Journeys of a Pregnant Virgin

It is Sunday again and my first day without any seminars or other appointments in more than a week. I'm getting off to a late start this morning because my landlady, Marianne, had a dinner party to which I was invited last night and it was 1 am when the last guests left. I'm sure I have never before had dinner with a table full of academic chemists of various kinds and their language is almost as foreign to my ears as Swiss-German. But I liked the people - all in their thirties except the host and hostess and myself - and the food was wonderful, all the more so because I have been eating very simply and filling in the gaps with chocolate. I'm just not in the mood to cook much here in Zurich but it was wonderful to sit down to a delicious Greek dinner of roast lamb and wonderful side dishes and a decadent tiramisu to follow.

The weather here has continued to be beautiful, an almost guilty pleasure for me when I hear how much dreary rain Vancouver has had since I left. Many mornings Steve sets out for his walk and comes home soaked. Here the day often begins with a thick mysterious fog which gradually thins out and disappears entirely by noon, revealing slanted rays of a very golden sunlight that I particularly love. The beautiful soft and somewhat diffuse light here seems appropriate to the work I have undertaken, I think.

On Friday night and all day yesterday we had a "Demeter workshop" offered by three women from England who are also in Marion Woodman's Leadership Training Program. We explored the myth of Demeter and Kore/Persephone in a very personal way through dream imagery and movement and art. They put it all together in a lovely and loving way and I was excited to see how someone else is creating something new out of the study we have shared. It evokes my own creativity as a workshop leader as well - I have some ideas for the work Ursula and I do together that spring out of the work we did yesterday.

Unfortunately that is the second and last movement seminar we will have before Christmas but there is a six week Authentic Movement Seminar offered in January and I'm looking forward to that very much.

I just realized that I have not yet included a quote since I'm back in Zurich, and I thought of the following one from James Hollis who has so many good things to say and who will be speaking in Vancouver next weekend.

"...As we and our partners [and friends, I would add] are only fragile, frightened travelers, easily hurt and intimidated by the loud roar of the universe, we are all most needful of magnanimity of spirit. Touching, forgiving, accepting, comforting oneself and the other brings grace into this wounded world." (From "Creating a Life", p.137, since you asked.)

I think what touches me most is the reminder that it is ourselves we need to comfort and forgive as much as the other, especially the comforting part. I think most of us (including JH himself, I suspect) find it easier to extend that magnanimity to others than to ourselves. What a lyrical reminder that forgiveness begins at home!

And with those wonderful words I will sign off for now. Wishing all a good week to come.