Hay House features Moore at two 2010 events

Hay House promotes its I Can Do It! 2010 – San Diego event, to be held May 14 to 16, 2010 at the San Diego Convention Center. Thomas Moore is a featured author in a concurrent workshop on Sunday May 16, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Barque will include a description of Moore’s presentation in a future post.

Moore is also to appear at the I Can Do It! 2010 – Toronto event, May 27 to 30, 2010 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Moore’s concurrent workshop is Sunday, May 30, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. More information about this session will be shared when it’s available.

Moore offers Marco Island program in February

Thomas Moore presents his week-long "Spirituality and Care of the Soul in Psychotherapy" program for the New England Educational Institute on Marco Island, Florida from February 15 to 19, 2010. This symposium is "designed for psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists, primary care physicians, counselors, nurses and allied mental health professionals."

Early Registration:
Postmarked before December 1, 2009 - $499 U.S.
Late Registration:
Postmarked after December 1, 2009 - $575 U.S.

Monday
•Healing the whole person: Body-Soul-Spirit
•Herakleitos: depth and flow
•Jung and the archetype of healing

Tuesday
•Psychological and spiritual counseling
•Hillman revisions Jung
•Asklepios and the role of dreams
•Spirituality in everyday life
•Incubation
•Spirituality and the religious traditions

Wednesday
•Creating a healing environment
•Alchemy
•Psychotherapy as opus and vessel
•Not splitting healer-patient archetype
•The wounded healer
•The model of the Healing Buddha

Thursday
•The shadow side of being a healer
•Money, sex, power, insecurity, burn-out
•Archetypes of charlatan, magician, parent, all-knowing expert
•Dealing with shadow
•Spiritual teachings on sacred ignorance
•Magritte, Beckett, Erasmus

Friday
•Spiritual and emotional support for the healer
•Caring for the healer's soul and spirit
•Education for the deep, spiritual role of healer
•What traditional healers can teach the modern healer
•Nature and friendship
•Gospel spirituality
•The Epicurean life

Register online through the NEEI site. Continuing education credits are available.

Illness offers a window on one's way of life

On her eponymous blog, Daphne Michaels includes a quote from Thomas Moore about his broken heart, and his reaction to the physician’s recommendation that he undergo angioplasty.

According to Michaels, Moore said, "One thing I plan to do is to take a trip to Ireland. Ireland really soothes me. My blood pressure goes down when I am there; it just drops right down. So I am trying to listen to illness as an opportunity to reflect not just on my body, but on my way of life."

Enjoy the treat of a monastic, weekend retreat

Thomas Moore and his wife, Hari Kirin Kaur Khalsa, offer a weekend retreat at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, from March 26 to March 28, 2010: ”Jesus Spirituality and the Soul of the Gospels”.

The program description promises, "Through the monastic practices of meditation, chant, communal reflection, self-examination, spiritual reading, and silent walking meditation, you will open to the joy of human life and relationship."

Moore’s 2009 book, Writing in the Sand: Jesus and the Soul of the Gospels, published by Hay House, is required reading for this retreat and participants are to bring copies of the book with them. Click the link for more information about this Kripalu program, including pricing and accommodation arrangements.

Meet Moore at Riverrun Bookstore, October 21

Riverrun Bookstore hosts Thomas Moore on Wednesday 21 October, 2009 at 7 p.m. when he talks about his book, Writing in the Sand. This nonfiction work is Moore's interpretation of the Gospels’ meaning ― an approach not only for Christians, but for anyone seeking spiritual insight in the texts. This event is free and open to the public.

Riverrun Bookstore
20 Congress St.,
Portsmouth, NH 03801
603 431-2100
www.riverrunbookstore.com

New book about medicine available April, 2010

Thomas Moore’s new book, Care of the Soul in Medicine: Healing Guidance for Patients and the People Who Care for Them is available in hardcover, 15 April 2010.

According to publisher, Hay House, "Care of the Soul In Medicine is Moore’s manifesto about the future of healthcare. In this new vision of care, Moore speaks to the importance of healing a person rather than simply treating a body. He gives advice to both healthcare providers and patients for maintaining dignity and humanity. He provides spiritual guidance for dealing with feelings of mortality and threat, encouraging patients to not only take an active part in healing but also to view illness as a positive passage to new awareness. While we don’t fully understand the extent to which healing depends on attitude; it has been shown that healing needs to focus on more than the body."

Care of the Soul in Medicine
Hardcover: 200 pages
Publisher: Hay House (15 April 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1401925634
ISBN-13: 978-1401925635

Matt Laughlin interviews Moore in Unified Health: A Clinician’s Forum (Fall 2009, volume 5, issue 17) under the headline, "A conversation with Thomas Moore." Moore talks about Writing in the Sand and his new book, Care of the Soul in Medicine. This interview is available as a 6-page pdf download:
http://www.unified-health-journal.com/support-files/thomas-moore-int-soul-of-medicine.pdf

Download free copy of Humanizing Medicine

BetterListen! offers Thomas Moore’s audio program, Humanizing Medicine as its free digital download this month.
ISBN: 9781615440009
Run time: 75 minutes
Regular price: $9.99 U.S.

According to the linked page, "While a purely scientific approach to medicine can work well in and of itself, Moore also considers the importance of emotions, fantasies, dreams, the physical healing environment, and the relationship of caregiver and patient to enhance a person’s healing and overall wellness."

In addition to Humanizing Medicine, BetterListen! produces these recordings by Thomas Moore:
A Magical Life
Soul & Everyday Life
The New Epicureans
BetterListen!’s bio page for Moore links to these offerings.

Moore affirms poetry's transformative power

This month, Hay House publishes Kim Rosen’s book, Saved by a Poem: The Transformative Power of Words. According to the publisher's site, "Whether you are a lover of poetry or have yet to discover its power, Rosen offers a new way to experience a poem. She encourages you to feel the poem as an affirmation or prayer, which can align every level of your being. In an uncertain world, Saved by a Poem is a call to cultivate the ever-renewable resources of the heart. With teaching, story, verse, and memoir, Rosen guides you to find a poem that speaks to your soul and shows you how to take its wisdom into your life."

This book includes a companion CD of "Rosen's insights along with the voices of well-known authors and visionaries, including Thomas Moore, Joan Borysenko, and Jane Hirshfield, each reading a favorite poem and discussing its personal significance."

