When I was in early grade school, I lived in a modest ranch home in a downriver neighborhood. One evening while lying in bed in my room, I felt compelled to look out my window which faced our backyard. As I stood on my bed and looked out, the sky in the distance looked ominous. The dark clouds certainly meant a storm was coming. I loved storms (still do!), so I watched, fascinated by the swirling colors of the clouds.
Posts filed under Issue #84
Kindred Conversations: Ebony Evans and Chris Huang
It is said that we all have a book in us. As an avid reader, book reviewer, and book club leader, Ebony Evans has actively encouraged a lot of those books into being. Her book club, EyeCU Reading and Chatting Club, has over 2000 members online with impressive outreach and impact in the literary sphere. Evans discovered in previous book clubs that the participants weren’t really there to read, they were catty and talked about each other. It became clear that she was looking for something distinct. So, she created it herself.
A Gift of Clairvoyance and Psychometry
When a small Santa Claus ornament was handed to me by a friend, the vision hit me immediately: An adult male, only in his 30s, suffered a severe heart event that stopped him in his tracks. He was so discouraged that he could no longer live his life as he intended. As a young husband in the late 1940s, he loved his wife and daughter dearly but couldn’t provide for them as he longed to do. That is what I told the owner of the ornament, Lori, who confirmed my accuracy. She went on to say that her mother became the breadwinner and Lori, who was quite young at the time, had to grow up quickly to help the family. I then told Lori additional information that she wasn’t previously aware of but was useful to her.
Green Burial: From Stardust to Soil
On a cloudy afternoon this past winter, as we stood in the muted, gray light of our kitchen, I said to my wife, “When I die, just put me in the ground, maybe wrapped in a shroud—or in a pine box, or something like that—and let nature do its thing.”
Finding a Deep Rooted Sense of Being: Plant Hallucinogens and the Modern World
For centuries, people have gazed at the night sky with a sense of wonder, attempting to comprehend the mysteries of the cosmos in relation to their own existence. Not that long ago, communities would gather around a communal fire, exchanging insights and challenges while seeking wisdom from their tribal elders.
The Power of Ancestry and Personal Discovery
My sister Lisa and I often joke about our rabbit hole research inquiries. The thrill of the potential finds keeps us searching. What started as separate hobbies eventually merged to combine into writing local history as well as GENMEMS (genealogical memoirs and house histories) for clients. Lisa summed up her genealogy enthusiasm by saying, “It’s like a puzzle, or mystery, to see how everything connects or impacts each other.” That connectivity is what we all need to take a closer look at to understand our inherited (yet transformable) tendencies, how we can gather strength from our ancestors’ stories, and finally, how to keep descendants and future communities in our conscious decision-making.
Community Acupuncture: A Synergy of Healing & Community: A Conversation with Evan Lebow-Wolf, Cheryl Wong & Kiersten DeWitt of Ann Arbor Community Acupuncture
Community acupuncture, on the other hand, offers a sustainable and fiscally sensible solution to treating as many people as efficiently and effectively as possible. Evan Lebow-Wolf, co-founder of Ann Arbor Community Acupuncture (AACA), told me briefly about the difference between community acupuncture and private acupuncture. When I asked him whether he feels like there is anything missing in the community acupuncture approach that is available in private acupuncture sessions, he replied with a firm and resolute “no.”
Lovingkindness in Action: A Visit to the Arab-American Museum
I stared at the man silhouetted against the murky gray December sky. Strings of blue and white lights arched skyward as he placed them over the turquoise tiled sign announcing in Arabic and English Arab American National Museum. Walking under the lights felt like a metaphor for the threshold I crossed as I entered the building. I stepped into an atrium that reminded me of dun stone buildings and courtyards, sunnier climates, and warm weather clothes. I breathed in, tuning into my body and the stream of sensations.
Out of My Comfort Zone: Answering the Call to Rest
At the beginning of this year, I did what many of us do when preparing for another trip around the sun. I set about visioning, but also taking real stock and looking at the reality of the health of my enterprises, my finances, and my body. My approach to the known challenges, I decided, was to bring in freshness of perspective, make some pivots, and then put my head down and work it. My retail business and its educational programming are currently at a critical juncture, and they really needed my undivided attention and energy. Therefore, plans for personal development (i.e, retreats, trainings, coaching), travel, or casual socializing were put on hold. I felt good about this plan. I love my work. I want my business to thrive, and I needed a big turnaround in terms of finances. So, I grabbed my oar. However, a naughty word kept creeping into my thoughts…Sabbatical.*
Tantre Farm Honeybee Nut Festival A Fall Celebration of Nature’s Bounty
If you’re looking for a fun, free, educational, and delicious way to celebrate fall, the Third Annual Tantre Farm Honeybee Nut Festival in Ann Arbor is the place to be on Sunday Ocotber 8th.
