You know the phrase “Cut off your nose to spite your face”? Basically it means reacting in a way that hurts you way more than it does the person you are aiming at and doing yourself harm in order to make a point. This happens a lot in the heat of the moment when we…
Like good boundaries, good expectations make good neighbors. Because having an accurate expectation of what is going to happen in a given situation can help you sail through with aplomb, help you achieve something you want or can save a life. Having inaccurate expectations sets you and pretty much everyone else up for failure. Having…
As individuals we often think that our actions are small and ineffectual when measured against others who have power, against things that seem larger than us, stronger than us, or extremely incomprehensible. Who are we, such insignificant people, to make any impact on anything? Doesn’t it make sense that our lives are brief, our impact…
In working with my clients and with students I get asked questions about having a calling, about service or healing work, about individual paths and what people are ‘meant’ to do. In orthodox religions there are structures in place with defined roles and boundaries that help people make choices about their spirituality, what activities or…
When an activity is new or new to you it can be exciting an awkward and joyous and full of missteps and stepping back to take another run at it. Forming a new government works pretty much the same way. Take out the old government, not just the people but the roles that they played,…
Consecration is not a single act, although it is most often associated with the pomp and ceremony of initially opening a space. Consecration is an ongoing process, an act repeated and reiterated through time building layers of dedication and actions like the rings of a tree, which grows in stature and majesty year on year. …
“Identities and memories are not things we think about, but things we think with.” – John R. Gilles I’ve been thinking a lot about memorials and monuments and public memory and political power through voice because of the new class I’m writing for DailyOm.com on Sacred Space. There’s a lot to think about when you…
It is common for me to hear from clients that what I’m telling them is not new news. They have usually been to other spiritual practitioners, energy workers, astrologers, tarot readers, and have been told the same thing over and over. Which is validating for me personally, but leads me to the question, “Why do…
Communication is a tricky at the best of times. We are using symbols, vocalizations, physical gestures, pictures or writing, to represent meaning in such a way as to impress that meaning on others. It is up to the receiver to interpret those symbols and react to them accordingly. And every living being has experiences, possibly…
Modern society has changed our lives dramatically. So much that we live under the illusion that climate doesn’t affect us and we don’t affect it. That food has no source except a store or a restaurant and it is ever-present and plentiful. And that we can have safety and security, with random occurrences of harm…