Shows
Katy MorikawaE37 Benefits of Healthy EcosystemsWhat is the value of an intact ecosystem? Why should somebody who is struggling to make ends meet in their land management change what they're doing? When will they reap the rewards and in what ways? Or what do they risk losing if they don't begin to pivot to more ecologically sound practices? This is the second post from my Appalachian Biodiversity series. Read or listen to the first post for greater context Episode 36 Appalachian Biodiversity.
READ POST https://www.katymorikawa.com/benefits-of-healthy-ecosystems/
LINKS:
The Nature of Nature by Enric Sala
...2022-10-1829 min
Katy MorikawaE36: Appalachian BiodiversityThis episode is based on a presentation I made to Sustain Floyd on Appalachian Biodiversity. It was my pitch for them to take on conservation and ecology issues here in Floyd, Virginia. I'm still recovering from the research required to make it. As I work to break it into manageable sized posts, I realize why I have not had the time or energy to post anything since August: The presentation contains at least five posts worth of content! So, this is only one portion of the full presentation. It covers Appalachian biodiversity as a whole and offers a broad...2022-10-1824 min
Katy MorikawaE35: Out Hunting in the Evening Light - with Bats!Another pest/ally surprised me this month and has drawn me further into the life webs: bats! Cut to the chase: I'm building a bat house this winter. Or buying one and putting it up. Fingers crossed. We need to get a small population of bats out of our eaves. Michael is planning to seal up the crack they're getting into after they vacate for the winter. I'm going to find and apply deterrent fragrant oils. And I'm going to set up a better bat house--because bat populations are declining, and we have them, and they are keeping down...2022-08-3027 min
Katy MorikawaE34: Remember the OcelotExtinctions and endangered species are on my mind this week. Who have we lost? And what are we poised to lose? The monarch butterfly flutters top of mind, but so too the Franklin tree, the wood bison, and a small spotted cat I believe once used to hunt the forested mountains of Appalachia: the ocelot.
READ POST/TRANSCRIPT: https://www.katymorikawa.com/remember-the-ocelot/
REFERENCES
Earth.org. (2022, January 4). 7 Most Critically Endangered Species in North America. Retrieved August 18, 2022 https://earth.org/endangered-species-in-north-america/.
Ocelot. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 14:44, August 19, 2022, from https://en.wi...2022-08-2013 min
Katy MorikawaE33: When You Heal The Earth, You Heal YourselfLast year, the Siberian American shaman, Jade Grigori, gave me a key shamanic teaching: that when you seek to heal yourself, you must heal the Earth, because we are the Earth. This short essay revisits some of that original conversation from May 2021, and shares some insights from my own issues with physical pain and its surprising responsiveness to my campaigns to cut down the Asian bittersweet vines strangling our woods.
READ POST/TRANSCRIPT: https://www.katymorikawa.com/when-you-heal-the-earth-you-heal-yourself
Jade Grigori, Curator of the Sacred https://jadegrigori.com/2022-08-1310 min
Katy MorikawaE32: Native Pollinator Trees, Shrubs, and Flowers for Virginia and AppalachiaSupporting native pollinators can be so much more than planting monarda and milkweed! It can be more than trying to create a wildflower meadow. It can be targeted at your own favorite species or cast a very wide net. This is a collection of high quality trees, shrubs, and flowers for supporting native pollinators in Virginia and Appalachia, for creating a unique garden, or just beautifying the roadside along your property (because most of them won't need any watering or care).
READ POST/TRANSCRIPT: https://www.katymorikawa.com/native-pollinator-trees-shrubs-and-flowers-for-virginia-and-appalachia/
LINKS (all links can be found i...2022-08-051h 21
Katy MorikawaE31: Straining to See the Appalachian Forest for the TreesThe journey to create more wild beauty on our property and help conserve Appalachia is full of twists and turns: learning the Latin names, absorbing the The Nature Conservancy's evaluation of Appalachia, “alongside the Amazon Rainforest and the Kenyan grasslands as one of the most globally important landscapes for tackling climate change and conserving biodiversity,” remembering the abundant landscape enjoyed by First Nations peoples, working with the NRCS to try to understand the ecology on our property, the Natural Communities Classification of Ecological Groups and Community Types, The Nature Conservancy's resilient landscapes mapping tool, removing invasives (including Asian bittersweet, stil...2022-07-3045 min
Katy MorikawaE30: Why Native Plants MatterIf you care about flowers for the pollinators, supporting ecological biodiversity, clean water and air, healthy soil, low-maintenance landscaping, or climate change, native plants are you allies! This is a bit of background, a look at invasives, and some how-to's.
