Asatru

**We have a special delight for February. I recently met one of the authors of this book. Shauna Parker ---- will be joining us for a Q&A session for this book club. (We are asking everyone to send questions in advance for this)** Zoom link will be sent closer in to avoid spammers. Book description: https://www.amazon.com/Destroying-Their-God-audiobook/dp/B07CX5499Y/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0 In 1991, Wallace Jeffs was coerced to become an FLDS polygamist. In 2011, Wallace rebelled against the sect, and the FBI helped him reclaim his kidnapped children. Then an "accident" put Wallace into a 45-day coma. Growing up as half-brother to future Fundamentalist Latter-Day Saint prophet Warren Jeffs, Wallace tried to follow FLDS teachings. After he built a successful business, the church required him to marry a second wife. Wallace fathered 20 children, but he never felt comfortable with polygamy or many other FLDS beliefs. As his prophet-brother increasingly manipulated him, Wallace started hearing about FLDS atrocities. On the day the FBI arrested Warren Jeffs for child rape, the prophet was en route to reclaim Wallace's second wife for himself. Wallace defied the prophet and soon ended up in a coma. Though Wallace feared FLDS sabotage caused his car crash, he kept fighting the sect. With today's movement against male abusers, Wallace's story reminds us that power and position don't corrupt all men. In 2018, Wallace found resolution by marrying an LDS woman in the Salt Lake Temple. At the same time, he renews our concern for the thousands who still live under FLDS control, including some of Wallace's own children.

“There’s no recipe for a lightning bolt, enlightenment is always an accident, but there are ways of making yourself more accident-prone” -- *[Richard Rose](https://tatfoundation.org/about-richard-rose/)* \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- ***“I am struck with how rare it is to find a few good friends on the path. It is easy to find people who simply want to sit and be entertained by teachers, or who want to sit and entertain by playing the role of teacher. In other words, the quest for affirmation often outweighs the quest for truth.*** ***Yet you may have one or two good friends, and definitely have one or two waiting to be discovered. Find them; be thankful.”*** ***— Shawn Nevins*** 'What will make me happy in life?' ... 'Am I my thoughts?' ... 'What is Enlightenment?' ... We meet every week to ask questions like these in the pursuit of Self-Knowledge and Truth. We are interested in topics like: Zen, stoicism, spirituality, psychology, mindfulness, Nisargadatta, non-violent communication, Socrates, existential philosophy, Alan Watts, taoism, Eckhart Tolle, meditation, Ramana Maharshi, etc. But we are not affiliated with any dogma, philosophy, or religion. Our goal each meeting is to serve as mirrors for one another using question-based inquiry in a safe environment. In a session, every participant takes turns discussing the week's question or topic, and the group asks reflective questions without any agenda besides trying to understand the person's beliefs. A few other guiding principles of our group: * No one is obligated to share * Be honest with yourself and others * Do not try to convince others to believe or think as you do * Keep the focus on the person being questioned We meet at the [Bethesda Library](https://maps.app.goo.gl/GWMozF8zpY1m1PY26) every Monday. The library is a 5 minute walk from the Bethesda Metro on the Red Line, approx 25 minute Metro ride from Metro Center and Gallery Place stations. The library has a a parking lot with metered parking for $1/hour. \*\*\* WE WILL BE IN MEETING ROOM 3 UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED ----- THE MEETING ROOM IS IN THE BACK OF THE LIBRARY \*\*\* Please contact us with any questions!

PLEASE CHECK THE ONLINE MEDITATION CALENDAR FOR DETAILS OF THESE MORE THAN 50 SERVICES A WEEK- https://onlinemeditation.yogananda.org/calendar/

Modern Saint Patricks day is about getting together with your neighbors and having a nice drink....playing monopoly.

\*\*Well folks, it looks like the District Trivia game will be coming to an end at the end of this week, so let's get in one more game at this new venue.\*\* True Food Kitchen is a restaurant in the Mosaic District of Merrifield serving lots of healthy food, with some of it actually being palatable. It it a mellow and relaxing place to play! Parking is available in the adjacent "Market Garage" (that also houses Target). Team limit for this event is EIGHT people. If we actually get a full table, we will split into two teams to play against each other for fun. Try to arrive a little early to grab a table and get all set up. See you there!

The Russian Novelist's semiautobiographical novel set in a Soviet cancer ward shortly after Stalin's death One of the great allegorical masterpieces of world literature, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's Cancer Ward is both a deeply compassionate study of people facing terminal illness and a brilliant dissection of the cancerous Soviet police state. Cancer Ward, which has been compared to the masterpiece of another Nobel Prize winner, The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann, examines the relationship of a group of people in the cancer ward of a provincial Soviet hospital in 1955, two years after Stalin's death. While the experiences of the central character, Oleg Kostoglotov, closely reflect the author's own―Solzhenitsyn became a patient in a cancer ward in the mid-1950s, on his release from a labor camp, and later recovered―the patients, as a group, represent a remarkable cross section of contemporary Russian characters and attitudes, both under normal circumstances and then reexamined at the eleventh hour of illness. A seminal work from one of the most powerful voices in twentieth century literature, Cancer Ward offers an extraordinary portrait of life in the Soviet Union.

