Discovering the Art of Soul Friending

Book excerpt: This friendly, accessible book is about the age-old hunger in human hearts to open, and deepen, and grow towards faithful intimacy with the Source of all that is. This spiritual journey is radically personal, but it is not meant to be entirely solitary. It can be supported at crucial times by friendship with someone who has learned how to listen, through a life of prayer, for the guidance of God’s Spirit in their own soul and in the soul of another. Long ago, in Celtic Christian Ireland, such a person was called an anam cara—a soul friend. “Every soul, from time to time on its mysterious trek towards union with God, needs a human friend for encouragement on the way.” In Discovering the Art of Soul Friending, Carolyn Gratton invites us to say “yes” to the ability to share with another and to disclose something of oneself on each seeker’s journey towards union with God. Enriched by a lifetime of insights gained from educating groups around the world, she guides aspiring spiritual companions to: -a discernment of their own level of spiritual maturity; -sensitivity in the art of spiritual guidance and to a seeker’s desires, the soil from which their truest love can spring; -a commitment to prayer and the transformation of consciousness it makes possible; -rootedness in their own faith tradition and, throughout life, an openness to the expanded perceptions possible in our multicultural world. Carolyn completes each chapter with what she calls a “Book Providence” section—an annotated bibliography of resources that can expand the discernment skills and contextual awareness of potential soul friends.