READ BLOG POST/TRANSCRIPT: https://www.katymorikawa.com/why-native-plants-matter
LINKS:
Wild Plant Culture podcast (Episode 1): Leslie Sauer on Ecological Restoration https://open.spotify.com/episode/4VBZVbFYZZF04zKR0M7bCt
Plant NOVA Natives https://www.plantnovanatives.org/
Plant Virginia Natives https://www.plantvirginianatives.org/
The American Chestnut Foundation h...2022-07-1543 min
Katy MorikawaE29: To Coax More Wild Beauty from this PlaceAs I dove head first into love with the wild world, I’ve become aware of a longing. Where this longing comes from I am not sure, although surely it has a sturdy shelter in my own heart. It is fed by the magical interactions you encounter when you slow down and listen deeply to the wild world with an open mind. I find myself longing to create a more diverse native ecosystem on this piece of property where we built our house, to coax more wild beauty from this place--and to do it without landscaping, without agri-forestry, without a...2022-06-2740 min
Katy MorikawaE28: The Magical Mystery TourI took a tour of Spikenard Honeybee Sanctuary this weekend, and so that is part of the magical mystery tour. But deeper still, there is a living landscape opening up beneath my feet as I step, as I am called, (even enchanted!) back outside into the living world, remembering things like native ecologies, principles of permaculture and biodynamic farming, imaginal dances with nature, and even the longer geologic spans of life's evolution on this planet. I believe we are headed back to the Garden, a new Eden, bringing our tools and technology along the way. But more on that...2022-06-1035 min
Katy MorikawaE27: Borer Bees III: The Carpenter Bee as Native PollinatorThis is a deeper dive into carpenter bee ecology, supplemented by first-hand observations and my own speculations. We look at native flowering cycles in the Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains, remember the American chestnut, and consider the resources for climate change offered by such a widely adaptable generalist pollinator as the carpenter bee. More deeply, we acknowledge the transformative power in relating with a bee-ing for its own sake.
READ POST/TRANSCRIPT: https://www.katymorikawa.com/borer-bees-iii-carpenter-bee-as-native-pollinator/
REERENCES/LINKS:
Podcast with entomologist: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7ytRKlFyXS6EcoDSJV6uy7
American chestnut...2022-05-3126 min
Katy MorikawaE26: Borer Bees II: The Carpenter Bee House SagaAt the end of Consider the Borer Bee (Episode 24), now a few weekends ago, Michael and I built some cute bee houses for my friend and for our own house, inspired by the veritable plethora of DIY YouTube videos and Amazon products for housing solitary bees. The idea behind these houses is that you can deter borer bees from your wood siding by providing ready-made housing which they prefer over the far greater effort involved in drilling their own. This is the story of our saga to charm our carpenter bees into the bee house. Spoiler alert: We succeeded...2022-05-3114 min
Katy MorikawaE25: The Least of These, Our Insect TeachersLet’s face it, most of us, most of the time, assume insects are simply too tiny and primitive to interact with in any meaningful way except to objectify as pest, mindless bug, or at best, ecological agent (e.g., pollinator, predator, or even food). After working with bees and wasps, I’m convinced there is so much more to them, and I have updates on my carpenter bee saga to share in the next few posts. But here, I want to look at age-old attitudes toward insects and their surprising lack of representation even among indigenous wisdom traditions wher...2022-05-3113 min
Katy MorikawaE24: Consider the Borer BeeBorer bees can be the bane of homeowners with wood siding and other exterior wood. Accordingly, a multi-million dollar industry has arisen around killing and deterring them. But I discovered this month there is much more at stake, as I tried to get a group of borer bees to move using the method I shared in my last post, "Talking to the Bees." The stakes, I came to see, have to do with our relationship with native species. This shocking insight led me to discover the relatively smaller but well-established industry of adorable bee houses which reflect a growing...2022-05-1719 min
Katy MorikawaE23: Talking To The BeesQuite by accident, I discovered that I can relocate the nests of bees, wasps, and hornets through mental communication alone. I'm sharing the backstory and the method for any who would like to try it. It offers an effective and miraculous way to approach so-called dangerous pests, as well as a doorway into a richer relationship with the non-human natural world.