Lesley University event imagines a new cosmos

Thomas Moore and cultural historian Richard Tarnas speak at Lesley University’s Marran Theatre in Cambridge, MA on October 18, 2009 at 4:00 pm for the event, Soul and Cosmos: A New Way of Imagining Life in the 21st Century. The Marran Theatre is at 47 Oxford Street between Harvard and Porter Sq. Promotional material includes, "Responding to our current global situation, Moore and Tarnas lead a public discussion about how the cosmology of a culture, the way it pictures the world, reflects its underlying values and psychology.

With a debt to Plato, Jung, and James Hillman among others, they further the archetypal perspective that could help us transition into a new century... In both writers, cosmos meets soul. Drawing on ancient and postmodern insights, these two contemporary thinkers inspire us to shift from an alienated and disenchanted world into a more ensouled and holistic one."

Tarnas and Moore will each speak for about thirty minutes before conversing with each other for forty-five minutes. The audience may listen to their questions and commentaries on each other’s work and will have the opportunity to interact with the speakers.

The event is free for the Lesley University community with ID and $15.00 for the general public. Tickets, not available at the door, must be purchased in advance from www.brownpapertickets.com. Arrive as early as possible. Seating is limited. Doors open at 3:30 pm.

Thomas Moore authorizes email newsletter

Thomas Moore distributes a September 2009 newsletter showcasing his public appearances and events for the rest of 2009 and early 2010. Sign up to join the mailing list by clicking the button in the newsletter's sidebar that contains a quote from Moore's recent book, Writing in the Sand: Jesus and the Soul of the Gospels.

Course explores spirituality in psychotherapy

The New England Educational Institute sponsors Thomas Moore's three-day symposium, Spirituality and Care of the Soul in Psychotherapy, to be offered Friday 30 October to Sunday 1 November, 2009 at the Hilton Santa Fe Historic Plaza Hotel in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Although the program is directed at mental health and medical professionals, anyone may attend.

According to the NEEI description, "Participants will reflect on their own spiritual journeys and explore ways of meditation and contemplation. They will learn the difference between soul and spirit and see how they can blend psychological counseling with spiritual guidance. The shadow elements in psychotherapy and spirituality will be examined both personally and theoretically."

COURSE SCHEDULE
Friday
*Healing the whole person: Body, soul, and spirit/Historical ideas about soul
*Jung, Hillman, and the archetype of healing
*Asklepios and dream incubation

Saturday
*Spiritual counseling
*The model of the Healing Buddha
*Alchemy and the vessel and opus of therapy
*The wounded healer/The therapist's shadow
*The Gospel model of healing

Sunday
*What traditional healers can teach the modern healer
*Spiritual and emotional support for the healer
*The continuing education of the spiritual healer
*The role of contemplation, friendship, and nature in supporting the therapist
*Other ways of self-care for the therapist

Continuing Education credit is available for this program.

Attend Moore's event in London on Sept. 7

St. Jame's Church, Piccadilly, London, England hosts Thomas Moore's public presentation Writing in the Sand on Monday 7 September 2009, starting at 7:00 p.m.

According to the linked promotion,

"This evening Thomas Moore uses depth psychology, mythology, and spirituality to present a faith in tune with 21st century values. Thomas finds striking new meaning in the rich stories and imagery of the Gospels, recasting Jesus not as a teacher of morals and beliefs, but as a spiritual reformer and visionary. He explains how you can “enter the kingdom” by respecting those who are not in your circle, being a healing presence in every situation, reconciling your sexuality with your spirituality, and by waking up from the cultural unconsciousness around you. Thomas also discuss the important Gospel figure of the much misunderstood Mary Magdalene. This evening offers an original and fresh look at re-imagining your spiritual life."

Online booking is available through the linked page.

Awakening the Imagination of Medicine, Oct. 26

Registration is open for Awakening the Imagination of Medicine, a full-day conference in East Hartford, Connecticut on Monday 26 October, featuring James Hillman, Thomas Moore, Michael Kearney, Marcus McKinney, and Sharon O'Brien. This event is restricted to 300 attendees. Cost is $50.

Moore's presentation is "Feathers, a Ladder, and a Bowl of Oil: Deepening the Practice of Medicine."

The Saint Francis Care Event Calendar entry links to an online registration form. This six-page PDF brochure outlines the conference and introduces the speakers.

Spirituality and Practice offers Moore excerpts

Spirituality and Practice's profile of Thomas Moore, in its Living Spiritual Teachers Project, includes a one-page quotations sampler of Moore's writing.

Moore shows Magritte to illustrate foolishness

At Hampstead Town Hall, Thomas Moore presents "Magritte’s Head: Our Precious Ignorance and Foolishness" on 9 September 2009, before the start of Re-vision's conference, Sacred Margins: Psychotherapy at the Interface.

"Drawing on Nicolas of Cusa’s Educated Ignorance, and Erasmus’s In Praise of Folly, Thomas Moore suggests that there is a certain way in which intellectualizing ruins life. He will show some of Magritte’s images and offer an interpretation of other classic sources, proposing the limits of the mind and the importance of playing, fooling around, and cultivating a sense of admitting to what you don’t know and can never know."

Barque posted an earlier notice of this event with payment information.

Listen to Moore discuss his two latest books

On 18 July 2009, Amy Miller spoke with Thomas Moore on Connect radio. Scroll down this linked page for audio files of the program.

According to the Connect site:
"Thomas Moore, author of A Life at Work: The Joy of Discovering What You Were Born to Do, joined Connect to discuss how to find your life's work. He defined what opus means to him. He described the difference between soul and spirit and much more. We also discussed his latest book Writing in the Sand: Jesus & the Soul of the Gospels. He discussed the teachings of Jesus, including love/respect and forgiveness."

We need to add subtraction to life's lessons

In his monthly column for Spirituality and Health, Thomas Moore writes "Teaching What Matters" in the May — June 2009 issue. He introduces his topic,

"When I was in graduate school, I was fascinated by a play by Eugene Ionesco called The Lesson. In it a young woman studies for the total doctorate, but she has a problem. She can add perfectly but can't subtract. The teacher gets so upset by her failure to learn that eventually, he attacks her with a knife.

In school we learn how to add. We learn more and more facts, study more subjects, and acquire more diplomas and degrees. We learn enough to become a success at work and add more money to our bank accounts. But like the woman in the play, we are not good at subtraction. We don't learn how to live with one person in a marriage or how to lose our freedom as we bring up our children. We don't learn how to deal with jealousy and envy, emotions that afflict us when we don't have what we want. We don't learn how to deal with failures and setbacks and losses. We don't learn what to do when our health is in the minus column. We don't learn about the ultimate subtraction — death.

