In 2012
Oneness Wednesdays in December:
Death Cafe facilitated by Don + Elizabeth Morris – Dec 5 + 12
Time: 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Free or by donation. Kindly bring “pot luck” savory snacks or desserts.
Everyone Welcome to Drop –In.
Death Café is a forum /gathering in which we can talk about Death in a safe environment. Having tea and simple foods makes for relaxing kitchen table talk where humourous stories, etc. have their place. Come initiate “free flowing conversation around the topic of death” while comfortably seated at tables in an uplifting environment drinking tea and eating pot luck savory snacks or desserts. Relax into a non-idealogical, non-discriminatory, open hearted setting where our often hushed thoughts and feelings are most welcomed.
Evening Format:
Start – Opening Circle
- Everyone will gather in a circle.
- Don will welcome everyone, introduce himself, and say more about what Death Café is all about.
- Self introductions and people can share why they came.
- Don will explain how the Death Café evening will unfold including ground rules: respect, confidentiality, compassion, etc.
Conversations:
- Tables will be set up as well as small circles of chairs for people to sit down and talk to each other about death and while eating and drinking ginger tea.
- People can talk about any aspect of death and dying to counter our societal norm which generally doesn’t want us to talk about it even though it is happening all around us.
- Conversations can lead to admissions that we won’t live forever so what do we do with our lives? What do we want to accomplish most? What’s on your to do or bucket list before your end?
Closing Circle:
- People speak their hearts and mind in the larger circle
- We sing a song
About Death Café:
Death Café is a forum/gathering which deprives death of its strangeness and serves to help us break through our fears about it. Its purpose is to raise our own death awareness so we live life more deeply. As mentioned, death talk doesn’t always have to be such serious talk, thus having tea and dessert makes for relaxing kitchen table talk complete with humorous stories, etc
The Death Café format began recently in Switzerland in 2010 and spread to France, England and the US and now in Canada. This may be the first one in Canada.
About Don Morris:
A lifetime concern with North American attitudes toward death and dying, along with a strong desire to serve the bereaved, led him into a 13 year funeral directing career, obtaining a master’s in counseling, andbecoming an end of life coach. For more information, please visit: http://www.donmorris.ca/
Winter Solstice 2012 – Celebrating the Birth of Our Universal Selves with Joy Emmanuel and Friends – Wednesday, December 19th
Time: 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Free or by donation.
Everyone Welcome to Drop –In.
Winter Solstice is the season to celebrate the shift from darkness to light – the universal movement toward Light and Life, and for many cultures, the beginning of the festive season of Light. Solstice traditions remind us of our connection to far off heavenly bodies and the power those distant bodies have to influence our daily lives. Now, however, we live in a time when the human species has developed the capacity to powerfully influence our Earth home – for better or for worse.In this shift year of 2012, we celebrate the winter solstice by celebrating the birth of our Universal Self – the awareness of our global interconnectedness with all life and the capacity to co-create an amazing life sustaining world. The choice of which path to go down and how to embrace the mystery of the future is for us to make.
Let us celebrate interconnection, oneness and possibility as we pass across the bridge of time to great consciousness and compassion for all life. Join us for Winter 2012 Solstice celebration.
About Joy Emmanuel:
Joy Emmanuel is a Transformational Coach, Adult Educator, Organizational Developer and Community Animator. Joy offers transformational change programs for individuals and groups of all sizes.
Oneness Wednesdays in November :
Yin Yang: Honouring the Dance – Men’s Perspectives on the Great Change
A series of four Wednesday evenings on the changing role of men at this pivotal moment in human history, presented from the perspectives of the Men’s Circle of the Church of Truth from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Drop into one or more evenings. Free or by donation.
