Gathering Gold

What Does It Mean to Grow Up?

What does it mean to grow up? Is it about arriving at a destination at a specific time, after following the linear formula of job, marriage, house, baby? Or is it an ongoing process of development that happens both internally and externally, rippling through our inner world and shining forth in how we engage with the world? What does it mean to grow up on an emotional level?

In this episode, we explore two internal pillars of adulthood that create a foundation for healthy development across the lifespan, and reflect on how building these pillars, brick by brick, can help us to live with more honesty, connection, and peace.

References:

• Erik Erikson's stages of psychosocial development
• The Healing Connection: How Women Form Relationships in Therapy and in Life, by Jean Baker Miller and Irene Pierce Stiver

 

 

Living in the Rhythm

“Energy moves in waves. Waves move in patterns. Patterns move in rhythms. A human being is just that, energy, waves, patterns, rhythms. Nothing more. Nothing less. A dance.” --Gabrielle. Roth

Our heartbeat. Our breath. Our steps along the sidewalk. Our life happens in rhythms--breath by breath, heartbeat by heartbeat, step by step. We move in and out of seasons, feel a shift in tempo as our energy levels ebb and flow, fall into connection and disconnection with those around us. 

In today's episode, we are exploring what it means to "live in the rhythm" of life, why it can be so hard in our contemporary culture, and how turning towards the natural world can invite us back into a dance that is humane and enlivening. 

References:

• Wise Child, by Monica Furlong
• Gabrille Roth's 5Rhythms
• Mark Nepo
• Kelsy Leonard, "Why lakes and rivers should have the same rights as humans"
• The Nature of Reading Bookshop
• Carl Jung’s theory of the collective unconscious 

Dark Night of the Soul

Sometimes, the month of January can start to feel like one long dark night. 

Many of us step off the carousel of the holiday season feeling a little dizzy and off-kilter. Some of us might even feel a sense of darkness or despair as we thud back into harsh reality (and, in certain parts of the world, deep winter). We may be teetering between hope and despair; grief and gratitude; anger and acceptance. We may feel faith slipping between our fingers; we may find ourselves craving a good, long sleep.

Maybe we’re in a dark night of the soul. And in today’s episode, we’ll unpack why maybe that’s okay.

References:

• Elf (2003)
• St. John of the Cross
• American Humanist Association
• Vanessa Zoltan’s podcasts: Harry Potter and the Sacred Text, Hot and Bothered, The Real Question, Let’s Ask Taylor Swift

Winter Solstice (Re-Air)

In the spirit of the season, we bring to you one of our most popular episodes to date: last year's episode about the Winter Solstice.

We are also offering a special 15% off discount for any new Patreon sign-ups with code GOLD24 and are hosting a Winter Solstice gathering for the Meet-Up Members on Sunday, December 22, at 3 pm EST. Visit patreon.com/gatheringgold to learn more. 

* * *

We are approaching the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern hemisphere.

In preparation for the winter solstice, Sheryl invites us to anchor ourselves in time and find communion with the luminous dark.

How might we celebrate the triumph of light, the gift of the sun, while also welcoming the wisdom of darkness?

How might we balance the need to rest and turn inward with the need to brave the cold, to go out into the world?

How can we cultivate peace within ourselves in the face of all that is treacherous in this world—including the double-edged winter months, with their shimmer and ice, their harshness and beauty?

This is what we invite you to explore with us in today’s episode, and at our upcoming Patreon Meet-Up on December 21st. 

References:

• Gathering Gold Patreon (sign up for the Meet-Up Member tier to join our virtual meet-ups)
• "Darkness and Light" episode
• "Winter’s Paradox" episode 
• Francis Weller
• "Effort and Ease" episode

Resistance to Gratitude

We all know that practicing gratitude is good for us: we've read news articles about groundbreaking research on the benefits of gratitude, purchased gratitude journals, maybe started incorporating gratitude practices into family dinners or even work meetings. So why is it still sometimes so hard to really feel and and experience gratitude in an authentic and enriching way? And what are some pathways to an open heart when our gratitude "motor" is cold?

That's what we're unpacking in today's episode.

...And P.S.: We are so grateful for all of you, dear listeners!

References:

• The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
• “Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden 
• Brother David Steindl Rast
• A Man on the Inside TV show
• The Good Place TV show
• “Gratitude,” by Mary Oliver
• Meister Eckhart

The Gift of Presence

Leaves are falling from the trees. The world is shifting into hues of gray and brown, into sparseness and clarity. Meanwhile, we are entering into the holiday season.

Amidst it all--the darkness and the light, the fatigue and the excitement--how can we stay present for the gifts all around us? Not the gifts wrapped in paper and bows, but the little, everyday miracles: the maple tree still wrapped in orange and golden leaves; the comfort and safety of a heated home; the magic of sharing a meal with good friends. 

In today's episode, Victoria shares reflections on receiving and honoring the gift of presence. 

References:

• "The Power of the Pause" Gathering Gold episode
• Brother David Steindl-Rast
• Sheryl's blog post, “Holiday Pain and Gratitude” 

 

How to Ground During Difficult Times

"There are times of heightened fear. And there are times when there is a lot of fear in the greater collective, in the culture. And I do think that one of our ultimate tasks, one of our ultimate spiritual tasks as human beings, in these bodies, is to work with fear and its opposite, which is love, but also is trust."

In today's episode, Sheryl shares wisdom about grounding ourselves during uncertain and anxious times and guides us through a practice of connecting to our hearts, our minds, and each other.

Connecting with Ancestors

“I can tell you the names of Taylor Swift’s parents, but not my great-grandparents.”

Can you relate to Victoria’s admission in today’s episode?

Many of us have lost connection with our ancestors. Or rather, that connection was severed even before we were born, by cultural conditions that de-prioritize relationships in general, and familial bonds in particular. 

And: connecting to the unseen realm of ancestors goes beyond learning about our genealogy. We can draw strength and comfort from imaginal grandmothers, mythological archetypes, and even fictional characters that have helped shape us into who we are or who we will become.

In today’s episode, Sheryl shares reflections on both why and how to re-connect with the branches and leaves of our family trees to find new, ancient allies in the unseen realm. 

Let your ancestors hold your worry, offer you their prayers, and anchor you in this autumnal season when the veil between the living and the dead is thin.

References:

• Coco (2017)

• James Martin, Jesuit priest

• Lalah Delia

• “Dancing in the Dark” Bruce Springsteen

• "It Had to Be You," Tony Bennett

• “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head,” B. J. Thomas

• "We Don't Talk About Bruno" from Encanto