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Hello

It is very good to be connecting with you.

Christmas is coming. In the Christian Judeo world, and probably much of the rest of the world, Christmas is a big event. For some it is a real religious celebration - but I suspect they are a tiny minority of the whole. For most it is intricately associated with a material orgy of some sort - presents.  I remember the days when we made presents for one another, or even further back, as a child when we received one present each only (usually a book) and it was hugely appreciated. But, I won’t digress and discuss the issue of presents, I want to talk about something else: family. 

Christmas is a time that brings up strong feelings in many of us about family. Perhaps a desire to be with family, pain at loss of family, loneliness, family feuds, celebration of being together - or a range of other emotions, but usually they are mixed.  Few of us have families where time, if nothing else, has left relationships unscathed.  Then the coming of Christmas brings another sort of family to my mind, that is our Values Family.

The Values Family has been much in my thoughts this year. I am reminded of its power each month when we meet as the Circle Group, and exchange feelings and thoughts, hopes and hurts with such open hearts and support for one another. Then we came together in a truly joyful retreat in September in France that was a real celebration of the Values Family.

I won’t say any more, I will let others speak. I have read what they say and am deeply touched by it. I hope it will touch you in the same way. The Values Family is open to all who want to participate in it.  If it calls to you, I hope you will join, or reaffirm your membership.

I wish you a merry Christmas, and much joy and peace in the year ahead.

Love Michal

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In this newsletter, Friends from around the world write about what the Values Family means to them.

From Hilary:

What the Values Family means to me continues to change and develop as my journey unfolds. When I first met Michal and started working with her I don’t think it was spoken of in these words - she spoke of the group being “Home” - but now, looking back, I can see that the energetic vibration of this group was in existence as were the connective strands that held us, and still do. As I attended more seminars and retreats I continued to wonder at the huge span of difference between all who attended and yet, coming away, I felt that if I met any one of those people, at any given time, that we could sit together in silence and not be strangers.

Of course there are those in this group who are now personal friends and some with whom this would not be possible, but the Values Family connection goes much deeper for me; it holds us in truth and by having no concern for social, professional, racial or religious difference we can experience the pure joy of deep connection with others who share those deeper values. At the retreat in France this year there were two people I had never met and who had never worked with Michal before. As soon as I met them, I felt that I “knew” them and that they were already part of the family. I am not sure if they felt the same and I have enormous respect and admiration for them for answering an inner call and having the courage to come.

Many years ago I said to a very close friend, also part of the Values Family, that I wanted ‘heaven on earth’. It sounded very grand and I had no idea why I said it or how I could possibly help to create it but now, working on a deeper level of learning about the chakras, it is becoming clearer. Today I understand the Values Family to be my spiritual home base that connects me to heaven and yet anchors me firmly on earth. 

From Cathy:

The Values Family to me is a place in my head where I can picture you all, when I am not with you, and where I feel safety, acceptance, love and friendship. 

From Anna:

I think of my Values Family and I feel relaxed, like taking a deep breath of fresh, cool air. It’s a relaxation that comes from having hope for the world. It’s a smile that comes to me as I think of the people sharing the values which develop from doing this work, and then joining one another to strengthen and integrate those values through the Circle Group and the weekly Sunday MIM connection. May we grow exponentially!

Clockwise from top left: Anna, Paul, Hilary, Darren, Cathy, Felicity, Clare, Teresa, Caroline and Ros

Clockwise from top left: Anna, Paul, Hilary, Darren, Cathy, Felicity, Clare, Teresa, Caroline and Ros

From Ros:

I used to be someone who couldn’t bear the word ‘family’.  My birth family was very destructive: I kept my distance from them and no way did I ever want to be part of another one.  Thankfully, over the years, as I worked with Michal’s teachings, that attitude softened but I was sometimes a bit perplexed about how to bridge the gap there seemed to be between being born into a family yet at the same time not really having the support or true connection to one.

