Crossing Thresholds: The True Geography of the Heart
Tuesday, February 14 to Friday, February 17
Led by Esther de Waal
To be present totally to a landscape, to read it and dialogue with it, helps us to see the times and forces that have shaped it and us. This will be a retreat that explores the meaning of place and landscape, especially borders and thresholds, and how such liminal spaces impact our religious experience. Using texts and images from poets and artists, as well as historians and geographers, we will make connections and unearth how exploring exterior landscapes can lead us into depth understanding of one’s own interior life — what Thomas Merton liked to call “the true geography of the heart.”
Esther de Waal is rooted in the Welsh Borders whose landscape, along with many monastic traditions, has shaped her own spirituality. She is a scholar and author of many books; among them are classics on monastic spirituality. A Companion of the Order of Holy Cross, Esther “read” history at Cambridge University and has always enjoyed the study of architecture and landscape.
Fee: $260 Deposit $80
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