Reverend Gellman provides spiritual and emotional counseling and therapy to people of all ages, backgrounds and faiths. Through a flexible use of counseling techniques and interfaith philosophies, he helps his clients to better understand and more fully accept their challenging life situations, and offers how to overcome them with the greatest potential opportunity for personal growth.

Book your Interfaith wedding or rite of passage for the next significant event in your life. Reverend Gellman will create customized weddings and other special ceremonies to mark your special occasion drawing on your unique heritage, culture and history and your unique combination of spiritual beliefs. Examples of celebratory “Rites of Passage” include:

• A new chapter in your life
• Moving to a new job, house or relationship
• Giving up an addiction
• Accomplishing a goal or set of goals
• Birth of a baby
• A marriage
• The coming of age of a child

As a result of the traumas and stresses we experience in our lives, a spiritual illness is created which can manifest into either physical or emotional “dis-ease”. What has usually happened is that a piece of our “soul” has been fragmented or broken off. Consider this to be a part of your vital force having gone missing.

The traumas we experience take tolls on us, and the effects of trauma vary from individual to individual. In our current society, we often use psychological methods to deal with most traumas and feelings of incompleteness. Whether it’s someone who has been in an accident, lost a loved one, been in an abusive relationship, has huge memory gaps of a part of their lives or any one of a thousand other things, we often dissociate a part of ourselves, most often as a mechanism of protection. If you’ve ever felt incomplete, it’s because your intuitive self knows that a part of you is missing.

Soul recovery is about journeying into other forms of reality in order to bring back the broken pieces and reintegrate them into our selves. It’s a shamanistic tool, because generally what sets the shaman apart from other healers is the journeying that he/she does. Healing shamanistic journeys have been conducted in most cultures and in all parts of the world from Siberia to South America and from North America to Australia.

Soul recovery is a means of finding and reintegrating those dissociated pieces. There are many other forms of reality in which to find the missing pieces as well as various methods for their recovery. Although someone else finds your parts for you, it doesn’t mean that you have no responsibility. Once the pieces are found, it is up to the person who has suffered the trauma to keep the reintegration process going and ensure those parts stay integrated.
You may wonder how you know if you’ve suffered soul loss and what the steps are for a soul retrieval journey. Some of the signs that may point to soul loss are depression, the inability to ground oneself, feelings of detachment, chronic illness, addictions, inability to let go of certain things in your life, a sense of emptiness, etc.

When you have found a shamanistic facilitator you want to work with, he/she undertakes a journey, based on a specific ceremony, on your behalf to other worlds or dimensions where these pieces are. With the help of a guide, the shaman can bring back a certain number of the pieces. For the next month afterwards, it is up to you to communicate with these pieces, to listen to what they have to say and to help them reintegrate into who you are. After a few months, you may want the shaman to undertake a second journey to see if there are more pieces ready to come back. The more traumatized pieces often do not return on the first journey. It’s as if it’s understood that the reintegration of all the pieces takes time and can require a slow adjustment period, and so the pieces come back in an order from least traumatized to most traumatized.

The purpose of the journey is to find and help heal these fragmented pieces of your soul. The shaman will tell you about the journey, explaining the pieces, the circumstances and what was required. In some instances you will know exactly what he/she’s talking about, and in some instances you will have to think about what the events may represent. They may be clear as glass or they may be couched in allegory.

The recognition of where and how the fragmentation took place can accelerate the reintegration process. You may be in a much different place now from when the piece dissociated, and the integration can be smooth and effortless. Each piece and each person is different. During the reintegration time, you listen and converse with the returned pieces, and continue to accelerate your own healing. You open yourself up more to the various means of communicating which you have with your higher self and get greater insights into your true self and your soul.

 Universal Oneness Spiritual Centre
      a division of Universal Oneness United Faith Canada (UOUFC)

We are looking for men and women to serve and promote a true Interfaith Spirit-based organization.

      Does your heart yearn to learn about the world's religions and how they are all based on one source and one tradition?

Are you curious to discover the patterns of traditions and myths that repeat themselves in all ancient spiritual systems including today in modern religions?  

Does your face light up with the opportunity to help others and bring them light and hope in times of darkness?

Do you want to learn about energy clearing, kabala, astrology, mysticism, Goddess worship, Wiccan traditions, masons, tarot, chakras, shamanism, dream interpretation and how the universal energies really work?

