January 2017 – Susan on February Holidays and Dan on Lessons from The Practice

Notes from …

  • Susan – February Holidays
    Wiccans have 4 high Sabbaths and 4 lesser ones. It breaks the year into sections. February 2nd is Imbolc and is considered a cross quarter day which falls in-between the Winter Solstice and Ostara (the Spring Equinox). It’s also referred to as Candlemas, a time of rededication and pledges for the New Year. Christians celebrate it by having a Candle Mass in church.
  • Notes from Dan – Lessons from The Practice – part 1
    It’s been about a year since I first began training with Joseph and Susan. A lot has happened, and I’ve blogged I about only a few of those things. As I write this, I’m on an airplane headed towards my fourth in-person training, so it seemed like a good time to look back at some of the lessons and learning I’ve received so far.My first big “a ha!” – pay attention.

    The beginning was scary for me. I had lost all sense of control over what was happening in my life, I didn’t know where to turn in a moment of personal crisis, and the Universe provided Joseph and Susan. The experience of that personal crisis caused me to question my career, my motivations, and what I’m here to do, and the Universe answered me.

    The difficult part isn’t getting an answer, it’s to pay attention to the answer. When I ask something, I generally get a very clear answer, but I also tend to fall back into old habits and old patterns. And truth be told, paying attention is a lot of work. It requires focus, and in the reality I’ve crafted for myself, with constant distractions both external and internal, I have been very easily choosing not to focus.

    This is important, and it’s taken a year to sink in. I need to pay attention. When I ask for guidance, I clearly and unambiguously get that guidance. That information deserves and requires my attention, focus and appreciation.

    It also requires my trust.
    Read more on the blog…

Recent Blog Posts

  • Embrace Your Fear – It has been 6 months since I officially started working with Joseph and Susan, 6 months since I devoted myself to the Practice and the principles of NextStage. I thought this would be the perfect time to give myself and the Practice a sort of mid-period assessment. When I think […]
  • The Collective, After Holiday Sigh – Did you hear that great collective sigh? That was everyone breathing a sigh of relief that the Holidays are over. Congratulations…you survived them…go ahead pat yourself on the back. You deserve it. The Holidays can stress anyone. I hope you survived them somewhat intact. Did you get new tools for […]
  • Ceremony, Ritual, Fear, Loss, Peace, Power, Confidence, Compassion, Balance, Being, Existence and Selling at the Holistic Health Expo – Finale – [[Note to readers; this is final installment of my Ceremony, Ritual, Fear, Loss, Peace, Power, Confidence, Compassion, Balance, Being, Existence and Selling at the Holistic Health Expo thread. Part 1 which focused on Ceremony and Ritual, Part 2 dealt with perceptions of fear and loss and Part 3 considered Power, […]
  • I’d like to ask you a question – Part II – On May 9 2016, I published the first blog post here, in which I asked a question – that question was “You are here because…?” I had been studying with NextStage for about 6 months at that point. When I wrote it, I suggested that “Because is not an easy […]
  • Lessons from The Practice – Taking Responsibility – It’s been about a year since I first began training with Joseph and Susan. A lot has happened, and I’ve blogged about only a few of those things. As I write this, I’m on an airplane headed towards my fourth in-person training, so it seemed like a good time to […]
  • Class/Book Notes – Teaching and Community – [[Note to readers; I’m starting a series of posts that are excerpts from either our trainings or one of my books. Hope you enjoy!]] We put ourselves in the Circle. Enter from the Eastern Door. circle the fire once, always clockwise. When leaving, always Circle once, clockwise, then leave by […]
  • Still off the Mountain Top….and diving into that messy bowl called Responsibility – I’m sure that got some people responding in all sorts of ways. There are those who go out of their way to shun any and all responsibility in their lives. I know a few people like this. They’re “Just along for the ride”. I have no sympathy for these people […]

