Typical Spirtual Direction outline

 I am finding that I actually realy like Franciscan style companionship; overall I really align with St. Francis & St. Clare of Assissi's values (minus the whole, give everything you own up to make room for chirst). Its very open, loving, egalitarian, . and focuses on compassion and companionship. 

A typical Franciscan Model for spiritual direction session is ironically pretty much what I already do. 

1. Opening and Centering  - light the candle, say a few words to center us
2. Opening Exercise (give 3-4 options) and reflection. 
1. Leads and invites discussion.. if things run silent for too long, the discssion ends with a lot of time left, bring conversation towards...
2. Check in - "what is calling out to you right now?" "what is alight in your life right now?" "What season is your life in?
3. "Tell me more about that"
3. Deep Listening and Exploration (to be done during discussion)
1. Hold sacred listening and presence
2. Listen for the divine - where is the client connected to the animate world, the elements, or their inner wisdom?
3. Embodiment - if they get stuck in their heads, bring them back to their bodies - "where do you feel this conflict/emotion/tension in your body?" 
4. Grounding  - Bringing them back to the moment and allowing their insights to settle into their body. 
1. We've covered some heavy stuff today; lets jus take a few moments and let this settle into our bodies. --> Sunflowering. Pulling the insights from our "roots" when we hang, slowly pulling it through us as we uncurl, welcoming it into our hearts and opening ourselves to furthure insights as we open our arms and embrace the light. Basking in the light and letting the insights settle in us. 
2. Do this through guided meditation for those who cannot physically do the sunflowering stretch. 
5. Closing - bringing back to the session
1. Take aways
2. Confirm next schedule

I will just have it confirmed - Sunflowering (physically or guided meditaion) will be cemented as part of the session. 

Opening options:

- Silent meditation (optional drumming if not on zoom)

- Lectio Divina (I will have an option, but if they brought an offering that is AWESOME)

- Visio Divina (Tarot Card if they are comfortable; painting otherwise. same^)

- Guided breathing meditation

Profiling the Problem

 Outline: 

1. What is the central problem or issue at the center of my vocational work? 
1. The lack of accessible spiritual care and spiritual community for people whose religious identities and practices fall outside or between traditional religious institutions.
2. What does this problem look like? 
1. Those in alternative or minority faiths, those who feel they are religiously plural, or feel unwelcome in majority religious spaces/communities face more hardships due to:
1. Access to spiritual care outside institutional religion. 
2. Religious pluralism and theological legitimacy
3. Spiritual homelessness after religious transition
4. Economic limitations
2. Vocationally, I am developing a spiritual companionship ministry. As a person in a minority religious tradition, I have seen and experienced first hand how difficult it can be to find people of a like mind, develop a sense of community with spirituality as the uniting thread, and the crushing emotional toll that loneliness can take. I feel that spiritual care should focus less on “What do you believe?” and more on asking “What is sacred to you, and how are you relating to it?”
3. How would I describe it to someone who was curious but had never heard of it? 
1. religious/spiritual identities don’t always fit neatly within institutional categories spiritual-care systems often assume institutional belonging. This alienates people who do not fit within Abrahamic faiths, Hinduism, or Buddhism (although it could be argued people in the later two have less access than those in the Abrahamic faiths due to their minority status in America). 
4. What intersection of identities is uniquely affected by this problem? 
1. People who fit into this category would be religiously unaffiliated people such as (but not limited to) spiritual-but-not-religious people, New Age religions, Agnostics, Pagans, Religious Naturalists and Humanists, Spiritual Satanists, Religiously plural people, or people who may identify with a majority religion but feel unwelcome in those spaces such as queer individuals, sex workers, or those in alternative lifestyles. 
5. What other social or political realities relate to this problem, and how?
1. whose spirituality gets recognized as legitimate enough to deserve care, resources, space, and trained accompaniment? Take the recent shortening of recognized religions in the US military for example. Or the requirement for ecclesiastical backing for chaplains even though the options are EXTREMELY limited for those not within the majority religions, often forcing those of us in minority faiths to go through training in another faith for backing. 
2. Economics; Those of us not part of a majority religion have a harder time finding employment  in the faith field. As a pagan I would be hard pressed to find a church willing to hire me, someone of a different faith, on a salaried basis as a spiritual care provider. The vast majority, estimated at 80% to 90% or more, of formal, institutional chaplain jobs (including military, Veterans Affairs, federal prisons, and major healthcare networks) require an ecclesiastical endorsement. Not only this, but it puts a financial burden on those in minority spiritual traditions; as unlike those who attend churches or mosques, they have to pay for spiritual care services offered by private practices (such as spiritual direction or companionship). 
3. “If access to spiritual care is a legitimate dimension of human flourishing, then responsibility for sustaining that care should not fall exclusively upon either religious institutions or isolated individuals purchasing services in the private market. And importantly: The labor of providing that care should itself be valued and materially sustained.”