There are many aspects of ordinary life that apparently we believe we can accomplish naturally, unconsciously. It's interesting that these things — marriage, illness, child-raising, depression, mortality — are fairly major concerns. Then why are these important items missing from the school curriculum? All signs indicate that we are not doing well in these areas, and yet major writers and artists have written about them, dramatized them, reflected on them, and written a vast quantity of music about them. There is much to study and to learn."

Moore suggests commoditization may be a negative factor in education. Lack of time may be cited for the exclusion of significant subjects. Relevance may be missing. However, he shows how each of these concerns may be addressed.

He concludes, "Maybe if we taught the things that really matter, if we aimed at the total doctorate, we parents and teachers would be passionate in our love of the subject and love of our children."

Moore's column for the July — August 2009 issue, "How to Empty Your Head" will be available in September.

Pastoral counseling list includes Moore's books

Marcus McKinney, director of Clinical Pastoral Training for St. Francis Care in Hartford, Connecticut offers a reference list of books for people involved with pastoral counseling. He includes books by Thomas Moore, James Hillman and Carl Jung.

Care of the Soul:
A Guide for Cultivating Depth and Sacredness in Everyday Life
Thomas Moore
1992 HarperPerennial

Dark Nights of the Soul:
A Guide to Finding Your Way Through Life’s Ordeals
Thomas Moore
2004 Gotham

The Kingdom Within:
The Inner Meaning of the Sayings of Jesus
John Sanford
1987 HarperSanFrancisco

The Invisible Partners:
How the Male and Female in Each of Us Affects Our Relationships
John Sanford
1980 Paulist Press

Healing Through the Dark Emotions:
The Wisdom of Grief, Fear, Dispair
Miriam Greenspan
2003 Shambhala

Insearch : Psychology and Religion
By James Hillman
1994 revised Spring

The Soul’s Code: In Search of Character and Calling
James Hillman
1997 Warner Books

The Force of Character and the Lasting Life
James Hillman
1999 Random House

A Terrible Love of War
James Hillman
2004 Penguin Press

The Rag and Bone Shop of the Heart
A Poetry Anthology
Robert Bly, Michael Meade, James Hillman editors
1992 HarperCollins

Modern Man in Search of a Soul
Carl Jung
1995 Harvest Books

Memories, Dreams and Reflections
Aniela Jaffe, editor
1989 Vintage

African American Pastoral Care
Edward Wimberly
1991 Abingdon Press

Persona : Where Sacred Meets Profane
Robert H. Hopke
1995 Shambhala

The Shadow in America : Reclaiming the Soul of a Nation
Jeremiah Abrams, editor
1994 Nataraj

Jewish Pastoral Care: A Practical Handbook
Rabbi Dayle A. Friedman
2001 Jewish Lights

Meeting the Shadow: The Hidden Power of the
Dark Side of Human Nature
Edited by Connie Zweig and Jeremiah Abrams
1991 Tarcher-Putnam

To recommend books, please e-mail Dr. McKinney:
mmckinne@stfranciscare.org

Healing and medicine include soul of illness

Hay House promotes Thomas Moore's appearance on Sunday 22 November, 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at its I Can Do It! Tampa 2009 conference. Promotion for Moore's concurrent workshop, The Soul of Medicine, includes:

"While we don’t fully understand the extent to which healing depends on attitude; a sense of meaning; a healing atmosphere; spirituality; and the support of family, friends, and community, it has been shown time after time that healing needs to focus on more than the body. The future of medicine is more than new technical developments and research discoveries; it lies also in appreciating the state of soul and spirit in illness!"

Hay House publishes Moore's latest book, Writing in the Sand: Jesus and the Soul of the Gospels, and is scheduled to release Moore's The Soul of Medicine in 2010.

Intimate, open conversation may be therapeutic

Wisdom Magazine offers an excerpt from Thomas Moore's Writing in the Sand, Chapter Five: Everyone a Healer. The passage includes Thomas Moore’s observation:

"As a therapist, I have seen many people get better physically and in every other way just through intimate and open conversation. I don’t judge them and I don’t tell them how they should live. I listen to them and in their suffering welcome them into the human race. We all suffer. I help them get a perspective on their pain and I laugh with them about how we complain and wish for an ideal life. I have no doubt that the body can be healed by spiritual compassion."

Writing in the Sand: Jesus and the Soul of the Gospels, published by Hay House, is available now.

Andrle asks Moore about Jesus and the Gospels

WOSU public media Open Line host Fred Andrle interviews Thomas Moore on Thursday 28 May 2009 at 11:00 a.m. in a segment titled "Jesus as an Example". Moore talks about his new book, Writing in the Sand, and shares with listeners that "Jesus and the Gospels offer a spiritual path to everyone ... a vision of love and understanding that goes beyond narrow judgments of right and wrong."

This is Fred Andrle's penultimate broadcast for Open Line. He has hosted the program on WOSU 820 AM for the past 20 years.

Hampstead Town Hall hosts talk in September

Re-Vision, Centre for Integrative Psychosynthesis in London, U.K., posts details about Thomas Moore's public talk, "Magritte’s Head: Our Precious Ignorance and Foolishness" to be given on Wednesday 9 September, 2009. It will be 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Hampstead Town Hall. Moore is the patron of Re-Vision and spoke for the centre in 2007.

Tickets are limited for this 9 September 2009 talk.
Book early to avoid disappointment.
Cost: £25 minimum suggested donation (£20 for students and graduate members of Re-Vision)

To apply for this evening talk:
- Send a cheque for £25 with details including email address, or
- Send details through Contact on the linked site and give a minimum donation of £25 through Paypal by clicking the Donate link on the Re-Vision web page.

You can also download and return a Gift aid form that allows Re-Vision a tax rebate on your donation. It costs nothing extra.

Infuse a spiritual drive with the milk of kindness

Thomas Moore's Care of the Soul column, "Yoga and Tea" in the March-April issue of Spirituality and Health, is freely available online. Moore suggests the spiritual be bound to the soulful:

"Tea and yoga complement each other well. It’s wonderful to succeed and have some money and get somewhere in life but only if you keep your friends, enjoy a satisfying marriage or partnership, have a real home, and feel comfortable with yourself. The spiritual path is a dangerous one; on it many have lost their humanity.

