Goddess Based Spiritual Discussions

Mindfulness Meditation group practice every Wednesday evening at Unity of Gaithersburg. Mindfulness practice is not about achieving some special state of mind; it is more about noticing the experience you are having without trying to change it. This interesting video suggests why you might sit and watch your mind wander off. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmmBF8eTl18 This noticing tends to shift your nervous system from a 'fight-or-flight' state to a more relaxed and receptive state. In this receptive mental state, you begin to see your own experience differently and, over time, see other people and the world differently. Also, it is good for you: "the effect of regular meditation on the cortex was so profound that fifty-year-old meditators had a prefrontal cortex that looked like that of a twenty-five-year-old" [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PLRZVTT](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PLRZVTT) Here is an interesting and funny take on meditation by Ajahn Brahm: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR60RRmXeYs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR60RRmXeYs). If you arrive on time, there will be an introduction at the beginning, if you arrive late, find a chair and join us. There will be some discussion after. This is a free event, but contributions to the church's expenses are welcome. You can just show up this Wednesday or subsequent Wednesdays. More information at [https://www.unityofgaithersburg.org](https://www.unityofgaithersburg.org/)/

This cafe is in a church lobby, and it’s got lots of seating, parking. The staff is super friendly and I promised we would pay them a visit. I had a dirty matcha, but you can select from their relatively standard drink menu and add a breakfast sandwich if you like. (No discussions on politics, religion or potentially controversial topics. We're here to relax and have fun. Just be respectful and we'll be alright. Pay your own way, and enjoy!)

**NOTE: most of the regulars no longer RSVP to the Meetup. You'll usually find at least a half dozen of us playing chess, regardless of how many attendees are listed. Come on by!** Fairfax Chess Club meets on Wednesday at Patriot's Pub & Grill in downtown Fairfax City. People start showing up around 6 PM and stay as late as they please. Please bring your own chess set if you've got one, as our extra chess sets live at other venue for the time being. (If you don't have a chess set, however, I'm sure you'll still be able to get in a game with someone who's brought one.) Patriot's is located at: 10560 Main St, Fairfax, VA 22030 See you soon!

Where better to fall in love than Paris? Gene Kelley plays an American artist trying to earn a few francs by selling his paintings on the street. A rich woman takes an interest in his work, and she makes it clear she’s interested in him as well. But he’s smitten with a French girl who turns out to be engaged to one of his friends. Love triangles are almost as old as cinema itself, but this one is embellished with fantasy sequences that look like the result of collaborations between David Lynch and Busby Berkeley. The ending is predictable, so just relax and enjoy the glorious music of George Gershwin and a scene that Frank SInatra called “the greatest musical number ever put on film.” ■ Title — *An American in Paris* ■ Director — Vincente Minnelli ■ Cast — Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron, Oscar Levant ■ Rating — Approved (suitable for general audiences) ■ ©1951 \| 1h 54m \| Drama\, Music\, Musical\, Romance

## **1 Million Cups Loudoun Special Event: Mentor–Mentee Business Matchmaking** **Tuesday\, February 11 \| 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM** **Venture X Loudoun** Join us for a special edition of 1 Million Cups Loudoun designed to spark meaningful connections and accelerate business growth. Our **Mentor–Mentee Business Matchmaking Session** brings together entrepreneurs seeking guidance with experienced professionals ready to share their knowledge, insight, and real-world perspective. This live, interactive session is intentionally structured to help foster relationships that extend far beyond the meeting room. Whether you’re navigating a new stage of business, facing a challenge, or simply looking for trusted advice, mentorship can be one of the most powerful tools in your entrepreneurial journey. **What to Expect:** * Facilitated mentor–mentee introductions * Purposeful conversations focused on business growth * Opportunities to exchange ideas, experiences, and strategies * A supportive environment built on collaboration and community **Who Should Attend:** * Entrepreneurs looking for guidance and fresh perspective * Business owners ready to give back as mentors * Leaders who value connection, collaboration, and community-driven growth At 1 Million Cups Loudoun, we believe entrepreneurs grow stronger together — and this session is designed to help make those connections happen in real time. Come ready to connect, learn, and take the next step in your business journey.

