Margaret Silf – författare

Landmarks help us to find ourselves when we think we are lost. When we don't know where to begin, they give us a starting point. When we think we know where we are, they give us the confidence to keep going. And if we think we have arrived, they remind us that there is always something more, somewhere beyond ...This is a book of Landmarks for the heart's journey. Written out of the author's own prayer and lived experience, and inspired by her practical explorations of the insights of St Ignatius Loyola, it opens up questions which concern us all:- How can we recognise God's ceaseless action in our lives and begin to discern his will?- What does 'fallenness' mean for us today?- How can we live true to ourselves and make decisions in freedom?- How do we penetrate our deepest desires and become free of the lesser attachments that obstruct them?Big questions - but as Margaret Silf shows, there are clues to be discovered in every moment and situation: at home, at work, in the garden, in the market, in the bath!Landmarks will help us discover and deepen our individual journeys. Written for both groups and individuals, it is illustrated with drawings and diagrams, and contains exercises and suggestions for prayer and reflection. Be warned, however. Landmarks are not for armchair pilgrims. They are for People of the Way.

Guided by Ignatian principles, this book looks at techniques for prayer, ways of focusing prayer, problems in prayer and ways of moving on.

Your children have left home, you have lost your job, you have had to move to a strange town, your partner has died ... Every life is filled with changes and transitions. In The Other Side of Chaos, the popular writer and speaker Margaret Silf takes us on a journey through the pitfalls and the opportunities of change.Transitions may be awkward and uncomfortable, but they also put into places where new life can flourish. Silf invites us to embrace the inevitability of upheaval, and shows us how the leaving of our comfort zone can become an invitation to set ourselves free. Through stories and examples and down-to earth tips, she shows us how we can live our transitions constructively and creatively.‘We will discover what new growth may be sprouting in our lives only if we risk the journey that takes us, like reluctant time travellers, hurtling through the uncharted universe of change.'

Sometimes, it can feel as though we are living in the worst of times – a world of chaos, uncertainty and breakdown. But could this also be the best of times – a crucible of change in which a wiser and more spiritually mature future is being forged? The stars are most clearly visible in the deepest darkness. The butterfly emerges out of the worst meltdown of the chrysalis.In Born to Fly, Margaret Silf helps us to explore what it would mean for each of us to be such an emerging butterfly – to be an agent of spiritual transformation in our own lives and in the world around us. What kind of future do we desire for ourselves, for those who follow after us, and for the whole of creation? And, if the choices we make today are shaping that future, how might we learn to make those choices more wisely?The second part of the book takes us on a gentle journey in five stages through the process of transformation mapped out for us by the caterpillar as it changes from a pesky garden grub, taking what it wants without regard for the rest of creation, to a butterfly, giving life wherever it lands.Born to Fly is designed to be read for personal reflection and inspiration, or alongside fellow readers, with suggestions for further discussion. It is a companion book to Margaret’s Hidden Wings.

"You must become the change you long for.Fine words, a great vision, but where to begin?We caterpillars know. From the moment we are conceived in our parents’ mating dance, we already contain the cells that hold our future butterfly.We become, literally, the change we carry within us, as our hidden wings take shape.Let us tell you our story …"Tumultuous changes are occurring in the world around us, and the structures and values by which we have charted our lives seem to be collapsing. Many of us are struggling to plot a spiritual path through this unfamiliar landscape, and to believe in a positive future. Hidden Wings is a book offering hope and understanding.Using the example of a caterpillar entering the devastating, world-altering stage of the chrysalis, before emerging – transformed – as a butterfly, Margaret Silf helps us to see that these times of chaos could in fact be an opportunity for profound spiritual transformation.

The spiritual journey can feel like a climb up a beautiful mountain that we have admired from afar. It looks easy from a distance, but the closer we approach, the harder it appears, until we are on the rockface and struggling to find our way to the top.Our journey through Lent can be a similar experience. For six weeks from Ash Wednesday, through Holy Week to Easter Sunday, Lent is a season of spiritual quest – a challenge to ascend to higher things, to come closer to God. It is a journey of hope and faith that with every step we take, we can move closer to our best – our most fully human – selves. And for this, our soul’s journey, we have a guide who calls himself the Way.Soul Journey is a day-by-day companion to help you find the Way, to be revitalised and to discover fresh horizons. Margaret Silf offers 40 daily meditations on passages from the Bible, and a reflection on the journey travelled so far for each Sunday. It has been written both for those who regularly undertake a Lenten study and for those for whom the season is not familiar. All are welcome on this journey – a journey not just for Lent, but for any time and season.

A guide to the different sorts of retreats on offer (Ignatian, Myers Briggs, Enneagram etc.). It covers the purpose of retreats, who can benefit from them, the difference between group and individual retreats and between directed and undirected retreats. There is a section on each major type of retreat explaining what happens, the basic premise behind it, who it is suitable for and how to find a retreat. The book also contains case studies.