In recognition of Black History Month, the Nordic Culture and Language Exchange Meetup group will explore some of the African American artists, actors, singers, and musicians who lived, worked, and performed in the Nordic countries during the 20th century, particularly in the 1930s-1960s. Please join us to learn about performers like soprano Anne Wiggins Brown, who was the first Bess in George Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess” on Broadway and who later moved to Norway and had a career there (including being a voice teacher for Liv Ulmann) and Earle Hyman, who performed in many of Shakespeare’s plays in Norway (in Norwegian!). Many African American jazz musicians performed and made their homes in Denmark (some are buried in Copenhagen) such as trumpet player Thad Jones, drummer Ed Thigpen, pianist Kenny Drew, and saxophonist Dexter Jordan. Ella Fitzgerald bought a home in Denmark, performed many concerts there, and was reported to have married her producer, a Norwegian. Artist William H. Johnson spent much of the 1930s in Scandinavia- over a thousand of his paintings are in the collection at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. During the second hour, we will split up into smaller groups to practice Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Finnish and Icelandic.

4th Saturday Swing'n Saturday Den - West Coast Swing Dance Party Where: Elegant Dancing, 11230 Waples Mill Rd, Fairfax, VA 22030 ​When: 4th Saturday (no dance if it lands on or a day before/after a major Holiday) Time: 7:45pm- Beginner Level 1 Lesson (No experience needed) 7:45pm - Intermediate Level 2 /3 Lesson 8:30pm - 11:30pm-Dance Social Cost: $20 - Lesson + Dance Social \*Must Register in advance \*No partner needed ​

**Tired of surface-level conversations?** Join us for *Ditch the Small Talk*—an evening of deep, real connection with strangers who are down to go there. We’ll meet at the church (we are a secular group), break into small groups, and draw questions from a deck of cards designed to spark vulnerable, honest conversations. ***Rules:*** 1. Don't debate politics. 2. Keep what is shared in the group within the group. 3. If you need to use your phone, step away from your group first. \*\*If you show up late, please hop into a group and don't interrupt the speaker. Just sit down in a group of your choice, and they'll bring you up to speed when whoever is talking finishes. Community of Christ church: 3526 Massachusetts Ave.

In a world increasingly marked by division and conflict, finding common ground has never been more crucial – and seemingly more difficult. At the same time, if we’re willing to go outside of ourselves, there are a growing number of grassroots efforts – thousands in the US alone! – all exploring various means of depolarization. In this context, might there be a role for spirituality to help guide us towards these aims, towards greater empathy and understanding for one another? More and more it seems like we can each pick and choose the bubbles we want to live in, with many of those bubbles drifting further away from others. And while there can be comfort to be found in this, are we maybe also missing out on an even better world we could be living in? What would an approach to our lives and our communities look like that speaks to our fundamental commonalities instead of our differences? How might we find and strengthen a common ground that unites while respecting our unique perspectives and contributions? What has the unique power to connect each and every one of us, to help us find that common ground, to better understand and express our essential oneness as human beings? Come join a different kind of conversation – one that welcomes every perspective in a search for the truths that unite us all – as we discuss the spiritual perspective offered by the Bahá’í Teachings on the role of spirituality in navigating polarized communities and bridging divides. Join us for a lively discussion as we explore how spirituality can help foster a society strengthened by unity and based on understanding amongst its citizens. *“So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth.”* – Bahá’í Teachings \*\*\* This event is free and open to all regardless of background or belief. Donations will not be accepted.

ASH is Atheists, Skeptics and Humanists of First Unitarian Universalists of Columbus Ohio TBD Snacks are usually available, and you are welcome to bringing something to share!

How to Be a Better Communicator Communication is everything in life You are only as successful as your ability to communicate. \- What if you could confidently talk to anyone? \- What if you had the ability to calmly control every conversation? \- What if you could close that sale\, ask for that date\, make new friends\, repair problematic relationships\, get that raise\, or effortlessly express any idea with confidence? You can! The secret to success relies on your ability or inability to effectively communicate. Attend a free seminar and gain a better ability to communicate. Hosted by the Church of Scientology of Central Ohio 1266 Dublin Road, Columbus, OH 43215 For more information, contact Rhiannon, the Event Host at 614-221-5024

Let's grab some coffee/food and share a morning chat! The East Market has an ample parking lot and outdoor and indoor seating. Grab a cup of coffee from Winston's Coffee & Waffles or on your way to East Market and meet us on the second floor - table behind or east of the elevator. If the weather cooperates we will be meeting in the patio. Per what this group is about: "Everyone is welcome! International transplants to Columbus who want to improve language skills, Columbus residents who want to discuss international travel and culture, and anyone who enjoys getting together for good conversations."

Meeting Room 2b, Main Library Join us for a welcoming evening of reflection, gentle music, and meaningful conversation. We’ll begin with a short grounding moment, followed by a brief reading from spiritual or philosophical traditions, and an open reflection circle where participants can share (or simply listen). Libera Animae is an interfaith community focused on inner growth, creativity, and authentic connection. We desire to cultivate a space where all questions are welcome and each person is treated with compassion and respect.

Join us on the last ay of February for a fun day of gaming !!!