Mindfulness Meditation group practice every Wednesday evening at Unity of Gaithersburg. Mindfulness practice is not about achieving some special state of mind; it is more about noticing the experience you are having without trying to change it. This interesting video suggests why you might sit and watch your mind wander off. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmmBF8eTl18 This noticing tends to shift your nervous system from a 'fight-or-flight' state to a more relaxed and receptive state. In this receptive mental state, you begin to see your own experience differently and, over time, see other people and the world differently. Also, it is good for you: "the effect of regular meditation on the cortex was so profound that fifty-year-old meditators had a prefrontal cortex that looked like that of a twenty-five-year-old" [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PLRZVTT](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PLRZVTT) Here is an interesting and funny take on meditation by Ajahn Brahm: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR60RRmXeYs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR60RRmXeYs). If you arrive on time, there will be an introduction at the beginning, if you arrive late, find a chair and join us. There will be some discussion after. This is a free event, but contributions to the church's expenses are welcome. You can just show up this Wednesday or subsequent Wednesdays. More information at [https://www.unityofgaithersburg.org](https://www.unityofgaithersburg.org/)/

Please follow this link for up to date details: [https://www.meetup.com/NoVaPracticalTarot/](https://www.meetup.com/NoVaPracticalTarot/) The annual deck swap is back! Do you have a deck that no longer works for you, a deck that might be looking for a new home? Bring it to the deck swap this month! This is an opportunity for enthusiasts to swap or sell decks so that they can not only make space for new acquisitions but maybe find a new deck as well! All transactions are cash (unless seller and buyer can agree on a payment app). See you there! We are a group of tarot practitioners and enthusiasts who are looking to practice and expand our tarot skills through both collaborative discussion and hands-on practice. Everyone is welcome regardless of skill level, even if you've never picked up a deck in your life! Having a tarot deck is not required. (If you're looking for recommendations for a first deck, we'll be more than happy to help!) Some have found it helpful to bring pen and paper for notes as well. If you are new to the group or to tarot, come get some hands-on experience, and if you've been reading tarot for years, come help out your brothers and sisters. If you are a tarot lover, join us here: https://www.meetup.com/NoVaPracticalTarot/ - This is a completely informal meetup and people with all levels of experience are welcome to attend. Your meetup host this month is Darjeeling, who has been studying tarot since 2011. She came to it in a rather roundabout fashion; her original interest was Jungian mandala creation and interpretation for self-analysis. The transition to tarot came naturally when she began looking for a tool that was more dynamic, responding to questions and operation on a more moment by moment basis. The more that Darjeeling worked with the tarot, the more she realized that this was an open-ended tool with the capability to help people not only reflect on how to move forward in life, but how to get to know themselves better as well. Teaching others about and through tarot is something that she enjoys a lot and has felt called to for a long time. Darjeeling is here the third Sunday of the month for the Tarot meetup, sometimes followed by one of her Tarot classes. No fee, however snacks, donations for the tea fund, and gifts of practical items for the shop (toilet paper, paper towels, etc) are always welcome. Use of workshop space agreement at Sticks and Stones: 1. Feel free to arrange and decorate the space before your event, and make sure before you go to leave it as you found it. 2. Hot water and tea are provided by the store and you are welcome to help yourselves. We accept donations in the form of money, tea, paper products (tissues, paper towels, toilet paper) dish soap, etc, to help pay for this free service. 3. You are welcome to bring snacks and drinks to your event (no alcohol.) It is suggested that you bring any utensils and plates if needed, however we might have some available from previous donations if you forget. 4. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times, in all areas of the store. Anyone under 18 must have a parent or guardian present to take any of the workshops/classes. 5. Sticks and Stones respects each and everyone’s spiritual path; we do not discriminate based on race, religion, sexuality, political views, etc. Please be kind and respectful with your discussions, as we have many people from all faiths entering our store during business hours.

**Hopi Eleventh Hour Prophecy** The Hopi Eleventh Hour Prophecy speaks of a critical moment in humanity’s story—a time of choice, responsibility, and renewal. In this gathering, we’ll explore the meaning of the prophecy as it’s commonly shared today, its cultural and spiritual context, and the questions it raises about modern life, environmental stewardship, and collective values. This is a **discussion-based meetup**, not a lecture. Participants are encouraged to listen deeply, share perspectives, and reflect together. Whether you approach the prophecy from a spiritual, symbolic, historical, or personal lens, you’re welcome here. **All are welcome.**

