Fall 2024: The Crossroads
To be at a crossroads often signifies a moment of uncomfortable indecision, a juncture where one's life path may change forever. It is also a place of encounters, where we meet friends, strangers, and, in some stories, beings from other realms.
In a process view, the crossroads represents a point of potentiality and becoming, where decisions and encounters shape the unfolding process of one's life. The idea of encounters at the crossroads aligns with Whitehead's concept of prehension, where each event or entity experiences and incorporates aspects of others, influencing its own development.
The crossroads as a place of meeting different entities resonates with Whitehead's notion of "concrescence," the process by which diverse experiences are integrated into a coherent whole. Entities from outside our reality can be seen as symbolic of potentialities and influences that enrich and diversify the tapestry of existence.
From a Whiteheadian perspective, the crossroads is not just a point of decision but a dynamic intersection where the past converges with novel possibilities.
Where do we go from here?
In This Issue
- Betwixt and Between
- Devil at the Crossroads: The Myth, Ledgend and Legacy of Blues Artist Robert Johnson
- Living at the Crossroads
- At the Intersection of Choice: Navigating Personal Decisions and Global Crossroads
- Compost: Magic in Decay
- Classical Greek Art: Hecate Guardian of The Crossroads
- Guilty, Defrocked, and excommunicated. What’s next?
- A City Making Choices
- Here I Stand: Poems From the Crossroads
- Possibilities and Choices
- Soundtrack: Roads and Choices
- Adventures in Reading
- Exploring Myths: Meeting Hecate at the Crossroad:
- Next Season: Our Stories
“
Every journey taken always includes the path not taken, the detour through hell, the crossroads of indecision and the long way home.
”
Betwixt and Between
Photo courtesy Mike Enerio
The crossroads is an archetypal concept loaded with potentialities that hold significant cultural and spiritual symbolism in various traditions and folklore around the world. Historically, crossroads were seen as places of transition and change, often believed to be imbued with mystical properties.
Symbolically, it can signify a place where two realms meet, embodying the notion of liminality—a space "neither here nor there," "betwixt and between." In many cultures, these locations are seen as intersections of the physical and spiritual worlds, making them powerful sites for rituals and otherworldly experiences.
In African and African American folklore, particularly within Hoodoo and Voodoo practices, the crossroads is famously associated with the figure of the trickster or the devil, where one might go to make pacts or gain supernatural knowledge. Similarly, in ancient Greek religion, crossroads were sacred to Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft and magic, who was believed to haunt these liminal spaces. The symbolism of the crossroads often embodies the idea of choice and destiny, representing pivotal moments in one's life where crucial decisions must be made. This enduring motif underscores the universal human experience of navigating critical junctures and seeking guidance at the intersections of our journeys.
The upcoming American election is often described as a crossroads due to the significant choices facing the country on various critical issues, including the economy, healthcare, climate change, and social justice. Though not known at the time of this publication, the outcome of the election could steer national policies in markedly different directions, reflecting the divergent visions of the competing parties and candidates. As such, this election is a pivotal moment that could shape the trajectory of the United States and affect the world for years to come. We stand at a crossroads, both hopeful and cautious at the same time. We have been at a similar crossroads not too long ago, and our direction caught many off guard. The crossroads can do that.
At this crossroads, we encounter a multitude of perspectives, ideas, and possibilities. Each candidate represents a different vision for the country, offering diverse solutions to the challenges we face. This moment is also a point of encounter, where we come across friends, neighbors, and fellow citizens, each with their own hopes and concerns. It is a time of vigorous debate and discussion, where our collective values and priorities are tested and expressed. The crossroads symbolizes the meeting of past experiences and future aspirations, where we must consider the lessons of history and the promise of new possibilities.
As we stand at this pivotal juncture, we are reminded of the interconnectedness of our decisions. Those who are experiencing anxiety are imagining a dark future. They are deep in anticipatory grief yet what has been lost at this point? We do not yet know the outcome as I write these words. Our imagination takes us down roads which we have not traveled. We feel the weight of the future on our shoulders because this is a moment of profound responsibility, where the choices we make will shape the fabric of our society and the legacy we leave behind. But isn’t that true of every moment, every event?
