I often am asked to explain what Fire & Water is to people, usually I say things like it’s a journey to grown people from adolescence adults to initiated adults. I say we don’t have a lack of leaders (leadership just mean that people are following you, it says nothing about where you are taking them.) but we have a lack of wise soulful leaders. I say it’s a journey not a program and a lot of other things.
Last week while on retreat with our second cohort Tenneson and I received this in an email the last morning that we were together at Hope Springs titled
The Hero/Heroines Journey:
Something that is *beginning* to sink in … the journey of the person who will come forward as a wise & soulful leader is different from the journey of the champion/rescuer/savior.
The journey is not to conquer the dragon, deny the self, suffer the terrible ordeal.
This journey is to persevere in the wilderness in the company of others. Not a tribe but a band of fellow travelers who can hold space for one another in the presence of fear, challenge, the Great Unknown.
It’s not about conquering. It’s not about sacrifice in the way I’ve thought about sacrifice. It’s more about staying with, staying in it … especially when it would be easier to step away. Returning again and again. Being willing to stay with the unknown and the uncomfortable for a time, knowing your band of fellow travelers has your back.
And trusting that whatever question comes forward is for the wholeness of each one who hears those words. That the wholeness of each is the wholeness of all.
Written by Saoirse Charis-Graves
I bow to you Saoirse for leaning into your own journey and finding the words of my heart. Thank you. Next time someone asks me what Fire & Water is I’m going to share this with them.
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