spiral of gratefulness we begin the journey toward peace and joy.

• Gratefulness is the key to joy.
• Gratefulness is a universal human value.
• Gratefulness has power to change and heal society.

Together we can provide online support for offline action to realize joy, build community, and transform our world. For more information visit www. gratefulness.org
[Note: The gratefulness.org website came into being as a result of the work of a friend of mine and a fellow Lindisfarne Fellow: Brother David Steindl-Rast, a member of the Calmaldolese order of monks. Gratefulness is a major element in working with spiritual forces through my teaching on Alliances, and this website helps to amplify an overall sense of this important spiritual discipline.  For more inspiration about gratefulness, see his classic book, Gratefulness: The Heart of Prayer—D.S.]

The Findhorn Foundation is the educational and organizational cornerstone of the Findhorn Community, founded in Scotland by Peter and Eileen Caddy and Dorothy MacLean in 1962. It is a major international centre of spiritual education and personal transformation, offering many ways for people to visit, or to live and work in community. Those of us who created Lorian first met in this place in the early Seventies. The Findhorn Foundation is located in northeast Scotland, east of Inverness. Visit www.Findhorn.org

The Gaiafield Project: The Gaiafield Project weaves a multi-hub planetary network of subtle activists who participate in large-scale collective healing and global transformation programs following the Gaiafield Principles which are in alignment with the broad principles set out in the Earth Charter, namely:

• respect and care for the community of life;
• ecological integrity;
• social and economic justice; and
• democracy, non-violence and peace

Their work in subtle activism involving large groups of people in collective spiritual work on behalf of humanity and the planet complements our own work and teaching in energy activism, which focuses on what one or two can do using principles of energy hygiene on a planetary scale. Their website is http://www.gaiafield.net/

The Lindisfarne Association: Founded by cultural historian and poet William Irwin Thompson, Lindisfarne was an association of creative individuals in the arts, sciences, and contemplative practices devoted to the study and realization of a new planetary culture.  Perhaps its finest work was the creation of the Lindisfarne Fellows, an international honorary society of individuals who, in the judgment of the Founder and Fellows, have made outstanding contributions to the expression of the new planetary culture. The Fellows come from all faiths, theistic and atheistic, and all professions; although they may share a common ethos, they do not share a common ideology. They continue to meet in annual conferences and through their friendships and shared vision continue to collaborate. David Spangler is one of the Fellows. For more information, please visit http://www.lindisfarne-association.org/ or http://www.williamirwinthompson.org/lindisfarne.html.

Mosswood Hollow is a sacred retreat center in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, 50 minutes northeast of Seattle. It includes 50 acres of forests, fields, and beaver ponds. Groups can meet in the spacious 30-foot yurt or around the stone fireplace in the cozy living room of the main lodge. Delicious gourmet meals and comfortable overnight accommodations are available in the main lodge or in a two-bedroom cottage. We’ve been doing workshops and retreats here for over a decade. 20215 320th Ave, N.E., Duvall, WA 98019 Phone: (425)844-9050, or e-mail: mosswood@mosswoodhollow.org.

Pomegranate Center—based in Issaquah, Washington—is an internationally recognized leader in developing neighborhood gathering places and is a leading nonprofit devoted to community-generated design and development.  It was started by two of Lorian’s original founders, Milenko and Kathi Matanovic, and originally began life as a department within Lorian. As it grew and expanded and developed its own constituency and vital work, we spun it off as its own non-profit entity in 1987. Since then it has grown, embodying the essential spirit of Lorian and an incarnational spirituality and becoming an international leader in creating community gathering spaces. Please see their website at http://www.pomegranate.org/.

Rowe Camp and Conference Center:  Founded in 1924, Rowe Camp and Conference Center is an unusual and magical place cherished by the thousands of people who have come here for relaxation, education, community, spiritual nurturance, and love. It is a place where Lorian teachers, including Dorothy Maclean and David Spangler, have regularly offered workshops and seminars. For more information, please see their website at http://www.rowecenter.org/.

Stonehouse Bookstore & Growth Center: New Age books and gifts and evening and weekend programs for growth and personal development. This is the place where we do many of our one-day workshops. 10600 68th Street, Kirkland, WA 98033 Phone: (425)889-5106. Visit www.stonehouse.org

Whidbey Institute is a retreat center on Whidbey Island, Washington offering programs and events focusing on "Earth, Spirit and the Human Future.” Visit www.whidbeyinstitute.org. A number of us have been friends of the founders, Fritz and Vivienne Hull, for many years, and there has been a collaborative relationship between Lorian and the Institute going back to the Seventies.

Conferences and Events

This is a listing of conferences at which a member of the Lorian Association is speaking.

For the Well-Being of the Planet;

The Art of Attunement

A weekend with Dorothy Maclean
La Casa de Maria
Santa Barbara, CA
February 6-8, 2009; 

What greater vision could be given to humankind than for God to say to us, "You are my beloveds, build with me, create with me." In this time of crisis for our natural world, come and discover the God within and in so doing tap into your innate power to attune to and co-create with the kingdoms of nature. Together, we will explore attunement practices to help us actively cooperate with the intelligence within all life forms.

Dorothy Maclean, co-founder of Findhorn Community in Scotland, is a modern day mystic and inspirational teacher. She is known for her unique gift of communicating and cooperating with the nature kingdoms, showing a way forward to restore our planet.

We hope that you will join us for this extraordinary opportunity.

For more information please visit www.lacasademaria.org
or call La Casa de Maria at (805) 969-5031