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The Golden Metaphysical Community of Calvert CountyAlthough I’ve taught workshops for 33
years, traveling to many regions of America, I’ve never seen the like of
Calvert County. In describing the highlights of the weekend I just spent there,
partly I’m acknowledging an extraordinary group of women but I’m also giving
a peak into the future, because I suspect that some of what I saw there is the
best of the New Age, as we’ll see it increasingly unfold throughout the world. Driving into Chesapeake Beach, Maryland,
I found a pleasant seaside community, tourist friendly but not overly
commercial, and with a level of relaxation that was palpable. Driving off the
D.C. Beltway onto Route 4, in fact, I felt my stress level drop by 75 percent,
but that was just the beginning of the surprises in store. What had brought me to this part of town
was the interest of one long-time metaphysical student, Susan Pharis. After
attending an event I hosted in honor of the Harmonic Concordance, she invited me
to give workshops. Where? She’d find a place, plus a place for me to stay
overnight. Actually, she found me two places to
teach, plus the hospitality of a delightful woman’s gift of bed and breakfast.
Susan has no store herself, nor even a place big enough to comfortably put up a
houseguest, being a single mother who lives on a receptionist’s salary. But
Susan is plugged in to a metaphysical community with a degree of ego-less
cooperation unlike any I’d previously encountered. And, true to her word, she
connected me with two different sponsoring organizations. On Saturday, March 13, I gave an intro
and workshop on “Empath’s Empowerment” at Triad. Shellie Lambert and Cathy Nasatka operate this charming storefront on a main
street, Chesapeake Beach Road, near the water. The converted residence is a
treasure box of jewelry, bells, smells and books, with a well appointed space
downstairs for workshops and private sessions. Besides creating a sweet
atmosphere, I’d never seen so many free refreshments—at least four kinds of
little cakes plus (trust me) some really good candy—set out for all attendees as though we were cosseted guests in the parlor. The following day, I was sponsored to
teach some 30 minutes away, in Lusby, at The Sharing Space. Driving through five
minutes of windy roads past Route 4, into what was clearly a residential
district, secretly I wondered how funky an experience this was going to be. Back
when I got my start in the 70’s, teaching living room courses in
Transcendental Meditation, I was sponsored in places that, at least, made for
funny stories—like the day I initiated the two most influential men in public
schools in Miami. The home volunteered for our use had been overrun by cats. I
insisted that they be put out of the room where I taught. But the morning was so
rainy that the cats set up a continual howl. (I should mention that, despite
my discomfort at having to teach under these conditions, the ruckus didn’t
deter my students and, in fact, we wound up creating the first TM-based course
in any public school in the U.S.) In Lusby, in 2004, The Sharing Space
turned out to be a cozy yet thoroughly professional space in the attic of Shari Russell’s home. Reiki shares are hosted several times
a month and occasional workshops given as well. Once again, a generous spread of
goodies was offered and, in a brilliant custom I’d never seen before
anywhere… except at Triad, the day before… pads of paper and pens galore
available for anyone who wished to make notes of the proceedings. How had it happened that two “rival”
organizations shared me, the out-of-town speaker? How did they work out that
I’d teach
Empath’s Empowerment in one place,
Aura Reading Through All Your
Senses® in the other, and give private sessions in both? The women cooperated. My only basis for comparison was
something I’d witnessed at a pair of metaphysical stores where I used to teach
(probably the two biggest woo-woo establishments in a major city). Although each
store was an hour’s drive away from the other, the manager of one complained
to me bitterly, outraged that the other dared sponsor a certain out-of-town
teacher… on a different weekend. How refreshing to see a collaboration
instead! And the women who came to either or both events were extraordinarily
appreciative. One student volunteered this personal
tale at the end of “Empath’s Empowerment.” Barbara had first encountered
me at a workshop some dozen years ago. Being a newbie, and still carrying a lot
of fear and pain, she just managed to handle my system of face reading, with its
insights about how major gifts and life lessons show in the face. Fast forward a
few years: Having moved forward a great deal herself, she was now ready to learn
about auras. A friend sponsored my aura reading workshop. This turned Barbara
from someone who thought she had no talent into a really good aura reader. Years
later, in fact, she was dealing with so much information from auras, it was
beginning to overwhelm her. Ta da!, Empowered by Empathy was published
and, now several years since, here was my workshop to move her forward yet more.
To my amazement, Barbara’s copy of my how-to book was indexed with color-coded
tabs. I’d never seen a reader give any of my books more loving attention. Everyone did well in the workshops and
in the sessions. As usual, people came with a real variety of experiences,
expectations and gifts. While many who came for sessions were simply curious,
some brought chronic pain related to their problems or to those of a
loved one. By working with each client’s choice of Divine Being, we were able
to facilitate wonders. This, like the wonderful cooperation of Shellie and
Shari, is—I’m convinced—the future of the New Age. Everyone won’t teach
the things I’ve been given, or work in my way, but will co-create with spirit
in ways that awaken the life within life. One more experience worth noting here:
When teaching the workshop for empaths, I always ask who has had the lifelong
experience of looking in the mirror and thinking “That’s not me.” Sure enough, nearly everyone in the
workshop at Triad could relate. In fact, many students stared at me
open-mouthed, their expressions revealing how shocked they were to find others
who had shared this baffling experience. Not really bizarre, it happens when
someone has come into this lifetime with enough consciousness to know that she
or he is far more than the physical body. One woman recounted that, as a child,
she used to stare repeatedly at her face in the mirror, demanding that she be
able to see the rest of who she was. Enough with that silly kid’s face! Not only do I love the work I’ve been
given to do, but it is my delight that it is at the leading edge of the New Age.
Deeper perception can touch on some of the most intimate, exquisite qualities of
spirituality, helping with self-recognition, just like that woman peering in the
mirror. When we have Aha! experiences, the flashes of insight can alter our
reality forever. Privileged to facilitate some of these experiences in clients,
students and readers, I’m always moved by the growth when I see it right
before me. This time, in Calvert County, I was
moved by my own growth. Never had I seen a community work together to
support everyone’s evolution, down to the managers of two stores that might
have been rivals but, wisely, positioned themselves co-operatively. Money
changed hands during the weekend. Everyone prospered—Triad, The Sharing Space and Rose
Rosetree, the traveling teacher. But it wasn’t about profit or greed for any
of us. Instead we functioned as part of a flow, being supported in our work, in
balance, as part of a thriving community. When informal organizations can come
together this way, practically transparent as structures, with just enough
organization to let spirit flow through, I believe that’s a glimpse of our
future—not to mention a model of life for each of us as a person. I look
forward to returning to Calvert County. What more can all of us learn? © Rose Rosetree, 2004 |