I mentioned in a recent post that I am engaged in an apprenticeship with Death. Some of you indicated some interest in knowing what I’m learning. So here are a few examples of entries in my journal. I claim no exclusive wisdom here! Some of these are obvious, but I like to remind myself sometimes. […]
Lessons from Death Read More »
You are far, far greater than you know, and all is well. ~Kahlil Gibran What a strange culture we live in that teaches us to be less than we are. We are taught not to trust ourselves, not to know our own path. We are taught that we need external validation of our worth. We
Powerful Beyond Measure Read More »
We seek endlessly for what has never been lostWe already have what we have always wantedWe yearn for a home we have never leftWe cover our eyes and cry that we are blind [Note: I’m sending this little poem as a test of the new email server. Hopefully this will be more reliable. It’s with
Okay, my blog post email server has lost its mind. Another empty post was sent out, and then a duplicate of a post already published. I’m so sorry for the annoyance of these posts. In consultation with my most talented webmaster, we are shutting down the email function and transferring to a new email provider
A Pause for Maintenance Read More »
It’s not as morbid as it sounds. In fact, it’s not morbid at all. I have asked Death to be my teacher, to teach me how to live, and, when the time comes, how to die. When I was practicing taekwondo, I did not like sparring at all. Padded up like Pillsbury dough boys, we
My Apprenticeship with Death Read More »
A recent visit to a dark sky sanctuary magnificently illustrated the challenge many of us recognize in our meditation practice. There we were, my two friends and I, lined up like sardines in our cozy sleeping bags on a blanket spread on the ground under a vast night sky. I live in an old neighborhood
Satellites in the Starry Sky Read More »
I’m so sorry that my email service provider that sends out blog posts to subscribers has once again sent out an email with empty content. I did not initiate these posts. The provider seems to think this is funny and does it on its own. I was assured after the first time that the problem
Apologies for Blog Subscription Email Glitches Read More »
Many of us organize our days around a to do list. Sometimes we write it down and check off competed items with a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. Or perhaps we note with disappointment the items that remain unfinished or even unstarted at the end of the day. Whether our list is written or simply
Breathe deeply, until sweet air extinguishes the burn of fear in your lungs and every breath is a beautiful refusal to become anything less than infinite. ~D. Antoinette Foy Lately, I’ve been feeling some anxiety. Not debilitating or overwhelming, but anxiety is not something I typically experience, so I’ve noticed it and wondered about its
[Note: WordPress has changed something so that you might have to click on the title of the post to see the rest of the post. Sorry about that – trying to get that corrected.] For this you are here, to reach across and open the way. This is what my nondominant left hand wrote to
For This You Are Here Read More »
Happy spring equinox! Today the light that began to emerge from the womb of darkness at winter solstice is in perfect equilibrium before taking the lead into spring. The yin energy of quiet inner receptivity yields now to the yang energy of creative manifestation. Get ready to shine! In preparation for spring’s burst of blossoming
A Day of Perfect Balance Read More »
Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” ~Isaiah 30:21 Lately, I have witnessed several people agonizing over choices. True, the decisions in question were important life-direction decisions leading to very different paths, not choices to take
You Always Know What To Do Read More »
You wanna fly, you gotta give up the shit that weighs you down. ~Toni Morrison Some folks begin the new year with a resolution to lose weight, eat healthier, exercise more. By the end of February, many resolutions, about weight or otherwise, have fallen by the wayside. So the title of this post might have
I just ran across a blog post I wrote at the end of 2023, a year that began with a prayer for liberation “whatever it takes.” The universe answered my prayer with cancer, not exactly what I had in mind, and yet it was the perfect opportunity for me to decide if I really meant
Remembering Gratitude Read More »
Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point. ~C. S. Lewis When someone asked me this morning how I cope with the tragedy of fear and rage and suffering going on in our country right now, I answered, “with compassion.” That is a simple answer,
The Courage of Compassion Read More »
What love is this That never grows weary Never despairs Never condemns Worthiness becomes meaningless In the arms of grace
If you surrender to the wind, you can ride it. ~Toni Morrison We might not think of surrender as leading to power. On the contrary, the word often suggests defeat or weakness. But surrender in the realm of spirit is different. Here, we are referring to alignment with the universal energy of creation. The power
The Power of Surrender Read More »
Seeing the small is insight. ~Dao De Jing I don’t know what insight I gained, but I spent almost an hour this morning just looking out the back window at the birds and the squirrels. My desk looks out over the backyard. While I was attending to things on my computer this morning, I looked
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. …[A]s we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. ~Marianne Willamson I had a friend who, although barely five
Let Your Light Shine Bright Read More »
Like the lotus blooms from murky depths Awareness glows in the dark of mystery It shines not to dispel the darkness For the mystery is its origin And deep darkness fuels its flame