One day, Michal brought up her concept of the ‘Values Family’ and something lit up inside me.  It seemed such a wonderful way of describing the connection that everyone who worked with her shared and aspired to.  At this year’s Retreat, the full meaning of the Values Family crystallised for me.  As we worked together with Michal, I felt accepted and understood on a very deep level, a feeling that seemed interchangeable with everyone else in the group.  I felt the strength and support of our Values Family very strongly and it was clearer to me how this strength came from our shared endeavour and how this glorious feeling of affinity could radiate in the everyday world too.

That feeling hasn’t left me.  It feels like a really strong flowing current of love, strength and support that I can draw on as well as contribute towards.  I feel its presence in a way that I didn’t before and it’s so lovely just every now and then, especially if I am feeling out of sorts, to tune in and connect and be grateful to Michal and all of us who are joined in this way.  I love the thought that the Values Family is never-ending and there is no limit to who can be a part of it, that it transcends the personal and yet is really grounding.  It feels like the starting point for a much wider connection that I feel we are lucky and privileged to be able to explore on the Circle calls with Michal and every Sunday with the MIM.

My birth family can still be problematic but it doesn’t trouble me nearly as much as it used to.  I hope I am more forgiving of it now.  And the word ‘family’ has taken on a new meaning for me – when I think of everyone in our Values Family, it fills me with warmth and joy.

From Clare:

I find something very steadfast and precious in the Values Family, I think because of the depth of connection that has grown, in learning and sharing both together and with Michal. Being all around the world doesn’t seem to make any difference at all, nor does the frequency of contact, nor if times are smooth or tough - the support and closeness is still there.

From Darren:

The Values Family for me is a place where I can be all of me. Where I can explore and have the freedom to change my mind. 

From Caroline:

Because the Values Family is adhering to the highest values, it enables me to be part of, and give myself up to, the group. Knowing that I can give up control while – and this is essential – retaining my sense of self is enormously liberating. I do not have to do it all on my own. 

During the retreat at the Mill in September this year, some of the Values Family enjoy tea and camaraderie.

From Teresa:

The Values Family for me is those who come together regardless of background, colour, age, career path or language, to share their Soul’ s Path. We honour the wisdom we can feel or see in the Other, because it is that deep wisdom that comes from the Highest Source within us all. It connects us in spirit on the highest and deepest levels: these are invisible dimensions, but are also dimensionless and ineffable. 

From Paul:

The Values Family for me is about discovering, learning and growing together. Exploring life in a deeply personal but connected way.  Michal and the Values Family help me see more in my life. Michal’s teaching and the Values Family’s shared experiences bring a depth and breadth of knowledge that supports my growth in many practical ways in my everyday life. The Values Family shares core values and a love that runs through many parts of my life. Much appreciation. 

From Felicity:

I live far away from almost all of you. I hear your voices once a month on the Circle Call, and occasionally enjoy the pleasure of seeing some of you in person on a retreat. But I feel extremely close to all of you. The knowledge that together we share this path, understanding each other’s joys and pains, striving to be the best that we can be, trying to forgive ourselves when we can’t, is a source of infinite strength and support. On Sundays, after I have listened to the MIM and finished the chakra meditation, I name in my mind as many of you, my Values Family, as I can, and we gradually form a circle on and around the earth, the power of our combined connection pulling in and holding light that floods through us. I am grateful to share this journey with you all!

CLARITY, CALM AND CONNECTION

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One of the ways that Michal keeps in touch with the Values Family is through the Monthly Intuitive Message (MIM) that she sends out around the 17th of each month, that you can listen to or just read. This intuitive message helps to guide you through the month ahead, stimulating creativity, deepening meditation and inspiring clarity, calm and connection.  The Sunday Link Up offers a way to connect with each other “virtually” on Sundays at 8pm GMT (UK time) – by joining in meditation, listening to the MIM, contemplating and letting yourself receive and connect. You can sample or sign up to receive it here.

Everyone on Michal’s transformational online course, The Soul’s Path receives it free of charge as does everyone in Circle Group. If you are interested in signing up for  The Soul’s Path click here. The course aims to awaken your ability to sense energy both within yourself and in the environment and teaches you how to interpret that energy, develop your intuition, and to use it to enhance all areas of life.

As always, please pass this newsletter on to anyone you feel would be interested, who may wish to join the Values Family.

We wish you a very happy holiday season and a joyful New Year.

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