
I have a deep spiritual path that gives me a structure for personal meaning and creating a place for myself in this world. But my work with totems does not overwrite my understanding of the physical animals, plants and other beings out there in the world. If anything, it is natural history that informs my deeper connection with the spirits I work with, because I know where they’re rooted.
Read More
why build a land shrine?
Why build a land shrine? Because I felt called to, and because it makes me happy. The shrine is a place for me to pay respect to the land beneath my feet and the other beings with whom I share it. A place for me to express wonder and gratitude for the vast underground Edwards Aquifer that supplies my water, the rocky soil that grows some of my food and provides a foundation for my home, the humid air and searing sunlight that surround my body and sustain life. A specific place where I can continue meeting and growing relationship with other animals, plants, and minerals. A physical focus for observation, prayer, and offerings.
To be in any form, what is that?–he says, O Dionysos, what is that? The man, he writes In long, sensuous lines a song about himself, As if to praise a god who slips between his thumbs, Makes a circuit…
Read More
Have you ever gone to the funeral of an Atheistic loved one, and found your loved one’s death used to proselytize a religion she or he didn’t agree with? I have – too many times to count, in fact. It’s like getting kicked in the face when you are already grieving. If I can spare that for anyone, it’s worth it. That’s why this opportunity struck me as being so important.
Read More