Universal Oneness Spiritual Centre (UOSC) is now accepting applications for our training program for Deacons and Reverends. These programs are now available by correspondence.Please submit your application for our next teaching cycle.

 Our Values

The students, Minister, Directors and volunteers of UOUFC hold a set of common values that we believe are fundamental to our core identity. We affirm the beauty, value and significance of Interfaith Spirituality as a concept that supports the underlying goodness of each person.

We value excellence.

The search for excellence is an underlying desire of all human spirit.

We value learning.

Continuous learning and satisfaction is the measure of success.

We value the free exchange of ideas.

A respectful climate for open exchange promotes innovation, discovery, and social responsibility.

We value openness and flexibility.

We promote the unification of two or more spiritual paths in the context of a purposeful sacred union.

We value our volunteers and Directors.

The commitment, innovation, creativity, and continuous learning of every volunteer and Director contributes to our ongoing growth.

The Deacon Program at UOSC is a two-year process designed to explore the key faiths of the ancients on a part-time basis.

There will be 10 assignments designed to acquaint the candidates with the key religions; with the goal that future Deacons demonstrate proficiency in all faiths, and be able to create a service for each faith.
In addition the Deacons in training need to accumulate 40 hours of listening and participating in spiritual services. These services are available by webinar technology. At the completion of the 10 assignments and 40 hours there will be an exam with a required pass mark of 80%. At that point the individual will be ordained as a Deacon for Universal Oneness United Faith Canada.

DEACON STATUS
The Deacon is a clergyman who assists the Spiritual Center Minister in running the services on line. He/she is ordained, not to the priesthood but to the service.
He/she has six areas of responsibility:

• Charity in which he/she is of service to the community
• Readings from the holy books of the Faiths
• Assisting with the weekly services
• Leading  the community in prayer
• Comforting families in time of need
• Leading the congregations and parishioners in the lighting of the candles to bring light and hope to those in darkness

The role of the Deacon is that of a pillar of strength within their community. The Deacon is available for the sick, grieving, homeless, and youth who have gone astray. They provide the light of healing and love with their contributions at soup kitchens, shelters, hospices, hospitals, schools, prisons, youth camps, charity events, churches and all other gatherings of joy or sadness.

The cost of the Deacon Program is $720.00
Admission process for the Deacon Program:

• Submission of a full resume
• Police clearance report
• 360 word essay on why you wish to become a Deacon with UOUFC
• Proposal for a community project to help humanity with evidence of how it would be funded
• List of community volunteer work experience

The Ministerial Program runs over four years. The prerequisite for this program is the successful completion of the ordination of a Deacon Program.

• The first year focuses on personal growth, healing childhood wounds, studying grief therapy, MBTI personality assessment, addiction therapy, marital counselling and career coaching. All of these segments make up the pastoral counselling segment. The program requires the candidate to complete a minimum of 150 hours of personal therapy with the same therapist. Only when we heal our pain can we truthfully help others.

    We must strive to become whole in mind, body, emotions and spirit.

• The second year is a deeper study of secrets of the universe and the creation of rituals to honour the ancient wisdom of cultures and traditions. This segment will explore the ancient wisdom cultures, kabala, shamanism, Masonry, the Goddess and other spiritual systems. There is flexibility in pursuing your special spiritual systems event, although the candidates must demonstrate their knowledge of all of the key Faiths.

• The third year includes the participation in programs of service within the community: conducting presentations, lectures of the month, facilitating grief therapy groups, presiding over weddings, writing the wedding vows and other rites of passage and rituals. The third year is also devoted to a thesis focusing on the key areas identified as his or her specialty. This year will also include 300 hours of supervised work. A large part of the learning process in the fourth year will be devoted to the study of running the organization as a successful business. The learning of a second language is an asset.

The key areas addressed will include:

• Holistic Psychology
• Life Coaching
• Metaphysics
• Pastoral Counselling
• Spiritual Counselling
• World Religions

The Reverend status will give you the right to perform weddings in the province of Ontario and start a UOUFC chapter in the city of your choice.

The cost of the Ministerial Program is available by request.
Requirements for the Ministerial Program are:

• Completion of the Deacon Program
• Submission of a full resume
• Degree from a recognized university (If you do not have a degree from a recognized university please submit other great feats you have accomplished for consideration)
• Police clearance report
• 360 word essay on why you wish to become a Minister with UOUFC
• Plan for how you will be able to get through the four years financially and emotionally
• 500 word article written on what religion and spirit mean to you
• Proposal for a community project to help humanity with evidence of how it would be funded
• List of community volunteer work experience
• Three reference letters

One from an academic
One from a religious/ spiritual leader
One from a mental health professional

Special consideration arrangements can be made for those undergoing financial hardships, or to those candidates who wish to continue their studies with UOSC.

