Lucy Oliver was one of the early members of Saros, the organisation which formed in 1978 after the original Soho group developed its separate teaching lines. She has run working groups on Saros lines for over forty years. In this memoir of finding her path, and the teacher who helped her along the way, she talks about the nature of taking part in such groups, and the ‘magical quality’ of this experience. Provided, that is, that the members participate sincerely and with commitment. Although leaders of such groups have the freedom to shape the content in their own way, this group work has certain principles at its core, as Lucy describes here. The photos here show how some of those very early groups met together for the first residential course at Playford, near Ipswich in Suffolk. It was during this course that the name ‘Saros’ was coined for the fledgling organisation, which would then include all the different regional groups. Lucy is dressed in the maroon jumper in the two photos centre and right. The nature of group work
An extract from Tessellations, by Lucy Oliver (Matador 2020) It was the usual raw London winter’s night, as I left the stale rattle and sallow light of the Tube, past people wrapped in dark coats, and made my way through the square where a few last autumn leaves clung to the pavement, and into the barn-like spaces of a public ‘halls for hire’. We had a little back room tucked away up some stairs. I was a bit late and going over what I would report as feedback about our weekly task, which I had managed to remember some of the time. Late was not good. We started on time. Before entering the room, the instruction was always to leave all the cares and concerns of the day outside, for the room was a work-space, a place set aside. I paused outside the door to let go of my preoccupations, and crept into the little circle where a short silence was already in place to help with setting the (internal) space. The silence was restful, settling, growing deeper. After the silence came ninety minutes of vigorous discussion, feeding back the results of working with the subject for investigation, grounding it in daily life and observation, so that by the end whatever topic we had taken as the object of study for that evening was no longer an abstract concept. The results of shared work like this are cumulative and visible only over time as they integrate. We ended that meeting as usual by choosing another topic as homework for the coming week, a subject for practical investigation and observation in our own everyday life. We formally closed with another period of silence. A bit of socializing over cups of tea and coffee concluded the evening, and a collection to pay for the room. Then I was back in the chilly night, making my way home through the city streets with food for thought and a sharpened up sensory awareness as I headed for the Underground. This was the standard pattern for face to face group work, week after week, and year after year for those who took seriously the quest for Knowledge in a tradition which was neither, monastic, scholarly nor occult, but rooted in ordinary living. I’m describing a commercial venue, but regular local meetings were usually in someone’s living room, with external venues mostly hired for special events or for geographical convenience. Rules of Engagement This kind of group work has a magical quality, which cannot be matched by individual and isolated reading or thinking, no matter how voluminous or intensive. What emerges from focused group discussion is a commonality of experience maturing from interaction with different individuals and personality types. It only happens by shifting the ground away from ego, away from personal opinions and obsessions, and the usual social personae. A working group becomes more than the sum of its parts, and the individuals within it grow and change along with the maturing understanding of the group. However, the only way to achieve this kind of operation is by establishing certain agreed conditions or rules, and every individual doing his or her best to observe them, no matter how passionate the discussion becomes. Passion is generally in partnership with ‘opinion’ rather than observation, and in order to allow fresh ideas and perspectives with the potential for genuinely transformative shifts, a rule like Neither Accepting nor Rejecting leaves space for the new to enter. However, it is a difficult practice to follow. Even if we manage to curb our immediate rejection of an idea which is not in accord with our previous thinking, curbing the impulse to embrace and accept a congenial position seems positively unnatural! Only if you try it out will you see that by neither accepting nor rejecting, you are creating a gap of awareness, from which choice can be made, or a much wider picture start to emerge. Creating such gaps is fundamental to the work of consciousness and to sustaining a working group—not a social gathering nor an exchange of ideas or feelings. Assertive personalities and reticent folk alike are equally responsible for upholding the group’s aim of Knowledge not information, hence the instruction to ‘leave at the door’ your personal agenda, as well as all the preoccupations of the day just gone. However, personality is not left at the door, so there is plenty of opportunity for the practice of forbearance and respect for others, and no lack of grit to form a few pearls! Our groups were vigorous, and robust in discussion, and without a teacher. A programme of work or study can be facilitated by anyone taking the role as Chair, providing there is organised material and some guidelines or precepts to act as an essential backbone for the growth of a Knowledge body. Hence, we had Rules of Discipline, (‘discipline’ meaning voluntary self-discipline, not strictures imposed from without.). Speak and act only as necessary Do not criticise (even oneself)) Negative emotions are never necessary Active investigation External considering Neither accept nor reject Speak from experience Refine observation Remember the breath Knowledge is not information These are practices, not moral dictates or good thoughts. Later in the same chapter, Lucy expands on the overall dynamics of group work: Freedom and restriction are the wheels of this vehicle. People tend to envisage transcendental raptures when beginning the path, and may even be gifted with such a taste early on, but actually, the more prosaic task of saving energy and learning how to transform it through observation and self-knowledge is the only reliable instrument to shift cognition, and lead to gnosis, illumination, wisdom, or peace which is stable and lasting. Thanks to the stimulus and guidance of group working, even a lazy individual like myself, with High Ambition but no idea how to go about realising it, can strengthen the psychic backbone. From Chapter Five, ‘Backbone’ - Tessellations, 2020, by Lucy Oliver For current availability see here For other books by Lucy Oliver, check her entry on the Publications page of Soho Tree.
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AuthorsArticles are mostly written by Cherry and Rod, with some guest posts. See the bottom of the About page for more. A guide to all previously-posted blogs and their topics on Soho Tree can be found here:
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