Integral Insights – Spring 2026

Welcome to the spring issue of Integral Insights. Witnessing the new shoots all around, the evergreen words of Shakespeare come to mind – walking with the lover and the lass, we pass the cornfields and celebrate the ring time and listen to the fluty flourishes, the trills and the melodies of bird song… ‘hey ding a ding, ding.’ Wishing you joy as you garner the delights of spring. In this issue, read how we celebrated 60 years of the Fintry Trust and other news.

NEWS

Celebrating 60 years…

On Saturday 7 March we gathered for the launch of a new initiative: the Fintry Trust Annual Lecture. This year Murray Morison compiled and presented the talk on Sacred Stories, Living Truths, Exploring the Evolution of Human Awareness. It was a successful afternoon enjoyed by all. Murray’s slides detailing some of the epic myths were particularly beautiful.

We are grateful to Assistant Manager, Emma, for all her work on the admin front, to Julie Parker for organising the Zoom call on the day and to everyone in the Kitchen for the wonderful cream tea.

Read the full report and watch the recording of the talk

NEW COURSES

Deepening your understanding of Myth – The Iliad: Empire of the Mind

We are pleased to announce that an exciting new course, written and presented by Murray Morison, is now available on the Integral Wisdom online learning platform – The Iliad: Empire of the Mind. Explore The Iliad as a symbolic map of humanity’s evolving consciousness. You will learn how to interpret myth as a path to insight—revealing the deeper meanings behind story, symbol, and the ancient wisdom they encode.

Explore the Iliad

UPCOMING RETREAT

A ‘behind the scenes’ glimpse into this year’s Summer School: The Art of Awakening – Thursday 23rd July – Sunday 26th July 2026

To give you a behind the scenes personal glimpse into this year’s upcoming Summer School we spoke to course facilitators, Drs. Jean-Paul and Sally Jeanrenaud, and asked them some key questions. This is what they shared with us.

Sally and Jean-Paul, you’ve called this Summer School The Art of Awakening. Can you say more about that?

Sally & Jean-Paul: When we speak about awakening, we are pointing to something both natural and profound. In one sense, we are already awake, but we are not always ‘aware that we are aware’. Awakening means recognising the quiet presence—the witnessing awareness—that lies within and behind all our thoughts and perceptions. This recognition often takes practice because the pristine awareness is usually obscured by our own thoughts and emotions. We get ‘caught up’ or ‘lost’ in them, often mistaking them for reality. The art of awakening is simply learning to notice the clear light of awareness that is always present, both within us and beyond us. Many practices can help us rediscover this, including meditation and contemplation, the arts, time in nature, and connecting with the deeper source of life.

If people are unable to afford the full fee, is there flexibility there?

Sally & Jean-Paul: Yes, there is flexibility. We are offering an Under 35 discount, as well as a non-residential option (which includes all meals), which may be convenient for people who live locally. If people really want to attend the Summer School, but don’t have enough money, they should contact the Administrator directly, and make enquiries about discretionary bursaries.

You mention ‘integral art’. In brief, can you say something about that and why you think it’s important.

Sally & Jean-Paul: When we think about art people often think immediately about the so called ‘fine’ arts, such as painting, drawing, sculpture, and so on. But people are inspired in so many different ways, and as a result, there are many different types of art. The 2026 Summer School will explore the nature of the creative impulse, and its diverse expressions, including the pragmatic, therapeutic, the intellectual and the mystical arts. The different modes of creative expression have a unique relationship with the universal and transcendent ideals of Beauty, Goodness, Truth and Unity. By embracing this wider vision of art, we’ll learn to appreciate how different artistic modes can coexist, complement one another, and contribute to a creative, more holistic and elevated life.

Can you say something more about the practitioners who will be involved and what they hope to contribute?

Sally & Jean-Paul: There will be many opportunities to engage with a variety of artists during the Summer School. The mandala workshop will be led by artist Daniel Bowler (Dan Dala), and art in nature with Holly Foskett-Barnes. The Summer School will also explore the arts through music and poetry, with musician and composer Jessica Webster and poet Julia Cousins. There will also be an exhibition of Freya Purdue’s paintings at Fintry at the time. Many of her paintings are inspired by the subtlety of philosophical and mystical thought. There are also opportunities to practice somatic arts with yoga teacher Florence Harry, and to talk to participants who have been involved in humanitarian and therapeutic work.

View Summer School 2026 Details and Enrol

FROM OUR BLOG

Some inspiring blogs to help you unfold your petals …

Myth – An Integral Perspective