In his seminal book Grist for the Mill, Ram Dass shared his experience of teaching meditation to prison inmates, including those on death row. He observed that the inmates condemned to die welcomed the teachings. They were so serene that he felt humbled to be in their presence. But when he went to the cell blocks of those with life sentences, the inmates harassed him and … [Read more...]
Pisces New Moon: Navigating Overwhelm
During a particularly harsh Arctic winter in December 1984, native folks near the Bering Sea spotted over 2,000 beluga whales trapped by thick ice. Masses of frozen water were rapidly closing in on the mammals, squeezing them tightly together. For weeks, rescuers patiently hacked through the ice as best as they could, feeding the belugas with frozen fish. And thankfully, they … [Read more...]
Leo Full Moon: Be the Light
Some years ago, writer Elizabeth Gilbert was stuck on a crosstown bus in New York City during rush hour. As she recalled, “The bus was filled with cold, tired people who were deeply irritated – with one another, with the rainy, sleety weather, with the world itself. Two men barked at each other about a shove that might or might not have been intentional. A pregnant woman got … [Read more...]
Aquarius New Moon: Snake Power
When Luna first held a snake as a young child, she fell in love with it. Over the years she’s admired and handled a wide variety of (even venomous!) snakes, with the expert guidance of folks at the San Diego Herpetological Society. She received a junior reptile handler’s license at the age of five. And now, at 13, just as we enter the Year of the Snake, she has finally adopted … [Read more...]
Cancer Full Moon: Time to Shine
Most people associate Whitney Houston with the iconic hit “I Will Always Love You” (from her sexy 1992 movie The Bodyguard). But it was Dolly Parton who actually wrote the song in 1973 when, as a 22-year-old up-and-coming country singer, she was struggling with a professional breakup – not a romantic one. Parton had been feuding with Porter Wagoner, her mentor and on-screen … [Read more...]
