CHS Summer Intensive

Through a documentary fragment known in English as the Cauldron of Poesy, we glimpse what may have been an ancient Irish way of viewing the inner universe of the human being in The Three Cauldrons. The Three Cauldrons have been likened to an ancient Celtic chakra system, a way of viewing the spiritual life and as a model for Celtic shamanism. In recent years, research across many fields has begun to reveal to us the significant role of stories to the human brain, its organization and the entire human experience. We will bring together over four sessions at Mystic South these pieces of ancient spiritual practice from the Irish Celtic traditions and modern brain research to explore the power of story in the inner and outer worlds of Earth, Sea and Sky. Each session will include some of the foundational material about both the ancient cauldron system of the human being and the recent brain research. Each session will be devoted to examining story as it relates to one of the three cauldrons and our spiritual journey in the world.. The final session will reach for some integration of the ancient and modern research with suggestions for spiritual practice. Exploring the power of story: the physical body aspects, the emotional/relational aspects, and the wisdom/spiritual aspects.

A master bard leads us into the mists of sacred story . . .

Much-loved CHS professor and national award-winning teacher Bob Patrick is an active member of the Unitarian-Universalist Congregation of Gwinnett where he co-founded both the Oak Grove CUUPS and the Druid Order of Three Realms whose mother Grove, Sylvan Sanctuary, meets at UUCG. His religious and spiritual path is labyrinthine, including ministry in the United Methodist Church, the Roman Catholic Church, Druidry and UUism. He has special interests in language pedagogy, creating and leading ritual, and spiritual direction/friendship, working with labyrinths, gardening and painting, and is a certified and licensed massage therapist. He understands his Earth-centered spiritual path as the way of weaving together all of these aspects of his life. Bob holds a BA in Biblical Literature from Oral Roberts University, a Masters of Divinity from Emory University, and a PhD in Latin and Roman Studies from the University of Florida. His dissertation focused on the presence of sacred groves in the Metamorphoses of Ovid as nonlinear events, and he has continuing interest in sacred groves in surrounding European and near-eastern cultures, particularly Celtic cultures.

We are delighted to be hosted this year by Mystic South, the distinctly Southern and progressive Pagan conference held in Atlanta, GA.

How you can participate (read carefully):

All four sessions will be open to any paid Mystic South attendee. Registered participants will meet privately as announced by the instructor in the CHS hotel suite. You will also be placed in a special online classroom for pre- and post-conference discussions, and an assignment for degree students.

To earn credit as an intensive towards your master’s degree, register and pay here.

To earn credit towards any CHS certificate, register and pay here.

Your CHS registration will also register you for the entire Mystic South conference. However, you must make your own hotel reservation (use the code MYSTIC SOUTH) and you are responsible for your meals.

The Crowne Plaza is a natural wonderland, with walking paths, gardens and woods. There are many nearby restaurants and stores, as well as restaurants and bars inside the hotel.