Ethics
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The Animist and the AI, Part IV: Mechanical Meditations
Is it possible to lead ChatGPT on a guided visualization and get clarity into its subconscious knowledge of self? Continue reading
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The Animist and the AI, Part II: Common Concerns
AI will have a deep impact on creative fields like art, writing, and spirituality. Will AI take away jobs? Will it destroy artistic and spiritual traditions? Or is it a tool that can enhance and augment human creativity? Obviously no one really knows, but I can offer some educated guesses. Continue reading
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The World’s Doctrine: How Nature Teaches Us To Be Human
Every natural fact is a symbol of some spiritual fact. – Emerson Most modern religions have doctrine: holy books, sacred scripture, lists of quoted dogma from sainted heads, annals of kings and battles adjudicated by the eternal powers, recipes for weddings and births and deaths, and so on. Beliefs to be memorized. I’ve written at… Continue reading
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Selling Salvation V: An Economy of Spirit
In my last post, I suggested that philanthropism — giving away goods, services, and knowledge, rather than selling them — was a more ethical choice, and one which could be viable even in the modern capitalist world economy. Many thriving organizations — charities, non-profits, and open-source organizations — give away their work for free, subsisting… Continue reading
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On Physical Violence
NO violence — even in self-defense. A few months ago, I mentioned off-handedly that my feelings about violence were close to that of Gandhi and Tolstoy. Kate Gladstone asked me about this in the comments, mentioning a book called THE RING by Piers Anthony, in which he describes a society in which some people wear… Continue reading
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Selling Salvation II: Setting a Price for Your Product
A glance at the comments on the previous post shows what a complex topic this is; it easily merits a follow-up. For this article, I’m going to focus on the conundrum facing the individual who is trying to set a price for mediumship/life-coaching/therapy/etc. The economics are much more interesting than selling physical commodities, or even… Continue reading
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Selling Salvation: How Much is it Worth?
Mercy is calling you, won’t you give heed? Must the dear Savior still tenderly plead? Risk not your soul, it is precious indeed; Oh, if today God should call it away, What would you give in exchange for your soul? (Bluegrass standard; lyrics by FJ Berry) How much is salvation worth? In dollars? No, really,… Continue reading
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Where Do Ideas Come From?
Have you ever wondered whether someone has been stealing your ideas? Maybe you’ve come up with a brand-new way of doing something, a new way of approaching a problem, an idea for an article or resolving some issue at work, or a personal gift you can give someone — and before you get a chance… Continue reading
About Me
Word, Card, and Star – a journey through language, divination, and inspiration. A chronicle of my search for guidance, insight, and a connection to nature and the ancient world. Along the way, I hope to discover beauty, connection, groundedness, and a sense of wonder.
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