In the Womb of the Divine Mother
“Divine Womb” – image by Dalmo Mendonça
Embracing Our Place in the Womb this Advent
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Entering into the Mystery & Darkness
This advent season, we are invited into the womb of the Divine Mother.
What does this mean?
It is an invitation to be with the nurturing darkness.
To be embraced in the depth of being encompassed by God, which may be a time of waiting and regeneration.
It is an invitation to welcome the mystery.
To be enfolded in the unknowing of what is yet to come, held with deep faith in the generative work of new life, which is often unseen.
It is an invitation to authentically take on our being Christ.
To be incubated in our divine identity that is who we really are, even as we are being grown and cultivated into it ever more.
It is an invitation into the hope of new life.
We are waiting with anticipation and eagerness to be born anew, for the furthering arrival of God—not “out there” but “in us” collectively as the body of God in creation. A new world in gestation, waiting to be born.
And more.
For such a time as this.
We were made for these times.
Each week of Advent and into Ephiphany, we’ll offering practices and invitations of becoming, as we have this year following each of our articles.
The last two years, we’ve had written reflections throughout advent with the themes of Adventing Christ Consciousness and the Divine Feminine. We’ll be drawing upon those writings (and sharing the links) to be the source material for our Becoming invitations.
This week, you are invited, if you like, to read the articles informing these practices from the first week of Advent:
We invite you to consciously and intentionally engage in the following processes for your personal lives, WeSpace groups or other spiritual communities, and global participation.
An Icon-Gazing Practice with the Divine Mother
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Entering the Cosmic Womb through Visio Divina
We are each wired in different ways. Some of us respond best to the written word, some to the spoken word, some to music, some to art, some to movement. We can connect to God through each of these ways. Though we may have a preferred sense through which to pray, the richest prayer life will come through experiencing God through all your senses.
Visio divina is translated as “divine seeing.” It’s the practice of praying with a sacred image or work of art. By incorporating art into prayer, visio divina invites us to bring our sense of sight as well as our imagination into our relationship with God. Visio divina thus takes on an incarnational nature, affirming the goodness of how we visually encounter the world and inviting us to a similar encounter in the spiritual life.
Here are steps you can take to enter into a practice of visio divina with the image below:
(You can read the instructions or be guided with the following audio recording)
1. Close your eyes, breathe, clear your mind, and ask God/the Divine to enter into this time of contemplation with you and to speak to you through this image.
2. Open your eyes and look at the image. Let your eyes pause and focus on the part of the image they’re first drawn to.
Gaze upon just that part of the image for a minute or so.
Now close your eyes, still seeing that part of the image in your mind. Remain with this impression for 1-2 minutes, or as long as you like.
3. Reflect on the Entire Image
Now Open your eyes and look upon the whole image. Gaze upon all of the image, allowing it to draw forth a word, an emotion, or an image in your heart.
What do you hear God/the Divine whispering into your heart? What thoughts or questions is this image raising? What emotions do you feel? When you’re ready, let yourself close and rest your eyes, taking in what you have received.
If you’re alone, remain in silent contemplation for as long as you like. Or if you are sharing in this practice with a group, offer into the WeSpace what is present from your experience.
If you like, you can also end by opening to any action or response arising in you from this practice.
Womb Welcoming
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A Poetic Reflection
The following offering from Jonathon Jelfs is an intuitive poetic sharing from the womb space and about the womb, inviting us into participation of wombful awareness in the midst of all that is going on in the world.
In the Womb, In the World
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An Invitation to Being Present in our Spheres of Influence
The phrase “Spheres of Influence” refers to the areas of our life we may not have control over but nonetheless are able to make a difference and impact through our presence and actions.
As we seek for our spiritual practices and learnings to impact our lives and make a difference in the world, we can intentionally and consciously consider how we might integrate these lessons, practices, and ways of being in our everyday lives.
In this season of Advent, we’ll invite you to consider how you want to live out these practices of becoming in your daily lives, impacting others in your spheres of influence, whether they be in person locally, unbound by geographical space online, or throughout the mystical cosmos!
For this week, with special attention on our womb space and moving with the theme of hope, you are invited to consider the following reflection questions:
1. How will you choose to enter into hope in this season? Are there ways you want to show and express your hope in your life?
2. How might you call upon your wombful presence in your life? Is there a situation or setting this upcoming week where you can set an intention to be especially present from your womb awareness? What would that look like for you?
3. Do you feel you were made for these times, for such a time as this? What is your intention to embody your calling in this advent season?
“In the Womb” – image by Dalmo Mendonça
Join us during advent for a special meditative gathering every Friday!
Advent Meditation Offering: Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love
Fridays in December
10:45–11:15 U.S. Central Time
For 4 Fridays in December, join us for a meditative engagement with the themes of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. What might WeCreate as we receive these graced gifts—not as something to achieve, but as divine energy moving as All, We, and I: beyond Us, with Us, and through Us?
Each gathering will offer welcome, gentle prompts, silence, and brief moments of shared reflection. Come, see, taste, and birth what wants to be experienced and expanded within the ever-unfolding, dynamic reality of the cosmic groove of Advent.
Will you join us?
December 6: HOPE
December 13: PEACE
December 20: JOY
December 27: LOVE
We look forward to sharing in this sacred time together.
All Images are open-source, used with permission, or created by ICN