If you have enrolled in religious studies with another organization and wish to complete your studies with UOSC, please include your transcripts with a description of the courses taken and how many hours the course was composed of.

The board will review the material and let you know how it may or may not shorten the study time required to achieve your designations.

The desire to take courses without achieving a designation is also an option, as you can choose to use those credits toward a designation in the future.

In the tradition of the ancients - spiritual gatherings where done
in the home not in a temple, church or building. The temples were for the
high priests only.  The spiritual exchange of ideas occurred at home.
Meeting with the Spiritual leader in the home made for an environment of equality and exchange of ideas.  In a return to simpler times
and in consideration of the busy, hectic lives we lead, this concept has led
to the creation of our new service "Rent a Minister for an Evening". Gather
your friends and family for an evening into whatever spiritual topic you
have always wanted to learn about. And we will send you an expert in that
area. Check the web site for  a listing of common lectures or discussions.
 
Keeping up with the times our events and presentation are now
available to you, your family and friends by webinar.
 
Sample of Topics available or Create your own spiritual topic f your
choice

Events Available to host in your home or by Webinar for family and friends
 
An evening of prayer
The event will be customized to your unique needs.
This evening could include the following segments

An opening prayer to honour the religious festival in that month.

Lighting candles to honour our higher power.

Prayers for the sick. You can submit your name or the name of a loved one to our list of
people in need of prayer.

Prayers for departed. A prayer to say good bye to those we have lost
through death. This prayer also acknowledges the connection to our ancestral
spirits.

Readings form a variety of Holy Books. Participants can all share in
the readings from different spiritual books from a different faith.

Prayers of Gratitude.
We often neglect to thank our higher power for the plentiful life we
have. We take so much for granted and focus  on what we do not have.

Interfaith prayers to close the spiritual service.
 

 Through our monthly spiritual service, we create a
camaraderie for spiritually minded people to meet
others on this path, and we offer a safe place for
those looking for an alternative mode of worship.
We hold one event a month on the new moon.
The evening is composed of three segment:

Prayers

Prayer services are available by webinar
To check the calendar for dates (click here) –
An opening prayer to honour the religious festival in that month.

Prayers for the sick.
You can submit your name or the name of a loved one to our list of people in need of prayer.

Prayers for departed. A prayer to say good bye to those we have lost through death. This prayer also acknowledges the connection to our ancestral spirits.

Sermon of the month. Each month will make reference to a different spiritual book from a different faith.


Prayers of Gratitude.
We often neglect to thank our higher power for the plentiful life we have. We take so much for granted and focus on what we do not have.


Interfaith prayers to close the spiritual service______________________________________________________

Under workshops

Click here to see our up to date calendar of upcoming events. -will link to blog events

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE Love! We all want it, and seldom know how to open ourselves up to receive more love in our lives. This workshop will address what unconditional love is, and how we can create more of it in our own lives; by giving and receiving it. Join us for this evening to learn the alchemy of the heart.


GETTING RID OF BAGGAGE
THE 42 QUESTIONS OF LIFE

Examine how much karma you still carry and the steps you
can take to eliminate your baggage. All cultures have a day of
judgment for self-examination. You will assess yourself by the ancient
Egyptian 42 questions of life.
.

SPIRITUAL PERSPECTIVE OF DEATH AND LOSS
DEATH IS A TRANSITION — IT IS AN ENDING AND A BEGINNING.
An evening dedicated to grieving and getting closure on not
just the loss of loved ones, but dreams and expectations of how
we expected life was going to turn out. Loss is not an ending,
it is a transition to newness and growth. The evening will be
concluded with a guided meditation to heal loss, and move on
to create new beginnings.

YOUR GOD WITHIN
Discovering your own spirituality and setting out a plan for
a sacred life. The evening will be concluded with a guided
meditation to connect to your own spiritual awareness.

EXPLORE AND EXPLODE YOUR FEARS
We will celebrate the festivals of light Christmas and Chanukah.
Winter Solstice and how to overcome your fears that can block the realization of your dreams and wishes. Join us for this event that will open the roads to achieve your new year's resolutions.