**Welcome to Men's Circle, hosted at Sticks and Stones!** This is a group oriented towards fostering connection between men in our local community, while also accomplishing magickal working and intentional discussion around metaphysical topics. Please read the following code of conduct for our group, and message the facilitator or call the shop and ask for Merlin for any questions. Code of Conduct 1. We are all, in good faith, men. Whichever way that manifests, we take it on good faith that all attendees are male identifying. 2. We respect all walks of life and spiritual practice. We honor and respect men from every walk of life and spiritual practice. Freedom ends where it infringes on the practice of another. We do not evangelize, prostelitize, or talk down on others. There is no initiation, or universal code of spiritual conduct here. 3. What happens in Men's Circle stays in Men's Circle By attending, you accept a sacred duty to keep the trust and faith of the other attendees, do not share or discuss anything we share in circle. *(The secret answer to the question is "Salt on the Wind")* 4. Respect the circle Once the circle is cast, we are focusing our energy on magickal topics, and making the best use of everyone's time. With great love, we may ask you to redirect or keep a line of thought shorter or more intentional. 5. Arbitration is immediate and help-oriented If you run into a pain point or offense in our group, please speak up immediately and let your thoughts be heard. We are here to respect and grow and support each other as a community, let us help and grow together. **The next few weeks, we will be focusing discussion and practices around the following topic:** What does self-love and esteem mean for men?

**The crone represents our trust in wisdom held within, gathered through our lives and experiences – and which, in the later stage of life, makes us most open and confident. They are a spiritual mentor to others who are actively engaged with their community, teaching either through example or directly.** ***‘The inner hag whose image we each carry within us reflects our own unique variety of wisdom, the gift that each of us has to offer this breaking and broken world, and our own particular brand of connection to the numinous.’* \- Dr Sharon Blackie\, Hagitude** **This is a space for women over 50, both Cis and Trans, who have chosen the uncomfortable path of walking with and alchemizing their own shadows in order to move into wisdom that serves family and community. In this place we hold space for each other to learn, grow and purge if needed, so that we can continue doing the work necessary to serve our communities so that they may find their way to self actualization; that they may Flourish.**

We all know about love in our personal relationships, that it’s not just something you think or even say but that it’s something you show by putting what you’re feeling into practice. But what happens when we think about love in a wider context? How do we embrace loving those beyond our existing circles? What about all of humanity? Is it enough to simply feel love for all mankind, or do we also have to seek out ways to put that into practice? This can seem like a daunting task, but even coming together with people of different backgrounds and beliefs and exploring these ideas together in an open and respectful setting can help contribute to creating the world we want to see! 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 perspectives offered by the Bahá’í Teachings on the power of love in action. Join us for a lively discussion as we explore how developing that practice in ourselves and in others can help create the change we want to see in the world. *“Do not be content with showing friendship in words alone, let your heart burn with loving kindness for all who may cross your path.”* – Bahá’í Teachings \*\*\* This event is free and open to all regardless of background or belief. Donations will not be accepted.

**How To Live From Higher Love Master Class** A Free Live Zoom Experience \| February 14 **This Valentine’s Day, go beyond romance…** and step into the remembrance of love as God intended. We lovingly invite you into a sacred experience devoted to **Living from Higher Love** - the love of God Almighty - embodied and aligned within a relationship. Higher Love is not about fixing your partner, perfecting yourself, or performing love “the right way.It is about **anchoring into God’s love within you** and allowing that love to become the foundation from which you relate, communicate, and choose one another — day by day, moment by moment. In this free **LIVE MASTER CLASS,** we will share from our lens how to live in a relationship from Higher Love. A way of loving that is rooted in presence, devotion, truth, safety, and divine alignment — rather than fear, ego, or unconscious patterns. Whether you are: • In a committed relationship • Calling in a sacred partnership • Or desiring to elevate the love you already share This experience is designed to **open your heart, expand your awareness, and reconnect you to love as a living truth**. A return to love as **presence, devotion, and choice**. Come as you are. Come with your partner or on your own. Come if you feel the call to love more consciously, more deeply, and more divinely.  **To RSVP for this FREE Master Class, please email:** **info@ascensionalchemists.com** We look forward to sharing this sacred Valentine’s Day with you. With the Joy of God ALMighty's Pure Love, Rev. HoniB & Michael of Ascension Alchemists™ Podcast 🎧 FOLLOW & LISTEN TO OUR PODCAST https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ascension-alchemists-podcast-assisting-individuals/id1838325380