Following Directions
Scottish mountaineer and author, W.H. Murray, wrote “The moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way.”
This has been true for me at various times in my life, but the most powerful example of
the Divine rushing in occurred this past fall. During the weekend of September 8th-10th, I went to the Rowe Center in Massachusetts for a workshop with Joanna Macy. I had studied her writings and framework for The Work That Reconnects for the last six years, and was so grateful to have the opportunity to learn directly from her. Read More
Answering the Call
Tonight I was asked to be one of the speakers at DAPL & Native America: An Evening of Discussion and Music, organized by Kaitlin Curtice. I was there as an ally of Indigenous People and a representative of Georgia Interfaith Power and Light. I thought I would share my story here too.
I was born and raised in Rochester, NY, in the town of Irondequoit on Lake Ontario. As part of our local history lessons in school, I learned about the Seneca people, one of the six nations comprising the Iroquois Confederacy, who once thrived on that land. Field trips to the Rochester Museum and Ganondagon taught us about their matriarchal society, use of natural medicines, and the mutually beneficial relationship of the three sisters – squash, beans, and corn. One of the lessons that stuck with me the most, was when they described how after a successful deer hunt, in which they only killed what they needed, they gave thanks and used every bit of the animal, right down to the sinew off the bone for things like bows or lacrosse nets. There was reverence in this act, and there was no waste, it was all part of a sacred cycle. Read More
The Gifts of Uncertainty
To many people, I probably appear fairly laid back and as someone who goes with the flow. What they don’t know is that I harbor a secret love of spreadsheets and calendars. Whether it is organizing a practice or workshop down to the minute, or making travel plans months in advance, there is a part of me (most of me) that is always thinking ahead.
If you asked an astrologer for an explanation, she/he may tell you that it is because my sun, moon, and rising sign are all the fiery-archer Sagittarius, which is always looking ahead to the target, and the organizing and detail-oriented aspects of Virgo are in my Midheaven, which relates to my career or life path.
Whatever the reason, for most of my adult life, I have focused on the future. However, with all of the chaos and uncertainty in the world right now (take your pick – climate change, political and civil unrest, continued wars and threats of new ones, to name a few), I am finding it very difficult to make plans beyond a day or two.
Rather than let this uncertainty turn into overwhelming, paralyzing anxiety, I have decided to embrace it and have found these gifts in the process: Read More