Whatever we do next, we do it together. Let’s take each other’s hands and walk each other down the road to face what comes.
The Road Not Taken
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
–Robert Frost
Photo by Element5 Digital
“
I think you will agree that life's plans are not always tied up in neat little packages. Occasionally we find ourselves at unexpected crossroads with more than one opportunity from which to choose. Time itself is often the best indicator of which decision to make, for it can tell so many thing that are now hazy.
”
Devil at the Crossroads:
The Myth, Ledgend and Legacy of Blues Artist Robert Johnson
Image courtesy DeviantArt
When it comes to "the blues," you need to have experienced the blues to truly play them. Robert Johnson had the blues in abundance. His story is one of heartache and despair, intertwined with the history of slavery, a country disillusioned by its past, and the foreshadowing of future challenges. It's the tragic foundation of the infamous 27 Club, the tumultuous journey of talent and its acquisition, but it's also the cornerstone of Rock & Roll and modern music. Most notably, it's a story enveloped in mystery and intrigue.
Robert Johnson, born in 1911 in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, came from a family of sharecroppers. Though slavery had been abolished, his family still faced the harsh realities of systemic oppression, trapped in a cycle of grueling labor for meager pay. His father, Noah Johnson, relocated the family to the Delta to escape a lynch mob.
From an early age, Robert aspired to rise above the life of a field hand. While he was expected to work in the fields, he spent his time playing the guitar and singing songs that echoed the bitterness of oppression. It's said that his lack of interest in farm work may have led to abuse.
Though the exact time when Johnson began performing in juke joints is unclear, he temporarily set aside his musical pursuits when he married Virginia Travis. When she was eight months pregnant, she returned to her family home to give birth. Johnson stayed behind to work, but as the birth approached, he decided to join his wife, performing at juke joints along the way for extra money. Tragically, upon arriving at her family home, he discovered that both his wife and baby had died in childbirth and had already been buried.
This heart-wrenching loss fueled his dedication to music, driving his ambition to become a star. He found solace and a second home in bars and juke joints, where his legend began to grow.
The Man and the Mystery
Robert Johnson's life was marked by tragedy, hardship, and rejection, culminating in his untimely death at just 27 years old. For years after his death, details of his brief life and even briefer music career were largely passed down through word of mouth. Johnson recorded only 29 songs, which weren't widely released until the blues revival of the late 1950s. Only two known photos of him exist, and no video footage—his death certificate wasn't discovered until 1967. Johnson's enigmatic life has fascinated researchers and music historians alike.
Musicians have long marveled at how Johnson managed to produce the sound of a full band with an old six-string guitar that he modified to function as a seven-string. Johnson’s distinctive guitar techniques and emotive vocal style brought something entirely new to the music world. His transformation from being considered "noisy at best" to becoming a foundational figure in modern blues after a mysterious one-year disappearance only deepened the intrigue surrounding him.
Following the death of his wife and baby, Johnson frequented juke joints, emulating his idols Son House and Willie Brown. He would take the stage after their sets, but his playing was rudimentary at best and often irritated the audience.
Then, Johnson vanished for nearly 18 months. When he reappeared at a juke joint in Banks, Mississippi, where Son House and Willie Brown were performing, he astonished everyone. This time, his guitar didn't just make noise—it sang, leading other musicians to wonder what he had done—and at what cost—to achieve such rapid improvement. Johnson's development as a musician, especially his reputed transformation after a mysterious absence, make his transformation seem mysterious. His varied experiences—ranging from personal grief to intense musical practice—coalesce into a distinct musical style that had a profound impact on the blues genre. J
ohnson’s ability to integrate these experiences into his music illustrates the Whiteheadian notion of becoming, where each moment is a culmination of past events and a transition to new potentialities.
