Visionaries

It's Quite Amazing the quality of people we host here
Not only participants who come from all over the planet
Not only Staff who come with their own gifts and jewels to share
But the Quality of Teachers who would teach that we are all teachers
From Pema Chodron to Carolyn Myss to Rodney Yee and Marianne Williamson
I have had the incredible opportunity to hold court this week with some incredible visionaries from different walks of life with very similar visions


Iyanla Vanzant is an amazingly warm and grounded minister, author, and "spiritual life coach" who you might know from Oprah and "Starting Over". She has a huge following which is very deserved.... once you meet her you are completely within her embrace and can really feel that hold. She has had an extremely hard life which she shares freely, and her story telling is mythical, clear and relevant. I sat in the Lake Theater one rainy blustery night and was so entranced in her presence that I wanted to just quit everything to go be trained by her Inner Visions Institute for Spiritual Development in Maryland. She brought with her her "angels" as she calls them, who are trained coaches themselves, and it was so incredible to see this amazing strong group of African American women on campus walking around in beautiful all white clothing to identify themselves. Nice to have some sista's up in this joint!

We also had Alex and Allyson Grey teaching a "Visionary Art Intensive" this week, and additionally they hosted many opportunities to experience their art and visions in other ritualistic experiential ways. For those that arn't familiar, Alex is an artist who has written "Sacred Mirrors", "The Mission of Art" and "Transfigurations", as well as countless pieces of work that you will say, "oh yea, I've seen that". We previewed his new movie CosM's which highlights his work in his studio in NYC where he has his collection, and it is an amazing testament to love and art. He and Allyson met over thirty years ago (on LSD) and since have been creating art and traveling, sharing their love with others. They are a very real, gritty,lovely couple. He invited a few of us to:


" CoSM FIRE
ALL NIGHT FIRE CIRCLE
at Center for Symbolic Studies (which is this Groovy little compound near Woodstock)

Join CoSM around the fire where mytho-poetic alchemists and metaphoric minstrels gather to celebrate unity and diversity.
This all-night fire brings mythology to life through drumming, dancing, chanting, creating art, telling stories and truths.

We will drum fully until 12 midnight and then settle into an ambient alchemical groove that will take us through until dawn. The music of the fire circle will call to your soul. CoSM Fire is sponsored by Chapel of Sacred Mirrors and produced by Conscious Collaborations and the Faery King and his Gossamer Court, all in support of the evolution of consciousness through art, drumming, dance and community"

Ok sounds like some hairy fairy shamalamading dong kinda stuff, huh? But trying to get acquainted with what is really going on here on the East Coast I was game. Jerry, Robert and I took off after work on Friday and spent the next twelve hours meeting incredible people, singing beautiful songs, drumming, dancing, praying,performing rituals, cuddling by the fire, eating, and being. It was on a beautiful communal piece of land near Lake Mohonk (near Woodstock) which my friend Chris told me still holds some old growth trees on the property. It reminded me of something I would attend in San Francisco, but had a refreshing East Coast edge....

As we were rolling back to campus at 8:30 am (and right back to work not even a moment to change thank you v. much) I was reminded again that this is my life right now. Where my options are bountiful and my blessings are plenty!

If you are in NYC you should completely check out Alex's gallery. He has Full Moon party's every month that I plan on attending in August. He is completely interesting and humble, very accesible and really is so talented. If you are interested in more check out:
http://www.cosm.org/