THE SPIRITS THAT GUIDE US
Learn to connect to your angels, spirit guides, and totems. An
exercise will be facilitated to identify your animal totem. Tap
into the importance of gratitude. The evening will conclude
with a guided meditation to connect with your spirit guide. We
willhonour the upcoming Chinese New Year and talk about the
different animal years.

FREEDOM FROM ADDICTION THROUGH MINDFULNESS
Open your mind to how to overcome addiction by being one
with yourself, and understanding the world around you. We will
examine the Buddhist concept of mindfulness, and conduct a
ritual to assist in overcoming addiction.


THE TREE OF LIFE
Learn to utilize this ancient tool to understand other spiritual
systems. It will help in overcoming problems in your life
today. We will explore how the Tree of Life symbol contains
numerology, astrology, tarot, the ancient Hebrew alphabet, the
10 commandments, and the chakras. Realize how the Tree of Life
is directly connected to all current and ancient religions. Explore
the roots of this symbol incorporated in most religions.

CROSSING THE RAINBOW BRIDGE
We all know the term chakra – but few know what it means. In
Sanskrit it means "wheel" or your inner energy world. Join us in
this workshop to discover the chakras. What they do, what they
are, and how you can find a chakra block and release it. We will
usecolours, Bach remedies, California Essences, food, movement,
therapies, aromatherapy, stone, and breath work to clear blocks.
Workshop will be concluded with a guided meditation through
the chakras.


SPRING EQUINOX & CREATE THE YEAR YOU WANT
In many ancient religions the spring equinox was considered the
beginning of the year. We will look at these spiritual systems as
well as celebrate the Persian New Year. Jump start the new year
with a series of exercises and rituals to manifest the year that
you want, and learn about the twelve days of creation.


FESTIVAL OF FREEDOM DINNER
A special presentation honouring Passover and
Easter, in which you will understand what imprisons you, and
how to free yourself from it.

PERCHANCE TO DREAM
An evening dedicated to understanding your dreams and
learning that God speaks to us through them. Impact your
healing using your dreams. The evening will be concluded
with a guided meditation.

SPIRITUAL FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT : Defending Your Life Starring Albert Brooks and Meryl Streep

Yuppie Daniel Miller is killed in a car accident and goes to Judgment City, a waiting room for the afterlife. During the day, he must prove in a courtroom-style process that he successfully overcame his fears (a hard task, given the pitiful life we are shown); at night, he falls in love with Julia, the only other young person in town. Nights are a time of hedonistic pleasure, since you can (for instance) eat all you want without getting fat. Written by Jon Reeves (jreeves@imdb.com)

All of your life is on videotape -- or perhaps laser disk -- to make it easier on your prosecutor and defense attorney at Judgment City to randomly access a few episodes to show whether you made the most of the life you just completed. If you didn't make the most of that life, you will be sent back to try again and again until you do get it right. And the court must be taking an advance peek at that life tape. Posh accommodations go to those who look like they will merit moving up to citizen of the universe -- like Julia who falls for Daniel, whose quarters have no ambiance at all. Written by Dale O'Connor (daleoc@interaccess.com)

CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD- BOOK ONE - by Neale Donald Walsch
What would GOD say if he had a conversation with you? You will be surprised by what the author shares with readers in this best-selling book, which may resonate and change the way you see GOD. Conversations with God -Book One relatesNeale Donald Walsch's own personal conversations with GOD. This book has opened the hearts and minds of millions to possibilities to live with more beauty, love and truth than they ever imagined possible.

SPIRITUAL FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT : The Ten Commandments Starring Charlton Heston, YulBrynner and Anne Baxter
To escape the edict of Egypt's Pharaoh, Rameses I, condemning all first-born Hebrew males, the infant Moses is set adrift on the Nile in a reed basket. Saved by the pharaoh's daughter Bithiah, he is adopted by her and brought up in the court of her brother, Pharaoh Seti. Moses gains Seti's favor and the love of the throne princess Nefertiri, as well as the hatred of Seti's son, Rameses. When his Hebrew heritage is revealed, Moses is cast out of Egypt, and makes his way across the desert where he marries, has a son and is commanded by God to return to Egypt to free the Hebrews from slavery. In Egypt Moses's fiercest enemy proves to be not Rameses, but someone near to him who can 'harden his heart'. Written by Ron Kerrigan (mvg@whidbey.com)
Moses leads the slaves from the tyranny of the Egyptian pharaoh and into the desert where he is later given the law of God. Once the pharaoh's chief architect, Moses receives the attentions of the Queen until he rebels and is cast into exile. Written by Keith Loh (loh@sfu.ca)

EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON Do you ever wonder why things happen? Do you feel bad things happen to good people? As much as it sounds like a cliché, everything really does happen for a reason. Together we will delve into the inner workings of the universe with the hope that it will allow you to feel more peace and understanding. We will also discuss the differences between free will and destiny, as well as what choices we can make to change our futures.

