The Guild for Spiritual Guidance

The Guild for Spiritual Guidance provides a two-year ecumenical, interfaith certificate program designed to prepare its members for a ministry of spiritual guidance within the diverse contexts of contemporary life. The Guild asks of its apprentices a readiness to deepen and reflect on their own spiritual journey in a community limited to 24 others. The focus is on transformation, rather than information, with attention to the workings of Spirit in our lives as we seek to develop a deeper awareness of our calling and of God's presence in all dimensions of life. The Guild's Apprentice Program is rooted in the Judeo-Christian contemplative tradition of spirituality with the core curriculum centered on the Western mystical tradiiton, Jungian depth psychology, and the evolutionary cosmology of Teilhard de Chardin. Insights and practices drawn from all of these experiences emphasize skills development in spiritual guidance. Each monthly session includes presentations of two of the three core areas of the curriculum and an experiential session usually provided by a variety of guest cultivators. Sessions also include communal silence, meditation and prayer as well as formal and informal sharing, all of which deepen our sense of community. Apprentices receive a Certificate upon completion of the program. Apprentices graduate into The Graduate Guild which gathers for two weekend retreats each year to further enrich our spiritual journeys, to continue cultivating specific gifts of spiritual guidance, and to nurture - and be nurtured by - our community. Committees and governance provide opportunities for members to engage in the work of the Guild's ongoing impact on our lives and on our society and world. Thus, the Guild offers both the intensive two-year Apprentice Program and a lifetime of ongoing Graduate Program retreats, spiritual transformation, and community. Guild members have come from a wide range of ages, backgrounds, occupations, and practices. A searching spirit and a deep spiritual hunger are characteristics of all Guild members. Guild members demonstrate a sufficient background and openness to integrate the content of the three curriculum strands as well as that of many challenging voice from a variety of spiritual traditions. Guild members share a commitment to practice informal and formal spiritual guidance as they are so led and guided by the stillness within. The Guild for Spiritual Guidance meets at The Mariandale Center in Ossining, New York, located just north of New York City on the beautiful Hudson River where we have individual bedrooms, nutritious meals and comfortable conference rooms in a natural setting.