Dear Community,
This week we have a fun feature for you as we look at two Initiates in the UK who are looking at the history of sacred arts and the way they can be revived. The Arts help us to express ourselves and connect us to the Soul, taking us out of our everyday awareness and reminding us that there is more to life.
Enjoy this deep exploration!
We have your calendar of upcoming events ready for your review to plan your year ahead!
Join our team tonight for moving meditation with Chi Do! It’s available for all, and free tonight on Zoom.
Wishing you a Soul-filled week,
Modern Mystery School UK & EU Team
🌟
Initiates Serving as Artists
Julia Tiffin’s review of the Performance Art piece Lyra with the notion of ‘The Home As A Cloud’ by two Initiates:
Initiation is a word of action, with the root word ire which means to go. Receiving sacred initiation empowers you to take ongoing steps of inspired action so as to bring more light into the world and to uplift humanity.
In January, I had the opportunity to experience profound healing and shifts through the work of two artists, Life Activation Practitioners and Ritual Master Initiates Amanda Camenisch and Therese Westin. As someone who has been involved in building an organisation that hosted curated shows for a national Photographic Centre, working as a Head of a Department of Fine Art Photography at a University, and exhibiting at a global, museum level as an artist, it was special to witness the soul opening work of two artists who had received initiation into the lineage of King Salomon.
There is no doubt to me that the training, initiation and magickal ceremonies used to set the space in this show brought a special edge to their service to the world through their art. Without much understanding in advance about what the show was about, this multi-disciplinary performance opened my heart, and I was put in touch with stored traumas hidden in the cupboards of my soul.
The energy these two women weaved into this performance opened gates in my being that I could not control or hide from myself any longer, and before I knew it, floodgates from within my being opened and hidden tears flowed uncontrollably. I was beyond words or logic for how this happened and I can’t recall how long it has been since a show has moved my soul as the Arts are been intended to do. In fact, no other show has ever impacted me like this. Through a series of sounds, movements and visual elements, the performers, who were people who had been through violence, abuse and displacement from their home countries, managed to open recesses in my own heart that were storing painful memories of my own geographic displacement and trauma. With this exposure of stored memories released from hidden spaces, I had the option to now heal these, but it was through this performance held by Amanda and Therese that I came face-to-face with what was hidden within.
It was so clear to me in that performance how initiation gives people authority to bring more light to people, not because they are better than anyone else, but because they have chosen to carry more light – both to see the gems within themselves and to bring this light for others. And so this week, we celebrate and give thanks to these two wonderful artists who have brought their gifts to the world and served to remind people why we need the Arts in a world driven by bottom lines, paying the bills and staying in the matrix of the mundane.
Initiation gives you the ability to take your talents and imbue your work with greater light to move and touch the Souls of humans. This is true of every area of life where we can serve others. A huge thank you to these two women and the ripple effect their work brought to me.
— Julia Tiffin, Modern Mystery School Specialty Teacher
Reviving the Sacred Arts
Overview of the collaborative show Lyra with the notion of ‘The Home As A Cloud’ by Amanda Camenisch and Therese Westin:
Imagine a space where trauma transforms into creativity, where the echoes of hardship give way to the sounds of healing. This is the vision behind London’s groundbreaking Lyra Project led by Amanda Camenisch and Therese Westin, both Initiates and Ritual Masters in our lineage.
Tailored for refugees, migrants, and women affected by domestic abuse and gender-based violence, this collaborative initiative spans 14 months of workshops across refugee centers and women’s shelters, exploring the theme ‘The Home As A Cloud‘ through sound exploration and sculptural work.
Weekly performative sessions under Amanda and Therese’s guidance involve collective sound explorations, poetry, and gentle movement, creating a nurturing space for both individual and group expression. These workshops are uniquely designed, allowing participants to engage with the artistic process in a manner that resonates with them, whether through writing, sound, or movement, and encourages them to take the lead in their creative expression.
The artistic experience is enhanced by unique, self-made instruments and sound sculptures brought in by Amanda and Therese. These include a shell sculpture that amplifies sound, a Moon Gate with musical steps, a Sun Gate with chimes, an Earth Drum with a dynamic inner pendant, and a Drone activated by the performers’ voices. All these elements culminate in a performance set against a handmade cloudscape structure, echoing the project’s central theme.