My rule for spiritual practice is simple: You can go as high as you want in your yearning for perfection, as long as you have an equally deep base on the ordinary comforts of everyday life.

I always have some misgivings about the ambitious spiritual leaders I meet. I admire their achievements, but I wonder if they have a joyful home life and are deeply forgiving and have close friends and love their work. I wonder if they have time for their children and time for play. I know that they meditate, but do they also make music, paint, and tell good jokes? Do they eat for pleasure as well as purity of mind? Do they appreciate the ordinary, imperfect life?"

Moore recommends educators, politicians and business leaders adopt approaches that include pleasure, friendship, and comfort.

Moore: Looking for Jesus in the 21st Century

According to publisher Hay House, "Most people are familiar with the Gospels of the New Testament and the teachings of Jesus, but how many of us have looked into their deeper meaning? In his new book, Writing in the Sand, renowned scholar Thomas Moore finds striking new insights in the rich stories and imagery of the Gospels, recasting Jesus not as a teacher of morals and beliefs but as a healer and a spiritual visionary. Read on as Moore shows us in this highly original take on the Gospels, a more human Jesus whose teachings act as a guide to creating a happier and more meaningful life."

Thomas Moore writes the following for Hay House's email newsletter, under the Barque headline above:

"The good news is that we are creating a new world order in which the first task is to heal each other.

The Buddha begins his teaching with the simple observation that there is suffering in the world. Jesus similarly focuses on the sickness of the soul that affects people individually and socially, physically and spiritually. This perception of sickness is central, and healing is his signature activity. Jesus does not teach how to be virtuous, how to be saved, or how to be a good church member. He says nothing about memorizing dogma or following a strict set of moral rules. Instead, he continually demonstrates how to be in this world as a healer.

I know a Christian minister who is an instinctive healer. Everywhere he goes, he sees need when it is present. Where others overlook a person in distress, he stops to find out what is wrong. He has a Gospel instinct and knows intuitively that the role of minister is to heal.

I know several ministers who don't have this gift. It doesn't come with ordination. I do have a Buddhist friend who responds similarly, and, to my mind, his healing reactions place him in the kingdom Jesus envisioned. He is a Buddhist by affiliation, but his way of life is precisely in tune with the way Jesus taught. He found his way into the kingdom through Buddha.

The Gospels use several words for healing, but the main one is therapeia, "therapy." Plato used this very word in the dialogue Euthyphro, where Socrates defines it as "service of the gods." When you heal, you are doing sacred work. The Gospels appeared 400 years after Plato, and yet they, too, emphasize the word therapeia, a word so important that it could identify the Gospel spirit wherever it appears. If you want to live the Gospel philosophy, you have to know what it takes to be a healer.

I understand that this word healer sometimes seems romantic, but in fact it represents a cold, clear, harsh reality. People suffer — emotionally, physically, spiritually, and relationally. They need help. From time to time we are all in need of healing, and we are all called to be healers.

There was a time in my life when I needed healing. I had just gone through a divorce. I was fired from my job as a college professor — the only career I wanted at the time and one in which I had invested years of study. I was so upset that I felt sick and sores appeared in my throat and mouth. In reaction, I became too dependent on a few close friends, and many people around me pitied me and told me, essentially, to grow up. But another friend, James Hillman, a Jewish man who had written many things critical of Christianity, visited me and gave me some food, a glass of wine, and some thoughtful, friendly counsel. I have never forgotten his generous response. From my point of view, he was a healer in the spirit of the Gospel.

Healing is an altruistic action, in the root sense of the word — other . You think about the other person's welfare. You are profoundly convivial, meaning that you "live with" others, not just for yourself. You heal because of your empathy for the suffering of the other.

In the Gospels, Jesus never frets about himself. He is always in response mode, noticing suffering of all kinds and responding to it with a healing word or touch."

The Hay House newsletter continues, "'Thomas Moore's groundbreaking reinterpretation of the Gospels shines a new light on the profound teachings of Jesus, offers readers a long-awaited, modern, practical application of the scripture, and illustrates the 21st-century relevance of Jesus' visionary philosophy,' says Deepak Chopra. Delve deeper into Thomas Moore's Writing in the Sand: Jesus & the Soul of the Gospels , available now at HayHouse.com. Thomas Moore is perhaps best known as the author of the New York Times bestseller Care of the Soul. His other works include Soul Mates and Life at Work. You can meet Thomas Moore this Fall when he makes a rare appearance to talk about the Gospels and healing at Hay House's I Can Do It! Conference in Tampa."

This description outlines Moore's presentation in Tampa on Sunday 22 November 2009, 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.:

The Soul of Medicine
Through stories from Thomas Moore’s patients, doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers, Thomas speaks to the importance of healing a whole person—body, soul, and spirit, a person with emotions, history, family, and work rather than simply treating a body. He gives advice to both healthcare providers and patients for maintaining dignity and humanity during illness and treatment. Providing spiritual guidance for dealing with feelings of mortality and depression, Thomas encourages patients to not only take an active part in the healing process, but also to view illness as a positive passage to new awareness and possibilities for life.

While we don’t fully understand the extent to which healing depends on attitude; a sense of meaning; a healing atmosphere; spirituality; and the support of family, friends, and community, it has been shown time after time that healing needs to focus on more than the body. The future of medicine is more than new technical developments and research discoveries; it lies also in appreciating the state of soul and spirit in illness!

Check out a recent a Barque: Thomas Moore Work post for an interview with Thomas Moore on Hay House Radio.

Listen to Moore talk about a university's soul

Ashley Dischinger describes Thomas Moore's presentation at Elon University on April 23, 2009, provides a link to a minute-long YouTube video, and shares this photograph of Moore, in her blog entry for today. Dischinger writes,

"Moore quoted the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclites in reference to the infinite possibilities that the soul has to offer.

“Heraclites says this: ‘You can never discover the limits of the soul,’” Moore quoted. "'No matter how many roads you are to take, so deep is its mystery.' So you can’t even define the soul."

Heraclites was one of the first people to discuss the soul in terms of death. Moore stresses the importance of thinking about the soul in these terms, though he admits it carries an "unfathomable depth." Still, he encourages the audience to reflect deeply about the state of their soul because "the closer you get to yourself, the closer you get to your soul."

Moore then applied this mentality to the idea of the university. He sees education as having the potential to offer more than just the obvious tools to students willing to learn.

"There is something of great depth in the soul of this place," he said. "We will never figure out what we are doing and who we are in this place. It will remain mysterious and that’s a good thing."