SPIRITUAL FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT : Pay It Forward Starring Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt and Haley Joel Osment
Imagine you're despairing over a major problem in your life, and someone comes along and solves it for you, relatively unconditionally. All you have to do is "pay it forward", i.e., do a similarly big favour to three others. Would you do it?

That's the premise behind Pay it Forward, an overly sentimental film with some provocative ideas. The concept originates when Eugene "be careful with that axe" Simonet (Kevin Spacey) challenges his Seventh grade class to come up with an assignment to change the world. Trevor (Haley Joel Osment) comes up with the pay-it-forward concept and first decides to help a homeless heroin addict get back on his feet, then help Eugene and his mother (Helen Hunt) get together (which really makes for two favours), and then help his friend who's being pushed around by bullies in school. This "movement" spreads relatively unnoticed until a reporter in Los Angeles who loses his car is handed a brand new Jaguar and tracks down the source of this favour chain

With a stellar cast consisting of Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt, and Haley "I see dead people" Osment, the movie works pretty well under Mimi Leder's direction. The southern California/Nevada cinematography is done well. The dialogue is the weakest aspect of the film and is a bit hackneyed at times. More than the primary plot itself, the various underlying subtexts involving domestic abuse and alcoholism are interesting.

The concept of pay-it-forward is how most of human society works to the extent it does (some of it has even been institutionalised in the form of religion and government). The problem is that the notion is simply not idealistic enough. Performing three big favours just does not cut it. Not only does there need to be a significantly larger amount of favours done through the course of one's life, but the more important thing is that people don't do negative or harmful things to others to an equally large degree. Doing three big favours is pointless if you've done more harm than any favour can repay. A better (and much more idealistic) concept would be to live life without doing any harm to others (which also would not be adequate, but would be much more effective than a three-favour scheme).

What Pay it Forward really illustrates is that it is harmful to oneself and to others to be apathetic towards other people's problems. However, to maximise the balance of doing good to others and not doing harm, one also has to choose their battles wisely. This doesn't mean inaction, as much as realizing that certain solutions simply don't work. For example, using violence as a solution never works since violence always begets violence ("what's good for the goose is good for the gander"). On that note, Pay it Forward also throws in a message about school violence.

INSIGHT INTO ASTROLOGY This talk provides the opportunity to enhance understanding of the ancient art of Astrology that can create a bridge from the deepest parts of ourselves, to the whole universe around us. Many faiths believe that our souls choose when we are born and to what parents. Whether or not you believe this, your heart and mind will be opened to fresh possibilities, and a new respect may be obtained for cosmic influences that are affecting your life. Come and be surprised by what you can discover!

Please check to see our list of upcoming events. All of our workshops and events are designed to foster spiritual and emotional well being and provide an oasis of relief from the stressors of the day.

Click here to see our up to date calendar of upcoming events.

Our workshops are intended to expand your spiritual and emotional wellbeing.

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE
Love! We all want it, and seldom know how to open ourselves up to receive more love in our lives. This workshop will address what unconditional love is, and how we can create more of it in our own lives; by giving and receiving it. Join us for this evening to learn the alchemy of the heart.


GETTING RID OF BAGGAGE
THE 42 QUESTIONS OF LIFE

Examine how much karma you still carry and the steps you
can take to eliminate your baggage. All cultures have a day of
judgment for self-examination. You will assess yourself by the ancient
Egyptian 42 questions of life.
.

SPIRITUAL PERSPECTIVE OF DEATH AND LOSS
DEATH IS A TRANSITION — IT IS AN ENDING AND A BEGINNING.
An evening dedicated to grieving and getting closure on not
just the loss of loved ones, but dreams and expectations of how
we expected life was going to turn out. Loss is not an ending,
it is a transition to newness and growth. The evening will be
concluded with a guided meditation to heal loss, and move on
to create new beginnings.

