In 2016 John Philip Newell began a teaching initiative that is called The School of Earth & Soul. Its purpose is to reawaken awareness of the sacred in all things through the recovery of Celtic wisdom for today and to help translate this awareness into compassionate action. The School follows a three-year cycle of teaching in its annual retreats. Participants may join at any stage in the three-year cycle and attend any of the Earth & Soul venues across the country.

Each day begins and ends with meditative prayer and chant. John Philip teaches from the wisdom of Celtic prophets over the centuries, applying this ancient wisdom to the most critical challenges of today. Cami Twilling invites us into spiritual practice bringing our inner attention to the presence of the sacred within us and within all things. In the early afternoon there is silence and free time for resting and walking. Our meals are shared in common and on the evening of the second day we have a party to celebrate our time together at the School. On the final morning before lunch we share together in a closing ritual of thanksgiving.

Celtic Wisdom 1: Sacred Soul (reawakening to the sacredness of every human being through the teachings of Pelagius, St Brigid, and Pierre Teilhard de Chardin)

Celtic Wisdom 2: Sacred Earth (reawakening to the sacredness of the earth and every creature through the teachings of Eriugena, the Carmina Gadelica, and John Muir)

Celtic Wisdom 3: Sacred Imagination (reawakening to the sacredness of the human imagination and compassionate action through the teachings of Alexander John Scott, George MacLeod, and Kenneth White)

The essential text for the three-year program is John Philip Newell’s Sacred Earth Sacred Soul. And the shared prayer book of the school is Sounds of the Eternal: A Celtic Psalter.