As you may know, this blog is supported by readers like you through a membership program called Patreon. You can join Patreon for a low monthly fee, and get access to guided meditations, study guides for mystical classics, poetry and other unpublished writings, and the opportunity to participate in Zoom calls with me (Carl).
Plus, depending on the membership level you select, you can get some nifty thank you gifts as well, including autographed books and “contemplative swag” like posters, prayer cards and mugs. Sign up today!
First of all — if you are reading this before September 23, 2023, I hope you will sign up to attend the Closer than Breath Centering Prayer Summit (note: I am not speaking at this event, but people I know and admire are, so it’s well worth your time to be there).
Now that The New Big Book of Christian Mysticism has been published, I’m making the rounds on some podcasts I know and love well — and also connecting with some new ones. Here are two recent podcast conversations that you might enjoy…
Spark My Muse — Lisa DeLay is one of my favorite podcasters (really, one of my all around favorite people) and it was a joy to re-connect with her to geek out about mysticism. Listen to the podcast here.
Hamsa Holistic Healing — I think this is the first time I’ve been on a podcast devoted to Ayurveda! The host, Sheree Berjansky, and I talked about how to unpack the difference between Christian mysticism and mysticism as a worldwide/gobal phenomenon. Listen to the podcast here.
Hi friends, just a quick post to let you know that I’ve set up an account with Ko-Fi, which gives you another option (an alternative to Patreon) for supporting Anamchara.com and my writing ministry.
If you want to make a small “tip” or donation, either on a one-time or a monthly basis, you can use Ko-Fi — you can set the dollar amount, and can pay using your credit card or paypal. Best of all, Ko-Fi is a free service so all your money (less banking charges) goes directly to supporting my creative work. Thank you! Click here to “buy me a coffee” through Ko-Fi.
[kofi]
If you want to make a recurring donation with membership benefits, then Patreon is for you. With three membership tiers starting at $10/month, you can receive benefits including monthly zoom meetings with me, study materials for mystical and contemplative classics, and first look access to current and future writing projects. 15% discount if you opt for an annual membership. Click here to become a patron through Patreon.
Basically, if you want to make a small gift or a one-time donation at any level, use Ko-Fi. If you want to make a larger, recurring gift (and receive some member rewards in exchange), then go with Patreon. Either way, I thank you!
December 6 is quite a special day. It’s the feast day of Saint Nicholas, patron saint of children (also known as Father Christmas). In 1875, one of the great mystics of the 20th century, Evelyn Underhill, was born on this day. Fifteen years later, another mystic, the esotericist Violet Firth (better known by her pen name, Dion Fortune) also was born on 12/6. The treaty between England and Ireland marking the end of the Irish war for independence was signed on 6 December 1921, and a year later — 100 years ago today — the Irish Free State (predecessor of the Republic of Ireland) came into existence, marking the first time a Celtic country was free for centuries.
But also on December 6, 1922, the City of Birmingham Choir in Birmingham England gave the first performance of one of the most beautiful choral settings of the Latin Mass — the Mass in G Minor by Ralph Vaughan Williams. Although originally presented in a secular concert setting, Vaughan Williams wrote this Mass for Liturgical use, and the music does continue to get used in worship settings as well as concert performances.
The Vaughan Williams Mass is distinctive for integrating melodies and cadences from English folk tunes into the liturgical music for the Mass, giving this particular Mass a lyrical, melodic quality that is simultaneously earthy and transcendent. It is simply a luminous and sublime expression of Christian worship — it’s my favorite Mass, and I simply adore the fact that it debuted on this particular day (yes, December 6 is a special day for me as well).
I first heard this Mass when I borrowed the King’s College Choir recording of it from my college library, some 40 years ago now. Even though it was recorded in the 1950s, it’s still my favorite recording of this Mass.
Over the past few months I have had the good fortune to be the guest on a few podcasts. Perhaps you might enjoy listening to them. If so, check the episodes out below…
First up is “The Wisdom’s Table” podcast with Philip Averay, an Anglican priest based in Wales. We spoke about “The Treasures of Christian Mysticism.”
My dear friend Kim Martin interviewed both me and Fran (my wife) for two episodes of her “How Now” podcast. In the first episode we talk about the spirituality of long-term caregiving, based on my book Unteachable Lessons. The second part of the interview is a more general discussion of the spirituality of prayer. It was a delight not only talking with Kim, but also having Fran participate in the interviews!
Another conversation about Christian mysticism, this time on the “Inner Peace with Dr. Reese” podcast.
