Reading Groups on Zoom

Hosted by Katy Carris on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 7 pm Discussion of Ceremonies of the Living Spirit.   

January Meeting: 1/20/2026

We  will gather monthly to discuss reflections, insights, and questions we  have based upon our reading of Joseph Beautiful Painted Arrow Rael’s  books. 

For January, discussion is based on, Ceremonies of the Living Spirit  (1997) pages 49 - 61, Wa-Maa-Chi. Come prepared to share one thing of  interest from that reading.   

The first book we will be reading is his Ceremonies of the Living Spirit (1997). In this book,  “Native  American visionary, Joseph Rael, shows how ceremony connects us to  Spirit and describes how to create powerful and inspiring ceremonies for  ourselves. Rael writes of the various aspects of ceremony — sound,  song, fasting, purification and community. He describes the sweat lodge, the vision quest, the Sundance, ceremonial dancing and 

storytelling as  acts of spiritual growth and development. “Ceremonies bring us  inspiration and insight and help us grow into new states of being,” says  Rael.” 

If you have questions or thoughts, please contact Katy Carris at (828)450-7.395  katycarris7@gmail.com Thanks, and I look forward to reading with you.

Zoom:  Meeting ID: 850 2337 6909
Passcode: 702475. If you need the link please call Katy. 

Hosted by Katy Carris on the 2nd Thursday of each month at 7pm.

February Meeting: 2/12/2026

To help us strengthen our  “Peace Muscles” we are asking you to join us for our new monthly  reading group. We will explore topics such as non-violent communication, conflict resolution, and community empowerment. Join us as we seek to build peace and community supporting practices through engaging in engaging conversations with courage, humility, and good humor.     

For the February discussion, read chapters 5 & 6 of Nonviolent  Communication: A Language of Life by Marshall Rosenberg (Free PDF  available upon request). Be prepared to share one thing of interest from  this reading.  

Reading list in order. 

1. Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life by Marshall Rosenberg (Free PDF available upon request) 
2. The Empowerment Manual: A guide to collaborative groups, by Starhawk. 
3. Strength to Love by Martin Luther King Jr. 

Event Details: For this first session, we will be discussing Chapters 1 and 2 from Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life. Please come and join us. It will be fun! 

Zoom:  Meeting ID: 824 5788 8995
Passcode: 272884   If you need the zoom link, please call Katy Carris at (828)450-7.395  katycarris7@gmail.com