November 7 History – Herstory
A look back at the patriarchy and how it affects us, personally, today
November 14 Work in Progress
An examination by two men of the challenges they have experienced and still
experience regarding the changing “role of men,” and tools they have used to guide
them on their journeys
November 21 Birth of a Vision: Freedom and Responsibility
A panel of men share their upbringings and subsequent evolution of their ideas of the masculine
November 28 Balance and Ceremony
The men of the church share healing ceremonies with the attendees.
Oneness Wednesdays in October :
TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION and BEYOND:
GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER IN SHARING CIRCLES
October 3, 10, 17 24 and 31st
Church of Truth, Community of Conscious Living,
111 Superior Street (in James Bay)
Circle starts at 7 p.m. Snack luck and get together after our circle.
Contact Joyanna at (250) 361-3181
Oct 3: Opening with Frank Smoke: Smudging
Oct 10: Dr. Roland Guenther
Oct 17: Monique Gray Smith, author of Hope and Empathy, will present History through the lens of resiliency
Oct 24: Sandra Pelkey of the Tsawout Nation and Susan Langois: Speaking about their sons, similarities and differences. One brought up on a reserve in a family living the generational damage of residential Schools. The other, a Metis, brought up in a white environment.
Oct 31: On this last Wednesday about Truth and Reconciliation and Beyond we will have a closing circle reflecting on the previous evenings where we had a glimpse of the history of the Indian Act and of the devastating effect of the residential schools on the lives of First Nations peoples and the continuing residual damage. We have heard stories of living with Native people and shared in a talking circle and smudging ceremonies. We will close with a ceremony of forgiveness,led by Roland Guenther and Sanjara Omoniyi and we will celebrate our gratitude in this time of healing acknowledging that we celebrate on the unceded territory of the Lekwungen people
Oneness Wednesdays in September:
September 19 – Fall Equinox Celebration with Joy Emmanuel and Friends
Harvesting the Gifts of Conscious Connection
In this year of 2012 that some say marks the shift to a new human era, what does it mean to
celebrate the ancient ritual of Fall Equinox? Autumn is a time for harvesting and giving thanks.
Equinox is a time of balance between the presence of darkness and light, chaos and creativity.
2012 is a time of change when we are called to make a deeper commitment to conscious
evolution as a species that is powerfully impacting the planet. One way we can open to that shift
is through consciously connecting to the impulse of creation emerging in each of us – calling
us to create a more just, loving and sustainable world. Let us harvest the gifts of conscious
connection as we awaken the life sustaining forces of creation in all that we do and in all our
interconnections with one another.
Please join us for a night of celebrating the planetary shifts of our time!
September 26 – The Point of Power is in the Present Moment with John Hutton
While many of us have at least some regrets of the past and/or fears or anxieties of the future, the point of Creativity and Power is always in
the Present Moment. In this evening we will explore and work with this powerful insight!!!
Oneness Wednesdays in June:
Spiritual Potpourri
Drop-in on June 6, 13, 20 + 27, 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Church of Truth, Community of Conscious Living
111 Superior Street, Victoria, BC
Free or by Donation
June 6 – Quantum Healing with EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) – Achieving Personal and Planetary Peace with Cedona Holly
When we become peaceful within, the planet naturally aligns with our inner shift. Our personal shift to inner peace helps humanity ascend in consciousness. The simple technology of tapping on our acupuncture meridian points can shift patterns and symptoms in minutes. EFT, or “Tapping”, is one of the most potent tools for transformation available to us today. A new
scientific study has proven that one hour of tapping lowers Cortisol levels (stress levels) by 24%. We will learn about the “Personal Peace Procedure” and come away proficient in using the basic technique.
Cedona Holly has been utilizing EFT since 2001 as an integral part of her personal quest to be completely free of the limitations of the ego-mind. She uses EFT on just about everything and finds it to be profoundly useful. She has facilitated several Teleconference call series using EFT with wonderful results. She is the author of 2 books and is a Spiritual Counselor.
June 13 – Poetry Evening with D. Joan Thomas
Come prepared to write poetry. Sharing is optional.