YOUR GOD WITHIN
Discovering your own spirituality and setting out a plan for
a sacred life. The evening will be concluded with a guided
meditation to connect to your own spiritual awareness.

EXPLORE AND EXPLODE YOUR FEARS
We will celebrate the festivals of light Christmas and Chanukah.
Winter Solstice and how to overcome your fears that can block the realization of your dreams and wishes. Join us for this event that will open the roads to achieve your new year's resolutions.

THE SPIRITS THAT GUIDE US
Learn to connect to your angels, spirit guides, and totems. An
exercise will be facilitated to identify your animal totem. Tap
into the importance of gratitude. The evening will conclude
with a guided meditation to connect with your spirit guide. We
will honour the upcoming Chinese New Year and talk about the
different animal years.

FREEDOM FROM ADDICTION THROUGH MINDFULNESS
Open your mind to how to overcome addiction by being one
with yourself, and understanding the world around you. We will
examine the Buddhist concept of mindfulness, and conduct a
ritual to assist in overcoming addiction.


THE TREE OF LIFE
Learn to utilize this ancient tool to understand other spiritual
systems. It will help in overcoming problems in your life
today. We will explore how the Tree of Life symbol contains
numerology, astrology, tarot, the ancient Hebrew alphabet, the
10 commandments, and the chakras. Realize how the Tree of Life
is directly connected to all current and ancient religions. Explore
the roots of this symbol incorporated in most religions.

CROSSING THE RAINBOW BRIDGE
We all know the term chakra – but few know what it means. In
Sanskrit it means "wheel" or your inner energy world. Join us in
this workshop to discover the chakras. What they do, what they
are, and how you can find a chakra block and release it. We will
use colours, Bach remedies, California Essences, food, movement,
therapies, aromatherapy, stone, and breath work to clear blocks.
Workshop will be concluded with a guided meditation through
the chakras.


SPRING EQUINOX & CREATE THE YEAR YOU WANT
In many ancient religions the spring equinox was considered the
beginning of the year. We will look at these spiritual systems as
well as celebrate the Persian New Year. Jump start the new year
with a series of exercises and rituals to manifest the year that
you want, and learn about the twelve days of creation.


FESTIVAL OF FREEDOM DINNER
A special presentation honouring Passover and
Easter, in which you will understand what imprisons you, and
how to free yourself from it.

PERCHANCE TO DREAM
An evening dedicated to understanding your dreams and
learning that God speaks to us through them. Impact your
healing using your dreams. The evening will be concluded
with a guided meditation.

SPIRITUAL FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT : Defending Your Life 
Starring Albert Brooks and Meryl Streep
Yuppie Daniel Miller is killed in a car accident and goes to Judgment City, a waiting room for the afterlife. During the day, he must prove in a courtroom-style process that he successfully overcame his fears (a hard task, given the pitiful life we are shown); at night, he falls in love with Julia, the only other young person in town. Nights are a time of hedonistic pleasure, since you can (for instance) eat all you want without getting fat. Written by Jon Reeves (jreeves@imdb.com)

All of your life is on videotape -- or perhaps laser disk -- to make it easier on your prosecutor and defense attorney at Judgment City to randomly access a few episodes to show whether you made the most of the life you just completed. If you didn't make the most of that life, you will be sent back to try again and again until you do get it right. And the court must be taking an advance peek at that life tape. Posh accommodations go to those who look like they will merit moving up to citizen of the universe -- like Julia who falls for Daniel, whose quarters have no ambiance at all. Written by Dale O'Connor (daleoc@interaccess.com)

CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD- BOOK ONE - by Neale Donald Walsch
What would GOD say if he had a conversation with you? You will be surprised by what the author shares with readers in this best-selling book, which may resonate and change the way you see GOD. Conversations with God -Book One relates Neale Donald Walsch's own personal conversations with GOD. This book has opened the hearts and minds of millions to possibilities to live with more beauty, love and truth than they ever imagined possible.

