The soul heals through friendship.

You are a soul. It underlies and unifies every part of you. Each one of us yearns to feel and liberate the soul in order to live in tune with our true nature and give our unique gifts to the world. When we do, we experience a profound sense of connection, freedom, brilliance, creativity and a love for living in good relationship with all that is.

We believe that friendship is essential to this task of healing and expressing the soul. In the Celtic tradition, a special form of spiritual care existed where we cared for and nurtured the soul which was referred to as “Anam Cara” (anamchara) meaning “soul friend.” It was practiced by people with experience, skills of clarity, compassion, mysticism and a unique capacity for deep listening. In following the way of Anam Cara we can discover healing, wisdom, personal growth and a strengthening of our relationship with a Great Spiritual Divinity found at the heart of everything.

An Anam Cara is a person who sees into the heart and soul and offers guidance, reflection and strength. They have an ability to hear deeper truths, illuminate essential goodness and embody creative authenticity. This skillful form of companionship creates the distinct feeling that we are not alone, an experienced mentor is with us, offering us the help of their vision with an open mind and an undefended heart. Traditionally, an Anam Cara was present with others during transformational moments throughout life and near death. The responsibility of the Anam Cara was especially poignant at the bedside of the dying, the soul’s final frontier of transformation here.

As a collective of individuals following the way of Anam Cara we have been supporting others through the sometimes treacherous terrain that life brings in various ways; listening, sharing experiences, relating wisdom we have received from sacred friends, sharing in practice or silence, and seeking out guidance from divinity itself. Although we may share our personal experiences as a means of relating, we do not impart our personal spiritual / religious beliefs onto others. We support the soul in following the deep spiritual impulse within. Our aim is to support the soul in discovering healing, freedom, courage, growth, divine connection and creative expression. Historically, Celtic Spirituality allied with an indigenous worldview and saw the natural world as being imbued with goodness from the Creator, full of spirit to learn from. The way of Anam Cara is one that honours this mystical ability to hear spirit through the natural world as native and Indigenous teachings do so well. We also lift up examples of profound spiritual transformation towards becoming loving, compassionate, soulful, morally grounded and socially focused. We believe that can be seen in wise ones such as Jesus, Buddha and anyone who embodies these ways in their being. Celtic Spirituality holds these views and those who embody them, as friends of the soul.

The way of Anam Cara perceives the spiritual and the material as interwoven, in and through one another, inextricably interconnected. Practicing the way of Anam Cara moves us into to a mystical hidden wholeness, interconnected fulfillment and a creative life worth living. Together we are becoming Beautiful Spirits.