Rev. Simon Ruth DeVoil is artist-musician in residence right now at Kanuga Conference Center where my friend, colleague, Order of Hildegard board member and cohort member Aimee Bostwick is co-creating offerings appealing enough for me to travel from Florida.
The last day and a half have been deeply touching as Simon is an exquisitely gifted musician, facilitator and interspiritual minister whose stories and songwriting inspire while inviting each person into deeper relationship with themselves, nature and a larger story. Remarkable, too, to me is the sheer amount of storytelling I'm hearing about Iona in Scotland (Simon is Scottish) because of his three years there - with my own trip plans to Iona counting down to June 1. It will be my second visit.
Simon’s journey as a transgender man, who has “lived half my life as a woman and half as a man,” gives him unique giftedness in facilitating the soul’s depth and expression.
Tonight's Equinox concert took me to a beautiful space of presence. Tears flowed easily. I swear this man has a magical relationship with the creatures because, while his hero is Saint Francis, he embodies something himself that calls the voices of all the creatures to life during his concerts. They are very vocal.
After the concert we walked the Labyrinth.
The moon was such a beacon of lucid grace amid singing frogs.
I found myself surrendered to the flow of the experience and those with me in their own space walking this familiar pattern by candlelight, moonlight and fire. We were serenaded gently by Simon's songs.
I feel so deeply cared for, surrounded by human and non-human saints.