But rather than allow the mysteriousness give to frustration, Moore believes the university should strive to preserve its history. In this way, he says the university will maintain, rather than lose, its individuality and depth.

"This place is going to be like no other university," Moore said. "Don’t compare yourself to Harvard or the other places. Your soul can be lost. So it’s very important to maintain your individuality as a university."

According to Dischinger, Moore also "emphasized the importance of the university doing its best to prepare students beyond a shallow, intellectual education."

For another blogger's reaction to Moore's presentation, read "Telling Stories" by J. Ruth Kelly.

University education may be therapy for soul

Elon University’s student newspaper, The Pendulum, reports Thomas Moore’s presentation last night, "The Soul of the University."

Reporter Rebecca Smith quotes Moore, "Education, if it touches the student's soul, is a kind of therapeutics, in the sense that you are not just teaching and instructing the person, but the education itself can nurse the soul," Moore said. "It can give ideas to the student that will actually help them deal with life, and find out who they are. Education can do this, and maybe should do this."

"He said that the soul has a dark side, but that people often do not mention this darker side. He said he does not romanticize this soul and referenced his psychoanalysis work. Moore said the people who call him are all going through tough times, and that attention to our souls primarily happens when things are going badly.

"When it comes to the soul of the university, let's not romanticize it or sentimentalize it," Moore said. "Let's realize that people are having wonderful days and going through wonderful experiences, and they are going through terrifying and terrible experiences, and going through loss."

Smith touched on Moore’s references to the value of ignorance, the role of art, and contributions to community.

According to Smith, Moore also said he was at Elon University "to celebrate the career of Richard McBride, who is retiring at the end of this academic year." McBride is the university’s chaplain.

What is the difference between spirit and soul?

Today, Daphne Michaels, president and founder of the Vibrational Health Institute, posts Thomas Moore’s three-paragraph response to "What is the difference between spirit and soul?" on her eponymous blog. Moore talks about time and direction.

Moore speaks at Elon University this Thursday

Elon University promotes Thomas Moore’s appearance, Thursday 23 April 2009 at 7:30 p.m. in the Whitley Auditorium, when Moore will talk about "The Soul of the University":

"An education in soul would include preparation for a life work, contributing to society, making a home, marriage, raising children, illness, dealing with emotional and relationship issues, and developing a spiritual sensibility ... It would culture a person, give him depth, and prepare her for citizenship, leadership, and a rich life."

The Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life is sponsoring this free event. The university's web site offers directions to the campus. Read an earlier Barque notice about this engagement.

Publishers Weekly reviews Writing in the Sand

Publishers Weekly reviews Thomas Moore’s newest book, Writing in the Sand: Jesus & the Soul of the Gospels in its newsletter's Non-fiction — Religion section for 13 April 2009:

Writing in the Sand by Thomas Moore
Hay House, $22.95 (168 pages)
ISBN 978-1-4019-2143-3

"Drawing on his background in theology, world religions, art history, psychology and mythology, author and psychotherapist Moore (Care of the Soul) proposes a fresh way of looking at the Christian gospels for those who once loved the texts, but no longer find them challenging. Moore believes the Jesus of the gospels was calling people to be open to life rather than attach themselves to a fixed teaching. He reframes the wedding feast at Cana — said to be the scene of Christ's first miracle — as "the first lesson in Jesus spirituality: Be human, understand the importance of play and simple sensual pleasures and listen to your family. Then go deeper." In Moore's reading of the gospels, Jesus himself is earthy and spiritual — a man clearly on the side of moderate sensual delight. Fans of Moore's previous books and readers who share his view that Jesus was not concerned with creating a religion or a plan for self-improvement, but was instead interested in a restructuring of the human imagination, will find plenty to ponder. (May 1)"

Moore: "To incorporate" is more than "to know"

On page 10 of the March 2009 (42:3) Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association newsletter, Rev. Wayne Walder interviews Thomas Moore, this year's featured speaker at 2009 Convo in Ottawa, Canada, November 11-16, 2009.

Moore talks about teaching his daughter, his early years, the role of a holy person, and showing appreciation. He also asks a question about UU approaches for Walder to answer at the end of the interview.

During the interview, Walder asks about competition, fear and jealousy among ministers, "We have a shyness or a fear of being criticized by our colleagues. There is of course, a wonderful support system among our colleagues, AND a significant amount of jealousy, competition, and mistrust. People are shy about bringing their insights into the light."

Moore responds,

"When you spoke, I was thinking of a group I was with when I was in my 30’s and 40’s – a group in Texas that was a group of psychologists trying to create an outgrowth of Jung’s psychology. We were not a formal group but we knew who was in our group. One thing I really noticed, there was a great appreciation for each other. There was a great wish for each other’s success. We all wanted the others to succeed, I think. That was one thing that was really strong.

This was unusual for me because I had been teaching at a University where the opposite was the case. At the University there was all this envy and jealousy and whenever you succeed, your job was threatened. It was a very strange situation. I was in that position myself, I saw some need, I responded to it. I had very large enthusiastic classes. And it shocked me that my colleagues hated that – they wanted me to fail. And I thought what kind of an organization is this where the people in it want me to fail? It’s a very strange situation. And that’s where the envy and jealousies came through. It’s so different from this other group – just the opposite. What was the difference? It’s really hard to say. One difference in the Jungian group was that we were all engaged in creating something."
[...]
"When I stuck my neck out where the world thought I was crazy, I would get a letter from one of my friends in this group telling me how great they thought I was. They told me how much they appreciated my ideas. Those letters and that support meant everything to me. I didn't have to have it from others in the world, but if I got it from my peers, it meant everything. And it kept me going. What I’m saying, I think is, you might consider putting together some "habits of appreciation". If people could understand how important it is to hear appreciation for their work, in a very real way, they might do it. I don’t mean just standing up and giving someone a gold watch, that kind of thing. But in a very real way, saying: "I’m behind you," "People may not understand what you’re doing, but I’m really behind you on this." I think that kind of thing within a community would help tremendously."

At the end of the interview, Moore talks about UU ministers modeling what they learn and want to teach others. Moore says, "If you incorporate wisdom or spirit into yourself, and are transformed by it, people will notice. I don’t think personally – and this is based on my own experience – I don’t think it’s necessary to have vast knowledge of all these different resources. What I have to be able to do, what you might consider, is to notice how "what you are learning", melds with "what you already know". Because then what we know and what we learn can come together as a new dimension of "who we are". When I do that, I’m not trying to find one more thing to use as an example. I’ve become deeper. What I discover also helps me give more colour and depth to what I already know and can teach."

