Clear evidence of spring was bursting forth at Edenvale Community in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia, Canada, April 6-8, 2018. Soft rain was the order of these days, where over 30 met to take part in an Attunement Retreat entitled Attunement: Spiritual Activation in Our World. David Karchere, Hugh and Barb Duff, Carol Robertson and Marilyn Manderson provided the surround and guideposts of consideration during this time together, with the spirit of vibrant creative life emerging through all present.
We set out to acknowledge the practice of Attunement, while expanding the consciousness of this healing art and spiritual experience. The seven spirits related to the seven endocrine glands of the body were reviewed and enlivened on Friday evening by David, under the title “Essential Principles of Spiritual Activation.” There was specific focus on the spirit of blessing. Adventure and experimentation were in the air. Hugh and Barb led an explorative time of endocrine Attunement. The evening closed with Marilyn reading an Attunement Card, featuring prayer and meditation: “The Spirit of Blessing Related to Source.”
The numbers grew on Saturday morning, and everyone was gracefully included and initiated into the morning activities by speaking the spirit that they were bringing to the day. Chant, presentations, listening pairs, journaling, and comments from the group related to the Spirit of Blessing enlivened the morning. Hugh and Barb offered a time of attunement and a presentation related to the Spirit of Blessing, followed by David speaking on the topic of “Emotional Gateways to the Spirit of Blessing.” Hearts were opened and thought expanded around this quality of Being available through each one of us.
At 11 a.m. the Annual meeting of the Attunement Guild began, with individuals joining us online from Sunrise Ranch in Colorado; Wyoming; Quebec, Canada; the UK; and The Netherlands. David offered a concise and powerful review of the process of Spiritual Activation related to Attunement, with reference to our capacities of body, mind and heart and our responsibility to process and offer this reality into our worlds. Hugh reviewed our Retreat time thus far, and we then went into Guild business with a review of the 2017 year, finances, and the attunement.org website. Diana de Winton announced that those standing to continue on the Guild Leadership team were Hugh Duff, Irene de Groof, John Flood and Marilyn Manderson. Carol Robertson is stepping down after many years of service. Hugh presented a card to Carol, which included words to honor her years in leadership in the Attunement Guild. Carol conveyed words of appreciation. Each person still participating on the team spoke a few words about their enthusiasm for the year to come.
Following the completion of the call, Carol read the Attunement Card “The Spirit of the Single Eye: Source,” which closed the morning.
The afternoon began with a presentation by Marilyn Manderson on the topic “Creative Mental Attitude and the Spirit of the Single Eye.” David followed by showing the video Sawubona, with words spoken by Orland Bishop. This time culminated in a powerful milling exercise that drew forth the reality of oneness, as well as reverence and acknowledgment of the heart and mind of each one present.
Following our break, Barb read the Attunement Card “The Spirit of the New Earth” and Carol followed with a presentation on this same topic. Substance was building and expanding in understanding around our individual relationships with these spirits, inherent and available through each one of us. We followed up with listening pairs around physical issues that are up for us in our lives. Michael Gaeta then joined us via Zoom from Paris, France, in the wee hours of the morning there, with a very full offering of “Five Nutritional Principles to Revitalize Your Life.” Michael masterfully wove the history of Attunement into his presentation. It was a joy to share Michael’s wise counsel in light of all that we had been considering.
Our final session of the afternoon was presented by David on the topic of the “Spirit of Purification.” Acknowledgment of the natural flow of life from above and below in the physical body, and the spirits represented in the endocrine system, above and below the thymus gland, revealed clarity of awareness around purity of heart and the process of purification. We ventured outdoors, though a bit cool and damp, to consider something purifying now in the emotional body of each one of us. We returned to the meeting room and went into groups to consider what we could bring into our worlds of newness related to our Attunement experience this weekend thus far. This was a vibrant and generative time, exuding possibility. The room lit up!
Saturday evening was initiated with Chant, a reading by Barb of the Attunement Card “The Spirit of Life Related to Source,” then a wondrous time of Healing Chant in many configurations, with specifics related to both individual and global situations. This aspect of the time closed with a powerful assemblage of the participants in a circle, with those facilitating the time surrounding them. Barb and then David offered presentations on the “Spirit of the Womb” and David read an Attunement Card: “The Spirit of the Womb: Source.” We closed the evening with an appreciative check-out.
Those who chose to do so then met to prepare for Sunday service the next day, which was included as part of the Attunement event. There were eight people present to offer their input; and again, magic was afoot. Individuals chose to represent and speak about one of each of the seven spirits. Jane Anetrini, from Sunrise Ranch, was asked if she would represent the Spirit of Purification, Hugh Duff the Spirit of Blessing, Marilyn Manderson the Spirit of the Single Eye, Carol Robertson the Spirit of the New Earth, Phyllis Kotyk the Spirit of Life, Barb Duff the Spirit of the Womb, and David Karchere the Spirit of Love. Lisa Meyes and Carol Robertson offered to read poems of their own creation.
Sunday morning we met for a half hour prior to our service time to share attunements and receive comments related to the event itself. We then moved immediately into our service time with friends from the area joining us.
Our service time, a culmination of the weekend, added powerfully to the already rich and expansive generation of the gathering. To add to the presentations already mentioned, David Karchere initiated his offering by speaking the prayer and meditation of the Attunement Card “The Spirit of Love Related to Source,” to a musical background, then focused his words on The Highest Love. He voiced that Love is “holistically and holographically present through all people, through all Creation, on this planet.” He declared the desire of Love to come into and through us moment by moment. His closing comment related to Attunement as a meta-practice that pervades all life experience.
We shared a potent and rich service expansion time, concluding with rich appreciation for David, all those who were part of offering the event, and everyone present who was part of this amazing time together. There were several individuals who had not participated in an Attunement Retreat previously. They were swept up in a wave of welcome and generation, which included continued connection in the current of Attunement if they so choose.
Marilyn Manderson
