One of my lovely readers honored me by nominating me in two categories for the Bloggers Choice Awards — religion and photography. A couple of years ago you, my dear readers, helped me to win at The Best of Blogs in the inspirational category. It meant a lot to me that you took the time [...]
Archive for October, 2008
Blessing the Ancestors
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On the Death of the Beloved Though we need to weep your loss, You dwell in that safe place in our hearts, Where no storm or night or pain can reach you. Your love was like the dawn Brightening over our lives Awakening beneath the dark A further adventure of colour. The sound of your [...]
Sacred Artist Interview: Leah Piken Kolidas
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Leah Piken Kolidas is another artist I discovered in my art editing work for Presence journal. I fell in love with her piece "Betwixt and Between" (seen just below). It evoked in me that exhilirating sense of being on the border of something new, of entering a new landscape. I especially loved when I went [...]
Altar of Remembering
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On Saturday a wonderful package arrived in the mail. It was a commission I ordered from artist Marcy Hall (see her Sacred Artist Interview) of my two beloved animal companions — Duke who died over two years ago and Tune who is of course alive and well. When I discovered Marcy's delightful art, I knew she would be [...]
Invitation to Poetry: Honoring Our Ancestors
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Poetry Party #26! I select an image and suggest a title and invite you to respond with your poems, words, reflections, quotes, song lyrics, etc. Leave them in the comments or email me and I’ll add them to the body of the post as they come in along with a link back to your blog if [...]
Visual Meditation: Autumn in Seattle
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*** Again the wind Flakes gold-leaf from the trees And the painting darkens—as if a thousand penitents Kissed an icon Till it thinned Back to bare wood, Without diminishment. -Jane Hirshfield *** -Christine Valters Paintner @ Abbey of the Arts (all photos except for the last one taken at the Seattle Arboretum, end photo taken [...]
I long for You so much (a time of retreat)
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I long for You so much I have even begun to travel Where I have never been before. -Hafiz (excerpt) Last week on Tuesday I piled my things into the car, the essentials like my journal, my yoga mat, my camera, and of course my sweet Petunia. We headed north on I-5 to the Canadian border. Two elements of [...]
New Zine coming soon!
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Before I left on my retreat last week, I sent my latest Reflective Art Journal off to the printer. As usual, I am so pleased with how it turned out. This issue's theme is Crossing the Threshold: New Year, New Beginnings and in it I explore rituals and practices for celebrating the new year from Celtic, Christian, [...]
What Endures
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'I learned that her name was Proverb.' And the secret names of all we meet who lead us deeper into our labyrinth of valleys and mountains, twisting valleys and steeper mountains– their hidden names are always, like Proverb, promises: Rune, Omen, Fable, Parable, those we meet for only one crucial moment, gaze to gaze, or [...]
Going on Retreat
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How necessary it is for monks to work in the fields, in the rain, in the sun, in the mud, in the clay, in the wind: these are our spiritual directors and our novice-masters. They form our contemplation. They instill us with virtue. They make us as stable as the land we live in. -Thomas [...]
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