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We
are a small number of people, akin to the "Disciples
at Sais", who feel the need to share a couple of
spiritual intuitions regarding our contemporary
world ; a few whose inner roads and trials of
various initiation paths may address those who are
in search of living spirituality. While coming from
different horizons, they nonetheless
all have in common the same orientation to
the Spirit, wherefrom they are awaiting efficient
help – and they share the same spiritual references,
borrowed from Occidental traditions, such as
Christian esoterism, the Kabala, and Sufism.
INSULA VIRIDIS would seek to be the place where
researchers and discoverers meet, at least once a
year, to pool their experiences and examine together
the progress of their researches. It would also be a
meeting forum space between the Occident and the
Orient, mainly with respect to spirituality, but
equally to culture and religions.
INSULA VIRIDIS would seek to be the focal site of a
living community, which each person joins freely and
independently of his or her religious adherence or
worldly commitments. It can, by no means, be a
secret society nor even a circle of initiates.
Rather does it bear a resemblance with the "Eranos"
sessions, animated by the specialist of spiritual
Iran, Henry Corbin. For over fifty years, those
encounters offered invaluable time for researchers
to be and talk together.
Its very name, INSULA VIRIDIS, evokes the foundation
in the 14th Century of a place of refuge
for simple laymen in quest of spirituality: Rulman
Merswin's Green Island in Strasbourg – and, above
all, the figure of the Friend of God from the
Oberland, who inspired that community.
Besides the Friend of God from the Oberland, its
tutelary genius is the German romantic poet NOVALIS,
whom Rudolf Steiner in his time considered that he
could conduct us "as a guide and a leading star".
Many other thinkers nowadays are convinced that his
star is rising again on the horizon of our Western
world to guide us on the "mysterious path that leads
within" and help us raise to his level.
Novalis, who ended his earthly manifestation over
two hundred years ago; continues to awaken vocations
to a spiritual life, especially among younger
generations – thus, discussions should devote
considerable attention to his life and his works.
However, in this forum space open to varied
spiritual experimentations, faithfulness to the
figure of the German romantic poet, who has become a
master to some of us, shall not occult other Western
sources of inspiration waiting to be vivified, to
green anew. Such is, indeed, the core intent
presiding over the present foundation project.
Insula viridis
János Darvas and
Jean Moncelon |
