The Purpose
I have spent the past 15 years working with teenagers as an English teacher in and around Detroit. My biggest strength as a teacher has been my ability to connect with students and support them as they navigate life challenges. Well before the pandemic, I noticed students had begun sharing their mental and emotional struggles more than ever. Returning to in-person learning last year, I again experienced students desperate for a road map that went deeper than what they’ve been given. They ask me regularly and specifically - how I manage my emotions, how I navigate trauma, how I am not depressed, how I stay so calm.
This book is a project of love for them.
After my own experience of struggling as a young person, I found transformation on the path of the mystic. My hope is to share this path, and that this work can serve some young people who are ready to commit to a consistent personal practice of connecting to the divine spirit within.
This book includes four sections. One is a section on why connecting with the divine within helps. The second includes many practices one can use to connect - everything from traditional church to personal tarot reading to nature. The third focuses on rites of passage many teens walk through, and how connecting with divine spirit will help navigate these areas. The final section includes inventory writing prompts to help you get to know yourself and create a vision for your life.
Teenage Mystic Workshops Coming Soon!
Click here for details.
More
Time after time, I hear the older generations complaining about teenagers and our rebellious attitudes, invalidating our very real feelings of sadness, anger and discomfort, and labeling them as teen drama or angst. I am always looking for examples of spiritual practice to incorporate into my own. I loved that you included the wheel of the year because I follow this and have rarely seen it mentioned.
Alyse, Age 17