Robert John artwork courtesy ME Memorabilia and Collectibles
Old photographs of Johnson, photographer unknown
The Myth of the Crossroads
Legend has it that Robert Johnson went to the Crossroads in the Delta and sold his soul to the devil for extraordinary musical talent. This myth incorporates elements of African American folklore, Christian symbolism, and the cultural context of the Mississippi Delta. Johnson’s music, in turn, prehends these diverse influences, creating a rich, multifaceted sound that still influences musicians.
Johnson himself did nothing to dispel the myth; in fact, he fueled it. His lyrics often referenced walking with evil and included hoodoo elements linked to African magic. His song "Crossroads" vividly describes him, referred to as Bob, falling to his knees and begging for help, fearing the darkness that threatened to catch him.
However, Johnson’s family disputes the tale of him selling his soul to the devil. They assert that he spent that missing year and a half with Ike Zimmerman, a fellow blues musician. According to his family, Johnson went back to the Hazlehurst area in search of his father, but instead met Zimmerman. The two practiced in the Beauregard Cemetery, where Zimmerman could teach Johnson without disturbing anyone. This version of events suggests that Johnson devoted those 18 months to honing his skills, eventually returning to the Delta juke joints with a talent that amazed everyone and significantly influenced the future of blues music.
The Beginning and the Ending
Johnson's immense talent made him a sensation in the Delta. While playing at various juke joints, he met a young schoolgirl named Virgie Cain. Raised in a religious family, Virgie’s pregnancy with Johnson's child led her family to push Johnson away, forbidding any relationship between them.
Devastated by this loss, Johnson drowned his sorrows in whiskey, women, and music. He recorded 29 songs before his untimely death in August 1938 near Greenwood, Mississippi. Although his death certificate cites complications from syphilis, family members, storytellers, and researchers allege that he was poisoned at a bar called Three Forks in Banks, Mississippi, after being discovered in an affair with the wife of one of the owners.
Johnson's death at 27, along with the crossroads myth, is considered by researchers to be the origin of the infamous “27 Club”—a group of talented musicians who died at the age of 27 while grappling with personal demons. This group includes Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, and Amy Winehouse.
Johnson’s Legacy Lives On
Robert Johnson's music continues to resonate today. His 29-song album, re-released in 1958, cemented his place in music history. Countless musicians have covered his iconic songs, and his influence on the music industry remains profound. Though Johnson's life was fraught with struggle, his descendants are committed to helping young musicians pursue their dreams, ensuring that his legacy endures.
Robert Johnson's story aligns well with Alfred North Whitehead's process philosophy, which emphasizes the dynamic, interconnected, and evolving nature of reality.
Photo of Johnson's grave by Robert Knight
Photo courtesy Donna S. McCraw
Learn More
“
You know where you are, Robert Johnson? You are standing in the middle of the crossroads. At midnight, that full moon is right over your head. You take one more step, you’ll be in Rosedale. You take this road to the east, you’ll get back over to Highway 61 in Cleveland. Or you can turn around and go back down to Beulah or just go to the west and sit up on the levee and look at the River. But if you take one more step in the path you’re headed, you going to be in Rosedale at midnight under this full moon. Or you are going to have the Blues like never known to this world. My left hand will be forever wrapped around your soul, and your music will possess all who hear it.
”
Living at the Crossroads
When you come to the fork in the road, take it. (Yogi Berra)
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference. (Robert Frost)
Each moment is moment of decision. While God and the universe conspire to create each moment of experience, providing the materials, context, and ideals from which it arises, each moment presents us with choices in our process of self-creation. This process of decision making is global, characterizing the formation of atomic entities, human beings and the non-human world, and the communities in which we live.
In protest of the Mexican-American War, James Russell Lowell penned the poem, “This Present Crisis,” which many worshippers sing as “Once to Every Man and Nation”:
Once to every man (sic.) and nation,
Comes the moment to decide,
In the strife of truth with false¬hood,
For the good or evil side.
Process theologians recognize that although there are pivotal moments in the life of a person, community, congregation, or nation, God’s call comes throughout our lives and our responses further or diminish divine possibilities for creative transformation and the embodiment of the moral and spiritual arcs of history. While there may be many positive possibilities available in every situation, our decisions both embrace and cut off possibilities for the future. Decide we must, but will our decisions advance or stall God’s cause of Shalom? Will they lead to greater or lesser creativity or beauty in our lives and communities?
For the past several years, the survival and flourishing of progressive Christianity, spirituality, and politics have been central to my writing, teaching, and pastoral ministry. Over fifty years ago, John Cobb’s Liberal Christianity at the Crossroads was one of the first books I read related to process theology. Cobb challenged liberal Christianity to distinguish itself from culture and provide an alternative vision of judgment and healing. I believe Cobb’s critique and vision is just as significant today for those of us who call ourselves Progressive Christians. Five decades later, we are also at a crossroads not only related to our aging demographics and shrinking membership and impact on society, but also involving whether or not we will claim our vocation as God’s partners in healing, spirituality, and prophetic faith in a time of divisiveness, anti-democratic politics, consumerism, ever-expanding capitalism, individualism, and denial of the severity, or even the existence, of climate change. As Progressive Christians, we are at a crossroads: we can choose to be at sidelines, content with paying the bills and maintaining congregational and institutional survival, or we can boldly commit ourselves to a robust holistic and contemplative activism whose focus on spirituality, healing, and social transformation provides a clear alternative to the rightward, backward looking, individualistic, and environmentally catastrophic religious and political movements of the United States and Europe.
We are at a spiritual crossroads which demands, as Cobb asserted fifty years ago, claiming our voice, not as the only spiritual voice or prophetic and political movement, but as a robust and growing voice for a sustainable, just, peaceful, humane, and environmentally conscious movement joining open-spirited faith and politics. The vocation of Progressive Christianity in North America is to provide a significant and spiritually vital alternative to the marriage of conservative religion and authoritarian politics. While our goal is to promote diversity and democracy and not singularity and theocracy, and we affirm the pluralistic age in which live, our task is to present a vision of a relational, world-affirming, and forward looking vision of God that can serve as a catalyst for the expansion of human rights, affirmation of democracy, healing of the environment, and expansive and just globalism in which we move beyond isolationism and exceptionalism to true partnership in creating a just and sustainable planet. We must share a relational, imaginative, and inspirational God as a clear democratic alternative to authoritarian and unilateral visions of God and politics.
In the marketplace of ideas and public and foreign policy, this means the emergence of a contemplative activism in which we prophetically and passionately advocate for justice and healing, while at the same time reach out to persons of other faiths and those outside traditional religions, the “nones” and “dones,” and those who describe themselves “spiritual but not religious.” We can strive to find common cause with open-spirited evangelicals and conservatives, and in the heat of protest and political advocacy affirm God’s presence in the lives of those with whom we disagree.
Each moment and over the long haul of history, God calls us to embody beauty, wholeness, and community. The crossroads of decision-making calls us to deepen our faith and activism, the inner and outer journey, in tandem with one another; commit ourselves to a hospitable evangelism: and see service to the community and the world as the heart of salvation. We must choose to get out of our comfort zones and out into the world as companions in God’s healing journey. At the crossroads of decision-making, the destination is always unclear. The future is open and uncertain and many possible scenarios confront us along the way.
There are no guarantees of success, and we may fail in achieving the goals of a more perfect union. Still, at the crossroads, choice is inevitable and in the quality of our choices, the world is saved one moment and decision at a time.
Art by Max Suleimanov
Vitality involves embracing adventure and letting go of preconceived images of the future. I know that the years ahead will bring a new set of adventures just as they now do for my eleven- and thirteen-year-old grandsons. “Oh, the places you’ll go,” even if you choose a familiar environment. Standing still or moving, life beckons us forward. The Spirit lures us toward new adventures.
While I am not in terms of my daily life the most adventurous person, I have tried to live by the motto, “I have a vision but not an agenda” as a teacher, writer, pastor, administrator, and friend and family member. I set intentions each morning to guide the day and then let go of them, seeing them only as pointers and guideposts on the walk of life and remembering that the moment I encounter another person, turn on the news, or step out my door, everything can change. As a professor, I still my students that “I put together my syllabus in my arts and crafts chair all by myself, and then you show up and now the syllabus is already out of date!”
I try to nurture my sense of adventure, modest as it may be to others, by beginning my day with the question, “What new thing will happen to me today? What creative and loving action will I be called upon to do today? In what ways will I be challenged to do something beautiful for God today?” (Saint Mother Teresa) These intentions never fail to be realized, even on a rainy day when I am confined to home.
God is faithful and God’s mercies are new every morning, and in opening to moment by moment change and adventure, joining ritual and novelty, behold we too do a new thing as God’s companions on each day’s holy adventure. Plus ultra, go further, there is more.
“
Life is an individual journey, so be ready to make decisions on crossroads.
”
At the Intersection of Choice:
Navigating Personal Decisions and Global Crossroads
Photo courtesy Karsten Würth
Challengingly, I find myself at a crossroads trying to discern how to open this communication—on crossroads. It isn’t just that the topic offers different options, it is that I have never found decisions easy. So do I linger on the process notion of decision and its role in my own life process? Or do I leap into the example that presses itself upon me—the case of the particular crossroads at which we all find ourselves? That latter would be the case of climate change.
The existential case is this: as a child my mother—who read a lot, with little formal education or support-- would occasionally refer to Jean Paul Sartre’s notion that to fail to decide is to be a “salaud”—hm, “bastard,” or something even less publishable . . . Not accidentally I found myself as an adult to struggle with decision-making. (Not that I blame my mother . . . or my traumatically chaotic childhood . . .)
Later I checked existentialism out for myself. Yes, Sartre makes clear that not to decide is its own decision—the irresponsible sort. And the theologian in the background was Kierkegaard, with his potent Either/Or: a highly sharpened crossroads of decision. That I “chose” to go a very different way—into process theology: was that an expression of a basic indecisiveness? Or a need for a quite different sense of decision? I learned that in process theology there is no God who makes our decisions for us; but no atheism, either: rather a God who calls us to decide, moment by moment, amidst an immense spectrum of possibilities. And this momentary decision makes us what we are: it selects amidst the vast potentiality that makes us up, out of all our relationships to all that is. For better or worse—that decision amidst possibility drives the “concrescence,” the becoming concrete, read as the actualization of what otherwise remains merely potential. But not only you and I make such decisions. So do animals, so do the cells in plants, so do electrons. That is quite different from the existentialist focus on the conscious decision of the human individual. In this cosmological manifold of momentary actualizations I found relief from the existentialist pressure. And much more . . .
Through John Cobb’s work, that cosmology took on ecological intensity. This began with his 1972 Is It Too Late? —the first book-length work by a Christian theologian of what was later called eco-theology.[1] Half a century ago he recognized that we as a species stand at a new kind of crossroads. My sense of relief soon morphed into a new kind pressure: the need to recognize the rising threat of climate change. At this point we can read in a major newspaper a lead article such as this one titled: “Humanity at the climate crossroads: highway to hell or a liveable future?”[2] The climate crossroads: here we are. Existentially authentic decisions are not adding up to that liveable future. The mounting levels of consciousness and action demonstrate the visibility of this crossroads. They do not demonstrate the viability of our economic policies for avoiding climate hell.
The articles states that “after a 10,000-year journey, human civilization has reached a climate crossroads: what we do in the next few years will determine our fate for millennia.” The point here—as half a century ago and yet today, for Cobb—is not that it is simply too late for human survival. But it is too late for innumerable species and ecosystems, all adding up to a level of degradation that threatens not a heavenly but a liveable future. (I mean “heavenly” in both senses—as the earthy opposite of hellish; and as some form of afterlife, which may be summoned irresponsibly or otherwise.). Mere of the shared life of what we mean by human civilization is at stake.
You perhaps check in occasionally on the climate data—concerning above all global warming, with July 2024 the hottest month on record, during what is increasingly estimated to be the hottest year; and that heat melting of polar ice caps and shrinking the glaciers at the poles, also yielding rising ocean levels and increased crop failures, and the currently proceeding Sixth Great Extinction bringing on between 1000 and 10,000 times the normal extinction rate. And so, with all of these crises crisscrossing, on and on . . . no simple crossroads, this planetary scene.
So: the sign of the “cross” in crossroads is emitting a creepy theological meaning: some kind of crucifixion is happening to our planetary habitat. In the original metaphor, the Nazarene—who lived with such material simplicity as to serve an anachronistically ecological example—was crucified by the representatives of global empire. And it is the global version of neoliberal capitalism that is called neo-imperialism that is nailing us to the climate cross. And that cross of a few degrees F is being, and is yet to be, borne especially intensely by those, especially in the global south, already subjected by policies of the north to economic and racial marginalization and exploitation. So much has already been lost irretrievably. And soon, so incomprehensibly soon—but we’d better comprehend it!—the material terms of our collective existence may be nailed to the climate cross.
Photo courtesy NOAA
But at this crossroads, even the amplification of crucifixion is not without a hint,a rise, of hope. Theologian and pastor Sharon Delgado writes this beautifully in a book all too aptly named The Cross in the Midst of Creation: “In communion with Christ, crucified and risen, we become aware that we exist as parts of a network of relationships and that we are responsible not just for ourselves but also for how we relate to other members of our human family, the community of life with which we are interconnected, the earth that nurtures us, and the institutions and systems in which we live.”
At this crossroads, I do not mean to impose any religious designation on the path to a liveable future. The Christianity of the cross needs eco-transformation for the sake of all—an immense “we.” Existentialist or Whiteheadian decision, we need the etymology of decisare—‘to cut’—to cut us free of the escapism of technofix capitalism or disembodied religion. Free to decide together, at this crossroads, for the “great turning” that is still before us to choose or to reject. Such collective eco-response presumes that the publics who must and might take responsibility for the planetary crisis rarely correspond to those who are to blame for it. We work with a dense systemic “all,” like that of the universe, intense with asymmetries and failures. And that “all,” in its network of crisscrossing crossroads, vastly exceeds our species—a species which either now rises, against its own imperial captivity, into responsible relation to the rest of the creation. Or . . .
Notes
[1] John B. Cobb, Jr. Is It Too Late?
[2] Damien Carrington, Environment Editor,The Guardian, March 20 2023
[3] Sharon Delgado, The Cross in the Midst of Creation: Following Jesus, Engaging the Powers, Transforming the World. (Fortress, 2022), p 254.
[4] David C. Korten, The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community (Kumarian Press: 2006).
“
the crossroad
sitting at the crossroads and the light is about to change.
I can't sit here forever. But IF i make this turn, our paths may never cross again
”
Compost: Magic in Decay
Compost is decay. It is the process through which organic matter breaks down, returning to the earth to enrich the soil. This cycle of life and death is fundamental to the natural world, demonstrating the interconnectedness of all living things. What once was vibrant and alive decomposes into a rich, fertile substance, ready to nourish new growth. In this way, compost is a profound symbol of transmutation, the alchemical process of turning waste into wealth, death into life.
In the garden, compost is magic. It transforms kitchen scraps, fallen leaves, and garden clippings into a dark, earthy material that is teeming with life. Microorganisms, fungi, and insects work tirelessly to break down the organic matter, releasing essential nutrients back into the soil. This miraculous process happens quietly, often hidden from view, yet its impact is undeniable. Plants thrive in the enriched soil, growing stronger and more resilient. Compost, with its life-giving properties, becomes the invisible force driving the garden's vitality.
Metaphorically, compost represents change and renewal. It teaches us that nothing is ever truly wasted and that even the most discarded remnants hold the potential for rebirth. In our lives, we experience moments of decay and loss, times when it feels like everything is falling apart. But just as compost transforms decay into fertile ground, these challenging moments can be the foundation for new growth and possibilities. By embracing the process of transformation, we can find beauty and strength in the cycles of change.
Compost also embodies the principle of sustainability. It reminds us to value the resources we have and to see potential where others might see waste. By composting, we participate in a natural cycle that reduces waste and enriches the earth, fostering a deeper connection to the environment. This act of recycling organic matter not only benefits our gardens but also cultivates a mindset of conservation and respect for the planet. In this way, compost serves as a powerful metaphor for how we can live more sustainably and harmoniously with nature.
Photo by Del Barrett
This Compost
by Walt Whitman
1
Something startles me where I thought I was safest,
I withdraw from the still woods I loved,
I will not go now on the pastures to walk,
I will not strip the clothes from my body to meet my lover the sea,
I will not touch my flesh to the earth as to other flesh to renew me.
O how can it be that the ground itself does not sicken?
How can you be alive you growths of spring?
How can you furnish health you blood of herbs, roots, orchards, grain?
Are they not continually putting distemper'd corpses within you?
Is not every continent work'd over and over with sour dead?
Where have you disposed of their carcasses?
Those drunkards and gluttons of so many generations?
Where have you drawn off all the foul liquid and meat?
I do not see any of it upon you to-day, or perhaps I am deceiv'd,
I will run a furrow with my plough, I will press my spade through the sod and turn it up underneath,
I am sure I shall expose some of the foul meat.
2
Behold this compost! behold it well!
Perhaps every mite has once form'd part of a sick person—yet behold!
The grass of spring covers the prairies,
The bean bursts noiselessly through the mould in the garden,
The delicate spear of the onion pierces upward,
The apple-buds cluster together on the apple-branches,
The resurrection of the wheat appears with pale visage out of its graves,
The tinge awakes over the willow-tree and the mulberry-tree,
The he-birds carol mornings and evenings while the she-birds sit on their nests,
The young of poultry break through the hatch'd eggs,
The new-born of animals appear, the calf is dropt from the cow, the colt from the mare,
Out of its little hill faithfully rise the potato's dark green leaves,
Out of its hill rises the yellow maize-stalk, the lilacs bloom in the dooryards,
The summer growth is innocent and disdainful above all those strata of sour dead.
What chemistry!
That the winds are really not infectious,
That this is no cheat, this transparent green-wash of the sea which is so amorous after me,
That it is safe to allow it to lick my naked body all over with its tongues,
That it will not endanger me with the fevers that have deposited themselves in it,
That all is clean forever and forever,
That the cool drink from the well tastes so good,
That blackberries are so flavorous and juicy,
That the fruits of the apple-orchard and the orange-orchard, that melons, grapes, peaches, plums, will
none of them poison me,
That when I recline on the grass I do not catch any disease,
Though probably every spear of grass rises out of what was once a catching disease.
Now I am terrified at the Earth, it is that calm and patient,
It grows such sweet things out of such corruptions,
It turns harmless and stainless on its axis, with such endless successions of diseas'd corpses,
It distills such exquisite winds out of such infused fetor,
It renews with such unwitting looks its prodigal, annual, sumptuous crops,
It gives such divine materials to men, and accepts such leavings from them at last.
shape the future trajectory of the United States and effect the world for years to come.
Photo by Joshua Hoehne
I am fascinated with my compost pile. It took a while for me to become enamored of a pile of rotting kitchen scraps and decaying leaves. But the first time I pulled fresh earthy smelling soil out of the compost box, I was in love. Let me count the ways.
- Ancient Practice: Composting dates back to ancient civilizations, including the Romans, Greeks, and Chinese, who used compost to enrich soil.