June 20 – Summer Solstice Celebration: Dancing into the Fire of Creativity, Chaos and Cocreation with Joy Emmanuel
Summer is the season of light and fire and playfulness. Summer can be a time of letting go of routines and diving into the delights of long days at the beach or sitting by a cozy campfire under a diamond studded sky. Summer is the season of creativity as nature’s garden abounds with abundant life growing forth in all directions. Summer can also be a season of change, and even chaos, as we open to new growing edges in ourselves.
As we journey through this year of 2012, which some spiritual teachings identify as a significant year of shifting planetary consciousness, let us come together to celebrate the shifting seasons of life. Let’s us celebrate the power of Light and open ourselves to the fire of creativity and the opportunity in chaos. Let us honor the ancient traditions by celebrating the life-giving relationship of Mother Earth and Father Sun and let us be present to the changing times we live
in and the new story of co-creative possibility that is unfolding through us.
June 27 – Music Night with Brian Martin
Everyone is invited to come on down and singalong, strumalong, humalong or just plain jam-along with whatever tune emerges from our collective musings. All instruments are welcome as are dancers, clappers, stompers and interested listeners. Bring a favorite tune to share in whatever style moves you’re groove. It’s all about having fun with the music
Oneness Wednesdays in May:
Explorations on the New Cosmology and the Work of Brian Swimme
Drop-in on May 2, 9, 16 + 23 + 30, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Church of Truth, Community of Conscious Living
111 Superior Street, Victoria, BC
Free or by Donation
This series will be an exploration of Brian Swimme’s work using the following DVD presentations: Journey of the Universe, The Earth’s Imagination and the Power of the Universe.
May 2: Journey of the Universe Film Viewing with post film discussion facilitated by Gertie Jocksch
Journey of the Universe tells the 14 billion year epic story of the cosmic earth- human experience. Set on the Greek island of Samos, the film weaves scientific discoveries in astronomy, geology, biology and ecology with insights from the world’s cultures. Beginning with the universe and the unfolding of life on Earth, exquisite imagery, provocative metaphors and enlivening musical score invite us to embrace a profound participatory role in the flourishing of the Earth community.
Journey of the Universe Film Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=665rLZ0_HjU
May 9: Journey of the Universe, Education Series (a) The Passion of Animals + (b) Indigenous Ways of Knowing – DVD Showing + Discussion facilitated by Gertie Jocksch
a. The Passion of Animals With Scott Sampson, Paleontologist
The compelling story of Earth’s fossil record touching on topics ranging from the ancient ecosystems of dianosaurs to the co-evolution of the human with other species.
b. Indigenous Ways of Knowing With David Begay, Professor of Physics and Nancy Maryboy
An invitation to understand Navajo ways of knowing. The speakers describe a worldview that is place-based, emphasizing kinship and connection which intimately orients the human within a interrelated and unified cosmos.
May 16: Earth’s Imagination – DVD Showing + Discussion facilitated by Bill Wilson
“In The Earth’s Imagination, cosmologist Brian Swimme places the human psyche within the fifteen billion year cosmic process in order to highlight the directions in which human consciousness is evolving today and into the future.”
May 23: Power of the Universe : The Power of Allurement- DVD Showing + Discussion facilitated by Gertie Jocksch
We will explore the Power of allurement. It’s the way in which the whole universe holds itself together. At the level of the galaxies, we call this the gravitational interaction. Gravity is what keeps the galaxies in place; it’s what draws the stars together. At the level of molecules, it has a different name: it’s called the electromagnetic interaction. The atoms and molecules in our body are being held together moment by moment by the attractive force of electromagnetism. The word allurement points to all these various forms of attraction.
