Aldea Spiritual Community

As we began a brand new series titled "The New Story", we explored the power of stories in our lives. Not simply myths or fictions, these stories are the beliefs, patterns, and identities that determine how we navigate life.
 
Sometimes, we need to let go of an "old" story that isn't serving us in order to make room for a "new" story that will be more life-giving and loving. In the first message of this series, we explore the power of our own individual "stories" - the beliefs about ourselves that keep us locked in fear or open us up to love. 
 
Quotes:
 
"The most obvious, important realities are often the ones that are hardest to see and talk about.” - David Foster Wallace
 
“A story is a system of meaning that focuses our attention, assigns roles, tells us what is important…and offers guidelines for the conduct of life." — Charles Eisenstein
 
“The story that we hold about a person is an invitation for them to step into that story.”— Charles Eisenstein
 
“The most dangerous stories we make up are the narratives that diminish our inherent worthiness.” - Brene Brown
 
“We do not see things as they are, we see them as we are” - Anaïs Nin
 
“How you see is what you see.” - Richard Rohr
 
“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.” - James Clear 
 
 

Enjoy Kathleen's meditation from the services on September 13, 2026.

Tom Marks is an author & speaker whose work centers around finding meaning and fulfillment in various life stages, including retirement. Tom's most recent book "Your Path To Happiness" explores a quote attributed to the Buddha: "There is no path to happiness; happiness is the path".
 
In this eclectic and heartfelt conversation, Tom & Jake discuss the importance of gratitude, a creative practice, and finding meaning in life in the present moment. 

Enjoy Denise's meditation from the services on September 6, 2026.

Sylvia Skinner, one of the co-founders of Aldea, gave a great message about Aldea's history, vision, and the origins of our motto "Love Period" on Sunday August 30th. Unfortunately, the live recording of this talk didn't come out as planned, but Sylvia was able to recreate this message for our podcast listeners.
 
Enjoy! 
 
Quotes:
 
“To love is the profoundest act of religion, of religious faith, of religious devotion. It is only in a secondary sense an act of ethics or morality.”
— Howard Thurman, Mysticism and the Experience of Love
 
“What makes community possible is love.”— Parker Palmer
 
“Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”- Colossians 3:14
"Love is my Religion" - Ziggy Marley
"All you need is love" - The Beatles 

We closed out our series "Belonging, Becoming, Loving" with a reminder of the power of "becoming" - the process of transformation that is an essential part of the spiritual path. 
 
What if "becoming" isn't about feeling that we are constantly falling short, but remembering that we are always changing, evolving, and growing. From that perspective, community can be a safe and supportive place to move through life's shifts with love and grace.
 
Quotes:
 
“All that you touch you Change. All that you Change Changes you. The only lasting truth is Change. God is Change.”  - Octavia Butler
 
 
"It is the privilege of a lifetime to become who you are" - Carl Jung
 
 
“There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.” — Margaret J. Wheatley

Enjoy Kathleen's meditation from the services on August 23, 2026.

Join us for the first part of our new series "Belonging, Becoming, Loving" as we reflect on one of the most important aspects of spiritual community and a fulfilled life: Belonging. 
 
Quotes: 
 
“Fitting in is about assessing a situation and becoming who you need to be in order to be accepted. Belonging, on the other hand, doesn’t require us to change who we are; it requires us to be who we are.” — Brené Brown
 
“The greatest thing in the world is to know how to belong to oneself.” — Michel de Montaigne
 
“There can be no vulnerability without risk; there can be no community without vulnerability.”— M. Scott Peck
 
“To be is to inter-be.” — Thich Nhat Hanh

Enjoy Mary's meditation from the services on August 16, 2026.

For our Sunday message, we took a look at the newest adaptation of the classic myth "The Odyssey". What does this most recent adaptation bring to this ancient tale?
 
Check out the full message as we explore the Hero's Journey, the meaning of Ancient Greek words Xenia and Metanoia, and how this 2700 year old story has so much to show us about our current place in history and our own individual journeys of consciousness. 
 
Quotes:
 
“It has always been the prime function of mythology… to supply the symbols that carry the human spirit forward.” Joseph Campbell
 
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” Marcel Proust
 
"Until he extends his circle of compassion to all living things, man will not himself find peace." Albert Schweitzer
 
“The Myth of Redemptive Violence enshrines the belief that violence saves, that war brings peace, that might makes right.” Walter Wink
 
“Hatred is never appeased by hatred. By love alone is hatred appeased.” Dhammapada 
 
“History has to be rewritten in every generation, because although the past does not change, the present does; each generation asks new questions of the past and finds new areas of sympathy as it re-lives different aspects of the experiences of its predecessors.” Christopher Hill