Genii Curas: Taking Care of Their Spirits

So, I haven’t taken Latin since high school, but occasionally I find that blending words together in Latin can capture more of the essence of a thought than plain English.  And for those who know Latin-ese, please, forgive any butchering I have done of this ancient tongue.

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Genii Curas is a phrase I puzzled together from a Google hunt of Latin phrases that might help me explain an inclination I have to help in certain social circles.  In my undergrad studies of Communication Art, I had the pleasure of taking a class on small group dynamics.  Since then, tinkering with the inner workings of small teams of individuals has been a fascination.  A dear friend of mine, Kay, used to play group-tinker with me.  When things got sticky and people were getting hot under the collars, we would give each other The Look. The Look meant we were going to work together to flip the group…that is to bring them to a more centered place, a place of positively enlivened spirits.

I have found myself socially in a group which needs flipping.  The Spirit of the group is one of fear.  I feel it myself.  We are taking on a new endeavor.  An endeavor which will encourage us to reach deep within ourselves to accomplish our task.  As I have been meditating on the positive aspects of the group, I realize there is much potential….but I am not sure my group can see that yet.  I find myself being called to be their cheerleader, to hold up a mirror to their highest good.

I chose these words…genii and curas….because there were subtle nuances in the meanings which held keys to some aspect I felt necessary to equip my mission as cheerleader.  Genii comes from the base gen which denotes a household or tribe.  It is found in the word genius which is much like our guardian spirit.  This word is appropriate because this group I am working with is a kind of team…a tribe… and the team’s mission is to care for another household, of sorts.  The word curas comes from the name of a Latin divine figure who is both the creator of humankind and the caretaker for them.  This team I am assisting is the first of its kind.  And in that sense, we are newly created.  In order to care for those who are put into our care, we must care for ourselves…individually and as a team.  I feel like this knowledge is the gift I am to share with them.

Jamie Ridler poses a question each week…in the form of a wish.  This weeks she asked, What gifts do you wish to share?  My answer is genii curas…I wish to take care of their spirits…first the spirit of my team…and then the household we are entrusted with.

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