Spiritual Direction Services

 These are the ideal services I want to offer. 

• Spiritual Direction → I accompany
• Community Spiritual Practice → We practice together.
• Workshops → Teaching and Practice
• Retreats → I create a space for immersion 

Would love to do this through the non profit or in partnership with it. Will have to wait to see what policy and availability allows. Planning on using this as my degree capstone project (like a thesis)

All prices are set based on experience; as I gain experience, I plan to charge more depending on client situation. 

• Individual Spiritual Direction
  • Goal: eventually 5-10 clients per week
  • Standard session: 1 hour
  • Sliding-scale rate based on annual income:
    • $25K or less → $25
    • $30K → $30
    • $40K → $40
    • $50K → $50
    • $60K → $60
    • $70K → $70
    • $80K → $80
    • $90K → $90
    • $100K+ → $100
  • Extended session: 1.5 hours
    • $25K or less → $50
    • $30K–$100K → regular sliding-scale rate + $30
    • Standard session + ritual facilitation, divination reading, guided journey, etc. 
  • Long-term ideal: a small, consistent caseload rather than trying to fill the entire workweek with clients; allowing for more community based work
• Community Spiritual Practice
  • Once or Twice per month?
  • Approximately 2 hours maximum
  • $10/person
  • Open to all ages!
  • Ideally held in a free community space such as a library meeting room
  • Light snacks provided
  • Low-cost, low-barrier opportunity to practice spirituality in community
  • Possible practices:
    • Lectio divina (poetry or storytelling)
    • Visio divina
    • Guided contemplation/meditation
    • "book club" style reflection
    • Seasonal spiritual practices
    • Other interfaith-friendly communal practices
• Full Retreats (Authenticity retreats, Glamour retreats, Devotional Retreats)
• Approximately 2-3 of each per year (depending on interest)
• full-day experiences
• Pricing determined individually for each retreat based on:
  • Venue
  • Catering/meals
  • Supplies
  • Number of attendees
  • Facilitation/preparation time
• Maximum target price: $250/person to start. (Glamour retreats may be higher)
• Designed for deeper, more immersive spiritual work than the twice-monthly community gatherings
• Full retreats could potentially be held at Holy Wisdom Monastery from 10:00 AM–6:00 PM. Current full-day rental: $246. Buffet lunch: $19/person. Estimated venue + meal cost for 10 people: $436, so I would budget approximately $500 in upfront costs before additional supplies. 

• Spiritual Practice Workshops

  • Educational offerings where participants can learn a spiritual practice, skill, or spiritual perspective
  • Could be offered as:
    • One-time introductory classes
    • Longer workshops
    • Short multi-session series
    • Online/google meet
  • Include both instruction and hands-on practice, so participants leave with something they can continue exploring independently
  • Possible topics include:
    • The Divinas — lectio, visio, audio, and other adaptations
    • Sigil Creation & Sigil Magic
    • Candle Magic
    • Glamour Magic (intro to multiple perspectives & practices)
    • Ritual Creation & The power of storytelling
    • Altar Building
    • Developing a Personal Spiritual Practice
    • Divination as Spiritual Practice
    • Journeying vs Meditation (After full year training)
    • Poetry and Contemporary Books as Sacred Text
    • Prayer Across Spiritual Traditions
    • Spiritual Discernment
    • Animism and relationship with the more-than-human world
    • Introduction to Contemporary Witchcraft
    • Other practices and spiritual perspectives that fall within my knowledge, experience, and training -- determined by community interest. 
  • A typical class could include:
    • Background/history/context
    • Explanation of the practice or perspective
    • Discussion of different approaches
    • Demonstration
    • hands-on practice
    • Reflection/discussion
    • Resources or prompts for continued practice
  • Pricing: TBD

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Hypothetical Schedule:

Retreats on 2nd Saturday of every month.

• January Authenticity
• February Glamour
• March Devotional
• April BREAK

• May Authenticity
• June Glamour
• July Devotional
• August BREAK

• September Authenticity
• October Glamour
• November Devotional
• December BREAK

Hypothetical Schedule:

• Community gatherings 1st and 3rd Friday of every month

Hypothetical Schedule:

• Workshops offered on BREAK months or per request

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$10 community gatherings → accessibility/community; roughly self-supporting

1:1 direction → modest, steady baseline income with sliding scale

Authenticity retreats → intimate small-group experience

Devotional retreats → larger group experience

Workshops → mixture of free outreach/networking + eventually paid teaching

Overflow retreat dates → only added when/if demand actually exists

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Sizing:

• Individual Direction - 1:1
• Authenticity Retreat - 6 people preferred
• Devotional Retreat - 8-10 preferred, 15 people max
• Glamour Retreat - TBD, 15 people max
• Workshops - probably less than 15
• Community Spiritual Practice - no cap, but expecting small turn out