PODCAST

Confluence Formation

Aram Mitchell

Principles, practices, and prayers for living life to the full. arammitchell.substack.com

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5:00

Reading old journals

Confluence Formation ·

2025/11/01

Spiritual growth is not linear.It’s better understood—and certainly experienced—in spirals.It turns back on itself continuously, yet progresses. The new places we land as we grow are always fresh, but usually, somehow, also familiar.From time to time I thumb through old journals. They’re on the top shelf in my office presently, a space reserved for the finest spirits and indulgences.The other day I indulged. I stood on a chair by the shelf, pulling down journals, and taking deep thirsty gulps from

8:06

For those who remain

Confluence Formation ·

2025/09/01

Thanks to those of you who joined me day-to-day, or from time-to-time, during my 25 days of listening to the loving voice of wisdom. When I set out with that commitment—not only to do the listening, but also to share what I heard here—I did it in part in hopes that a number of the folks who follow my Substack would unsubscribe.Let me explain.I am very interested in having hosts of you out there regularly reading what I offer through writing. I am not, however, interested at all in anyone coming

2:03

Day 25 | The loving voice of wisdom (& Terry Russell)

Confluence Formation ·

2025/08/29

Everyday I ask the loving voice of wisdom, which dwells in our hearts and in this world: “What would you have me know today?” And then I listen. This is what I heard one day, not long ago…From elsewhere:“Well I’m damned, this is the end.”“We could probably make it farther if we wanted to.”(Terry & Renny Russell, On the Loose)From my heart:I would go, and have gone, to the end for you.And by “the end” we both know I mean “the edges”. And by “for” we know I mean “with”. I love to travel with you to

1:37

Day 24 | The loving voice of wisdom (& Scott Russell...

Confluence Formation ·

2025/08/28

Everyday I ask the loving voice of wisdom, which dwells in our hearts and in this world: “What would you have me know today?” And then I listen. This is what I heard one day, not long ago…From elsewhere:“By keeping in touch with wildness we preserve our sanity, and our world’s health.” (Scott Russell Sanders, Staying Put)From my heart:Which is a thing you do so well, dear one, and often—touch the wildness. But those cracks in your sanity, those wounds on the world, body, and soul—all that that

2:19

Day 23 | The loving voice of wisdom (& bell hooks)

Confluence Formation ·

2025/08/27

Everyday I ask the loving voice of wisdom, which dwells in our hearts and in this world: “What would you have me know today?” And then I listen. This is what I heard one day, not long ago…From elsewhere:“There is a creative, life-sustaining, life-enhancing place for the masculine in a nondominator culture. And those of us committed to ending patriarchy can touch the hearts of real men where they live, not by demanding that they give up manhood or maleness, but by asking that they allow its meaning

1:36

Day 22 | The loving voice of wisdom (& Carl Jung)

Confluence Formation ·

2025/08/26

Everyday I ask the loving voice of wisdom, which dwells in our hearts and in this world: “What would you have me know today?” And then I listen. This is what I heard one day, not long ago…From elsewhere:“True transformation of persons happens largely, if not exclusively, through contact with images.” (Richard Rohr, summarizing Jung)From my heart:The symbols that we employ in our hearts shape the trail that we walk with our lives. It’s the contact that really makes them stick. You’ve got to put them

1:33

Day 21 | The loving voice of wisdom (and Mary Oliver,...

Confluence Formation ·

2025/08/25

Everyday I ask the loving voice of wisdom, which dwells in our hearts and in this world: “What would you have me know today?” And then I listen. This is what I heard one day, not long ago…From elsewhere:“Hope is one thing, gratitude another and sufficient unto itself.” (Mary Oliver)From my heart:You have learned a lot about hope, dear one. You have studied it, and written about it, garnered degrees by studying and writing about hope. You know its nuance, its anatomy. Just as you did the fetal

1:36

Day 20 | The loving voice of wisdom (& G.K. Chesterton)

Confluence Formation ·

2025/08/22

Everyday I ask the loving voice of wisdom, which dwells in our hearts and in this world: “What would you have me know today?” And then I listen. This is what I heard one day, not long ago…From elsewhere:“We need this life of practical romance; the combination of something that is strange with something that is secure.” (G.K. Chesterton)From my heart:You do that, I see you, everyday when you invoke the energy of the hermit and the energy of the pilgrim, together.Your heart stirred, when you were

1:39

Day 19 | The loving voice of wisdom (& Richard Rohr)

Confluence Formation ·

2025/08/21

Everyday I ask the loving voice of wisdom, which dwells in our hearts and in this world: “What would you have me know today?” And then I listen. This is what I heard one day, not long ago…From elsewhere:“Tolerance and openness are virtues in the life of one with clear authority; they are sad excuses in the lives of those afraid of their own authority.” (Richard Rohr)From my heart:I know, you preached about self-righteousness. And those who know you most closely see that vice in you. And I know, you

1:45

Day 18 | The loving voice of wisdom (& Mary Oliver)

Confluence Formation ·

2025/08/20

Everyday I ask the loving voice of wisdom, which dwells in our hearts and in this world: “What would you have me know today?” And then I listen. This is what I heard one day, not long ago…From elsewhere:“In my house there are a hundred half-done poems. Each of us leaves an unfinished life.” (Mary Oliver, Thinking of Swirler)From my heart:Isn’t that glorious, beloved one? You fill your days with purpose and your nights with reaching out—with arms and dreams—to the life you love living, and still

