Rev. Catharine Is Currently
On Medical Leave

Being Blessed and a Blessing

When my father was in his prime as an English professor, I was young. We talked often about his work, my school, music, art, literature. All kinds of things. We talked and talked, often much later at night than was probably wise. One of the things he talked about was bringing people alive. He talked […]

Desire and Discernment

Desire. Discernment. I’ve been thinking about how these two things intersect with one another. Desire and discernment. There are two opposing ways that desire comes into play where discernment is concerned. One is about what we think we want. And one is about what our Deepest, Wisest self is offering. The first way that desire […]

How to Grow a Soul

**from summer  2016** “Life is just a chance to grow a soul.” So said Rev. A. Powell Davies. If our souls can grow, then they aren’t static things or conditions to be simply ignored, lost, or saved. What is the growing piece, then? What is the soul? Hell, what is life? Davies’ quotation seems to […]

Crazy Wicca? No.

Today I go to see a new psychiatrist, and I’m really nervous. What does it mean to see a new brain doctor, especially for someone with my spirituality? For those of you who don’t know, I thought I’d share. If you’ve read my last couple of posts, you know by now that part of my […]

Gifts of Practice: Persistence

Stones balanced in a photo of sunset

Here I offer my last in the Gifts of Practice series. This piece is on that ever-elusive virtue, persistence. I Haven’t Been Great at This Here, my friends, is a virtue I have had to learn later in life than I might like. As a kid, many things—academic, literary. musical, social—came easily to me. I […]

Gifts of Practice: Peace

blooming pink lotus up close on the flower

Peace. What is it and what is it not? One thing it is not is the absence of conflict. Another thing it is not is a state in which some people are oppressed by others. For example, there is no peace in the United States now. White supremacy, heteropatriachy, ableism, imperialism and kyriarchy overall crush […]

The Gifts of Practice: Presence

Welcome to 2016, my friends, welcome! In this installment of my Gifts of Practice series, I offer some words about Presence. Presence is the quality of being awake to each moment, aware of our essence, and feeling unerringly connected to Source. What is Presence? Presence is a characteristic, but more deeply, it is a quality […]

The Gifts of Practice: Compassion

river stones in a delicate pile

This is the second of my posts on the benefits of spiritual practice. First, let me be clear:  These are the benefits in my life. They will be different for you. They will include different virtues in different measures. Second, another point of clarification:  By “virtue” I do not mean something that you strive and […]

The Gifts of Practice: Equanimity

As I’ve mentioned before, Julie and I spend the time between solstice and New Year’s reflecting and discerning. This year, we’re working in three sections:  The Year Passing, Touching the Infinite, and Hopes and Dreams for the New Year. We’re working to close out the New Year; to engage our Deepest, Wisest Selves; and to […]