A few weeks ago I met Valería Teles, the force behind the podcast “A Quest for Well-Being.” The eventual result was a thoroughly enjoyable and stimulating discussion that I’d like to invite you to hear. It’s available as a 38-minute podcast in Valería’s Fit For Joy page. Valería says “This podcast is a quest for well-being, a quest for a … Read More
Finding myself on the beach
Do you feel an emptiness, a yearning for something that you cannot name? That is the universe calling to you. That is the Consciousness of which we are all a part reaching out, yearning for you, trying to penetrate the veil between itself and what you—we—have been molded into by the world we live in. You wonder, “How do I … Read More
Tending the garden of your self
Imagine that you are a garden, being tended by yourself. What kinds of soil preparation do you need to do? Is there a need for you to turn over some new soil through new experience, to dig and soften the soil of yourself with rest and nutrition, or to prepare yourself through being physically fit for growing good things within … Read More
Square House Blues
I wrote this a number of years ago, expressing a yearning I’d felt for a long time. Twice since then I’ve lived this life for a time, except that I’ve never neighboured anyone who kept bees. I did that myself. I’ve shown the chording I used, as a novice guitar player; feel free to use your own. Square House Blues – … Read More
Two Purposes: Soul and Person
I remember how annoyed I was the first time I heard the suggestion that I had chosen my earthly family and the circumstances of my birth before I was even born. “Them? No expletive way!” But there’s nothing like personal experience to create a change of perspective. You see, I’ve visited there many times now – the Other Side, that … Read More
Peace. The Good Message. Unity — Three principles for good governance and community.
The Peacemaker Principles are a gift from the Haudenosaunee people, known incorrectly as the Iroquois. When followed with integrity, these Principles provide a model and process for communication that fosters awareness, respect, and unity. The story of the Peacemaker Principles goes back hundreds of years to a time when a man known as the Peacemaker came to the area occupied … Read More
From fingernail dirt to infinity
Yes, I do enjoy gardening. Connecting with the land, planting seeds and bulbs, feeling awe at the sight of new growth — all of these help me to know my belonging in this world. I also find satisfaction in exploring my place in a larger context, while being solidly planted in the earth. That’s what this piece is about. You, … Read More
Two small poems
Your Eyes, 1 If I don’t hold your gaze, perhaps it is because you are so beautiful that I would weep for joy just to look into your eyes. That can make small talk awkward. Your Eyes, 2 If I hold your gaze perhaps it is because I want you to see your beauty reflected in my eyes And know … Read More
If he can do that…
A few years ago I saw a video of a man who lived by himself on a lake in Alaska, in a cabin he had built from the trees he found there. It was small, with basic furnishings he had made and a well-designed kitchen. He had two dogs and a small herd of goats. In the opening scene he … Read More
Two Spiritual Paths, two poems
This post is about two paths of spiritual awakening that activate from the same place: an irresistible pull to know what lies beyond physical reality. Divergence Imagine that one of the paths goes to the right, the other to the left. The one to the right leads “down” into the earth, to the realm of plant spirits and medicines, the … Read More