1:35

Day 17 | The loving voice of wisdom (& Mister Rogers)

Confluence Formation ·

2025/08/19

Everyday I ask the loving voice of wisdom, which dwells in our hearts and in this world: “What would you have me know today?” And then I listen. This is what I heard one day, not long ago…From elsewhere:“How many times have you noticed that it’s the little quiet moments in the midst of life that seem to give the rest extra-special meaning?” (Fred Rogers)From my heart:That’s where you’ll find me, as often as not. That’s where you’ll find what you need. And not that you have to go hunting for them,

1:23

Day 16 | The loving voice of wisdom

Confluence Formation ·

2025/08/18

Everyday I ask the loving voice of wisdom, which dwells in our hearts and in this world: “What would you have me know today?” And then I listen. This is what I heard one day, not long ago…From elsewhere:“The fourth myth is the belief that it is possible to be totally logical, rational and objective.” (I forget where I read this)From my heart:The challenge for you, my darling, is to live among men who are deeply invested in the fourth myth, and to see the harmful effects of that myth on your own

1:28

Day 15 | The loving voice of wisdom

Confluence Formation ·

2025/08/15

Everyday I ask the loving voice of wisdom, which dwells in our hearts and in this world: “What would you have me know today?” And then I listen. This is what I heard one day, not long ago…From elsewhere:“The professional masters how, and leaves what and why to the gods.” (Steven Pressfield, The War of Art)From my heart:You aren’t alone, there, scraping your every effort against every day, vying of your own will for results that’ll amount to something.The gods are there too. It’s actually quite

1:27

Day 14 | The loving voice of wisdom

Confluence Formation ·

2025/08/14

Everyday I ask the loving voice of wisdom, which dwells in our hearts and in this world: “What would you have me know today?” And then I listen. This is what I heard one day, not long ago…From elsewhere:“We do not think ourselves into a new way of living, but we must live ourselves into a new way of thinking.” (Richard Rohr)From my heart:You can sit there in that rocking chair and run your thoughts through your head all morning until the soles of their feet bleed, but they’ll still have miles to

2:12

Day 13 | The loving voice of wisdom

Confluence Formation ·

2025/08/13

Everyday I ask the loving voice of wisdom, which dwells in our hearts and in this world: “What would you have me know today?” And then I listen. This is what I heard one day, not long ago…From elsewhere:“Every step and every strain and hard breath and heart pump is an investment in tomorrow morning’s strength.” (Terry & Renny Russell, On the Loose, I think)In my mind, I responded:Ok. Then I’ll walk on. Though I’m done living for perpetual tomorrows. I need to be absolutely clear what it is that I’m

1:36

Day 12 | The loving voice of wisdom

Confluence Formation ·

2025/08/12

Everyday I ask the loving voice of wisdom, which dwells in our hearts and in this world: “What would you have me know today?” And then I listen. This is what I heard one day, not long ago…From elsewhere:“...men of intelligence who formerly possessed an ordinary amount of refinement.”From my heart:And what is the ordinary refinement that you are shedding? I know you care a lot, my hearty soul, about the hopes and dreams, desires and priorities, the wants and needs of others in your near orbit; of

1:55

Day 11 | The loving voice of wisdom

Confluence Formation ·

2025/08/11

Everyday I ask the loving voice of wisdom, which dwells in our hearts and in this world: “What would you have me know today?” And then I listen. This is what I heard one day, not long ago…From elsewhere:“It’s giving until the giving feels like receiving.” (Mary Oliver, To Begin With, the Sweetgrass)From my heart:Like the rough Father says, though a little bit gentler. Like Jesus said, more or less. Like the Mother does, when the babe screams. Like I’ve shown you all along. Like you yourself recite

1:36

Day 10 | The loving voice of wisdom

Confluence Formation ·

2025/08/08

Everyday I ask the loving voice of wisdom, which dwells in our hearts and in this world: “What would you have me know today?” And then I listen. This is what I heard one day, not long ago…From elsewhere:“Rest thee by many brooks and hearthsides without misgiving.” (Henry David Thoreau, Walden)In my mind I responded:But I don’t feel okay. I don’t feel at rest, at ease. Everything’s just a little bit uphill.From my heart:It’s been that way ever since you started walking uphill, hasn’t it? What’s up

1:46

Day 9 | The loving voice of wisdom

Confluence Formation ·

2025/08/07

Everyday I ask the loving voice of wisdom, which dwells in our hearts and in this world: “What would you have me know today?” And then I listen. This is what I heard one day, not long ago…From elsewhere:“For afterwards a man finds pleasure in his pains, when he has suffered long and wandered long.” (Homer, the Odyssey)From my heart:I know, my love, you think of others first when you read of the hope that pain may amount to life, even pleasure. But you see it for yourself as well, don’t you? You see

1:32

Day 8 | The loving voice of wisdom

Confluence Formation ·

2025/08/06

Everyday I ask the loving voice of wisdom, which dwells in our hearts and in this world: “What would you have me know today?” And then I listen. This is what I heard one day, not long ago…From elsewhere:“We aim a black box and scratch on beaten wood pulp.” (Terry & Renny Russell, On the Loose)From my heart:I put that smile there, my darling. And it delights me. If I had a black box to aim, I’d aim it there, at that smile, to freeze your happiness in time. But I don’t deal in boxes. And happiness

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