As always, you can find all our blogposts on the ExpandedAwareness Blog page

  • NextStage Expanded Awareness Society Happenings for Feb 2017
    • We’re adding two more hour long introductory webinars (and feel free to invite your friends by sharing the registration links). These webinars provide a general introduction to NextStage Expanded Awareness Society and help people differentiate our approach from other methodologies/trainings. Areas of discussion are wide open and past topics included smudging, working with energies, types of journeying, the meaning of dreams, self-healing and more
    • Directions Series: The Directions Webinar Series are 2+ hour webinar discussions and Q&A which provide an introduction to a variety of topics. Directions Series webinars are $49.99 each.
      • LifePath Work, OtherPath Work – The life you live, the friends you have, your family, the joys and sorrows that enter your life, these and more are all things on your LifePath. Some people plan their lives and periodically reassess to determine if they’re achieving their goals, happy with what’s happening around them and to them, want to change and so on. Other people are content to let serendipity, coincidence and fate give them (we hope) wonderful and unexpected experiences.
        In all cases, the life you’ve chosen is demonstrated in by your LifePath, a kind of Ley line of your energy in the universe. Sometimes, however, our lives are not what we want them to be and we don’t know how to change or start over.
        This webinar explains the concepts of LifePath and OtherPath; the lives other yous live in slightly different realities. Perhaps you’re happily childless here and have several wonderful children there, perhaps you’re a research analyst here and a gifted violinist there, and perhaps you live a wonderful life here and are a alcoholic, bisexual cocaine addict there. What’s important is not what’s different, it’s learning how to bring the desired differences into this LifePath.

 

  • Pacific Time Zone Friendly – Thursday, February 2 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm PST
  • Eastern Time Zone Friendly – Friday, February 3 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm EST
  • Sacred Space Work – Traditional in all esoteric practices is the concept of the holy or sacred. As explained in previous webinars, we can be both aware and unaware of all the things we’ve brought into our lives and made holy and/or sacred. Knowing what we’ve made special is excellent, not knowing what we’ve elevated to holy or sacred can be the cause of great pain and suffering both in our lives and in the lives of those who surround us.
    This webinar deals with how we create our individual sacred spaces, how we maintain them, what we bring into them, how we find peace in them and how we bring others into them. How we bring others into our SacredSpaces is crucial, how we enter others’ SacredSpaces more so and especially if these others aren’t aware they’ve invited us into and are unaware of their SacredSpace. Finally, suggestions are given for individual SacredSpaces.

  • Introduction to Drumming – This class will take place over a weekend. It starts at dusk on Friday night and concludes Sunday afternoon. Participants do get to sleep, etc., during this time, although some late night, early morning activity should be expected.
    At dusk on the first night participants learn and engage in Drum Honoring Ceremonies. These are done to encourage people to become more familiar with their drums and to learn about Drum, also known as First Drum in some cultures. During and after these ceremonies participants will take part in Shamanic StoryTelling, all around Drum.
    The following day is spent learning some basic Drumming Patterns. What patterns are taught depends on the participants and the energies present.
    As day once again turns to night, participants will engage in a DrumWaking or DrumOpening Ceremony. The purpose of this ceremony is to allow Drum to come into the participants’ drums and bring them to life for sacred and shamanic purposes.
    Now, well into night of the second day, all present participate in a TalkingDrum Ceremony, wherein the spirit of Drum in each instrument communicates with the others and with the drummers (what some cultures call “Singers”) as well.
    Finally, participants gather on the last day’s morning to recount and share their separate and community experiences. Much time is spent during the second day’s learnings to share and rest as well.
    Friday, February 10 @ 5:00 pm – Sunday, February 12 @ 4:00 pm EST: $1999
  • Empty SkyHave you read Empty Sky? It’s the story of a young boy and his dog who are asked to save the world’s dreams, but to do so they must each make a sacrifice. What would you sacrifice to keep hope alive?
  • You can learn about NextStage Expanded Awareness Society happenings via our NextStage Expanded Awareness Society feed
  • Like, Love, Link, Befriend and Follow NextStage Expanded Awareness Society!
  • Tales Told 'Round Celestial CampfiresHave you read Tales Told ‘Round Celestial Campfires? It’s a collection of short stories, some of which are based on experiences in The Practice. Email us if you can figure out which ones are Practice related.
  • We’ve also published some short stories for the Kindle. You can find all of Joseph’s writings on his Amazon Author Page and please say hello on Goodreads.