In 1992, a Native American shaman recommended that I gather several pounds of stones and put them into a bag — and then hold this bag in my lap when I meditated. This was to ground me — literally — and to help get me out of my head and into my body, to more consciously and deeply feel my connection to the Earth.
It was a great suggestion, and not just because I went overboard with it. The shaman had suggested I collect about five or six pounds of stones. Instead, I gathered close to twenty pounds of river rocks [...]
As part of my Jewish conversion process — and also out of my own curiosity — I recently read Arthur Green’s “Ehyeh: A Kabbalah for Tomorrow.” There’s a great deal of food for thought in these pages — including an entire chapter on “Kabbalah for an Environmental Age.” One passage in particular that struck me was:
The main Hebrew term for “soul” is neshamah, actually meaning “breath.” When the Torah depicts God blowing the breath of life into Adam’s nostrils (Gen. 2:7), Adam becomes a “living being,” a bearer of soul. Our soul comes into being in the moment when God [...]
When you think of “full moon magick,” images of people in pointy black hats dancing around a bonfire might come to mind. Many Pagans do mark the phases of the moon with rituals and other observances — though rarely with the bonfires or pointy hats — but Neo-pagan traditions aren’t the only ones with ties to the moon.
The evening after the first full moon following the spring equinox marks the beginning of Passover, and Easter falls on the first Sunday after that (i.e., on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox).
The Hindu holiday Hanuman Jayanti [...]
Diwali is the festival of lights in the Hindu calendar, falling on 28 October this year. Homes are prepared to welcome Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth and Abundance, and enthusiastic celebrations are planned, including fireworks and lots of lights to brighten the home.
In recent years, however, concerns have been raised about the environmental impact of this traditionally very happy holiday. Firecrackers cause air and noise pollution, with the remnants of the pyrotechnics littering streets and waterways, and turning on — and leaving on — every light in the house is a big energy drain.
There are also worries that the tendency [...]
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Former Editor, The Portland Physician Scribe
Recent articles
- I was anti-gun, until I got stalked
Salon.com.
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- Voodoo Sisterhood
Skirt! Magazine. National.
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- Day camp teaches bike skills alongside eco-friendly field trips
The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon.
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- Shades of the Shoah
Aish Hatorah. Jerusalem, Israel / International.
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- Goodbye Green Guilt, Hello Change
Christian Science Monitor. National.
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- St. Lucia Day greets cyclists with treats
The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon.
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Christian Science Monitor. National.
- Class Mixes Snow Caves, Sisterhood
Portland Tribune. Portland, Oregon.
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- Noses Know the Score
Portland Tribune. Portland, Oregon.
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