My good friend and co-conspirator Debonee Morgan interviewed me about Ken Wilber’s Integral Theory for an upcoming course I’m teaching with the organization she shepherds, Zeitgeist Atlanta.
Ignatius House is the Jesuit Retreat Center in Atlanta (and one of my favorite places). They host a regular Facebook Live program called “People of Hope,” and recently I was asked to share my thoughts on the joy of the season of Lent.
Last, but hopefully not least, is a podcast of nature sound recordings that I released recently on the Encountering Silence podcast. So instead of an interview, I get to share with you some of my favorite ambient recordings, mostly from nature. Enjoy!
Friends, as you can see from this photo, I have a new bookmark and I’d love to send a couple of them to you.
While one side of the bookmark is “advertising” — what I’m most excited to be sharing with you is a prayer I call my “Centering Prayer Affirmations” prayer. Even though during Centering Prayer we only use a single Sacred Word, it’s customary to precede your silent time with a prayer that can help establish your intentions for the prayer period. I wrote this prayer with that kind of intentionality in mind. Of course, you don’t have to limit it to use before Centering Prayer — this could be a beautiful prayer for contemplative intentions at any time.
If you’d like a couple of these bookmarks — one for you and one for a friend — please send me a stamped #10 (business) envelope, addressed to you, at the address below. I’m sorry but I’m only able to supply these to USA residents (if you are outside the USA, feel free to download the image below and print it for your own use).
If you work in a bookstore, run a Centering Prayer group, or have another reason you would like multiple copies, please reach out to me and we’ll figure out how to get them to you.
Also… if you order anything from my e-commerce store, or if you are a patron of this website, I’ll send you a bookmark automatically. Just sayin’!
It’s no secret to anyone who has been reading my blog for a while that I’m a huge fan of Verbum. Verbum is a Bible study software designed specifically for Catholics or anyone interested in a Catholic approach to Biblical scholarship. It draws on the entire history of Christian theology and spirituality, meaning that when you study a particular passage, you can receive guidance in interpreting it from the doctors of the church, the saints and mystics of every generation, and the best of contemporary Biblical scholarship, both Catholic and ecumenical.
It’s a wonderful resource. You can read my reviews of Verbum here and here. If you read these reviews, you will see that one of the reasons I love Verbum is because you can get literally hundreds of books by the great mystics to add to your Verbum library. Many of these books are keyed to Biblical passages that the writers refer to, which means you can access them when doing your Biblical research. Imagine you are writing a sermon or preparing a Sunday School class — wouldn’t it be neat to offer insights from Julian of Norwich or Meister Eckhart on whatever passage you are speaking on?
But Verbum’s library doesn’t just stop with the saints, theologians and mystics of old. Many contemporary books have also been released on the Verbum platform. You can use Verbum in much the same way you would use the Kindle or Nook apps on your tablet or smartphone: in addition to being a powerhouse Bible-study tool, it also can function as a useful ebook reader.
With all that in mind, I’m excited to announce that two of my books have been released as Verbum ebooks! So if you use Verbum, you can download my books to your library. And if you don’t (yet) use Verbum, well, here’s another reason to consider making it your go-to application for Bible study software.
Disclaimer: if you follow any of these links and make a purchase, I’ll receive an affiliate commission (at no extra cost to you). In other words, making a purchase this way will not only give yourself a premier Bible study program, but it will support my ministry as well. Thank you!
I’m glad you’re visiting my website. I’m Carl — and here’s a little bit about me.
I am a writer, blogger, podcaster, spiritual director, and speaker. While I work with words for a living, I love to explore what ultimately cannot be put into words: topics like silence and love — and God.
The heart of every word is silence, and the heart of spirituality is the mystery of love.
My books — like The Big Book of Christian Mysticismand Unteachable Lessons — approach spirituality (and life) in a joyful and optimistic way. I believe spirituality should bring people together, rather than setting us apart. For this reason, my work explores many paths, from Buddhism to Celtic wisdom to Neopaganism — while remaining grounded in contemplative Christianity.
Following a life-changing encounter with the presence of God as a teenager, I studied Christian spirituality at the Shalem Institute, and received formation as a spiritual director through the Institute for Pastoral Studies. I am a life-professed Lay Cistercian (a layperson under the spiritual guidance of Trappist monks) and a commissioned presenter of Centering Prayer workshops.
Carl McColman gives much wise direction and broad understanding of the field of contemplative theory and practice. Here is your teacher!
— Richard Rohr
Carl McColman’s first gift is his commitment to write about things that matter. His second gift is his ability to write about them with clarity and warmth, enticing his readers to go places with him that we might otherwise not have gone.