May 30: Power of the Universe: The Power of Emergence – DVD Showing + Discussion facilitated by Gertie Jocksch
We will explore the power of emergence. We’ve discovered that the universe is not a place; it’s a story, a story of an irreversible sequence of emergent events. For a long time we thought that the universe was an established realm that had its major creativity happening only at the beginning of time. We now understand that the universe is an ongoing creative event. Stars came forth, galaxies came forth, planets have emerged, life burst into existence. This power of emergence could also be called ongoing creativity. In some ways, it’s the greatest discovery in the history of the human sciences—that the universe as a whole, and each being within it, is permeated with the power of emergence.
About Gertie Jocksch:
Gertie Jocksch is a Sister of Charity of Halifax. She holds a Masters of Divinity and a Doctor of Ministry from Regis College and the University of Toronto. Gertie’s ministry experience include, Hospital Chaplaincy, Director of Field Education at Regis College, Campus Ministry and Director of Graduate Theology Programs at St. Mark’s College in Vancouver. A passion that continues to evolve Gertie’s ministry is her concern and care for Earth. This ministry included participation in the development of the Centre for Earth and Spirit. Presently Gertie coordinates the work of Programs in Earth Literacies as well as facilitating programs. Gertie also teaches in the area of Ecotheology and ecofeminism.
Visit: www.earthliteracies.org .
Oneness Wednesdays in April:
Nonviolent Communication: A Language for Shifting a World into Peace
Drop-in on April 4, 11, 18 + 25
Church of Truth, Community of Conscious Living
111 Superior Street, Victoria, BC
7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Free or by Donation
Please join us to explore how the basic tools of NVC may become your skills for life that support a healthy planet one relationship at a time.
April 4th: Relationships – Facilitated by Judi Morin
April 11th: Moving Beyond Right and Wrong – Facilitated by Laurel Collins
April 18th: Activism for Social Change – Facilitated by Renee Lindstrom
April 25th: Resolving Conflict – Facilitated by Michele Favarge
At each of these evening there will be facilitation support by members of the Nonviolent Communication Community and an opportunity for role playing.
NVC Relationships with NVC Trainer, Judi Morin
Judy has began learning NVC in 1999. An educator by profession, when she found NVC, she asked a group of guys at William Head Prison if any of them would like to learn NVC with her. Fourteen of them signed up and it has been offered there every Thursday afternoon since then.(13 years!) Judi loves creating exercises to facilitate learning for people of various learning styles. People seem to find them helpful so with Lucy Leu and Raj Gill, together they wrote a NVC facilitator’s guide to support people in learning NVC – published in 2009. In the past 5 years, Judi has not been regularly facilitating NVC because she took on a full time position caring for and finding her time was occupied with our local community Sisters of St. Ann elders of St. Ann’s Residence. She does hope to get back sharing NVC after a sabbatical next year.
NVC Beyond Right and Wrongdoing with Laurel Collins
Laurel is deeply committed to creating a world where people communicate compassionately, prioritize connection and are able to contribute to one another’s lives with ease. She is currently completing a Master’s in Human Security and Peacebuilding at Royal Roads University, and will be starting her PhD at the University of Victoria in the fall, researching the impact of Nonviolent Communication on empathy development and social change. Laurel’s passions include facilitating, teaching, coaching and mediation, and she is inspired by the contribution that Nonviolent Communication can have in personal relationships, in the workplace and in social change. Laurel currently facilitates weekend intensives and 8-week courses on conscious communication, based on NVC principles
NVC and Social Change with Renee Lindstrom
Passionate about social change, Renee’s perspective is it begins within each of us and spreads outward into our relationships, communities, culture and the planet. ‘Being the change,’ for her is taking responsibility for our own choices and actions with a focus on developing personal awareness of why we (individually & cultures) react the way we do in relationships that ultimately shapes all of our worldly actions. Her first experience with Nonviolent Communication was with Judi Morin in weekend style workshops in the late 90’s, early 20’s. The impact for her was a listening exercise whereby she felt heard for the first time in 40 years of being on the planet and how this shifted her world! What we call listening with empathy, unique in NVC, and not appreciated until experienced. Along with local offerings Renee has experienced NVC through participating in training’s and intensives facilitated by Marshall Rosenberg, sitting on the Board of BCNCC, Co-ordinating an International 7 day intensive in Victoria with long time International Trainers such as Robert Gonzales and Susan Skye and her most valued experience was a 5 year long devoted weekly practice group that focused upon living and deepening the skills through the process by becoming increasingly vulnerable. This deeper practice that starting as teaching and learning the principles of NVC shifted into a sharing that supported major life situations differently and with more conscious awareness. Issues such as death, relationships & parenting, relationships & schools, relationship breakups, friendship jealousy and fears and unique work situations. Renee has taken NVC into schools working with children in classroom, shared it through her own classes, workshops, intensives and supported practice groups and developing communities. Renee is currently co-creating and writing a value based program for earlier educators with Valeria Almedia. She has been the local representative for the 14th & 15th Gandhi & King Seasons for Peace and Nonviolence in 2010 to 2012 and co-facilitator of the Hands Across the Sands – Willows Beach in 2010, 2011 and upcoming 2012 event, local co-ordinator for World Empathy Day events in 2009, 2010, 2011 and NVC Community picnics in 2009 and 2010.
