Reflecting Creatively on Julian of Norwich
Overview
Sarah Law will be using the recently-published anthology, All Shall Be Well: Poems for Julian of Norwich, to consider a range of creative spiritual practices. Each of the three online sessions will concentrate on a specific approach:
- what we know of Julian’s life, her times, and her anchorhold;
- images of the Divine found within Julian’s own writing, the Revelations of Divine Love;
- well-known, and less well-known, phrases found within the Revelations.
Each session will include discussion of individual poems within the All Shall Be Well anthology and prompts for creative reflection and some personal writing if wished. Each session's poems are listed here. Each session will also include time for participants to share their work if they wish, or to share thoughts more generally.
It is hoped that we will be joined by some guest writers from the anthology, who will give us an insight into their own connection with Julian.
In addition, there will be times of silence, and liturgy reflecting both Julian and the Orthodox Nativity Fast.
Participants will be offered some suggested reading beforehand and should have access to a copy of All Shall Be Well: Poems for Julian of Norwich (Amethyst Press) and to the Revelations of Divine Love (any edition).
The book is available from the Friends or, of course, from other providers. No prior experience of creative writing is required, and attendees are not obliged to produce any creative pieces but, for those who would like to, Sarah will be happy to read and consider your work for a potential future publication.
FAQs. CLICK HERE for some frequently asked questions.
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Introducing Julian's Life and Times
In this Friday evening session, we will introduce ourselves to each other, and to the contents of the retreat. In particular, we will think about how Julian's life and times, the anchorhold in which she dwelled, and her present-day Shrine, have inspired creative responses among poets and writers. drawing on work in the anthology All Shall Be Well. There will be time for some individual creative reflection and writing, which you may share in the larger group if you wish. We will end the session with night prayer inspired by Julian. Please check back for further details of poems we will reflect on and details of a guest speaker!
Images of the Divine in Julian's Revelations
In this Saturday morning's session, we will dive into Julian's Revelations specifically to consider the imagery, with which she presents her experiences of the Divine. We will look at the well-known, resonant image of the 'little thing the size of a hazelnut' from chapter 5 of the Long Text, and others, such as her depiction of Christ's blood in graphic yet homely terms, and her understanding of Jesus as Mother. We will look at some specific poems from the anthology All Shall Be Well, ponder our individual responses to Julian's imagery, and might even be inspired to discover sacred images of our own. There will be time for reflection and writing, and the opportunity to share our words with the wider group. Please check back for the titles of specific poems we will discuss, and for details of a guest writer's contribution to the morning. *There will be a 20 minute break during this session, at around 11 am*. We will break for lunch at 12:30, and resume at 1:30pm.
Julian's Phrases; Our Responses
In this final, afternoon session, we will reflect on a range of Julian's phrases in the Revelations, particularly those which offer us timeless wisdom, insight, guidance and comfort. From the best known ('All Shall Be Well') to the lesser-known, Julian's words convey the joy and the mystery of God's love. We look at how poets in All Shall Be Well have engaged with these phrases, and woven them into their own creative work. We will draw the retreat to a close by considering further creative responses to Julian, and how we might continue to integrate creativity into our prayer, and prayer into our creative work. Please check back for details of individual poems we will discuss, and a guest speaker contribution. *This session will include a 20 minute break at around 3pm*.
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