Donate Today!
Loading ...

The Depth of Our Belonging: Mysticism, Physics, and Healing (Reading Group)

with facilitator Judith Keller
and author Mary Conrow Coelho

Registration closed.

Category: Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mary Coelho joins discoveries in new physics with mystical wisdom to reset our orientation to the inner and outer life. In her hopeful vision, the transformation of the self and the beneficence of the natural world spring from the underlying sacred Presence or seamless plenum, opening a path of healing for our wounded souls and our world.  -- Beverly Lanzetta, speaking about Mary Coelho's new book

Join a Reading Group . . .

The Depth of Our Belonging: Mysticism, Physics, and Healing

Facilitated by Judith Keller with author Mary Conrow Coelho

Six Zoom Sessions:
Wednesdays, June 23 to July 28, 7:00 - 8:30 PM ET

Carefully check your own time zone by clicking here.

$125; $95 Early Bird Price Till June 9th
Premium Members receive 10% discount ($85.50 with Early Bird Discount)

Limited to 25 participants.
Participants purchase a copy of the book.

Please check to see that you can commit to all 6 sessions, including being drawn to both traditional book discussion and interaction, and to the contemplative practice associated with one of Mary’s paintings each week that Judith will lead.

 

About the Book: 

The Depth of Our Belonging: Mysticism, Physics, and Healing by Mary Conrow Coelho, Producciones de la Hamaca, 2021

In her early studies, author Mary Coelho learned that science was claiming full explanatory power of our world, hence, she pursued several years of formal theological studies to understand spiritual experiences. Then she learned that knowledge from physics has changed profoundly with the discovery that atoms are almost entirely comprised of a powerful, nonvisible nonmaterial reality. The human person and everything on Earth is comprised of this nonvisible realm that the manifest world of daily life has risen within and continues to emerge within. We are given a new understanding from science of the actual existence of a nonvisible reality. In her book, The Depth of Our Belonging: Mysticism, Physics, and Healing, we are encouraged to not be intimidated by the seemingly difficult and foreign world of the quantum physicist but to explore our transformed worldview with the guidance of careful teachers.

Dr. Coelho shows how this new information at the level of physics connects with descriptions in the writings of mystics of their experiences, such as, from Julian of Norwich, John Yungblut, Catherine of Genoa, Meister Eckhard, Hafiz, Teresa of Avila, and others. She proposes that these mystics are actually describing the seamless plenum.

At a personal level she shows how this new information has provided profound healing for herself. She writes, "Thanks to my deepened understanding of human identity within our evolutionary story and the breakthrough in the recognition by physicists and mystics of the nonvisible sacred Presence integral to my very being, I dared to know with confidence that the loss of adequate nurture and the resulting suffering I experienced as an infant and young child are not the final word. The situation of the person who suffers is profoundly different within our new context as compared to a dualistic world that separates our bodies and the natural world from spirit (prana or ruah). In the dualistic world we do not know that the spirit, the dynamic and life-giving energy of the universe, is intrinsic to our very being, always present and active. In our new worldview there is an identity not circumscribed by the loss and suffering; the ongoing sacred Presence (seamless plenum) provides a place to stand, a willingness to feel the suffering deeply with confidence in the possibility of fresh emergence, a fresh expression of the Self. We can be confident that we can become true differentiated subjects in communion with our world and other people, given the ancient archetypal patterning intrinsic to the person."

The Depth of Our Belonging is beautifully illustrated with paintings by the author.

 

About the Reading Group

This reading group will be conducted over 6 weekly sessions for 1.5 hrs each week. The first session is introductory and invites introductions and clarifications about our format and subsequent sessions. In session 2 we will begin reading the book, taking a chapter each week. In the final session we will take time to express our insights and appreciations. Following on the tea break in each session, Judith will lead us in a contemplative practice of sacred seeing to invite us ‘inside’ one of Mary’s water color paintings that accompany the text. We will move into a breakout group each session. To open and close our sessions, we will breathe and settle together with 2-3 minutes of quiet meditative ‘presencing’.

As the sessions will be online in Zoom, participants will need to have latest update of Zoom, to be able to mute/unmute and to turn on their video.

 

Author: MARY CONROW COELHO has a background in both science and theology. She has an MDiv degree from Union Theological Seminary and a PhD from Fordham University. She is the author of Awakening Universe, Emerging Personhood: The Power of Contemplation in an Evolving Universe.  She has been a watercolor painter for many years.  She has been a member of the Steering Committee of the Friends Committee on Unity with Nature, is on the board of The American Teilhard Association and founder with others of the New Story Group at Friends Meeting at Cambridge and a similar group in New York City. She has led a number of workshops on the integration of the epic of evolution and the Western contemplative/mystical tradition.  She brings her theological studies, her background in science as a biology teacher and her excitement about our transformed worldview to her work as a water painter of images evoking the new cosmology.  A few of her paintings and some accordion books are on her website: http://newuniversestory.com. Mrs. Coelho is a signature member of the Northeast Watercolor Society, exhibiting her paintings in the northeast.