NVC and Conflict Resolution with NVC Trainer, Michele Favarger
Michele Favarger is an International Trainer of Nonviolent Communication who was one of the original members of the BC Network for Compassionate Communication. Michele was the force behind the Library Project that partnered with Marshall Rosenberg to share his books on NVC in our province early in the BCNCC’s history. Michele shares NVC locally In Victoria and in the Cowichan Valley, Duncan and up island communities.
Presenter Michele Favager singing “See Me Beautiful” at our final Oneness Wednesday NVC Program.
April NVC Awareness month supporters:
Valeria Almedia
Valeria Almedia was in Victoria on an exchange program and introduced to NVC at the Church of Truth during a presentation. She began to study this way of communicating and upon her return to Brazil she began to work with her local NVC community to develop these principals. Valeria worked with Dominic Barter in introducing this into the Justice System in Brazil and in supporting the integration of Conflict Resolution and Nonviolent Communication. Valeria has completed a Bay Area – NVC Leadership Training Program and was also on the local Board for BCNCC after her return to live in Victoria. She shares classes and workshops with her communities and is currently co-creating and writing a value based program for earlier educators with Renee Lindstrom.
For more on the presenters and topics:
contact Renee Lindstrom @ renee@insideawareness.com
Join – Facebook group – Learning Empathy
Follow twitter – SNV/NVC @ http://twitter.com/NVCinVictoria
Read Waking2heart blog @ http://www.waking2heart.com/
BC Network for Compassionate Communication – http://www.bcncc.ca
Oneness Wednesdays in March:
Drop-in on March 7, 14, 21 + 28
Church of Truth, Community of Conscious Living
111 Superior Street, Victoria, BC
7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Free or by Donation
The Meaning of Current World Events and How We Can Express Our Role
Facilitator: Blair Little of SEQL
March 7th and 14th, 2012
March 7th,
~ World events and the underlying matrix of purposeful energies
~ Three forces moving humanity forward.
~ Personally experiencing their effects.
March 14th
~ Humanity’s path – One Life
~ Our role as a unit of One Life
~ Learning to align; learning to become.
About SEQL:
Society of the Enhancement of Quality of Life (SEQL) offers educational programs to increase the awareness of the fact of soul and One Life thereby enlivening an energy of peace in service of a New World Community
March 21st
Spring Equinox Celebration
Birthing a World that Works for All
Facilitator: Joy Emmanuel
What would it look like to create a world that works for all? What is our highest vision of a world where everyone is able to realize their personal, intellectual and spiritual potential and where we cooperate to optimize our collective possibilities? Sound a bit far-fetched? It might take a while – and yet every day we co-create the world through all of our actions. What if we just change the channel a bit and align our efforts? Let’s start with a vision of the world we choose to co-create and allow our intentions to support us in birthing a new world – today!