SPIRITUAL FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT : The Ten Commandments Starring Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner and Anne Baxter
To escape the edict of Egypt's Pharaoh, Rameses I, condemning all first-born Hebrew males, the infant Moses is set adrift on the Nile in a reed basket. Saved by the pharaoh's daughter Bithiah, he is adopted by her and brought up in the court of her brother, Pharaoh Seti. Moses gains Seti's favor and the love of the throne princess Nefertiri, as well as the hatred of Seti's son, Rameses. When his Hebrew heritage is revealed, Moses is cast out of Egypt, and makes his way across the desert where he marries, has a son and is commanded by God to return to Egypt to free the Hebrews from slavery. In Egypt Moses's fiercest enemy proves to be not Rameses, but someone near to him who can 'harden his heart'. Written by Ron Kerrigan (mvg@whidbey.com)

Moses leads the slaves from the tyranny of the Egyptian pharaoh and into the desert where he is later given the law of God. Once the pharaoh's chief architect, Moses receives the attentions of the Queen until he rebels and is cast into exile. Written by Keith Loh (loh@sfu.ca)

EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON
Do you ever wonder why things happen? Do you feel bad things happen to good people? As much as it sounds like a cliché, everything really does happen for a reason. Together we will delve into the inner workings of the universe with the hope that it will allow you to feel more peace and understanding. We will also discuss the differences between free will and destiny, as well as what choices we can make to change our futures.

SPIRITUAL FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT : Pay It Forward Starring Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt and Haley Joel Osment
Imagine you're despairing over a major problem in your life, and someone comes along and solves it for you, relatively unconditionally. All you have to do is "pay it forward", i.e., do a similarly big favour to three others. Would you do it?

That's the premise behind Pay it Forward, an overly sentimental film with some provocative ideas. The concept originates when Eugene "be careful with that axe" Simonet (Kevin Spacey) challenges his Seventh grade class to come up with an assignment to change the world. Trevor (Haley Joel Osment) comes up with the pay-it-forward concept and first decides to help a homeless heroin addict get back on his feet, then help Eugene and his mother (Helen Hunt) get together (which really makes for two favours), and then help his friend who's being pushed around by bullies in school. This "movement" spreads relatively unnoticed until a reporter in Los Angeles who loses his car is handed a brand new Jaguar and tracks down the source of this favour chain

With a stellar cast consisting of Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt, and Haley "I see dead people" Osment, the movie works pretty well under Mimi Leder's direction. The southern California/Nevada cinematography is done well. The dialogue is the weakest aspect of the film and is a bit hackneyed at times. More than the primary plot itself, the various underlying subtexts involving domestic abuse and alcoholism are interesting.

The concept of pay-it-forward is how most of human society works to the extent it does (some of it has even been institutionalised in the form of religion and government). The problem is that the notion is simply not idealistic enough. Performing three big favours just does not cut it. Not only does there need to be a significantly larger amount of favours done through the course of one's life, but the more important thing is that people don't do negative or harmful things to others to an equally large degree. Doing three big favours is pointless if you've done more harm than any favour can repay. A better (and much more idealistic) concept would be to live life without doing any harm to others (which also would not be adequate, but would be much more effective than a three-favour scheme).

What Pay it Forward really illustrates is that it is harmful to oneself and to others to be apathetic towards other people's problems. However, to maximise the balance of doing good to others and not doing harm, one also has to choose their battles wisely. This doesn't mean inaction, as much as realizing that certain solutions simply don't work. For example, using violence as a solution never works since violence always begets violence ("what's good for the goose is good for the gander"). On that note, Pay it Forward also throws in a message about school violence.

INSIGHT INTO ASTROLOGY
This talk provides the opportunity to enhance understanding of the ancient art of Astrology that can create a bridge from the deepest parts of ourselves, to the whole universe around us. Many faiths believe that our souls choose when we are born and to what parents. Whether or not you believe this, your heart and mind will be opened to fresh possibilities, and a new respect may be obtained for cosmic influences that are affecting your life. Come and be surprised by what you can discover!

 The Grief Support Group and Bereavement Presentations to help heal loss

Grief is a natural reaction, often manifesting itself in a bewildering
cluster of ordinary human emotions in response to any significant loss,
which is intensified and complicated by the relationship lost. Grief is a
healthy response to a loss. The act of grieving shows that we care and it is
not a sign of weakness.

We live in a culture that feels uncomfortable with loss, grief and
emotions. Loss comes in many forms; it is not just a death. It can be a
divorce, illness, bankruptcy, or dreams and it is unique to the individual
who is experiencing the loss.

Grieving people need:

• Empathy
• To be with somebody who has been there
• Community support
• Education that grief is a healthy response to a loss

The Grief Support Group in Toronto is operated by Guru & Associates Wellness
Inc. and Universal Oneness United Faith Canada.
The series in Burlington is sponsored by Guru & Associates Wellness Inc.,
Universal Oneness United Faith Canada and Bay Gardens Funeral Home.

