A Message from Cami Twilling, Newly Appointed Director of Earth & Soul

Greetings to each of you! I am delighted to begin this new journey as Director of Earth & Soul. It has been a joy to be part of the Colorado leadership team for the past five years and to get to know many of you. As we move into this new chapter in the life of Earth & Soul, I look forward to the possibility of  spending time with you and helping carry forward the vision that John Philip articulates in his writings and teachings. We are living in a time of great possibility as well as a time of great challenge. Now, more than ever, a vision of Earth’s sacredness and the sacredness of every person is urgently needed. Earth & Soul has important work to do. Thank you for being part of it.

I was first introduced to the writings of John Philip through a Maryknoll Sister in 2011 while doing volunteer work in rural Guatemala. In conversation one day with my dear friend, Sister Connie, she showed me a book, literally shaking it at me, and said, “You have got to read this!”. It was A New Harmony by John Philip Newell. I had never heard of this author before, but when a Contemplative Sister whom you greatly love and admire shakes a book at you and tells you to read it, what else do you do but read the book? As I read John Philip’s words, I began to feel that my soul could breathe again. Here was a message that gave voice to what at some level I already knew but which I hadn’t heard expressed before. It would not be an exaggeration to say that this book changed my life! Now, eleven years later, I am grateful beyond measure to be the Director of Earth & Soul and to be part of serving the visionary and prophetic work of John Philip Newell. 

My first month on the job has been focused on enabling the School of Earth & Soul to get back up and running again after two years of postponement due to the pandemic. We begin our first in-person gatherings this month, meeting at two locations in California and one in Arizona (see the School Page on www.earthandsoul.org). There are two new initiatives that I’d particularly like to share with you now. 

The first will be the introduction of the House Gathering Initiative in 2022. Often, after a three-day School event, Pilgrimage week, or public presentation, we hear people asking how they can stay connected to Earth & Soul and further deepen their experience. The House Gathering Initiative will enable small groups of people across the country to gather on a regular basis, whether in person or virtually, to take forward the work and vision of Earth & Soul through continued study, spiritual practice, and compassionate action. This past year a small group of women and men participated with me in a pilot project for House Gatherings, using Sacred Earth Sacred Soul as our essential text along with simple meditative practice to form community together and deepen our commitment to love in action. In March we will be releasing online resources to enable House Gatherings to begin across the country. So, stay tuned! This will be an important way of grounding our vision.

The second new project will be a Livestream Teaching Initiative. In the past, people have only been able to participate in the School of Earth & Soul by gathering in person at one of our ten locations across the country. We are excited now to be working towards the provision of another option that will enable people if they wish to ‘attend’ teaching sessions from home, one at a time. This, briefly, is what it will look like. When the School convenes in Colorado this coming May, one of John Philip’s three main teaching sessions of Celtic Wisdom 1, including spiritual practice, will be offered via livestream. This will be called Celtic Wisdom 1.1 and will be available anywhere in the world. Celtic Wisdom 1.2 and Celtic Wisdom 1.3 will then be offered at later dates and from different locations across the country in 2022. The same pattern would apply in the future for the three main components of Celtic Wisdom 2 (2.1, 2.2, 2.3) and Celtic Wisdom 3 (3.1, 3.2, 3.3). So, watch out on our Earth & Soul website for more information and registration coming soon! 

We would love to have you join us for one of our School events or Iona Pilgrimage weeks, and soon for one of our House Gatherings or Livestream Teaching sessions. I am grateful to each of you for being part of this journey, reawakening together to the sacredness of Earth and every human being. 

Peace & love, 

Cami Twilling

Denver, Colorado

February 2, 2022