A Unitarian Universalist minister on sabbatical responds to the interview, showing her appreciation for Moore’s observations.

Barque begins its fifth year of foolishness today

Tom Gilbert writes about Holy fools in the Albuquerque Christian Examiner, ending with a quote from Thomas Moore’s Care of the Soul: “The path of soul is also the path of the fool, the one without pretense of self-knowledge or individuation or certainly perfection."

Gilbert includes Symeon of Emesa, Basil, and Francis of Assisi as fools for Christ. He writes, "Most of us would consider being called a fool an insult. Fools are senseless, careless and lacking wisdom. However, fools can play an important part in our gaining perspective about life. Medieval kings found value in the jester - someone who hid his wisdom behind riddles and jokes. A holy fool can give us insight into the spiritual dimension. This is worth exploring."

Barque: Thomas Moore celebrates its anniversary on April Fool's Day. It foolishly began 1 April 2005.

Become soulful through a liberal arts education

On Monday 6 April 2009, at 7:00 p.m. in the Whittemore Theater at Marlboro College in Marlboro, Vermont, Thomas Moore talks about "A Liberating Education: Learning How to Be a Person with Soul":

"Today we are all caught unconsciously in the myth of our times: modernism. We believe in fact, information, training, data, research, and numbers. Something is wrong with an education constrained by this mythology. It has no soul," says Moore. "But there is an alternative, a new way of imagining how and what to learn. In this new, ancient form of learning, the arts and ideas come back and along with them a sense of belonging to community. We become cultured persons rather than just informed and skilled workers."

This free event is open to the public.

Explore the edges with Moore in the U.K.

Re-vision, the Centre for Integrative Psychosynthesis hosts a conference Friday 11 September - Sunday 13 September, 2009 featuring Thomas Moore. "Sacred Margins: psychotherapy at the interface" explores ". . . liminality, the borders between worlds, described by anthropologist Turner as betwixt and between and by Winnicott as transitional space. Psychotherapeutic approaches that explore such border territories require the therapist to be able to dwell in this twilight zone where their rational mind has no passport. These sacred margins are the subject of this conference."

According to conference information, Moore "has deep concerns about the utilitarian direction in which psychotherapy is currently headed."

Questions explored during the conference include:
- How does psychotherapy interface between the inner and outer worlds?
- Can the language of transference adequately describe the subtle phenomena encountered at the borders of consciousness?
- Does regulation weaken psychotherapy's capacity to tune into the undercurrents of the collective?

This event is at the Node conference centre, near Hitchin, Hertfordshire. A maximum of 100 delegates will be able to attend. Because residential places are limited, book early. A booking form may be downloaded and forwarded to organizers.

COST:
Conference fee including residential £280
Conference fee for non-residential with food £200
Early-bird discount of £30 for applications received
before 1 May 2009.

On Wednesday 9 September 2009, Thomas Moore presents an evening talk, "Magritte’s Head: Our Precious Ignorance and Foolishness" at Hampstead Town Hall.

Celebrate the beatitude of quietude, solitude

Thomas Moore’s column, "My Quest for Silence" in the January-February 2009 issue of Spirituality and Health is available online after free registration. Moore writes,

"The effect of hearing a waterfall cascading in the woods is similar to catching a glimpse of a sunset at the just the right moment. It’s captivating. It captures you and takes you to a refreshing place that you rarely find in the rush of daily life.

We might think of this as a form of synesthesia: where one sensory experience evokes an entirely different one. Listen to Ferde Grofé’s Grand Canyon Suite and try not to picture beautiful scenery. Eat a perfect square of dark chocolate and don’t say anything about velvet. The same is true of sound and quiet. A certain painting may be quieter than an empty room and another as noisy as Times Square.

We can use this property of aesthetics to give our world the peace and quiet our souls need. We could make the most of architectural quiet — empty corners, lofted ceilings, muted colors — this last one a good expression of synesthesia. We could avoid placing noisy transportation near living spaces. We could give more attention to the noise that machines make."

He observes, "We live by a philosophy that hasn’t seen the connection between noise and immorality, illness, and existential angst. Silence resides in our vast unconscious. We are not aware yet of its value and purpose."

Moore jokes about getting a job with an automaker (he’s a Detroit native) to perfect a quiet car. Given the auto industry today, he may be hired if such a vehicle proves to sell well. Spirituality and Health invites readers' comments at the end of the column.

Read Moore's 2005 contribution to Resurgence magazine, "The Silence of Sounds."

Moore becomes intimate about life on May 3

Thomas Moore speaks at OneTaste in San Francisco on 3 May 2009 as a featured guest in The Intimate Life program. His updated page for this event describes his presentation:

VENUS: the Forgotten Face of God
"The sphere of Venus, the Italian goddess of old, contains sensuality, sexuality, romantic love, and the beauty of nature. Our modern myth of modernism has little room for Venus, and so it is through her realm that we can recover soul for ourselves and our society. But this change would entail a radical extension of values. It would ask us to confront our sexuality and fulfill it, remove the excessive commercialism from our towns and cities, and teach our children the joy of life rather than the virtue of working hard. We would once again understand the spiritual contributions of the arts and heal our bodies by giving them the pleasures and comforts they need."

Read an earlier Barque announcement for background about The Intimate Life series.

OneTaste participants are warmly invited to join Barque: Thomas Moore Forum, an open space for sharing your views and reflections about Moore's work. All that's required is registration on the site.

Attend Moore's event in San Diego, 2 May 2009

Thomas Moore's publisher updates its description for his 2:30 p.m.workshop at the I Can Do It! event in San Diego on 2 May 2009. Moore talks about his new book, Writing in the Sand: Jesus and the Soul of the Gospels, published by Hay House.

Read an earlier Barque post with the description for Moore's presentation.

Learn about ecology of the soul in May 2009

Schumacher College updates its description for the course, Nourishing the Soul: Archetypes, myth & meaning scheduled for May 5-15, 2009. Thomas Moore and his wife teach the second week of the course, Ecology of the Soul: Deepening Everyday Life through Art, Yoga and Discussion.

