Yemaya Assesu and Spiritual Guests
I have written about spiritual pillaging. And about spiritual tourism. And now I write about spiritual guests. In some traditions I have been a guest; more than just a visitor, but not a full member of the community. My time with the Religious Society of Friends, also called the Quakers, and my time with African […]
Brigid and the Power to Change
NB: I wrote another piece before the events of the weekend of 28 January. As a result of the horrors entwining themselves around our government and around our nation, I have rewritten this post to point out that one of the ways Imbolc, the Pagan holiday just past, is often celebrated is with power and politics. Imbolc […]
Brigid Lady of Fire and Water
NB: If you’d like to see the recorded class/discussion from last night, please join The Way of the River Community Facebook Group. You can search “The Way of the River Community” in the upper left-hand corner of your Facebook page to find us. It’s a private group, so you’ll need to ask to be added, […]
Hope Against Hope
(For those looking for Turning the Wheel, see the bottom of this post.) Today is the second day of Christmas, the third day of Chanukah, and the first day of Kwanzaa. Oh, and the Feast of St. Stephen and Boxing Day. The sun is rising earlier and setting later. The holidays just keep coming. And […]
Why Writing? Part Three
The Examination of Consciousness The Examen, also called the Examination of Conscience or Examination of Consciousness (learned that last one from a Dominican Sister), is the last of the writing practices I’ll go over in this week’s posts. Unlike writing Morning Pages, journaling, or gratitude lists, the Examination of Consciousness is done in the evening. […]
Why Writing? Part Two
My Wariness of Gratitude The Stoic philosopher Epicteus said, “He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” Why be wary of gratitude? I mean really, Catharine, gratitude is a great thing! Epictetus (and a bunch of other awesome people) says so! Nonetheless, […]
Religion: Ambivalence and Ooginess
Oogy-Boogey Man I am thinking about the word “oogy.” Why? Because I’ve recently written the following sentence about my work: “I provide rock-solid support and gentle challenge to spiritual seekers, especially those who feel oogy about religion.” Also, “I provide rock-solid support and gentle challenge to spiritual seekers, including those who feel ambivalent about religion.” […]
Love’s Power in Weakness
I’m stuck. I’m really stuck about what to write to you. I’ve had a really hard day and I’m sad and frustrated and feeling like a failure. However, many of you have written to me and told me how much you value the honesty and authenticity in my writing. Well, this is what I have […]
Initiation: The Greatest Is Love
I’ve spoken this week about initiation on FBLive and I’ve written about it in Reflections. And it has occurred to me that I’ve never written here about the initiation that ultimately led to the birth of The Way of the River. I’ve never written here about the intersection of ordination with what is commonly thought […]
Kiss Me with the Kisses of Your Mouth
Each of the following quotations is central to my understanding of the yearning I have for God Herself. And that is what I have, a yearning. Yes, a seeking. Yes, a deepening. But a longing and yearning, the attraction and pull to a lover by the beloved. When I talk about “spiritual seeking,” sometimes I […]