‘Understanding the difference between solitude and loneliness is essential for the passage from the Recluse who is hostage to isolation and paranoia to the woman who values and grows from solitude.

When solitude is chosen, it is the foundation of spiritual life and regenerates the soul. It has many complexions: gentleness, wild intensity, introspection and contemplation, ecstasy, serenity, awe, a silent divine energy, inner and outer peace. Solitude does not remove us from suffering; it calls forth a sacrifice of parts of the self and asks something of us in order to connect us with something love means “that two solitudes protect and border and salute each other.” The experience of solitude can bring a sense of union, grounding relationships.

In contrast, loneliness often makes us feel abandoned, rejected, or lost. We feel victimised, desperate, and conflicted, a pawn of fate. A person can be lonelier in a group of people or with someone than she is by herself, which she most feels the pitying projections of other people, and the lonely child in her experiences shame. In loneliness are the seeds of its own healing, however, for anxiety and terror can be the threshold into awe as well as conscious self-understanding.’

– L S Leonard

Hello beautiful souls, Just a reminder that tomorrow will be the first Zoom group of the year. This will be at 12.30-1.45 UK time in the ‘Book Club’ group. You have to join the book club group for the link. The topic is ‘the difference between solitude and loneliness’. In this session we will read a passage from Linda Schierse Leonard’s book for the first five to ten minutes and then the rest of the session will be an open women’s circle to dive deep into the topic. You don’t have to have the book to join. I will also set aside a little space for us to talk about the full moon in Cancer this weekend and any new year’s reflections you want to share for accountability. I hope you can make it 🤍