"Ecology usually refers to protecting the natural environment. Ecology of the soul is the process of tending deep values of connection, beauty and community. Soul is not the same as spirit. Soul is what makes a person or a thing fully what it is and connected to the world. Through meditation, daily yoga, lecture/discussion and the arts (50% lecture/discussion, 50% experiential), this course explores ways to live soulfully, focusing on the following themes:

Monday – Ways to live soulfully – image and the poetic life
Tuesday – Desire and pleasure
Wednesday – Enchantment, community and beauty
Thursday – The imperfect life – depression, anger and failure
Friday – Calling, dharma and opus

No previous experience with art, meditation or yoga is necessary.
Advance reading:
Care of the Soul or The Re-Enchantment of Everyday Life by Thomas Moore."

Program exploring intimacy features Moore

Thomas Moore participates in The Intimate Life program sponsored by OneTaste, an organization in San Francisco and New York. Starting 14 April 2009, this program explores aspects of personal intimacy at the San Francisco location and online. OneTaste is offering a special introductory cost of $20 for its new Long Distance Members to access The Intimate Life course and the Media Section of its site. Registration is to be available soon.

"OneTaste presents a unique once a month journey of inquiry into what it means to live an intimate life. Through provocative lectures, experiential exercises and extensive support networks, gain the insight and tools to experience the deep connection, aliveness and intimacy you’ve always desired."

"Each month, OneTaste founder Nicole Daedone will be joined by leading teachers in the field of intimacy to discuss evocative questions: What is true intimacy? How does one cultivate intimacy in the face of trauma and suffering? What does it take to be a powerful, yet intimate leader? These sessions will be recorded and posted to the web for access by on-line students the following week and will be augmented with bi-monthly newsletters, curriculum workbooks and online buddy systems for ongoing investigation, integration and support."

Barque readers may remember Moore blogging about a rewarding visit to OneTaste during his 2008 book tour promoting A Life at Work.

The love sickness, Jealousy, teaches maturity

One day before Friday the 13th and two days before St. Valentine’s Day, February 14th, Thomas Moore writes about the purpose of jealousy, "Schooled in Jealousy" for WebMD. Based on his own experiences, Moore suggests "Jealousy forces you to consider one of the great conundrums that every person faces: how to want another person madly and at the same time grant her her freedom as a person with her own life and fate. You can't learn this from a book or a counseling session. Jealousy can teach you, but only if you are able to go through it to the end."

Moore’s advice is under the heading, "Modern Love: Sex, Relationships & Your Health — Psychology Today experts talk, share and give advice on mating, dating, and relating." Readers are invited to post comments about Moore’s observations.

Moore speaks at Elon University on April 23

Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life sponsors Thomas Moore’s appearance in Whitley Auditorium at Elon University in Elon, North Carolina on Thursday 23 April 2009 at 7:30 p.m. Moore talks about "The Soul of the University" and according to him,

"At all levels of education currently we tend to provide for the mind and, to some extent, for the body, but little for the soul. An education in soul would include preparation for marriage, illness, a life work, making a home, raising children, contributing to society, dealing with emotional and relational issues, and developing a spiritual sensibility. Rather than creating an entirely new curriculum, it would involve studying any subject for its contributions to meaning, values, and vision. It would also be sensitive to the poetic, symbolic, metaphoric, and ritual aspects of life through a deep understanding of the arts and spiritual traditions. It would culture a person, give him depth, and prepare her for citizenship, leadership, and a rich life."

This lecture is free. Call the Truitt Center at 336 278-7729.
Elon is in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, east of Greensboro and northwest of Raleigh/Durham.

Diminish sexual anxiety in the healing arts

Today, Thomas Moore posts "Sexual Anxiety" on his Psychology Today blog, Care of the Soul. He talks about responses to his lecture last week for "pastoral counselors, hospital chaplains, and theology professors, and their students" and focuses on the reaction of two students who apparently were offended when he mentioned in passing, "the Gospel of Philip, where it is said that Jesus kissed Mary Magdalen (according to the Leloup translation)." Moore writes,

"During my thirty years of practicing psychotherapy, I heard person after person telling the story of how their sexuality was repressed, depressed, and suppressed by their religion. I saw the harm this repression did to their marriages and their outlook on life. Cumulatively, I see its negative impact on American life.

The repression of one's sexuality leads to a certain kind of depression and that in turn leads to meanness of spirit. You see it at PTA meetings, local government meetings, and in comments of the public after news items online. You see it in a widespread absence of civility in our society, in a compulsive interest in sex online and in the media, and in sexist and abusive treatment of women."

Moore shares an exercise he presents when speaking with church groups, "I ask them what it would take from their spirituality to be comfortable with their sexuality, and what it would take from their sexuality to be fully engaged spiritually. If either our sexuality or our spirituality are anxious and troubled, then both are going to be weakened. We need to work out a way to be anxiety-free both in sexuality and spirituality."

Psychology Today encourages readers to comment on blog posts. Join the discussion.

Spring celebrates Irish culture and psychology

The latest issue of Spring: A Journal of Archetype and Culture, Vol. 79, focuses on the theme of "Irish Culture & Depth Psychology". It includes an interview with Thomas Moore; an excerpt, introduced by Moore, from the work of the late Irish writer John Moriarty; and an article about W.B. Yeats by James Hollis. Barque reported this publication in a post early last year.

According to author biographies provided, Thomas Moore’s "grandparents immigrated to the U.S. from Ireland, and he has lived, traveled, and taught frequently throughout Ireland."

The New York Center for Jungian Studies plans two study tour programs in Ireland:
March 26 – April 2, 2009
Dublin and Galway
“The Archetype of Home”

April 19-26, 2009
County Mayo and Sligo
A Study/Tour in Celtic Mythology

They are open to the general public as well as mental health professionals (Continuing Education credits are available).

Houston hosts talk about soulful spirituality

This Thursday 29 January at 7 p.m., Thomas Moore talks about "Deepening Our Spiritual Life" at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Houston, Texas. St. Mark's is located at 3816 Bellaire Blvd., between Stella Link/Weslayan and Buffalo Speedway. Contact the church office at 713 664-3466 for more information. Although this event is free, a $10 donation is suggested to help defray expenses. The presentation is sponsored by Memorial Hermann Hospital.

Moore says, "Talk about spirituality usually aims rather high: the pursuit of virtue, knowing the mysteries, self-improvement, the perfect person and the perfect community. But spirituality also needs depth: emotional substance, spirituality in the world and in everyday life, and a deeper, more nuanced understanding of the teachings. In other words, spirit needs soul. In this gathering, we'll consider concrete ways to become 'soulfully' spiritual."