— Barbara Brown Taylor
If you don’t know about Carl McColman and his work, you should.
I am privileged to accompany people as they explore the contemplative dimension of their relationship with God. I can meet with directees at two locations in Atlanta, or via Skype or Zoom for those outside of the Atlanta area.
Friends, I’m pleased to announce that I have launched a new section on this website called Via Mystica. To visit it, click here: www.viamystica.com.
Via Mystica is a website devoted entirely to the study and practice of Christian mystical spirituality. It’s still in its beginning stages, but let me share with you my vision for what it can be.
My intention is for this to be an online knowledge base for people who want to learn more about Christian mysticism. Thus, it will be a compendium for information on the most important mystical and contemplative writers and teachers, and their teachings — both from history and living today. It can also be a resource for those who want to begin to integrate contemplative and mystical practices into their daily lives — which involves not only learning the core practices, but also helping you to connect with others on the same path, from soul friends and spiritual directors to community resources such as prayer groups or contemplative ministries.
I’ve been publishing blog posts and articles about various aspects of mystical and contemplative spirituality for about 15 years, so I have a lot of archival material, a fair amount of which is not currently online. For now, Via Mystica will function as an archive of my best “mystical” writing over the years, along with new essays/blog posts that I will write with its larger mission to mind: to introduce people online to Christian mysticism, to offer a curated forum for learning more about the history and teachings of the mystics, and to guide those who want to embrace the mystical life and begin or deepen their own contemplative practice.
Evelyn Underhill, on of the most important twentieth-century writers on Christian mysticism.
But my hope is that this site will be much more than simply a blog about mysticism.
I envision Via Mystica will also include audio and video content about mysticism. Future possibilities include offering webinars or online courses, so that anyone who desires interaction with teachers and other students of mysticism will find those opportunities here as well.
Other possibilities could include setting up a forum or even a membership site. I’m not sure if that’s the direction it’ll go or not — those things are beyond my current expertise — but depending on feedback I receive from readers and patrons, as well as the possibility of strategic partnership(s) with others who might be develop those features, they are certainly options for the future.
The sky is the limit. I’m starting small — for now, just a simple website that will include curated content from my archives on the subject of Christian mysticism. We can see how it goes from there. My hope is that anyone who visits Via Mystica will interact with me so that I can begin to get a feel for what people would like from a site like this. As I get a greater sense of what I can be doing to serve the online contemplative mystical community, my hope is that Via Mystica will be our meeting place — to connect, to learn, to practice, to pray, and to grow together.
Does this appeal to you? I hope so. Via Mystica is meant for anyone who wants to learn more about Christian mysticism and apply the wisdom of the mystics to their lives. I hope that includes you.
Julian of Norwich, one of the most poetic and optimistic of Christian mystics.
For now, this is very much a labor of love. I have no funding for this aside from the generous patrons who support me (and my work) through Patreon. It is possible that developing the vision for Via Mystica might involve raising money (crowdfunding, investors, and/or revenue from online courses) if there is interest in actually building something beyond a blog/archive. I’m open to let the Spirit lead; it will be an adventure to see where this goes.
How to Be Connected
Do you want to be part of the Via Mystica adventure? Joining the circle is easy — as simple as signing up for email notifications or making a small monthly pledge. Note: to make sure you get the Via Mystica updates, select “Christian Mysticism” when you sign up. Of course, please sign up for any of the other topics that appeal to you.
If you would like to receive email notifications for when Via Mystica is updated, then please sign up for my email list. You’ll get notified whenever there’s something new on the site (you’ll also get emails whenever there’s something new on my personal blog as well). My goal is to post one to two new (or archival) articles, essays or blog posts each week, so that by this time next year we should have well over fifty essays/posts collected together on the topic of mysticism. Hopefully it will continue to grow from there.
If you’d like to support this project, the easiest way is to become a Patreon patron of my work. Doing so involves a monthly pledge — which can be as small as $1. To learn more about supporting me (and other creative professionals) online, visit Patreon; here’s the link to my page: www.patreon.com/carlmccolman
Most important of all, please pray for me and for this new online project. Please join with me in seeking God’s guidance and leading for this initiative. The God of Christ is a God of love, so let’s pray that this site may be a way to celebrate and share Divine Love with each other and with the world.
Please let me know what you think — how an online resource/knowledge base about Christian mysticism can be most useful/helpful for you. Thanks for reading — I’ll see you over at Via Mystica!
A Retreat and Pilgrimage on the Isle of Mull (with visits to Iona and other sacred sites) — led by Carl and Fran McColman, Laura Imperial, and Phil Foster
This retreat is fully booked. Please contact us if you would like to be placed on a waiting list.
