Soulwork of Clay: A Hands-On Approach to Spirituality

Let go of your pretensionsۥsqueeze, shape, knead & play your way to spiritual growth.

"I am being formed by the clay. I am reconnecting with the earth, and with the other basic elements, tooۥair, water, fireۥand life itself. Every gesture leaves its trail in the clay. Every fingerprint, a message. My breath fills the cavity. My touch curves the wall of a bowl. And inwardly, I am being formed by the outward practice. I am learning to trust the process, to lean into the possibilities rather than striving for some predetermined goal. I am being hollowed out, stretched and constricted, trimmed and sometimes reworked entirely."
ۥfrom the Prologue

Drawing from her first-hand experience of working with clay, Marjory Zoet Bankson takes you through the seven-step process of making clay into a pot, drawing parallels at each stage to the process of spiritual growth:

• GroundingۥConnecting with our core elements
• KneadingۥAwakening to the inner realm CenteringۥGathering everything together
• ShapingۥFocusing inner and outer pressures FinishingۥTrimming away the excess
• DecoratingۥAdding a playful touch FiringۥCommitting to transformation

This simple connection with the earth has the potential to put you in touch with the whole of creation and, at the same time, your soul's longing to participate as an artist, creating something new and unique.

Through reflective questions in each chapterۥalong with a wealth of unique clay projects that even beginners can doۥBankson invites you on a journey of spiritual discovery, a path of reconnecting with your body and spirit, and with the earth itself.