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“Taking Courage”

Now in its 6th year, we invite you again to journey with us through the 12 Days of Christmas and to find a place of rest and new beginnings. This online pilgrimage will lead you on a interior journey into the heart of Christmas, at your own pace and time.

Every day you will receive a brief reflection, poem, blessing, or practice (this time from Berlin, Germany!) in your inbox which you can unwrap like an unexpected Christmas gift.

This journey is for all for whom Christmas isn’t a season but a journey and who wish to deepen their path by following the star to see where it leads us.

"I cannot express in words what the 12 Days of Christmas does for my soul. Your willingness to keep going despite trepidations means so much to so many. A thousand thank yous."

—Kathleen S., participant and sustaining member of The 12 Days of Christmas Contemplations

Together we will walk from Christmas to the threshold where the old and new year meet and all the way to Epiphany in a contemplative spirit, guided by our heart’s longing and the many wise women and men before us. Almut will lead this Contemplative Online Journey sharing with you what is laid on her heart every day anew — helped by our little girl who lends us eyes and ears to cradle the Divine presence among us.

We are looking forward to having you with us on this sacred journey.

And may Christmas find you where you are,

Almut with Chuck and little one

How to subscribe

We give the 12 Days as a gift from heart to heart. You can subscribe to our 12 Days of Christmas Contemplations to receive them in your inbox every day. For this we ask for a gift in return, by simply giving what feels right for you. Also, choosing the right amount will help you to commit to this journey. And those who give more help us sustain this journey for all. Thank you, thank you!

Upon registration you will receive some welcoming email to help you set up your journey, a Blessing for the journey on Holy Night and from then on our daily meditations through the 12 Days of Christmas 2022-23 every morning in your email inbox.

Please contact me if you need a free pass or another giving option for this journey.

PS: YOU CAN ENROLL ON ANY OF THE 12 DAYS AS YOU WILL GAIN IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO THE PREVIOUS POSTS.

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About The Twelve Days of Christmas Journey

The 12 Days of Christmas might remind some of a silly song. But we use these days to revive the early medieval tradition of a sacred time between Christmas Day and Epiphany. We started our 12 Day of Christmas Online Journey five years ago following a dream of a sacred reading retreat where seekers like us can walk together towards the heart of Christmas, take a break from the hustle and bustle, breathe, and wonder, guided and sustained by wise women and men before us (including Mary, Joseph, Meister Eckhart, Hildegard, Rumi, Bonhoeffer, Kierkegaard and others).

Now, the Journey has gathered readers around the globe since. We do not follow much of the traditional string of saints’ days for the season, but rather explore every year anew what Christmas might mean to each of us, while creating a breathing space for you, guiding you through readings and practices from Holy Night to the threshold of the Old and the New Year and all the way to Epiphany on a quiet interior journey.

This is not a pre-packaged retreat. Instead our 12 Days of Christmas Contemplations are as always offered as daily inspiration and meditations, raw and dusty like the streets towards Bethlehem, one step at a time, never quite knowing the ending, other than to the Divine dwelling place. Will you journey with me? And will you bring some one along?

This year’s theme:

“Taking courage”

Every year again I arrive at the Advent door somewhat weary.

What could I possibly say that would console the hearts of those exhausted and numb from too long a journey with pandemic fear, personal grief and political turmoil?

But then there came a tender whisper: “Take Courage.” Take courage once more. And so I will lead you into another journey into the unknown. Because Christmas does not end with Holy Night when many are ready to discard their dried out Christmas trees. Like a newborn child, newly-born hope must be cradled, carefully fed and tended, protected, nourished, and guided on its way. And as there is no hope without facing darkness and no Christmas Day without Christmas Night we want to tap into the deep well of courage to hold both our sorrows and hopes on this sacred journey, birthing new life in each of us.

“What if Christmas isn’t a season but a journey?”

How it works

Every day we will provide a brief online reflection or practice you might find time for at the same day or a time of your liking. The reflection will help set the stage, and the question or practice will help you construct your own interior journey through the 12 Days.

You should set aside 15-20 min every day if you want to follow along daily, or mark regularly times in your calendar for your personal Christmas Journey. Some set aside a day or two for a 12 Days of Christmas retreat. What ever works for you will work for us.

But one thing you need to do is to journey, how ever that will look for you.

Retreat leaders

Dr. Almut Furchert, OblSB is the woman behind CloisterSeminars. She is a German American scholar and practitioner, wisdom seeker and retreat leader and has published on spiritual teachers like Søren Kierkegaard and Hildegard of Bingen. She is “cloistering” together with her husband Chuck Huff, PhD. and little daughter currently in Berlin, Germany in a monastic community right downtown. Chuck will look after little one so Almut can write, but he often also adds a reflection, a poem or some other surprise to the journey.