Caraid Anam

What Is It?

Spiritual Direction is a practice of contemplative listening. Each meeting is unique to the persons participating in them. The hope is to pause and pay attention. To pause the churn of every day life and pay attention to what is happening inside, and what voice may be calling from the outside.

​

The "direction" part of Spiritual Direction is a bit of a misnomer in the way we understand Directors in the contemporary or corporate world. In Spiritual Direction, the Director is not giving instructions or making strategies for the Directee to perform. Instead, the Director is more a companion, or caraid anam (soul friend), who is familiar with the twists and turns common to all spiritual journeys, and who is prepared to be present to the unique expression of a single Directee's journey.

What Is It Like?

Direction sessions typically occur once every 4-6 weeks, and last about an hour. Sessions can be in person in Southern Maryland or virtual via zoom or phone. 

​

After a moment to share anything pressing, we'll take a moment of silence or centering prayer and enter into the direction time. You'll take take the hour to share, and we'll notice together what happens as you talk. We will probably take some pauses to reflect on what was shared and to be present to what is happening in the moment. Towards the end of the hour I'll check with you to see if if feels like a good play to wrap up for the moment. We'll have another moment of silence or prayer, and close out our time. 

​​

This might be a typical session, but each appointment will be different as no two Directee-Director combinations are the same. The only constant is the two assumptions I bring into every session: 

​​

1. The Divine is already active and present in your life

2. Whatever comes up for discussion during the session was meant for that meeting

Who Is Spiritual Direction for?

Spiritual Direction is for anyone, although it may be more useful to some than others, depending on where the Directee is along their life journey.

​​

• Individuals who have experienced trauma in institutional church but still have a strong desire to cultivate a spiritual life may find breathing room in the nonjudgmental space of spiritual direction

• Professional clergy may find the low-pressure environment of spiritual direction to be a place where they can air out doubts and struggles without fear of putting others' faith journeys at risk.

• People may find themselves hitting a wall spiritually, and want someone to help them navigate the frustration, confusion, or even boredom of that experience. 

• Someone may find themselves in deep grief over a loss and need a companion.

• At the moment, many Western Christians are finding themselves in a stage of deconstruction, and spiritual direction can be a safe container to unpack and examine previously held beliefs.

Metaphors

Metaphors are pictures that help us grasp something that is hard to define and come in particularly useful when trying to describe Spiritual Direction. There are of course no perfect metaphors, but the following images may be helpful: 

​​

• Trail Guide - The Directee is exploring a wilderness, and the Director walks with them, helping to draw attention to the ecology, beauty and hazards.

• Midwife - The Directee is in labor, struggling to bring new life into the world, and the Directee is present to the needs of the the mother and child. 

• Couple's Counselor - In this image, the "couple" is the Directee and the Divine. The Director helps to focus the conversation on the relationship between them. 

• Shadow box/Hutch - Imagine a space that can hold the longings, the joy, the sorrow which a traveler has experienced on a journey. The Director provides a container where the Directee can place the nuances of their story.