We live in challenging times, thrown back more than usual onto the small communities of our household. You may have suddenly found yourself becoming a caretaker or a parent again. Or found yourself lonely and longing for someone with whom to share your solitude. So now more than ever we need to practice the art of solitude and especially to learn how to share places of solitude.

Feb 6

Feb 6 Courage for Solitude: With Some Help from Rainer Maria Rilke

Almut Furchert

poetry

Currently on our own writing retreat tucked away on a little island in mainland Florida surrounded only by water and wildlife we came to ponder on the art of solitude in new ways. It is not always easy to be with each other in solitude. Suddenly you are met by problems which long wanted to be discussed, by duties which long needed to be done, by questions which have long waited for answers, even by a blog post which is not written yet.

Dec 28
Dec 28 The fourth Day of Christmas. Walking inside yourself

Almut Furchert

12 Days of Christmas 2017

On the fourth Day of Christmas snow drifted ever so quietly down to earth, tenderly covering the landscape with a white veil. Every year I am afraid of winter. Every year I am, again, taken by surprise to watch the beauty of the first snow falling, to listen to my silent steps in the thin blanket of snow. The whole world is washed clean and hushed into a peaceful rest.

It is often just so in the spiritual world. We get afraid when, in our lives, the last colors of Fall vanish and our life is put on hold under an icy layer of cold. Yet still, we know, somewhere below those cold layers there is life waiting to burst into bloom again in spring.

Mar 4

Mar 4 Pondering your questions: Buber and Rilke on being "in-between"...

Almut Furchert

Coming back from our winter solitude retreat last weekend we are still filled with the good spirit that flows when people spend time with each other in solitude. It reminds me of a beautiful line I learned back in my philosophy studies, reading Martin Buber's brief but challenging book on true encounter. When we meet each other in a climate where the other turns from a mere object of my interest into a Thou, we help a new space open up "in-between" us, Buber states: "The extended lines of I and Thou meet in the "eternal Thou."

Feb 11
Feb 11 Gathering within...

Almut Furchert

In our last blog post we reflected on the art of solitude and introduced you to the poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke and his letters to a young poet.

Today we offer you a special invitation for a winter solitude. With this we hope to create a space of rest and rejuvenation for all of you who long for a time of quiet and reflection and also those who feel they have not yet fully arrived in the New year. Just as winter is a season of resting and deepening, in which life's forces work in hidden ways, our soul's winter solitude may be preparing us for new awakenings.

Jan 29

Jan 29 The Art of Solitude

Almut Furchert

poetry

Currently on our own writing retreat tucked away on a little island in mainland Florida surrounded only by water and wildlife we came to ponder on the art of solitude in new ways. It is not always easy to be with each other in solitude. Suddenly you are met by problems which long wanted to be discussed, by duties which long needed to be done, by questions which have long waited for answers, even by a blog post which is not written yet.