At the GreenSpirit Gathering this year, we will explore authentic living, the costs and the delights of living with integrity, challenging assumptions and traditions. We will also look at the benefits and lessons we can learn from making mistakes and "failing" at things. We will remember and honour our inner values and inner beauty even when it means focussing on the cracks in our lives.

In the words of Leonard Cohen

"Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in".

Over the weekend we will consider living lightly and "rightly" as our way of responding to the generosity of the Earth and we shall have chances to meet with others for study, discussion and to create art, music, poetry...

 

 

Our speaker, Mark Townsend, will help us by presenting what he calls his 'Soulful Magic', which is a unique performance of gentle, yet mind blowing, illusion which evokes genuine experiences of wonder and awe. Also he will be presenting a talk / discussion on the theme of 'Authenticity and Awe,' which will be largely based on his first book 'The Gospel of Falling Down - the beauty of failure in an age of success'.

Biog

Mark Townsend is an ex-Vicar turned stage Magician and Writer.

Far from being opposing forces, Mark sees both stage magic and religion as both coming from the same deep human quest for meaning. While religion may be a human attempt to connect with the ultimate mystery, stage magic (properly performed) can stimulate the imagination and beautifully symbolize the same reality. Mark thus uses his magic as a placebo, to re-ignite the often long lost sense of wonder and enchantment that is but a distant memory for many adults. He has taken his 'soulful magic' all over the world, entertaining everyone from Massai Warriors to Catholic nuns! His shows are dazzling and powerful, and have been endorsed by some of the biggest names in spiritual entertainment - such as the great Uri Geller who says 'Mark Townsend is Amazing and Inspirational'.

Though still an ordained priest Mark is also a member of the world wide Druidic organization, The Order of Bards, Orates and Druids. Over the last few years he has found himself being more and more drawn into the nature based spirituality of the pre-Christian Celtic culture of this land. He now recognizes the forest as his 'cathedral,' seeing it as a place of spiritual sanctity. He wrote one of his books there, The Wizard's Gift, which manages to combine the two worlds of magic and spirituality.

Finally Mark's deepest passion, which is to use both magic and writing to help re-awaken people's self-belief and even re-connect them to their own often long forgotten sense of child-like wonder and awe. For more information on Mark's incredible work go to www.magicofsoul.com