Community healing
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Honoring the Mountain, Honoring the Water
Imagine partying non-stop for a month, as a sacred act. That’s what goes on throughout much of the Ecuadorian Andes starting on the summer solstice. In a tradition that extends back to long before the Inca in this part of the globe, communities and villages celebrate Inti Raymi, or the sun festival long and hard. Continue reading
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COMPLEMENTARY DUALITY
Complementary duality is one of the central precepts of indigenous Andean and Aztec/Toltec wisdom and spirituality (as well as many other spiritual traditions and cultures). In the origin myth of the Toltec, our world was begun by two beings (not one). Colloquially translated as “Mr” and “Mrs” – they are believed to together have created Continue reading
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THE ANCESTORS
Who are the Ancestors? We are arriving at that time of the year when the ancestors are especially close to us, according to many spiritual traditions and cultural practices. Whether as Dia de los Muertos, as it is known in Mexico and throughout Latin America, or Halloween as it is called in places with stronger Continue reading
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HEALING AND POLITICS
Published in the Monadnock Shopper News – February 8-14, 2017 This column is supposed to be about healing and often we are told that talking about politics or anything that could be confrontational and divisive is not healing. But I beg to disagree, especially now given events in the political arena that seem to be Continue reading
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Crystal Message for Keene #2
I come to tell your community that the time of the clans and cliques is done. It is time to unite, to come together with gentle words and without undue strife. To forward collectively the cause of this land, which is to protect the energies of the mountains, lakes and rivers. You are a valley, Continue reading
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Crystal Message for Keene #1
I am a crystal so bright – who will accompany your community All day and all night. All through the hard times, The sad times to come, If you call upon my radiant red light I will beam bright upon you – With malice unto no one. I come to tell you to believe That Continue reading
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Prayer for my Community
PRAYER FOR MY COMMUNITY Sharing a prayer I wrote for a ceremony that will appear in the 2016 WE ‘Moon Agenda. Dear community, we come to you small spirits on a winding path at the turning of these days, at the changing of the cycles. Please open the way for our small and humble Continue reading
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Different Views of Mental Health
When I wrote my column last month about the Robin William’s memorial in Keene, it never occurred to me that it would still be in place when I wrote my next column a lunar cycle later. And yet it is still there, a memorial to Robin Williams and perhaps, for some of us at least, Continue reading
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That Dark Place
Robin Williams’ suicide has touched many of us and the familiar Parrish Shoe sign has become a shrine of sorts to his life and legacy. My favorite role of his was as Patch Adams, a doctor who found out that making his patients laugh was a very healing thing to do. It is ironic that Continue reading
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Apu Mt. Monadnock
In the central Andes, where the second highest mountain chain makes their imposing presence viscerally felt, the indigenous people have since time immemorial venerated their mountain peaks. Quechua-speakers (the language of the Inca Empire) call them Apus. Certain Apus are designated sacred mountain peaks, based upon teachings of the wise ones. Typically these sacred Apus Continue reading
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