In Pursuit of the More Perfect Apple at Amrita Farms
Amrita Farms is the only organic apple orchard within over a 50-mile radius for U-Pick apples. The farm was started 27 years ago, on a 54-acre parcel, in order to combine sustainable farming and education in pursuit of an eco-friendly lifestyle. The owner’s first initiative was to help mother nature by planting several hundred evergreens. The farm struggled since its start to find its identity, milling through multiple products with a revenue stream not taking root because of the clay soil. Kymal, known in business circles as a serial entrepreneur, refused to accept failure
Book Review: A Lantern in the Dark: Navigate Life’s Crossroads with Story, Ritual, and Sacred Astrology
Danielle Blackwood meets readers at life’s crossroads–a space of “betwixt and between”–where she guides and inspires through story, ritual, and sacred astrology. Infused with myth, folklore, and the hidden wisdom in stories, A Lantern in the Dark, provides insights to readers of varying ages and stages of life while they stand at a juncture often riddled with confusion, dilemma, and restlessness.
Out of My Comfort Zone: Sometimes I Fall: The Discomfort of Asking
In response to your kind inquiry, ‘Would you be interested in writing?,’ right off the bat, I’ve been transported a few miles, to the outskirts of the town of Discomfort. I stare at its welcome sign. Founded: at the beginning of human time. Population: countless.
Astrologically Speaking: Sheer Lunacy: The Moon’s Journey Through the Zodiac Signs
While the sun reflects our personality, the moon reflects our emotional self. It can reflect the mother archetype and how we are cared for as well as how we nurture. It can also represent the health of the entire body. This means our feelings or how we react to things can be more steady, less intense or more amplified depending on where the moon is.
Urban Ashes: Triple Wins for the Economy, People, and the Environment
Paul Hickman is one of a number of individuals and companies nationwide, who have a better idea—actually a number of better ideas—about ways to put those 600 trees, and the many thousands more every year throughout the US, to better uses and to sequester their carbon. Hickman is founder of Urban Ashes, a local company that, since 2009, has been using salvaged wood to produce furniture and picture frames, and has done it primarily by employing formerly incarcerated people, a frequently marginalized population.
Cooking with Lisa: Cozy Soups for Fall
As the crisp autumn air sets in, it’s the perfect time to indulge in comforting and nourishing fall soups. From hearty stews to creamy bisques, these seasonal delights capture the essence of fall flavors and warm our souls. Here are two easy and delicious fall soup recipes that use seasonal ingredients and will keep you cozy and satisfied throughout the season.
Sustainable Health: Fall Allergies (please pass the tissues)
Autumn is a welcome change after the hot and humid days of summer. Cooler days and nights, leaves changing colors and falling from the trees, pumpkins, bonfires, hayrides, and flannel invite us to get cozy and enjoy the transition to winter. However, for the folks who suffer from seasonal allergies, autumn isn’t such a cozy time and winter can’t get here fast enough!
Singing and Listening with the Heart: A Therapist’s Journey
Jessica Ryder’s business card lists her credentials (MS, LLPC, NCC) as a professional mental health counselor, yet, she also has printed on them “MM” or Master of Music. Ryder’s academic training for her work as a therapist has been typical, though her life experience prior to was anything but. For twenty years she was a full-time professional musician working in some of the highest tiers of classical music.
The Witches of West Michigan Offer Spiritual Community for All
Just a decade ago, being casually invited to such an event would have been unthinkable to me. There were no public-facing witchcraft groups within easy reach of my Michigan hometown at the time. Even though I knew many local people had an interest in the Pagan spiritual arts, practice groups were generally underground and by invitation only.
Herbs for Your Garden: Yarrow
Yarrow is an indispensable herb that you’ll always find growing in my herb garden. Its versatility is formidable, making it an excellent tool in your herbal medicine kit. If you asked an herbalist what single plant they would bring with them to a deserted island, their answer will most likely be “Yarrow!”
