How do we talk about God? (Some have already left the room.) What is Gitchi Manitou? Who is Allah? or Elohim, Brahma, Odin? Divine, The One, Source, Great Mystery, and all those other Words Are about what can be experienced not described nor adequately named. And if you try, I will just look at you and softly say, “I know”. … Read More
Shamanism and the Drum Dance
My practice of shamanism is a path of connection both with the physical aspects of nature and with the unseen and unmeasurable spirits and energies of nature. My first steps on this path were about engaging with the physical world at the level of warm blood and green leaves, hard rocks and soft breezes. In the beginning this aspect felt … Read More
Spiritual Shock
Imagine a beautiful, safe natural setting. You are sitting or lying comfortably on the ground. Your senses open to the beauty around you. You feel the warmth of the sun on your skin. You hear the sounds of nature and smell the fresh moist air and warm soil. You close your eyes to take in the way the earth holds … Read More
The most beautiful day of all time
Today is the most beautiful day of all time. Consider for a moment: Was there beauty created in the world yesterday? Is beauty being created in the world today? The answer to both of these questions is of course a resounding “Yes!” You may be thinking, “But what about all the unbeautiful things that are happening in the world? Do … Read More
Love is the basic quality of the Universe
In my soul, my heart, and my body, I know that Love is the basic quality of the Universe. As I sit with this knowing, my mind seeks to grasp the truth of it. From a place in my body that I know as my Centre, I sense joy about this understanding among unseen beings whose consciousness reaches to us … Read More
Two Paths, Diverging and Converging
Divergence Broadly speaking, there are two paths of spiritual exploration and growth. They begin at the same place: an irresistible desire/need to know what is beyond physical reality. One goes to the right, the other to the left. Imagine that the one to the right leads “down,” into the earth. It leads to the realm of plant spirits and medicines, … Read More
Buffer
LOVE IS A BUFFER without which we, in the presence of our Source would surely cease to be. And yet and yet I yearn for my Source as a raindrop yearns for the sea. April 5, 2021; originally published May 9, 2015
This Is Your Birthright
As a human being you are born with the ability to run. You are also born with the ability to have a spiritual life. Early in life, you run a lot. Children up to the age of four run almost everywhere. As you grow, you notice that some can run faster. Whether you are one of those or not, you … Read More
Ocean Sunrises
Dawn has arrived, sunrise is coming, the tide is coming in. I’ve come to the ocean to greet the new day. The water is as calm as I’ve ever seen it here. The calm comes gently into my being as well. I offer a greeting to the ocean and the land. For a time I am present to all around … Read More
Four Days Without Water
André looked at me and said, “What are you taking with you?” “Sleeping bag, underpad, tarp and ropes in case it rains, my ceremonial materials, and some water.” “No you’re not.” “Huh? Not what?” “No water.” I gaped at him, stunned. Four days without water?? —————– This was to be my third Vision Quest: four days and nights of solitude … Read More