READ POST/TRANSCRIPT: https://www.katymorikawa.com/talking-to-the-bees/
LINKS: Spikenard Honeybee Sanctuary https://spikenardfarm.org/
Spikenard's e-lecture "Formic Acid: The Gift of Stinging Insects" https://spikenardfarm.org/product/formic-acid-3-part/
“Do I Hav...2022-05-0128 min
Katy MorikawaE22: How to Unlock and Defuse Your AnxietyThis is a how-to for working with anxiety. It looks at anxiety as essentially a kind of indecision, and offers ways to identify the components of that indecision and for breaking the impasse.
READ POST/TRANSCRIPT: https://www.katymorikawa.com/how-to-unlock-and-defuse-your-anxiety2022-04-2415 min
Katy MorikawaE21: Turning A Breakdown Into An OpportunityIn the midst of a mini-breakdown, I pulled on a strategy used in war and business alike: turning a breakdown into an opportunity. I decided to explore the anxiety that was flaring up during my little breakdown, discovered a whole new way to understand it, and defused it in minutes! The How-To on that follows in the next post, Episode 22 on the podcast.
READ POST/TRANSCRIPT: https://www.katymorikawa.com/turning-a-breakdown-into-an-opportunity2022-04-2410 min
Katy MorikawaE20: Words of Wisdom from NohadonThis is an excerpt from Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson. It's the kind of passage that's just filled with gems of insight: a parable inside of a novel. You could dismiss them as just that, but if you really need them, they're the kinds of words that can save and change your life. Spoiler alert: This reveals some plot points that remain largely a mystery through the first 3 books of The Stormlight Archive.
READ POST/TRANSCRIPT: https://www.katymorikawa.com/words-of-wisdom-from-nohadon/
Reference: Sanderson, Brandon. Oathbringer, Book 3 of The Stormlight Archive.2022-04-1224 min
Katy MorikawaE19: Focus on What Is Right in Front of YouFocusing on what is right in front of you is a strategy for all times and seasons. We'll look at both pragmatic perspectives and master teachings around this strategy. Then we'll explore ways to apply it to your everyday life that don't require intensive mindfulness disciplines to unlock the miracle of the present.
READ POST/TRANSCRIPT: https://www.katymorikawa.com/focus-on-what-is-right-in-front-of-you
Passage quoted from Green, G. (2011). Love Without End: Jesus Speaks. Fideli Publishing and Spiritis Publishing. Smashwords ebook edition, p. 73-74.2022-04-0320 min
Katy MorikawaE18: Tapping The Reservoir Of JoyOne of my favorite resources for managing anxiety, depression, frustration, or boredom is to tap the reservoir of joy that seems to dwell beneath the shallower currents of my daily cares. This is a wonderful resource that I want to share here, a resource for wild and uncertain times like these, as well as for times of peace. In this post I will share some background principles and then steps for accessing your own reservoir of joy.
READ POST/TRANSCRIPT: https://www.katymorikawa.com/tapping-the-reservoir-of-joy
INSPIRATION:
Daniélou, Alain. (1991). The myths and gods of In...2022-03-2817 minKaty MorikawaE17: The Magic BubbleWith the world gazing down the barrel of World War III and fresh on the heels of the craziest two years since WWII, I want to share a perspective that's helped me so much to keep my sanity and optimism in these troubling times. This is the deliberate choice to look somewhere else, and ways to build a magic bubble to both improve well-being and contribute something beautiful and hopeful, even if it's small, to a troubled world.
READ POST/TRANSCRIPT: https://www.katymorikawa.com/the-magic-bubble/
LINKS: Subscribe to The New York Times for $1/week f...2022-03-1927 minKaty MorikawaE16: What Is the Sacred Heart?This is an esoteric topic that remains oddly inscrutable to me: the sacred heart. What is it? This is Love Without End's beautiful explanation, minus the thorns and flames, plus a bit on the mind, soul, infinity, and more practices for strengthening the heart as a way to heal and fulfill your life.