What is prayer? Why do we do it - or wish we could do it? How do we begin to turn the deepest stirrings inside us into the words and the silences of prayer? When we pray, who are we praying to? Where should we pray? Is prayer just as effective and real on the bus or at work as it is in church? Is prayer for the bad days as well as the good days? These are just some of the questions Margaret Silf explores in this handy book. Written in short chunks of text for the reader to dip in and out of, this book encourages the reader to begin to find their own answers to these questions.Publishing at the same time as On Making Choices by the same author.

This fascinating book brings together wisdom from around the world and through the ages. Sources include the Bible, new science and new cosmology, native spirituality, folk stories, natural history, poetry and commentary on life situations by wise people (e.g. Desmond Tutu and Kahlil Gibran).Themes include:- Original wisdom (the wisdom that makes possible the universe we know)- Natural wisdom (the wisdom in the created world)- Native wisdom (the wisdom expressed in all human traditions from the earliest stages of our human journey)- Life wisdom (practical wisdom we gather and pass on)- Desert wisdom (wisdom we gather in the dark times)- Guiding wisdom (the wisdom that gives us direction)- Unfolding wisdom (the wisdom unfolding around us that reveals that we don't have all the answers).The Way of Wisdom will appeal to all those searching for a deeper meaning and sense of connectedness in their lives.

Wisdom stories with a spiritual message have a special place on many people's bookshelves, providing Christian insight into the various issues that we face day by day.This new collection of stories from master story teller, Margaret Silf, will provide a rich source of illumination to those who turn to it, whether that is for personal use and enjoyment, or for church or school use. Accessible and popular, these stories speak straight to the heart.

Popular author Margaret Silf introduces you to the seven traditional 'sacred spaces' - reflect on practises and scripture.There are many books that explore actual, physical, sacred space and pilgrimage sites. This is a different kind of book. It introduces seven traditional 'sacred spaces' but then leads readers into a deeper reflection on what such 'sacred space' means in our own lives and experience.The various sacred spaces explored are: the Celtic Cross; the infinite knot; hilltops; wells and springs; causeways and bridges; thresholds and burial grounds; and boundaries.In each chapter, the author introduces a 'sacred space' as the main theme and then illustrates this by associating it with a particular stage of life and a particular sacramental experience. The ideas are then brought together by means of a scripture story.

The world waits - sometimes holding its breath in fear of what tomorrow may bring, sometimes in a haze of busyness, or boredom, in which we hardly know what we are waiting for. Yet we still wait in hopefulness. The birth of a baby invariably stirs deep wells of hope in the human heart. Perhaps in this generation, things will get better. Perhaps this child will make a difference. As we approach the Christmas season we prepare to celebrate the coming to earth of someone who really does make a difference. At this season the ‘windows’ of our human experience can change from rows of faceless panes, perhaps grimy with dirt, into lighted windows that open up new possibilities and coax us into a place where rejoicing might be possible. The journey mapped out in this book is an invitation to look into some of these lighted windows, and discover a few reflections of what we wait for, and long for—reflections of God’s guidance, his call to trust him and live by his wisdom. Each window seeks to bring familiar scripture into focus with everyday living, encouraging us to enter right into the place where God is coming to birth, and to make the experience of Bethlehem our own. And finally, the windows become doors, through which we are sent back to a waiting world to share our personal experience of God-with-us.

Is your spiritual journey more like a trudge? Does the Church hinder more than it helps? Here is a warm, welcoming and realistic guide from an immensely popular author for all who may be feeling spiritually jaded. Whatever our circumstances, Companions of Christ shows us how to embark on a journey of the heart, starting wherever we happen to be and however fit or unfit for the journey we may feel. With the help of practical spiritual exercises throughout, Margaret Silf shows us how to keep faith despite the odds. This can be a major breakthrough for beginners and seasoned Christians alike, it includes practical teaching on great Ignatian themes: imaginative scriptural meditation, spiritual discernment, detachment and practical praying.

It’s time to retire, time to downsize, time to slow down and exit stage left. Does this mean becoming invisible, putting on the slippers and settling down in the rocking chair? Or is it perhaps the time to embrace the most fulfilling challenge of all – to mature inwardly into our wisdom years?This book explores some of the invitations that await us in these wisdom years: the harder things, like learning the art of slowing down and letting go, increasingly aware of our own mortality, and the joyful surprises, as our perspective changes and we glimpse more clearly the possibilities that the longer view reveals and the unexpected gifts that winter brings. It invites you to discover, and celebrate, your own wisdom years – to look at life from a new perspective, that of human being rather than human doing.Drawing on the experiences and wisdom learned from many years spent exploring her own spiritual journey, and accompanying others on theirs, Margaret Silf helps you to see afresh the signposts along the path of older age. They are pointers and invitations for us to discover the immense spiritual value of our later years and to recognise, harvest and share the fruits of a life well lived.