 

Reading Group Facilitator: JUDITH KELLER is an adult educator who has graduate qualifications in education and in the arts. She has a University background in teacher and distance education at Australian Catholic University QLD and the University of Newcastle NSW. She has a body of published work in both refereed and non refereed journals in Australia in the areas of religious education, and Australian spirituality and the arts. Judith has been a member of the DTN for around a year volunteering as a mentor recently for the allurement group The Spiral Way- the Way of Contemplative Cosmology. She has facilitated two online reading groups, one of which was co-facilitated with the current chair of Eremos Council Australia. Judith is a lifelong reader of the Christian mystics and offers prayer and retreat days in the Australian Network for Spiritual Direction ANSD drawing on the writings of the mystics, and Australian poets and visual artists. Judith is a sacred dancer and runs online meditation. She is a volunteer guide in her Regional Botanical Gardens. A recent article in the journal ‘Coolamon’ describes the walks she leads and her Earth advocacy work there. Judith is passionate about the transformative and expressive arts, music, meditation, movement and newly interested in how these can explore and express Deeptime principles. Judith Keller M Ed (Rel. Ed.), Boston Coll., MA, and Grad Dip Arts (Christian Spirituality), Broken Bay Institute NSW.

Related products

Sponsors

Want to Sponsor DTN? Click here.
Anthony Robert Zelle, Esq., Tony is an Earth lawyer. While serving as Chair and President of the Earth Law Center, following 30 years in private practice trying cases and arguing appeals, he served as lead editor and author of the only comprehensive book on the subject: Earth Law: Emerging Ecocentric Law-A Guide for Practitioners. Developed for law school curricula, and now part of developing LLM programs internationally, the book has also become the primary reference source for practitioners.

The focus of Tony's current work is developing Earth law in practice and creating revenue-generating opportunities for Earth lawyers.

Learn more about Tony’s journey from a recent Boston College Law School Magazine profile.https://lawmagazine.bc.edu/2025/02/voice-for-the-earth/

This will close in 0 seconds

Maisie Paddon, Maisie is spearheading the advancement of Earth Law by integrating its principles into transformative policies and business strategies that resonate with Earth-centric practices and Nature's patterns. At the helm of Project 2040, she seeks to revolutionize financial systems, foster circular economies, and develop regenerative food systems. Her extensive experience in top-tier management consulting, with roles at Ernst & Young and Capgemini, showcases her ability to lead complex innovation programs and engage with C-suite leaders. With a solid foundation in Philosophy and Climate Science, Maisie is deeply committed to beneficial systemic change. She champions the inclusion of Nature's voice in discussions that tackle the multifaceted crises of today's modern world, while aligning her efforts with global frameworks like UN SDGs, ESG principles, and ISO standards. Her holistic and emotionally intelligent approach underscores her pursuit of sustainable and equitable solutions.

This will close in 0 seconds

Kerry Hudson, Hudson works as an activist and public interest lawyer with a focus on social justice, and an academic and employment history addressing heirs' property reform and protections of the Florida aquifer. He served as co-founder and manager for a medical practice that focused on Environmentally Acquired Diseases, and the effects of that most macro of human phenomenon—climate change, on the most granular, personal issues—individual health and the chronic and intractable maladies brought on by changing climate. He has served as Education Director for Rights of Nature and eco-centric education, creating informational content addressing topics such as environmental protections and property law, and the Public Trust Doctrine, and creating supplemental educational content for the law school textbook Earth Law: A Practitioner’s Guide. He holds an MFA in writing, has a publication history with both fiction and non-fiction, and has authored funded grants examining strategies to mitigate generational heirs' property abuses. He holds a J.D. with a focus on Environmental Justice, social equity, and restorative justice and has created informational and educational content addressing the intersection of environmental and legal issues such as the one-percenters' climate change preparations. Currently based in London, He works on a long-form manuscript addressing the importance of property law, social justice, and the climate change crisis.

This will close in 0 seconds

April Elizabeth Finlayson, April Elizabeth Finlayson is an “Edu-neer” dedicated to designing holistic and transformational learning experiences. She has a fervent commitment to reimagining education, promoting lifelong learning and creating uniquely curated, humanizing educational experiences for youth, and the young at heart. This has led to the development of nearly a dozen innovative schools and numerous educational programs in the K-12, after-school learning, adult development and Higher-Ed spaces.