READ POST/TRANSCRIPT https://www.katymorikawa.com/what-is-the-sacred-heart/
Buy Love Without End at https://www.lovewithoutend.com/ or Amazon.com.
REFERENCES
Green, G. (2011). Love Without End: Jesus Speaks. Fideli Publishing and Spiritis Publishing. Smashwords ebook edition, Chapter 2.
...2022-03-1219 min
Katy MorikawaE15: Cancer Is A Symptom III: Dastardly and Immoral DeedsWith this post, we come to the end of my series on cancer. The topic here, the deeply immoral decisions that expose us to powerful cancer-causing agents, reaches far beyond just cancer itself. We're going to explore the troubling realm of DU weapons before we take a look at ways to pivot from a natural response of depression or reactionary activism to strengthening the heart as a muscle, as a defense against depression, anxiety, overwhelm, and hopelessness.
READ POST/TRANSCRIPT https://www.katymorikawa.com/cancer-is-a-symptom-iii-dastardly-and-immoral-deeds/
LINKS
Brian Klaas on Armchair Expert https://open.spotify.c...2022-03-0924 min
Katy MorikawaE14: Cancer Is A Symptom II: With Roots in the Heart[Edited 3/21/2022] Cancer is a symptom of our dissociation from the wisdom of the heart. This is an invitation to come back to a deeper radiance that can shelter us from harm. It will require that you confront some painful truths about the ways we all, usually unconsciously, participate in worldviews that sacrifice wonder and love for the sake of profits, assets, and convenience. Nowhere do we see this more clearly than in the relationship with our food animals, like the endangered Atlantic bluefin tuna, source of the delicacies of maguro sushi and sashimi. [This episode has been updated with...2022-02-2814 minKaty MorikawaE13: Cancer Is A SymptomI believe the epidemic of cancer is a symptom of a psychic or sensory deadness that fails to register toxins in our environment. We don't dodge or avoid them when we should, and our societies continue to tolerate toxins in our industries. Retraining our senses is a powerful first step to eliminating the widespread incidence of cancer.
The American Cancer Society says this about cancer: "Cancer cells develop because of multiple changes in their genes. These changes can have many possible causes. Lifestyle habits, genes you get from your parents, and being exposed to cancer-causing agents in t...2022-02-2120 minKaty MorikawaE12: The 2022 Venus Morning GatesThis is part skywatching guide for the 2022 Venus-Moon morning sky alignments, and a deeper dive into the mythic and astrological meanings associated with the Venus Morning Gates.
POST/TRANSCRIPT & DETAILED SKYWATCHING GUIDES https://www.katymorikawa.com/the-2022-venus-morning-gates/
LINKS & RESOURCES
Find the exact date of Mercury’s highest elevation at your location by clicking the wrench icon after the city name in the description which begins, “As seen from (location)…” HERE https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20220216_11_100 Same for Venus HERE https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20220320_11_100
Stellarium Web online tool for visu...2022-02-1349 minKaty MorikawaE11: Great Generosity (The Jupiter Principle)When terrible needs arise, it's natural to look for saviors. But there is another way: to respond with great generosity. This is the Jupiter Principle, and I'm going to illustrate this by telling a story about how I decided to take action about climate crisis, and how the willingness to be the solution has opened up all new possibilities. This is not meant to preach or pressure activism, but to offer a pivot for when you're feeling overwhelmed by dire needs.
READ BLOG POST/TRANSCRIPT: https://www.katymorikawa.com/leaning-in-with-great-generosity-the-jupiter-principle/
LINKS
Sustain Floyd https...2022-02-0915 minKaty MorikawaE10: The Adamantine Particles: Building Blocks Of RealityThis is a master teaching (not mine - you'll see!) about the adamantine particles, the smallest irreducible particles of matter, which quantum physics calls the Higgs boson. It is a cornerstone of cosmology and will form the basis of much of my map-making work.