In this time of significant change on the planet, let’s intend in the direction of a positive shift toward greater social synergy and draw on the power of the Light to guide, balance and renew our collective efforts in birthing a world that works for all beings!
Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it!
Goethe
Joy Emmanuel is a Transformational Coach, Adult Educator, Organizational Developer working non-profits and co-operatives. Joy lives at OUR Eco-village in Shawnigan Lake. She offers transformational change programs for individuals and groups of all sizes. One-on-one coaching sessions can be arranged.
March 28th
Balancing our Human Ecology with the Aid of Our Ancestors
Facilitated by Don Morris
“I believe we can profoundly balance our inner ecology through strengthening relationships with our ancestors. In our session we will creatively explore this human desire through group discussion, ritual, music, song, and movement. Our activities will hopefully lead to intuitive and imaginative, ancestral contact. We will end the evening in celebration”.
Some material sharing is from spiritual scientist Rudolph Steiner and Malidoma Some, elder of the Dagara people. There will be an altar and water ritual. Please bring fruit, candles and photos of loved ones. Hopefully we will be able to utilize utube music videos.
About Don Morris:
Don has significant personal and professional experience in this fascinating dimension of life and wants to share it!
Oneness Wednesdays in February:
Living Music: Learning Life Skills Through Music
Facilitator: Brian Martin
Drop-in on February 1, 8, 15, 22 + 29
Church of Truth, Community of Conscious Living
111 Superior Street, Victoria, BC
7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Free or by Donation
Why does music affect us so deeply?
How can we be more musical in our thoughts, words and actions?
How can we develop greater coordination, flexibility and emotional expressiveness in our lives?
What does it take to be co-creative and authentic in group situations?
Through these topics and more we will explore the Art of Living Music. Using simple and fun interactive exercises, meditation and discussion we will discover how to embody the musical principles of Rhythm, Melody, Harmony and Tone and access the wisdom of our whole self.
No prior musical experience is necessary so please come and enjoy Living Music with a symphony of friends.
February 1 — Living a Musical Life
February 8 —- I`ve got Rhythm
February 15 — Sing a New Song
February 22 —-What is Harmony, anyway?
February 29 —- Is Sound Sacred?
About Brian Martin: Brian is a music teacher; singer-songwriter; composer; choir director; sound healer.
Living Music represents a convergence of his musical and spiritual studies of the last 40+ years.
Oneness Wednesdays in January:
Follow Your Joy
Facilitators: Roland Guenther and Sanjara Omoniyi
Drop-in on January 11, 18 + 25
Church of Truth, Community of Conscious Living
111 Superior Street, Victoria, BC
7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Free or by Donation
What are your wishes for 2012?
How do you want to start the new year?
Wouldn’t it be a good start into the New Year to follow your joy?
How can we make joy the leading energy in our life?
How can we increase our ability to enjoy life? How can we increase our ability to create joy?
These are the topics we will explore. We will find out about the hidden subconscious programs which limit our joy, which inhibit us to live our one life freely and wildly. And we will nurture our connection to our own essence, which is joy, so this joy can flow from the core of our Divine soul into our daily life.
Roland Guenther is a MD (Germany) and practices homeopathy in Victoria. He combines the scientific knowledge from his medical training with the understanding of the sacredness and soulfulness of all life forms, that he could experience in his years of living with First Nations peoples. He weaves that together with the deep insights he receives in his unique alchemical work with nature, and with the wisdom of his heart in order to show the deep beauty in the core of everything that exists.
Sanjara Omoniyi received her PhD from life itself. Her marriage with a Nigerian medicine man, her life in Africa, her re-integration into life in Germany and now into Canada taught her skills, insights and tools that she is now happy to share with everybody. The depth and the brilliant simplicity of her teachings are based not on theory, but in the incredible capacity of her heart for compassion and in her unceasing desire to explore the depths of her own soul.
To find out more about Sanjara and Roland check out their websites: