The Divine Feminine and the Transformation of Consciousness

HYBRID RETREAT October 15-17, 2021 Starts 10 am Friday and ends 12 pm Sunday
$300 Online / $350 on site at Mercy Center in Burlingame, CA

In the practice of Centering Prayer we open ourselves to God in the unknown places of ourselves, to the unloading of the unconscious mind, each time we give our consent to the presence and action of the Holy Spirit. This willingness to say “yes” to the darkness, “the cloud of unknowing”, prepares us to receive self-knowledge, to see reality more clearly for ourselves and for others in the light of awakening to truth.

In our Christian heritage we venerate Mary, the God-bearer, who enters the unknown to bring forth life giving fruit for the world. She sometimes appears as swarthy or coal black as an invitation to welcome our shadow so that we too may bring forth our gifts for the benefit of the cosmos and realize our wholeness – that we are both darkness and light. Embracing the dark feminine in ourselves roots us in our true nature and generates wellbeing for ourselves and our planet.

Retreat Leaders:

Rev. Amber Sturgess is an Episcopal Priest, spiritual director, and a seeker on the contemplative path. She enjoys teaching contemplative practices that deepen our spiritual awareness. Amber currently serves as Rector of All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Carmel.

Catherine Regan, Ph.D. is a spiritual director, retired psychologist, and adjunct staff member at Mercy Center, primarily serving on the Centering Prayer team. She has a special interest in participating in the reclamation of the Christian Wisdom tradition and fostering the contemplative practices so urgently needed at this time in our world.

Joy Andrews Hayter, Ph.D. is a spiritual director, and Centering Prayer coordinator at Mercy Center. Joy is dedicated to fostering contemplative practices such as Centering Prayer and others within the Christian Wisdom tradition that help us become aware of God’s ever-present love. As a scientist she sees in the physical world an expression of that love.

How will the hybrid retreat work?
You are invited to join us from your own home OR AT MERCY CENTER in Burlingame as we practice integrating prayer with our life, in our circumstances as they are. Teaching sessions will include experiential, participatory, and embodied exercises to draw us more deeply into the healing, contemplative space. Breaks will be provided for further integration.

Program Features
• Live Online Centering Prayer Sessions – Join via Zoom (at Mercy Center or at home) at scheduled times or practice on your own.
• Live Online Teaching Sessions by Rev. Amber Sturgess. Join us live via Zoom (at Mercy Center or at home) or view recordings at a later time.
• Live Online or in-person Small Groups – for experiential processing (not recorded).

You can participate in one of three ways:
1) From home online. The retreat is designed so that you can choose as much or as little of it as fits in your life, on any given day.
2) In person at Mercy Center, participating online from your laptop in your own room and enjoying the beauty and peace of the grounds. There will be opportunity for some participation in live groups on site, or you can participate entirely online.

Everything will be on Zoom so we’ll all be sharing the retreat no matter where we are. We trust that God’s love surrounds all of it, all of us, exactly as we are.

COVID Protocol is still in place at Mercy Center, and everyone entering the building must be fully vaccinated, and wear masks in all common areas indoors except when eating. For this reason, it is important to also include the following in your packing:
1) A record of having been vaccinated
2) At least one mask
3) Hand sanitizer. Hand sanitizer is provided by the Center, but it helps if you will also bring your own.
For more information about Mercy Center’s COVID protocols, please click on the link below.
Guest Protocol – Mercy Center Burlingame (mercy-center.org)

Please register at www.mercy-center.org or telephone 650-340-7474