READ BLOG POST/TRANSCRIPT https://www.katymorikawa.com/the-adamantine-particles-building-blocks-of-reality/
LINKS
Love Without End: Jesus Speaks on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Love-Without-End-Jesus-Speaks/dp/0966662318
The Fundamental Trinity graphic https://www.katymorikawa.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/The-Trinity-according-to-Love-Without-End-Jesus-Speaks.png
[Video] The Higgs boson https://videos.cern.ch/video/CERN-VIDEO-2021-011-001
[Video] Neil deGrasse T...2022-02-0530 minKaty MorikawaE9: What Is The Imaginal? And How Does It Differ From Visionary Processes?In this post, I answer the question I've been getting ever since I relaunched this website: what is the imaginal? It is a good question and an important inquiry. I'm actually surprisingly happy with where I arrived in my understanding by taking on the topic. This, by the way, is part of the revelatory nature of the imaginal process, and one of the reasons I love doing this so much. Here then is that understanding as I've come to it: I see the imaginal process as a creative access to higher orders of reality, orders of reality which, in...2022-01-3022 minKaty MorikawaE8: Reflections On Venus, The Morning StarThis is a skywatching guide for observing Venus in the morning sky in early 2022, as well as a reflection on Venus' mythological history and archetypal astrological associations.
LINKS
Read the blog post/transcript https://www.katymorikawa.com/reflections-on-venus-the-morning-star/
Andrew Huberman on Armchair Expert (go to 1:20:07 for the segment on low angle sunlight's health benefits) https://open.spotify.com/episode/6ARrJfjusp7Xm4ApY9QX1s
Dates in the 2022-2023 Venus Cycle (more coming on how to work with these in a future episode) https://alittlemorefree.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/2022-2024-Venus-Cycle.pdf
2022-01-2739 minKaty MorikawaE7: Household Recycling Problems For Industrial DesignersThis week I've been asked to be part of a presentation by Sustain Floyd to an Industrial Design class at Virginia Tech, shepherded by Martha Sullivan, the Department Chair and an Assistant Professor of Practice in the Industrial Design program. It was such an honor and exciting for me, because as you may know, I believe in good design!
Sustain Floyd is sponsoring a sustainability design contest, and I was asked to present problems for the students to think about from a householder point of view: everyday recycling challenges. I had so many!
I thought...2022-01-2126 minKaty MorikawaE6: An Imaginal Journey with Nature in 7 Easy StepsThis is an easy step-by-step process for creating a richer relationship with the natural world as well as with the imaginal. It offers a doorway for healing the disconnect between human and nature, self and other, inner and outer, and the mind, body, and spirit.
Following the post, there is a deep dive on one of the products from my Eco Sampler Gift Pack this year: Earth Breeze Liquidless Laundry Detergent Sheets.
Read the post/transcript https://www.katymorikawa.com/an-imaginal-journey-with-nature-in-7-easy-steps/
Becca Tarnas' 2019 Rune Soup interview https://open.spotify.com/episode/1JrZMneLQYJAR3...2022-01-1629 minKaty MorikawaE5: Sirius' Gift for the New YearThis New Year's Eve at midnight, I greeted the star Sirius, having received the shamanic teachings about this moment from Jade Wah'oo Grigori. It was one of the most vivid experiences of synchronicity I've had in years.
Read the post/transcript at https://www.katymorikawa.com/sirius-gift-for-the-new-year
Watch 2021 interview with Jade Wah'oo Grigori, Curator of the Sacred at https://youtu.be/ImjXrXqchDg
Jade's website https://jadegrigori.com/2022-01-1213 minKaty MorikawaE4: About AranI wrote this post in March of 2021. And I never recorded audio for it, but I've decided to do that now with the launch of this new project of mine at katymorikawa.com and the new podcast. It felt like it might be helpful for listeners who are not readers to have the audio for this, what's a deeper dive into Who is Aran? And how did I start working with him?
Read post/transcript at https://www.katymorikawa.com/weekly-check-in-march-27-2021/
Read “Reflections on Harry and Meghan,” or listen on Spotify https://open.spotify.com...2022-01-1011 minKaty MorikawaE3: A Pandemic Reading List in Fantasy and SciFiOne of my New Year's resolutions is to re-read The Lord of the Rings, making this the 17th time but the first time in 20+ years! I did rediscover fantasy a couple years ago, and have now sampled some of what's come out since Tolkein broke the mold in 1954. This is the Fantasy and SciFi that kept me sane during the pandemic.
