Saint Hosea's Journey to the Hermitage

Saint Hosea's Journey to the Hermitage Started as a journal of Mel's Faith Journey, the foundation of the Hermitage of St. Hosea, Ang Bukal ng Batis ng Buhay Perhaps, a cultural break-up?

This site was started as a personal blog by Mel Andres (known as Ares Andres, founder of Grupo Filipino Salsa and Salsa Sanadora) in December 19, 2019 to document his journey towards his passion for Hula as a dance. The Pandemic of 2020 gave him the opportunity to study it. with the persuasive prodding of his followers, started an online school which led to a creation of a halau which attracted m

any Filipinos to join. The native Hawaiians search and love of their culture and identity as a people also helped this school to reassess itself and look inward as they started to listen and dance to their own indigenous Filipino songs. Increased gate keepings among native Hawaiians of their own songs and dances expedited this transformation. One kumu hula even suggested that we do not call our dance hula which made us more excited since this will give us more liberty and hopefully free from their prying eyes. But this cultural breakup is good for us. We are no longer compelled to be bound by "their" kapu. Instead, we look into our own indigenous History, searching the journey of our ancestors. We also started to listen to our songs and know our own dances... the Kumintang and Balitao. To know and sing our songs, our Awit and Kundiman. And the desire to communicate and tell the stories of our people led us to create a dance we call "Saliw" which mean "accompaniment" to the song. We started to wear the clothes of our ancestors... our malong and patadyong, our kwintas instead of the leis. likewise, we reappropriate the tradition of hulá which has a different meaning in Tagalog. Hula is not a dance in Tagalog. Hula is prophecy. It was practiced by spiritual leaders called Babaylan. But their skill of prophecy is not without basis. Not only they use common sense but also discernment from their experience and knowledge of history to be able to see what lies ahead in the future. Our dance Saliw focuses in telling this hula. The songs or Awit contains manifest messages of the song, but there are hidden latent messages meant to educate or warn us, to get us ready for the future... and this is what we call Hulá. We dance Saliw so that we can prophesise and encourage people, inspire them to act upon the message for the betterment of their future. While we maybe focused on our Filipino culture and Christian spirituality, our God is Universal. Gatekeeping culture destroys our mission. We share but also ask our followers and audience to treat our dances with honor and respect. Be attentive, listen and watch. Lakbay Hula ng Saliw therefore journey with you in this prophesy. In July 2023, the halau transitioned into a hermitage and by March 2024, dedicated under the tutelage of St. Hosea embracing the same prophetic mission of proclaiming God´s love towards the LGBTQ.

The Circles of A Dreaming Phoenix: A Pilot Project I seek a collaboration from a bishop or a pastor who has a desire to ...
01/27/2026

The Circles of A Dreaming Phoenix: A Pilot Project

I seek a collaboration from a bishop or a pastor who has a desire to minister to men with same s*x attractions without the compulsion to convert their attractions except for the yearning to make them whole, integrated fully alive (John 10:10).

This collaboration entails launching a pilot program of virtual accompaniment of a small group of men with same s*x attractions (3 to 5) including a Pastoral worker or pastor that has working knowledge and skills in Psychology, preferably Analytical Psychology. It runs once a week virtually on zoom or facetime. The program is called Circles of a Dreaming Phoenix. The goal is to accompany each individual in their reflections and analysis of their psyche, recalling past experiences of same s*x attractions and the paradox in these experiences with a view to fully understand themselves, mapping the structure of their individual psyche, as well as the path of their 4 stages of alchemical transformation (Nigredo, Albedo, Citrinitas and Rubedo). This accompaniment includes guiding and facilitating each participant on contemplating and creatively devising a pattern or rituals with the aid of our Tradition with a view to assist in their transformation (healing, individuation and wholeness).

After a year, an evaluation of the program to determine its strength, weakness, opportunities and threats will be done, taking into consideration the goal and objectives of this program.

Goal: after a year, each participant could identify and describe the structures of his Psyche (Persona, Ego, Shadow, Anima/Animus, Collective Unconscious) and achieved a sense of fortitude after identifying his own path of Alchemical Transformation (Nigredo, Albedo, Citrinitas and Rubedo)

Objectives:
1. within a year, participants are gathered each week to explore the map of the Psyche based on Carl Jung's Analytical Psychology with exercises to allow each individual to reflect the unfolding of each individual Psyche. The weekly sessions shall provide the venue for learning, sharing and contemplating on their experiences.
2. Within the year, each participant will be able to analyze the symbols in their dreams to help them contemplate and discern on the choices each make.
3. Within the year, with the aid of their creative arts and rituals, be able to achieve a sense of healing and inner wellness.

Ismael Andres
M.S. Pastoral Sociology
Head/Prior/Kumu of Saint Hosea Hermitage

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Saskatoon, SK
S7V0C5

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