Entering the Castle 1 – Humility

Full Description

Entering the Castle Study Group
First Mansion: Rooms for Refining Humility

Pre-requisites: All you need is a print copy of Caroline Myss’s book Entering the Castle. 

Join Spiritual Director, Stacey Couch, and four other spiritual seekers for a live 60-minute spiritual dialogue weekly for eight-weeks on Tuesdays.

This study group facilitated by Stacey Couch is centered around Caroline Myss’s book “Entering the Castle” as well as St. Teresa of Avila’s book “The Interior Castle”. Stacey brings in resources from both of these texts along with additional teachings from Caroline’s workshops on Entering the Castle taught in the early 2000’s.

Other spiritual teachings, especially Attar’s “Conference of the Birds”, will be introduced to support meditations in the castle.

In this study group on the First Mansion: Rooms for Refining Humility, we visit the first nine rooms of the first mansion. Here is where you evaluate the power the fear of humiliation has over you. You look at how you have been embarrassed and ashamed, and how you have humiliated others. Most travelers don’t make it past this first set of rooms because the rooms are challenging to say the least. 

With a guide and companions, you have much needed compassionate support to help you through this vulnerable, and sometimes raw, process so that you can find your way to the grace of humility.

This is where you develop the foundational soul stamina that will carry you through the entire interior castle.

About the Entering the Castle

St. Teresa originally taught that the soul is a castle with seven mansions. She laid out this vision in print, and her wisdom has since passed down through the ages. Modern day spiritual teacher and mystic, Caroline Myss, was visited by this Catholic saint, and, through her direct encounters with St. Teresa, Caroline developed the meditations and contemplations in her book “Entering the Castle”. The two texts have a lot in common obviously, but each has a unique approach that enriches the group’s time together.

This is a unique opportunity to meet with other spiritual seekers to share, think, listen, and sense through the experiences that happen in the interior castle. St. Teresa and Caroline Myss both teach that it is best not to enter the castle alone, but to cultivate spiritual companions we can talk with along the way. They also advise having a spiritual director, someone to act as your guide. This study group provides both of these pivotal resources with Stacey leading and four companions to accompany you.

Time: Tuesdays at 11:00am -12:00pm Mountain Standard Time (UTC -7)

Dates:

• January 19
• January 26
• February 2
• February 9
• February 16
• February 23
• March 2 – NO CLASS
• March 9
• March 16

To view the first meeting in your time zone visit here:
https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html?iso=20210119T180000&p1=75
For those of you outside the U.S. please keep any time changes you have in mind.

The Entering the Castle study group is perfect for you if you:

• Are looking to connect with others from around the world on the spiritual path
• Consider yourself a spiritual seeker 
• Appreciate the direction of a facilitator who creates a safe container for sharing
• Are interested in learning about the interior castle as taught and translated by various teachers
• Are ready to find belonging with a circle of spiritual companions
• Find yourself ready for deep inquiry and regular spiritual practice

Homework Assignments

Before the first group meeting you are required to read “Part 1: Preparing for the Journey” and the introduction of “Part 2” before the “Rooms for Refining Humility” in Entering the Castle. This is a little over one hundred pages of text. Between every meeting you are required to complete specific homework assignments from the book Entering the Castle. The assignments include reading a couple of pages, doing a meditation, and journaling on your experience. Our meetings include a discussion of the homework.

Attendance is Required

Please check your calendars carefully and be sure that you are available to attend each session. Since this study group is for a small amount of people, your attendance is REQUIRED once you register.  

There are no refunds for part or all of the course even if you are unable to attend one or more sessions. You must pay in advance to reserve your space.

Your participation is key to make this work.

In this digital era people tend to be more casual about online activities. That works really well for the mass presentations with one teacher speaking to hundreds of students online, but for small, intimate discussion groups like we are forming, live attendance is necessary to make this work.

Your fellow seekers need your voice and questions to enrich the experience. Out of respect for your fellow seekers, please don’t fail to show and take up the spot of someone who would have been able to attend and benefit from the discussion.

Please be sure to check your calendars and make sure that the times and dates work for you in your time zone. And be sure to reserve the time in your schedule. The fee for this small group workshop must be paid in advance and is non-refundable.

After each study group, you receive an audio and video recording of the meeting to download via Dropbox.

One week prior to the event, you will receive an email with details on how to attend the event via your computer, mobile device or phone. It is preferred that you attend the event via video conference, but you can also call in by phone.

I so look forward to having you join me in this unique opportunity to develop connection, belonging and belief!

* Full enrollment is required for Stacey to hold this class. If the circle does not fill, Stacey reserves the right to cancel the study group and refund your full payment.