These are not deep-dive reviews, but rather, informal reactions to: Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive, Robert Jordan’s (groan) Wheel of Time series, James S. A. Corey’s The Expanse series, Uprooted by Naomi Novik, Vorkosigan Saga a...2022-01-0511 minKaty MorikawaE2: A New Year's VisionAran and I sat down on New Year's Eve in a new setting to talk about this new phase we're entering--a deeper dive into the creative, into the world of soul, into the soul of the world to make love-play-create with the anima mundi--with much thanks to Becca Tarnas and her contributions on the Imaginal.
Read post/transcript: https://www.katymorikawa.com/a-new-years-vision/
Who is Aran? Listen on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/1pyIwaxTlVhqqAgCDMxZ4D or read post/transcript: https://www.katymorikawa.com/tag/conversations-with-aran/
Andrew Huberman on Armchair Expert https://open...2022-01-0219 min
Katy MorikawaE1: A New BeginningThis is Katy Morikawa, formerly of the Waking Up podcast and the A Little More Free podcast. I've resurrected my website at katymorikawa.com, and the beginning outline of a project is in the works. This is a quick rundown of what I've been up to in 2021 leading up to the launch of this new phase.
Read the blog article/transcrip here: https://www.katymorikawa.com/a-new-beginning/
More about Aran here https://www.katymorikawa.com/weekly-check-in-march-27-2021/
Becca Tarnas on Rune Soup, "Talking Tolkein and Jung," (2016) https://open.spotify.com/episode/7FSyftYXwyjja0mf4...2021-12-2912 min
Waking UpDecluttering MotivationsDecluttering motivations is like trimming the sails and tidying the decks. It gets you where you want to go more effectively! This episode includes tips for clarifying your reasons why you want what you want and so creating unity and emotional coherence as a strategy for more effective living.2021-03-2612 min
Waking UpReflections on Harry and MeghanMy takeaway from the Harry and Meghan interview centered around bullying and the kind of armchair-at-a-distance kind of judging that we out here do with people we only see in the media. My guide Aran had an interesting additional perspective to share that felt very relevant to a number of future topics.2021-03-1110 min
Waking UpInto the Thicket, Building Our Small House Part 2Part Two of the series about how we built our small house. In which we picked a spot and figured out how to finance it.2021-03-0105 min
Waking UpGreater Than the Sum of Our Parts [Book Review]This is a review of “Greater Than the Sum of Our Parts” by Richard C. Schwartz, PhD (audio book). This is not a rigorous academic treatise. It is instead an immersive, deeply moving meditation on the nature of the identity, love, and wholeness. “No one is beyond saving,” this book seems to say. It’s an important message for our time.2021-02-2506 min
Waking UpNot My WheelhouseSome things are not in your wheelhouse. Some things definitely are. Some things are but they’re so boring or difficult that it’s hard to see them as worthy of any attempts at mastery. And some things are not but you might get sucked into thinking they are, and led down the primrose path. Personal examples.2021-02-1807 min
Waking UpBe Here NowI think I've gotten distracted by grand dreams and aspirations again. I forgot that I've spent the last decade learning that the most satisfying and meaningful place for me to focus is on what is right in front of me. This is true about work, relationships, and lifestyle.2021-02-1606 min
Waking UpSometimes You Can't Stop the FreefallHere I am again, back in freefall. This time, my tricks for catching a lifeline out aren't quite working.2021-02-1104 min
Waking UpI Am Not A ProphetI have never been able to predict the future, even though my ability to read the present has grown so sensitive that I pick up on things I really shouldn't know. But a Reddit thread surprised me with stories about precognitive dreams that are apparently incredibly common. It reminded me of a favorite description from sci-fi about the illusion of time. And made me wonder if my total lack of precognitive skills actually source from someplace else.2021-02-0804 min
Waking UpHow Could I Be Lonely?Sometimes we delude ourselves into believing our strong coping skills, our emotional resilience, our self-awareness, isn’t subtly shielding us from the wounds of a lifetime of hurt and disappointment.2021-02-0303 min
Waking UpMy Life Is Eternal in the UniverseA reverie from the edges of sleep led me to wonder about space euphoria.2021-02-0105 min
Waking UpYou Can't Always Get What You WantIt took me decades to realize that the Rolling Stones-inspired truism I’d clutched like gospel, “You can’t always get what you want, but you do get what you need,” was crap. And so the idea of a divinely ordered universe broke for me. I did find sunlight on the other side in the enduring impetus to create beauty, and resources for resilience in the face of hardship.2021-01-2902 min
