People came from 13 states and Canada to attend the New England School of Celtic Consciousness with John Philip Newell held at and in collaboration with Mercy by the Sea. The second annual gathering drew 170 participants; all seekers wanting to deepen their knowledge of Celtic Christian wisdom.
In 2016, John Philip founded the School of Celtic Consciousness with the conviction that Celtic wisdom is “urgently” needed at this moment in time. “The instinct for seeing the sacredness in all things is rising again,” he said. John Philip also observes a widespread spiritual yearning for a deeper integration of the feminine and the masculine.
One summer several years ago, I joined my niece and her family at a Family Camp held at Bishop’s Ranch in Healdsburg, California. One of the afternoon activities was canoeing on a local river. I hadn’t canoed since Girl Scout camp more than 40 years ago, and I discovered that I’m an abysmal paddler. Who had time to commune with nature when we kept zig-zagging down the river despite being helped by the current. Then, far worse, we struggled mightily to get back to the dock. As I recall, we were finally ignominiously towed in.
So it was with curiosity and vicarious pleasure that I read about the River of Life: Connecticut River Pilgrimage, 2017. At the suggestion of The Rt. Rev. A. Robert Hirschfeld, Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire; with the support of the seven New England Episcopal dioceses; and in partnership with other organizations, a 40-day, 406-mile river pilgrimage was launched.