Integrating the four elemental theories—earth, water, air, and fire—the project uses these as metaphors to connect participants with their internal and external landscapes, offering insights into personal strengths and a sense of connection to their surroundings. This methodology not only fosters a healing environment but also empowers participants to explore and reclaim parts of their identities.
Amanda and Therese’s approach goes beyond mere artistic facilitation; as seasoned wellbeing practitioners, they weave wellness practices into their sessions, enhancing the creative process and facilitating a deeper sense of ease and empowerment among participants. The Lyra Project not only showcases their commitment to healing and art but also acts as a powerful testament to the role of creativity in fostering community and personal growth. As the project unfolds, it promises to redefine the integration of community-based art and therapeutic practices, demonstrating the profound impact of creative expression on healing and personal transformation.
— Caroline Latour, Ritual Master Apprentice & Life Activation Practitioner
Shortened transcripts from performers from Lyra:
My name is [name withheld*], I’m from Nigeria, I’m Yoruba from Western Nigeria … I came to the UK in 2014, and I like this country; this country they help people, the homeless people [and] they are doing well for people, that is why I like this country. I came to this project through HMC [Hackney Migrant Centre] and since I joined the group, I feel different, honestly… as anytime I am with this group, I feel joy, I feel happy. In fact sometimes if we are finished doing this, I don’t like to leave this. The way you guys, Amanda and Therese are treating us, in fact, I really appreciate all your efforts for us, not only me, but I can thank Therese and Amanda on behalf of the rest of my people, we really appreciate this… you guys are loving people. May God bless Great Britain more and more and may God bless Hackney migrants who sent me to this project. Amanda and Therese are the people working in Space and may God bless you. My group all of us, I pray that God may hear our prayer.
My name is [name withheld*], I am a mother of 3… I was born here in London. I suffered domestic violence for a long time; my confidence was low and I didn’t know how to be around people. I decided enough was enough and needed to get on with my life. I was contacted by this organisation and decided to do it. She [the social worker] told me about a sewing project and that is what brought me to this project … this has opened my eyes to what is out there and what I can push myself to do. Meeting you [Therese & Amanda], making me feel comfortable and wanted has expanded my horizon and I am pleased to be part of this project, although I am nervous as it is a leap. I am quite surprised to go out there [to do it], to be surrounded by people and to do this with the support of yourselves and I am proud of myself… Dancing makes me feel free, it makes me feel young and free… I loved the way I moved my body and forgot about the world, it brings me to a happy place.
* Names of performers are withheld to protect individuals
More about the Lyra Performance
September 2024 MMS UK International Programs!
The power of initiation awaits! The Empower Thyself initiation is the first step and offers you a step of empowerment that shifts you fundamentally. This is available all year around throughout the EU and UK, and for those looking for their next steps, we have them here for you.
All of the second step Initiations, starting with Healers Academy and then moving on to the Ritual Master Initiation, for those who are called, empowers you to really bring higher service to the world and far greater light. All your service projects and capacity expands many-fold. We look forward to seeing your service in the world, and bringing your unique gifts to share with all of us!
Galactic Activation 1 (Open to Certified Life Activation Practitioners or to those attending Healers Academy 16-20 Sept 2024) 14-15 September 2024
Professional Integration Day for Life Activation Practitioners (LAP PID: Open to ALL Life Activation Practitioners) 16 September 2024
Healers Academy 1 (Open to Adept Initiates – those who have done Empower Thyself!) 16-20 September 2024
Ritual Master Novice (RM 1: Open to Certified Life Activation Practitioners) 17-18 September 2024
Magick of the Ritual Master (Open to Certified Ritual Masters) 19 September 2024
Temple (Open to Certified Ritual Masters) 20 September 2024
How to Live a Hermetic Life (Open to Certified Ritual Masters. Certified Life Activation Practitioners may apply.) 21 September 2024
Hermetic Joy (Open to Adepts – those who have done Empower Thyself!) 22 September 2024
Enochian Magick 1 (Open to Certified Ritual Masters) 23 September 2024
Enochian Magick 2 (Open to Certified Ritual Masters) 24 September 2024
Show me the September schedule!
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NEWSLETTER TEAM
Caroline Latour, Contributing Author & Researcher
Lisa Pankhurst, Monday Newsletter Editor
Jackie Nonweiler, Editor
Julia Tiffin, Editor-in-Chief
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