Waking UpCommunityI wrote this article about ten years ago, reflecting on community after returning to Virginia from San Francisco. It makes me think of my family, and I’m feeling sentimental about them today, so I thought I’d share it again. It also relates to the whole rural versus urban conflict, but I’ll save those thoughts for another time.2021-01-2805 min
Waking UpAfter the Party Is OverHalf a week after Joe Biden swore the oath of office, it feels like we’ve simply gotten back to normal (as normal as you can be during a pandemic). But much as I’ve longed for this (and, according to the vote count, so has a little more than half the country), I fear what will happen if we don’t stop to reflect more thoughtfully on the view into our national soul President Trump revealed to us.2021-01-2604 min
Waking UpTired ReflectionsAt the end of day on January 20, I was tired and didn’t have much to say. I watched the inauguration, and, aside from a relief that nothing horrible happened, felt mainly struck by how normal Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and their families seemed after four years of Trump. Granted, Joe Biden’s family is full of beautiful people–exceptionally beautiful people–and Kamala Harris herself cuts a dramatic figure indeed. But they all seemed also so normal compared to those images of Donald Trump’s frozen-faced family sitting on the podium four years ago. And I can’t help but f2021-01-2002 min
Waking UpA Guide's Views On These Pivotal TimesI thought I would share my guide, Aran's, views on these times we're living in--some call these the End of Days, others the Turning of the Ages, sill others the end of the Holocene. However you see it, most of us agree we face a number of crises. For me, climate change always tops the list, although there are others depending on the day. If Aran is a part of myself, he offers perspectives that surprise me--perspectives that feel infinitely more sane than my own ordinary thoughts. So I'm happy for the input however it comes.2021-01-2004 min
Waking UpWhy Love Your Enemies Is A Revolutionary ActLove your enemies is one of those things that sounds like a luxury for peacetime, an exercise for cloistered life, the resort of weaklings and doormats, or at best, a do-gooder sentiment that can lean perilously close to betraying the people and values that you love. But there is a secret power in loving your enemies.
politics2021-01-1903 min
Waking UpSchismsEverywhere I look, I see schisms and divisions. The political left and right shout at each other across a widening gap. COVID paranoia does battle with COVID denial. Now there’s talk of civil war. Yet as I contemplate these drawing battle lines, I keep seeing the image of chromosomes lining up before a cell divides.2021-01-1503 min
Waking UpHow Do I Find Something to Love About Qanon?QAnon is a clever clever instigator, who has single handedly turned many high-minded spiritual people I know into Trump supporters. And now QAnon has stoked the fire that burned out of control for hours at the U. S. Capitol last week. In the midst of all this, how can I bring love to this fight?2021-01-1304 min
Waking UpThree Schools: Empathy, Creativity, and UnityI've been thinking about ways to navigate the world, methods for personal mastery. I started to propose a system for these, but for now I'll simply share three ways I've learned to navigate the world: as an empath, as a creative manifestor, and by uniting through love.2021-01-1106 min
Waking UpTransforming Money, Case Study #2I was in the middle of an emotional crisis when I decided I needed to transform my relationship with money. Waking up each morning to crushing anxiety about work and money pushed me to it, but I suppose it had been coming for years.2021-01-0505 min
Waking UpFinding Something to Genuinely Love, Case Study #1As is so often the case, I discovered a powerful psychic tool during a crisis, but have found ways to apply it to ordinary times or even to times of plenty. This is my case study illustrating the method of Finding Something to Genuinely Love, as well as my origin story for the method.2021-01-0405 min
Waking UpThe Easiest Way to Find Work that You LoveThe easiest way to find work that you love, or for that matter, a partner you love, or a life you love, is to find ways to love the work, the partner, and the life you already have. Actually doing this as a practice, and doing it sincerely is easier said than done. Mastering it will get you through your worst challenges and build your capacity for miracles.2020-12-3106 min
Waking UpFinding Your CallingAnything you put your time and attention to will yield. Especially if you put as much of your love into it as you can! That means the kind of love that keeps you at it, drives you to learn and grow, develop skill, take delight–so that not only are you rewarded for doing it, but that delight opens new pathways to innovation, perhaps even genius.2020-12-3003 min