April’s style of leadership and service is rooted in making space for learner voice, agency and empowerment. She believes that the best teaching and learning is reciprocal, interwoven and interchangeable. April asserts that “if a learner knows that they are seen, affirmed, “in-powered” and protected while learning, they will feel loved, and will henceforth thrive!”

April's students and graduates have gone on to international and national renown in philanthropy, entrepreneurship, professional athletics, entertainment, and being great, enjoyable people. April was cross culturally raised and educated between The Bahamas, the USA and Canada. She completed her undergraduate degree in International Development Studies, Political Science and Management from McGill University, and earned both her Master's Degree in Mind, Brain and Education and her Doctorate Degree in Education Leadership from Harvard Graduate School of Education.

This will close in 0 seconds

Tara A. Pierce, Tara holds degrees in painting, the humanities, a J.D., and an LL.M. in Oceans, Environment, & Sustainability. This transdisciplinary background enriched her legal studies and contributed to the successful publication of several papers on Earth Law and Restorative Ocean Farming. Her latest thesis synthesised her entire academic and hands-on experiences into an approach to transforming the law into a healing practice. Tara regularly guest lectures on Ocean & Coastal Law developments for various institutions in the United States and Europe.

This will close in 0 seconds

Cat Haas, Cat Haas is the Director of the Eco Jurisprudence Monitor (EJM), where she oversees the research and development of the world’s most comprehensive database of ecological jurisprudence initiatives globally. Since 2022, she has led efforts to document and analyze the global evolution of Earth-centered law, with a particular focus on the Rights of Nature movement, ecological law, and Indigenous ontologies. Cat holds an M.A. in Global Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where her research explored the influence of Indigenous cosmologies and pluriversal ontologies on the development and globalization of the Rights of Nature movement.
She also serves on the Steering Committee of the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature (GARN) Academic Hub, an interdisciplinary network of scholars specializing in ecological law and governance.
With a background in environmental education, Cat is passionate about fostering awareness and advocacy for sustainable, equitable legal frameworks that address the climate crisis and center ecological well-being

This will close in 0 seconds

Ava Roche, Ava is currently a pre-law focused senior at Columbia University studying Political Ecology, conducting her senior thesis on the socio-political effects of deep-sea mining in the Cook Islands. She is attending Columbia University’s Climate School next fall, and aspires to be an earth lawyer, with experience as the student director of the Earth Law Centers, “Earth Law: Emerging Ecocentric Law- a Guide for Practitioners” course last summer. She is an avid scuba diver who is passionate about protecting earths vital oceanic ecosystems, and is interning at Columbia Law Schools, "Sabin Center for Climate Change Law” this coming summer under Michael Gerrard. Above all, she can’t wait to TA with Earth Law Practice and work in such an impactful environment.

This will close in 0 seconds

Aurélie Rodzynek, advances Earth Law by uniting global advocacy, legal strategy, and community-led action. As Communications, Marketing, and Strategy Lead for the Earth Law Alliance, she works to embed Rights of Nature principles into governance systems worldwide. She has held leadership and coordination roles across North America, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific, guiding water governance initiatives, supporting international advocacy campaigns, and developing education programs on climate resilience and biodiversity. Leveraging her expertise, Aurélie has contributed to major UN-based gatherings and COP, promoting a holistic legal approach to protecting nature.

Holding an MPA in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University and a BA in International Relations, she works at the nexus of law, science, and community priorities to help restore ecological integrity and strengthen the relationship between people and the planet.

This will close in 0 seconds

Janet Marley is completing an MA in Ecopsychology at Naropa University. She is currently researching styles of governance in traditional indigenous societies of Turtle Island and how such wisdom ways can positively influence modern ecocentric regenerative residential communities and bioregional initiatives. She has a BA in Religious Studies from Brown University. Janet is a community organizer with an abiding interest in designing and co-creating intentional living and learning centers that model and teach connection, communication, and reciprocity with the natural world. Her gifts and roles include Teacher, Naturalist, Healer, Event Producer, and Facilitator of ceremony, council, rites of passage, vision quests, ecotherapy, and trauma integration work. She is a Montessori-trained educator and mom of two young children. She currently serves as a board member for The Circle for Change Initiative and is the Director of Programming and Events at the Manitoulin Eco Park, an indigenous-led nature connection facility in Ontario, Canada.

This will close in 0 seconds

Urwa Hameed, is a final year law student at Boston College Law School. She is a graduate of Boston College with degrees in International Studies and Political Science and has taught a course in Environmental Law at her alma mater. Urwa is the author of two published books, including her most recent, Hosting Earth: Facing the Climate Emergency (Routledge, 2024), which examines the environment through a philosophical and theological lens, framing humans as both hosts and guests of the Earth. Her work blends academic rigor with a deep commitment to exploring humanity’s moral and spiritual responsibilities toward the planet.

This will close in 0 seconds