Broadway releases A Life at Work as paperback

Following Barque’s July 2008 announcement, Random House's Broadway Books issues Thomas Moore’s book, A Life at Work in paperback today, 6 January 2009.


Click on the upper right corner of this Random House widget for full-text searching of the book's contents.

Moore shares richness of stories in Ottawa

Web sites of the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association and the Unitarian Universalist Ministers of Canada promote conference activities for 11-16 November 2009 in Ottawa, Canada.

Thomas Moore headlines this event:
Tell a tale ... Touch a life ... Transform the world ...

"This year's CONVO is deeply rooted in the belief that our stories are foundational in our lives and are containers for our meaning. As we hear the stories of other people we begin to understand why these people are the way they are in this world... All sessions and worship will be rooted in the story medium. There will be opportunities to attend workshops which will help you learn about storytelling - how to tell a story and how to make it your own."

During the week-long conference, Moore will speak to the entire group for a total of four hours about leadership. Twenty-five lucky registrants, chosen "by lottery of those who sign up during the regular registration period" will receive an additional in-depth workshop of 12 hours with Moore throughout the week.

Registration opens online 10 January 2009.
No on-site registrations will be accepted.

Moore explores ways to nourish the soul

Schumacher College describes its course "Nourishing the Soul: Archetypes, Myth and Meaning" to be offered 5 - 15 May 2009. Thomas Moore teaches during the course’s second week:

"In the second week, participants will engage in a variety of practices which help to cultivate deep values of connection, beauty, and community. Through in-depth discussion and exploration, together with practices such as meditation, art and yoga, the course will investigate ways to live soulfully."

Moore will co-teach during this week with his wife, Joan Hanley.

Publisher shows Writing in the Sand cover

Publisher Hay House Inc. releases cover art for Thomas Moore’s next book, Writing in the Sand: Jesus & the Soul of the Gospels, to be available May 2009.

Title: Writing in the Sand: Jesus & the Soul of the Gospels
Author: Thomas Moore
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Hay House Inc.
Release Date: May 2009
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1401924131
ISBN-13: 978-1401924133

Moore will talk about this subject at Hay House Inc.’s I Can Do It! San Diego event on Saturday 2 May 2009, 2:30 - 4:00 p.m. Check out registration information.

Moore answers questions about life, work

On 12 November 2008, Dawn Light posts the transcript of an interview with Thomas Moore, in which he talks about a life’s calling, education, retirement, and reactions to his books. Part of this interview is published in the September-October 2008 issue of New Visions Magazine. These three excerpts include Moore's answers to questions about education, readers, and work.

Dawn: What do you think of the current educational system?
Thomas: Not much.
Dawn: Well, you’re home schooling your daughter, so that says a lot right there.
Thomas: Well, it does say something, yes. My kids grew up in a Waldorf School. They went to a Waldorf School all the way through so all along I’ve been very interested in education. The thing about contemporary public education, and of course much private education, that I object to is that it’s seen as training for a job. Here we run into that same issue: a job versus a life work. I would think that an educated person is someone who understands something about the world, about their place in community and gets initiated into culture, the closest culture where it might be; learning about history and really learning it and arts and how to be with people and nature, a full education. Today we do training, we don’t really educate. So we get nervous when a child can’t use a computer. We’re not so worried whether they can be married or raise children or be responsible and intelligent participant in society. That was an old Greek idea. The ancient Greeks thought that was the heart of education: was to educate people so that when they got older they could really make a contribution to society. We don’t seem to see that. We think it’s more important that our kids develop a skill so that they can make a good living at it and have a certain level of income. I think that’s really a sad situation and leads to all kinds of problems. Testing is the big thing, and you can’t test for a real education.
****
Dawn: When people do read your book has anyone reported that they found a sense of relief or satisfaction or less stress?

Thomas: People say that about all my books. One of the things that they say that’s very positive is that they feel like they were given permission to go ahead and do what they really felt they need and want to do. I talk to them when I give talks in bookstores and other places. I talk to them about the importance of desire. To find out what desires are really deep and require attention: otherwise you’d feel depressed for not following it through. People do feel assured and given permission and accepted for who they are, from the books, that’s for sure. Now one of the things that I can just tell you, it’s not important but very often people tell me they really appreciate my musings in the books and I hate to hear that. I feel like I’m really trying to develop a very careful, precise approach to things from a deep level and a lot of people take it as musings: just sitting around musing about things. So that’s not very pleasing to me. I hear that too. But I think the important thing is that people do feel that they’ve got permission to really move more passionately into their lives.
****
Dawn: ... So what gives you the most joy in life?
Thomas: Well that’s really hard to say. I think one of the things that comes to mind is, I love my work, for one thing. I really love my work. I hate to have — to have a day where I can’t work. I don’t like holidays very much. Part of it is that I’m able, now, to work at home. I’m with my family. I can teach my daughter in the mornings now. I’m connected to the family. My wife also works at home. She’s a painter and she has a studio here. I guess that’s the — really, the best thing.
Dawn: You love your life.
Thomas: Yes.

Honour other's complexity and vastness

The Keene Sentinal posts a story about Thomas Moore’s public talk and continuing education workshop planned for the end of this week in which he will discuss spiritual principles and healthy relationships. The article quotes Moore,

"In my 30 years as a therapist, I’ve done a lot of work with couples," Moore said. "Some of that work was to help people get through some of the troubles they have with marriage and relationships. Ninety-nine percent of the people I’ve ever encountered have some confusion about relationships. A lot are trying to work out relationships with their families.

"My key idea for relationships is that we need to honor the complexity and vastness of who the other person really is," he said. "That’s our biggest mistake. We expect others to be who we want them to be, not who they are. It takes a spiritual perspective to stand back and be engaged in what is beyond you. It’s the opposite of watching out for your self."

Santa and Jesus in Belfast talk, Dec. 11

The Conference of Religious of Ireland (CORI) promotes Thomas Moore’s 7:30 p.m. appearance in Belfast on Thursday 11 December, 2008. His talk, "Santa, the Holy One" will be delivered at:
Nazareth House,
516 Ravenhill Road,
Belfast, BT6 0BW

"I think Santa Claus and gift-giving do indeed express the spirit of Christmas and are, fully in accord with the birth of Jesus, in the true Christmas spirit. I’d like to make those connections and affirm our celebration of the sacred time of light from darkness." — Thomas Moore

This evening lecture is sponsored by CORI and Drumalis. Admission is £5. The public is warmly invited. Moore will lead the Advent Retreat at Drumalis in Larne starting December 12.