Philosophy and Religion

November 18, 2009

On Grief and Connection: A Response to the Fort Hood Deaths

A Guest Post by Ali, of Meadowsweet & Myrrh Jeff’s last post illustrated very well the kind of divisive rhetoric utilized in most political speeches these days, language that takes for granted an implicit superiority of American citizens and soldiery, and that rejects understanding, compassion and forgiveness for fear that such things will lead to Continue reading

Society

connection, death, Fort Hood, grief, justice, meditation, Nidal Hasan, Peace
November 11, 2009

Obama’s Best Speech Never: What the President Should Have Said

OBAMA’S BEST SPEECH NEVER Obama’s speech at Ft. Hood, honoring the dead in the recent shooting, is being hailed as a masterpiece of rhetoric. Marc Ambinder at the Atlantic (http://politics.theatlantic.com/2009/11/the_best_speech_obamas_given_since_the_inaguruation.php) says: (blockquote) “I guarantee: they’ll be teaching this one in rhetoric classes. It was that good. My gloss won’t do it justice. Yes, I’m having Continue reading

Politics
October 28, 2009

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

Selling Salvation

Forgiveness, Love, Money, Philanthropism, Positive psychology, Ragnarök, Spirituality, Theology
October 14, 2009

Selling Salvation IV: Philanthropism

In my last post on this topic (Selling Salvation III: Property and Prostitution) I talked about the ethics of trade — the free market exchange — and suggested that buying and selling anything is inherently, at the deepest level, an act of disrespect. Why? In brief, when you buy or sell something, you’re saying, “You’re Continue reading

Selling Salvation

Money, Risk, Social vulnerability
September 23, 2009

The Myth of Modern Mythlessness

I don’t usually have posts that do nothing but link elsewhere, but I couldn’t resist pointing you over to Ali’s latest, The Group of Twenty and the Mythology of the Market. Ali’s thesis is that myths are not just stories that our ancestors believed back when the human race was young and full of childlike innocence, Continue reading

Society

America, Anthropology of religion, Comparative mythology, Cultural anthropology, George III, George Washington, Greek mythology, Liberty, Lincoln, Mythology, Prophet, Traditions, Zeus
July 16, 2009

Selling Salvation III: Property and Prostitution

Suppose you know the Meaning of Life. Would it be moral sell that information to the highest bidder? A year ago, in “Selling Salvation: How Much is it Worth?”, I pointed out that the great religious leaders of the past — Jesus, the Buddha, Lao Tzu, Mohammed — had given Salvation away for free, to Continue reading

Selling Salvation

America, Capitalism, Economic ideologies, economic systems, Immanuel Kant, John Locke, manipulative advertising, moral law, Philosophy of sexuality, Prostitution, Social philosophy, Soviet Union
June 9, 2009

The Four Vinegar Tasters: Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Christianity

There is a famous Taoist painting called “The Vinegar Tasters”, showing together the three greatest prophets of Chinese philosophy: Confucius, the Buddha, and Lao Tzu (the founder of Taoism). Each of them is taking a taste from a great pot of vinegar. Confucius tastes the vinegar and scowls; the Buddha tastes the vinegar and has Continue reading

Religion

Buddha, Buddhism, Christianity, Confucius, Jesus, Lao Tzu, Lazarus, Taoism, Vinegar tasters
June 5, 2009

Pagan Values: Ecology, Environmentalism & Practical Pacifism

A Guest Post by Ali, of Meadowsweet & Myrrh Back at the beginning of April, I wrote a blog post ostensibly about global warming, but also in part about the various forms that our own complicity in and justification of violence can often take. I was amazed, and pleased, when this theme of violence was Continue reading

Paganism
April 26, 2009

Uprooted

Like a silent thunderclap The sun strikes a blade of grass, — A sharp thrusting blade it is, a defiant green punch Out of the soil at the sky — Now struck and smelted with gold leaf, Humming with new life and power, Slow and ruminous the photosynthesis. The Long Hand of Lugh Has painted Continue reading

Relationships, Trees and Nature

Ali, depression, Fearless, marriage, meditation, negative energy, pain, Pittsburgh, positive energy, sleeplessness
February 19, 2009

Pele: Fire in the Water

Well, first, of course, Obama was elected, and he grew up in Hawaii. And then my friend Slade (of sladeroberson.com) went to Hawaii for angelic training and, as it turned out, met essential people for his life path. And then I stumbled onto a fascinating podcast called “Jedi trainer” (hunatrainer.com), which is really a tutorial Continue reading

Gods

Apollo, Bel, Creation myth, Hawaii, Hawaiian mythology, meditation, Obama, Pele, Slade

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.

Druid Journal

Philosophy and Religion

On Grief and Connection: A Response to the Fort Hood Deaths

Obama’s Best Speech Never: What the President Should Have Said

Selling Salvation V: An Economy of Spirit

The Myth of Modern Mythlessness

The Four Vinegar Tasters: Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Christianity

Pagan Values: Ecology, Environmentalism & Practical Pacifism

Uprooted

Pele: Fire in the Water

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