Rev. Simon Ruth de Voil
Simon Ruth de Voil is a sacred musician and interSpriritual minister with a dedicated calling. He uses music as a form of chaplaincy, a practice to honor and transform our sacred world, and a means of sharing wisdom, healing, and soul connection.
As an independent singer-songwriter, Simon does a masterful job of juggling his music and his ministry to make ends meet as he merges his passions.
His work as both a minister and songwriter have become even more challenging as a result of the pandemic at a time that his contribution to keeping us centered amidst fearful times has become even more essential and necessary. Simon expands his skills as needed to embrace taking him ministry and music online and make it more accessible as we ‘shelter-in-place and attempt to transform our ways of remaining connected..
Simon spends many hours a week with a guitar in hand now virtually leading worship services for several groups. He sadly has had to curtail sharing musical chaplaincy in nursing homes, care facilities, and hospice. He becomes creative in ways to maintain his connection with youth and participating in individual rites of passage.
All of this doesn’t leave much time for him to be with his own music, to work, and weave in the magical space where the songs come to life. Be certain to visit Simon HERE to learn more about him and ways you can offer support to his inventive ministry.
Most important to me is that Simon is a kind, caring, generous, and genuine person who is dedicated to having his words and actions match. I feel he is a brother spiritual edge walker during these evolving and uncertain times. He always has found value in stretching beyond his comfort zone, remaining open to seeing good (god by whatever name you choose) in everything. Love steers his ship.
I had the great joy of sharing a compelling conversation with Rev. Simon de Voil about the importance of exploring the many avenues to make friends with death. In our authentic, broad, and deep conversation about lessons learned through change, death, and grief Simon and I explored the unknown as well as the certain opportunities available when one is open to accepting death as a valuable teacher that reminds us to live life fully. In our time together he shared not only his insights about ritual and connection but about the power of music as part of the dying process.
In Simon’s own words:
“I cannot find words to explain how humbling it is to play for someone who’s dying, or how astonishing it is to hear hundreds of people singing my songs back to me, knowing that my music is helping to weave our separate lives into community.”
Simon has his own path to and relationship with that Source that is there and hard to universally describe, that over-arching powerful guiding Energy. However, Simon is a chameleon in the best sense of the word. He adapts his awareness in inclusive ways to accept and support any avenue to that Source by embodying love and honoring different paths. I always feel more centered in my own truth when I share time with him in any form, whether in person, in meditation, through his ministry, his Scottish brogue, his scratchy voice, his laughter, or his music.
Simon has awakened me even more to the value of diversity by sharing so honestly about his transgender journey. A documentary following his transition can be found HERE. By trusting his inner guidance continues to courageously lean into change in all shapes and forms as integral to his life’s journey. His diverse life-experience allows him to be especially present with those maneuvering difficult times, including death.
I hope you find great value in our conversation as we chew on life’s big questions together, and enjoy now having Simon’s music and ministry as a valuable resource for the winding road ahead.