Iona Abbey
Explore the wisdom, the poetry, and the sacred stories of Celtic Scotland on this seven-day retreat in the windswept Hebridean Isle of Mull!
Join Carl McColman (author of Invitation to Celtic Wisdom), contemplative artist Fran McColman, poet/storyteller Phil Foster, and tourguide Laura Imperial as we celebrate the spirituality of the saints, the legends of ancient heroes, and the abiding mystery of the old Celtic lore.
Lochbuie Stone Circle
We will be based at the elegant Ardfenaig Lodge (previously the hunting lodge for the Duke of Argyll), with easy day trips to Duart Castle, Lochbuie Standing Stone Circle, Staffa Island (home of Fingal’s Cave, immortalized by poet James McPherson and composer Felix Mendelssohn), and Iona — legendary home of Saint Columba, burial place of Scottish kings, and the sacred destination of Celtic pilgrims from the world over.
Our time together will foster a meaningful and contemplative retreat experience. Each day Carl and/or Phil will guide us into the spirituality of the Celts through stories, poetry, legends, liturgy and lore.
Duarte Castle
Carl and Fran will offer guidance for contemplative creativity (journaling, photography, and art). Laura will help us to appreciate the history, geography and local lore of this sacred place.
Our schedule will balance our day-trips with time for reflection and the space to explore and enjoy the convivial culture of the Scottish Hebrides, including visits to pubs, churches, and cafés.
ArdFenaig Lodge
To maximize the contemplative nature of our week together, we are limiting this experience to 11 participants.
The cost for Elemental Scotland is $2200. This covers:
Lodging (double occupancy) for 7 nights (no single occupancy rooms available)
All breakfasts (including fresh eggs), 3 lunches, 3 dinners with wine
Transportation (including ferry to Iona) around the island after arriving at Ardfenaig
Duart Castle tour
Standing Stones
Trip to Staffa
Sunday service at Iona Abbey
Tour of Iona Abbey
Pilgrimage walk around Iona led by a member of the Iona Community
This price does not include air fare or transportation costs to and from Ardfenaig. We recommend you travel to Edinburgh or Glasgow, and we will provide detailed instructions for making your own pilgrimage from the city to the remote setting of our retreat.
Staffa
Space is limited for this Celtic retreat, so plan to register soon.
We expect this retreat to fill up quickly. A $300 deposit will hold your spot, with the balance due by June 1, 2019.
This retreat is fully booked. Please contact us if you would like to be placed on a waiting list.
Carl McColman is a contemplative author, teacher, and spiritual guide. He is the author of various books, including An Invitation to Celtic Wisdom, 366 Celt: A Year and a Day of Celtic Wisdom and Lore and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Celtic Wisdom. He blogs for the Contemplative Channel on Patheos and is the co-host of the Encountering Silence podcast. He is a life professed Lay Cistercian of the Trappist Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, GA.
Fran McColman creates beauty in a variety of media. She is a contemplative photographer, artist, and a certified Zentangle teacher. She loves working with watercolor, pen and ink, and dyes for silk. Her work celebrates the splendor of nature, the love of the Divine, and the yearning for compassion and connection in each of our hearts. She particularly enjoys helping others find their own artistic voice through a contemplative approach to creativity.
Laura Imperial, MS, LPC, LMFT has been going to the Isle of Mull annually for the past 20 years, and calls it her spiritual home and sanctuary. She is a psychotherapist and marriage and family therapist, and lives in New Orleans, LA, USA. Laura currently works as a consultant and volunteers with the Mental Health Crisis Unit of the New Orleans Police Department. She enjoys gardening, triathlons, and playing bass guitar.
Phil Foster, MDiv, LPC, LLC is a psychotherapist and consultant from Decatur, GA, USA. Phil has led dozens of workshops and retreats on spirituality, mythic-poetics, and archetypal/transpersonal psychotherapy. He is an ordained Disciples of Christ clergyperson, and a life professed Lay Cistercian of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit, in Conyers, GA. Phil enjoys poetry and is a life-long drummer.
This evening I’ve been asked to speak to a small house church in my neighborhood on the spirituality of silence.
This particular community is evangelical, and silence is not something that they have traditionally placed a lot of emphasis on. But their pastor (who lives across the street from me) is discerning in his heart a call to greater silence in his prayer, and knowing that silence is “my thing” he invited me to come share with the community.
It seems to me that for a community like that, the best way to introduce them to the spirituality of silence is to share with them a variety of Biblical verses that affirm the beauty and importance of silence, as well as stillness and solitude.