All of our events use the Dr. Bill Webster Phases of Grief model combined
with holistic helaing. Participants will learn how to self heal their pain
with the aid of: homeopathy, aormatherpay, journaling, acupressure,
meditation, and iridology.

THE FIVE OF PHASES OF GRIEF

INTRODUCTION TO THE GRIEF JOURNEY AND SEASON OF NUMBNESS

     You may be experiencing shock, lack of concentration, crying for no
reason, or apathy, fatigue, depression, decline in health or insomnia. You
may be experiencing nothing at all and feel quite odd about that. Your
feelings of numbness are often interpreted by others as a sign of your
strength. It is recommended that you commit to the five sessions to achieve the desired results necessary to heal your emotional wounds. If you choose to attend on an ad hoc basis, you are welcome to join us.

SEASON OF DISORIENTAION AND YEARNING & SEASON OF CONFRONTATION

     Numbness wears off and you may find yourself feeling explosive with
emotions of anger, sadness, anxiety and confusion. Impatience and
irritability are with you all of the time. It is now time to get help. Remember this is a healthy response to grief. Reality sets in that the person you have lost will never come back. This is a painful stage.  You may find yourself feeling explosive and wanting to do anything to get them back.

SEASON OF ADJUSTMENT & SEASON OF RECONCILIATION AND REORGANIZATION

As every snowflake is unique, similarly every grief journey is unique to you with respect to the relationship you had with the deceased. How has your life changed in light of the loss? What changes have you had to make to make up for your loss?

    Season of adjustment is the precursor to your new life. You learn to
live with your loss as you reinvest your energy in persons, ideas and new
things.

Reconciliation of grief means coming to the place where you can accept
your life as meaningful, even in the light of your loss. When you learn how to integrate loss into your life, and to affirm that life is still    meaningful; you have come full circle in your grief journey.

A Sample of the Holistic Grief Workshops For dates go to our Blog

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JOURNALYING THROUGH GRIEF

You may be experiencing shock, lack of concentration, crying for no
reason, or apathy, fatigue, depression, decline in health or insomnia. You
may be experiencing nothing at all and feel quite odd about that. Your
feelings of numbness are often interpreted by others as a sign of your
strength.

It is recommended that you commit to the five sessions to achieve the
desired results necessary to heal your emotional wounds. If you choose to
attend on an ad hoc basis, you are welcome to join us.

MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION

Join us for the Universal Oneness Spiritual Center's Meditation workshop.
This meditation program discusses the Buddhist concept of mindfulness and
abilities that can help you access a peaceful, easy feeling, no matter what
is happening in the world around you.
This program will be customized to suit our audience with a focus on using
meditation to clear grief and trauma. We recognize that this can be a
challenge, and we will help you to learn how to access the pathway to inner
peace, anytime. This session will teach you to create your own power center.

HEALING THROUGH HOMEOPATHY

Homeopathy is one of the most powerful systems used to heal the mind, body and soul of every individual in this universe.  Only homeopathy has the
ability to go into the inner workings of every cell in the body to alter and
remove the memories of past loss, grief, disappointment and trauma. Only
through the deep inner healing of the emotions stored deep in our psyche, or
after undergoing some form of a negative event, loss or trauma; can we begin
to take baby steps to restore the vital force or chi energy that keeps
vitality moving in our bodies. At this interactive workshop, you will learn
how to use homeopathy to heal your grief.
Note: homeopathy is compatible with all medications

HEALING THROUGH THE CHACKRAS

A workshop to discover the chakras. What do they do? What are they? In
Sanskrit "chakra" means wheel or your inner energy world. Learn how you can
find a chakra block and release it. We will use colours, Bach remedies,
California Essences, food, movement, aromatherapy, stone, and breathwork
therapies to clear blocks. This workshop will be concluded with a guided

meditation through the chakras.

We all hope that when we marry, it’s for life, but sometimes things don’t work out “happily ever after” and marriages end and we move on.

But do we ever really move on if all we do is obtain a divorce.  We shared our life, our hopes and dreams and even our soul with our partner.
 
A physical divorce just isn’t enough.

Why not incorporate a ritual designed to sever the spiritual ties that we no longer want to bind.

While you may have broken free legally, you may still be spiritually connected to your former partner.  Our customized divorce ritual is designed to give you a spiritual break to cleanse you and free you to move on.