“Everything that exists has its true name. The power of magic is nothing more than the power to command, based on the knowledge of the thing’s true nature.” —Sparrowhawk, “Tales from Earthsea,” 2006, Studio Ghibli Tall grass, by any name, has given safe harbor to my enemies for most of my life. Initially lured to…
Solar power is the fastest growing source of energy in the world because it avoids pollution from burning fossil fuels and can be installed in a cost-effective manner. In the United States, more than 2,500 churches and other houses of worship have now added solar power. On April 23, congregational leaders and members gathered with…
Spirituality in my life is best described as a journey. It is a path that has ebbed and flowed, weaved and twisted. It has been filled with joy and peace, resistance and angst. I have felt enlivened and renewed and downtrodden and deep despair. One of my favorite poets, Rainer Marie Rilke, writes, “The only…
When I think of spirituality, the image that comes to my mind most is that of a craft. The crafts I most often think of when I put it to this metaphor would be something like preparing a tea or seasoning blend. This is because, to me, spirituality is best defined as practices we use…
In these challenging times of climate disruption, political upheaval and dire forecasts for the future, one thing we could all use more of is resilience. Resilience—it’s our ability to recover quickly from difficult circumstances, to be able to stretch to our limits like a rubber band that bounces back into shape. I wish I could…
In early spring, when the snow reveals the sleepy black earth, my mother and I would take a short walk around my childhood home in northern Michigan. Behind the house, the yard dips lower to reveal a birch-filled marsh where deer have had a path since before I was born. My mother would take my…
As the earth cycle turns toward spring here in the middle lands, the claxon of Canada geese returning north fills my soul with a profound sense of belonging to the wildness of existence. Perhaps Mary Oliver says it best in one of her most well-known poems, “Wild Geese”: Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,…
May marks a 15-year anniversary for me: 15 years since hearing a diagnosis of bipolar type 2, 15 years of taking mood disorder medication, 15 years of trying different doses—and trying different times of day for taking those doses. 15 years of different therapists, different psychiatrists … May also marks my sixtieth birthday, so of…
“Love says ‘I am everything.’ Wisdom says ‘I am nothing.’ Between the two, my life flows.” ―Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj As Charlotte Joko Beck explains in her book Ordinary Wonder, it was many years ago that I, without entirely understanding what was happening, pulled myself into a boat, but it had no oars or rudder. I…
On a retreat, one of the first things I did in my guest house room was open the shades all the way to the top. I wanted to be as close to the trees and the sky as I could. Surrounded by trees, there was no need for privacy shades. Books are another form of…