So I drew up the list of the following verses, and figured it was worth sharing here. These versions (with the exception of Psalm 65) come from the New Revised Standard Version, but almost any scholarly Bible translation will reveal how important silence is in these passages. What I love about each of these passages is that they look at silence not in human terms (i.e., keeping silent — or speaking out — when relating to others), but rather they all point us to the beauty and meaning of silence in how we relate to God. I know that it’s dangerous to use proof-texts, but still, I can’t help but believe that these verses taken together make a powerful witness to how silence is an essential nutrient for the spiritual life.
“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
“For God alone my soul in silence waits.” Psalm 62:1
“But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him!” Habakkuk 2:20
“In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” Isaiah 30:15
“Be silent before the Lord God! For the day of the Lord is at hand; the Lord has prepared a sacrifice, he has consecrated his guests.”Zephaniah 1:7
“It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” Lamentations 3:26
“In the morning, while it was still very dark, Jesus got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed.” Mark 1:35
“When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.” Revelation 8:1
“He said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’ Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.”I Kings 19:11-12 (other versions render this as “a still small voice” or “a light silent sound”)
Are there other Biblical passages about silence, stillness and solitude that you love? Please let me know!
Anamchara — an online resource for the exploration of Christian and interfaith mysticism, contemplative living, and silent prayer — includes a blog, a knowledge base, and audio/video content. It’s a labor of love and requires several hours each workday to keep going. This website is made possible by the generous support of readers like you.
When you make a pledge to support this site, you not only have the satisfaction of knowing you are partnering with me to keep quality contemplative writing available online, but you also get exclusive “first look” access at my new writing — including poetry, meditation, and encouragement for your ongoing contemplative practice. Depending on your level of support, you may also have first-look access to new videos, complimentary enrollment in online courses offered through my blog, and even the opportunity to participate in online retreats or spiritual direction.
After much consideration (and prayer!), I chose Patreon to facilitate financial support for my blog. Patreon is a website where you can support writers and other artists like me — people who are engaged in on-going creative work.
This website is a forum devoted to Christian mysticism and contemplative spirituality. I write about the wisdom of the great Christian mystics of the past, the practices that can help you foster a meaningful contemplative practice in your life, and related topics (such as interfaith dialogue). I also regularly publish reviews of books related to contemplation and mysticism.
I began this blog very much as a hobby, because this is a topic dear to my heart. By the grace of God, I’ve had the opportunity to write several books and out of that I’ve been blessed with many opportunities to lead retreats and give talks at churches, monasteries and even seminaries. Contemplation and mysticism are important topics, and both practicing Christians and people who identify as spiritual-but-not-religious want to learn more about the rich heritage of Christian mysticism and contemplation.
This website fills an important niche. But because of the ongoing time commitment that a site like this entails, I depend on support from readers like you who have found this blog helpful on your spiritual journey.
You can make a monthly pledge in any amount on Patreon. Even just ten dollars a month gives you access to all the exclusive “first look” content that patrons get to see first. But truly, any amount is welcome — the miracle of crowdfunding is that many small pledges add up to a sustainable level of support. In fact, I encourage patrons to keep their pledged amount small, since that is more sustainable over the long haul.
When you make a pledge, you become part of the team — a team of patrons who join with me in the conviction that mysticism and contemplation are what Christians need, and what the world needs. Because of the support of patrons, I will be able to continue publishing new material, and hopefully expanding the voice (and reach) of this blog, to get the word out about mysticism and contemplation to others.
I regularly get emails from readers who tell me how important contemplation and mysticism is to their spiritual life. How many people are there who are in the same boat, but haven’t discovered the tradition of Christian mysticism — yet? Perhaps this blog will help them.
All patrons, at any level, receive a monthly newsletter from me, just for patrons;
If you pledge $3 or more per month, you get access to 1 or 2 never-before-published contemplative poems;
Pledge $5 or more per month, and in addition to the above you also get access to a monthly meditation on an aspect of the Christian contemplative path;
Pledge $20 or more per month, and every time I have a new book published I’ll send you a free autographed copy (sorry, this offer is only for USA residents);
Pledge $50 or more per month, and you’ll be invited to participate in a quarterly live-stream video conference with me; $100 or more a month gives you access to a monthly Skype or Zoom call with me which you can use for spiritual direction, coaching for your own writing practice, or simply a chance to chat with a fellow contemplative.
Together we can make a difference.
Thank you for your support.
If you are new to this blog, here are a few links to some posts that will give you a taste of what this blog is all about:
