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Pollyanna Magne
I am a curious soul, who seeks to learn and understand. My research in learning, culture, faith and respectful encounter has taken me to various corners of the globe and informed my writing and practice. Now settled in the beautiful surroundings of Wiltshire where the rolling hills and expansive skies meet, I am humbled to be in the role of Director of the Spiritual Direction programme at Sarum College. My ministry in Christian Spiritual Accompaniment is fuelled by the desire to walk alongside those who are curious to explore their spirituality, deepen their faith and nourish their soul.
Slightly nomadic early years introduced me to the ‘nearest church’. I noticed that in each church the same Christian faith was expressed in gloriously rich and diverse technicolour. My travels enriched this experience with the resonant voices of the Orthodox tradition in Russia, the dancing liturgy in Africa and the spectacular adornment of every saint and sanctuary in India.
My path into Spiritual Accompaniment emerged from a deep faith, nurtured by a childhood living in a convent, encounter in nature, and conversations along the road with other pilgrims. I trained in Spiritual Direction at a Carmelite Priory in Aylesford and have found growth and nourishment in retreat houses, faith community, scripture, music, prayer and the great outdoors (whatever the weather).
My academic life has focused on supporting people in their learning and teaching. My ability to listen deeply, ask questions, explore, and enable people to make meaning of their experiences and encounters underpins my approach in Spiritual Accompaniment. I have a deep respect for the individual, wherever you may be on your own spiritual journey, whether you express doubt, loss, confusion, curiosity or unbounded joy, appreciation and peace. It is my privilege to meet people in the moment and walk alongside for a little while.
A place that feels thin, holy, or spiritually alive to me
The wild moorlands and remote coastal paths
A book I return to because it stays fresh and keeps me company
So many, but this one . . . ‘A thousand splendid suns’ by Khaled Hosseini
A question I find myself living with these days
What really matters?
A simple daily practice that steadies me
Breathing the fresh morning air in the presence God at the beginning of my day
A meal I love making for other people
Mediterranean roast vegetable pasta
A journey that changed me, outwardly or inwardly
Pilgrim Cross – a walk of approx. 120 miles each Holy Week for 30 years
Something that reliably draws my attention back to what matters
Journalling at the end of the day – usually with a bit of the Examen as part of the process
A piece of music that still stops me when I hear it
Oh, too much to choose from . . . ‘Beati Quorum Via’ composed by Stanford
A moment when I realised something important had shifted for me
When the possibility of parenthood was gone
Something ordinary I find unexpectedly meaningful
The flowers that grow in the cracks of the pavement