A Practitioner’s Perspective
with Heather Epps, RScP
Welcome to January! This month is named after the Roman god Janus, who was the god of transitions, gates, beginning and endings, doorways, and duality. Often portrayed with two heads, one pointing forward and the other backward, I think it is apt that January be named after him.
So often we close out the year with review and introspection and begin the new year with resolve and renewed vigor. Out Center’s yearly Releasing Ceremony and White Stone Ceremony, both speak to this ritual need for closure and opening oneself to the next, grandest version of ourselves.
Our national organization also honors this tradition with a yearly theme and most of the over 400 Spiritual Communities will study this in depth this year. This year’s theme is “A Grand Rising”. This theme was picked with the 2020 Global Pandemic in mind, and the need for all of us to rise grandly to new heights now that it is in our rearview mirror.
So many of us found the pandemic to be a time of isolation, introspection, and change. I know I took advantage of this time to take online classes and begin my Practitioner training.
As we move from this period of contraction, our hope as a community is that we embrace a period of expansion. This is our opportunity to shake off the burden of the pandemic and collectively participate in a grand rising. Our organization’s leaders have declared “The Centers for Spiritual Living can no longer be the world’s best-kept secret. It’s time for us to emerge into this new world: driven by faith, leading with courage, and moving with action.” A grand rising indeed!
The idea of a grand rising traces its roots back to Black Americans and astrologers. It’s often said in the place of ‘good morning’ to symbolize that a decision has been made to begin the new day with positivity and intentionality. By consciously embracing this idea we move beyond our patterned habits that no longer support us and into our next evolution as a spiritual being. ‘A grand rising’ notes that something bigger than just waking up is afoot.
So what is afoot in your life? What ‘grand rising’ do you want for yourself? For our beloved Center? For the World? Now is the time to embrace the next best version of yourself, of our Center, and of our World.
For me, I’m preparing for my retirement and full-time travel. I am in service to our Center, and I’m doing my part in being and promoting Peace. What will a grand rising look like for you? Taking classes, saying “yes”, volunteering, new spiritual practices, … the choices are endless. The important thing is to take your faith and courage and apply them to action. I look forward to grandly rising with you this year.