The Way of the Rose: Healing the Heart & the Sacred Marriage (Anne Baring, Part 8)
Back from the BorderlineShow Notes
For seven conversations, Anne Baring and I have been investigating the forgotten feminine face of God. We’ve explored Sophia, Mary Magdalene, the Grail, and the religious traditions that preserved aspects of the sacred feminine. Now, in our eighth and final conversation, we’re asking what all of that knowledge is supposed to do to us.
We start at Chartres Cathedral in France, where a medieval labyrinth invites pilgrims to walk toward its center before returning to the world. From there, Anne and I explore the neglected wisdom of the heart, the relationship between childhood wounds and religious ideas about guilt, and the sacred marriage, or hieros gamos, as a way of understanding the divisions within ourselves.
After months of investigating religious history, we find ourselves confronting a much more personal question. How do we allow these teachings to change the way we live?
This is Part 8 of an eight-part series. New listeners are encouraged to start with Part 1. Next week, I’ll return with a personal epilogue reflecting on how my own thinking has changed throughout these conversations.
EXPLORE ANNE BARING’S WORK: This series draws on Anne Baring’s book, Divine Wisdom and the Holy Spirit: The Forgotten Feminine Face of God. You can listen to the complete audiobook for free on YouTube, narrated by Anne herself, and explore her books and research on her official website at annebaring.com.
MY TWELVE PART SERIES ON CHILDHOOD EMOTIONAL NEGLECT: Click here to start episode 1.
BOOKS & FURTHER READING
Anne Baring & Jules Cashford: The Myth of the Goddess: Evolution of an Image Banafsheh Sayyad: Dance of Oneness: Embody Love and Luminosity to Transform Your Life Peter Kingsley: In the Dark Places of Wisdom Neale Donald Walsch: Conversations with God (audiobook edition discussed in the episode) Charles Spencer: A Very Private School
PLACES & PRACTICES
Chartres Cathedral: Medieval labyrinth and rose windows HeartMath Institute: Heart-focused contemplative practices Sufi whirling: Sacred dance tradition discussed by Anne
ORGANIZATIONS MENTIONED: Ubiquity University | Humanity’s Team | The Shift Network
EXPLORE MORE ON PATREON: Back from the Borderline is an independent podcast exploring depth psychology and mysticism. My Patreon archive contains hundreds of exclusive episodes, including extensive investigations of the subjects explored with Anne. Browse the Collections tab to explore the archive and support future conversations. Check it all out at https://www.patreon.com/c/backfromtheborderline.
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