- Microbial Action: Composting relies on microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, to break down organic matter. These microorganisms generate heat, which accelerates the decomposition process.
- Temperature Phases: Composting occurs in different temperature phases. The initial mesophilic phase (moderate temperatures) is followed by the thermophilic phase (high temperatures), and finally, the curing or maturation phase.
- Nutrient-Rich Product: The final product, called compost or humus, is rich in nutrients and beneficial microorganisms. It improves soil structure, fertility, and water retention.
- Reduces Waste: Composting significantly reduces the amount of organic waste sent to landfills. This helps decrease landfill methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas.
- Carbon-to-Nitrogen Ratio: Successful composting depends on maintaining an optimal carbon-to-nitrogen (C) ratio. A balance of about 30:1 (carbon to nitrogen) is ideal for efficient decomposition.
- Diverse Inputs: A variety of organic materials can be composted, including fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells, grass clippings, leaves, and even cardboard and paper. I shred my junk mail and put it in the compost. Just don’t put anything with colored ink.
- Home and Industrial Scale: Composting can be done on a small scale at home or on a large scale at industrial facilities. Some cities have municipal composting programs that collect organic waste from residents. I bought two raised bed planter boxes for compost. I alternate between them.
- Compost Tea: Compost can be used to make compost tea, a liquid extract rich in nutrients and beneficial microorganisms. Don’t drink this tea! It is for the garden. This tea can be used as a natural fertilizer and plant disease suppressant.
- Soil Health: Regular use of compost improves soil health by increasing organic matter content, which enhances soil structure, aeration, and water-holding capacity. It also promotes beneficial soil organisms.
- Trench Composting: Direct composting, also known as trench composting or in-situ composting, involves placing organic waste directly into the soil rather than using a compost bin or pile. It requires less effort and equipment than traditional composting methods and provides a direct benefit to the area where the composting takes place.
Trench Composting is an easy way to compost if you want to do it but don’t have the time or resources. All you need is a yard where you can dig a hole. Here is how to do it:
- Dig a Trench or Hole: Dig a trench or hole in your garden or yard.
- Add Organic Waste: Place kitchen scraps, garden waste, and other compostable materials directly into the trench or hole.
- Cover with Soil: Cover the waste with soil to prevent pests and odors.
- Let it Decompose: Allow the organic material to decompose in place over time. This process enriches the soil as the waste breaks down.
Trench composting is a simple and effective way to recycle organic matter, improve soil health, and reduce waste. You won’t want to plant over the trench compost are until it has finished decomposing. On average, trench composting can take anywhere from 3 to 6 months for the materials to fully decompose and integrate into the soil. In optimal conditions, some materials may break down in as little as 1 to 2 months, while tougher materials, like woody stems, may take longer than 6 months. Regularly turning or disturbing the soil can also help speed up the decomposition process. If you need to plant immediately, choose plants with shallow root systems, as deeper roots may be affected by the decomposing material below. If you're trench composting in a vegetable garden, consider rotating your planting areas. Use one section for composting while planting in another, then switch in the next season.
Trench Composting is an easy way to compost if you want to do it but don’t have the time or resources. All you need is a yard where you can dig a hole. Here is how to do it:
- Dig a Trench or Hole: Dig a trench or hole in your garden or yard.
- Add Organic Waste: Place kitchen scraps, garden waste, and other compostable materials directly into the trench or hole.
- Cover with Soil: Cover the waste with soil to prevent pests and odors.
- Let it Decompose: Allow the organic material to decompose in place over time. This process enriches the soil as the waste breaks down.
Trench composting is a simple and effective way to recycle organic matter, improve soil health, and reduce waste. You won’t want to plant over the trench compost are until it has finished decomposing. On average, trench composting can take anywhere from 3 to 6 months for the materials to fully decompose and integrate into the soil. In optimal conditions, some materials may break down in as little as 1 to 2 months, while tougher materials, like woody stems, may take longer than 6 months. Regularly turning or disturbing the soil can also help speed up the decomposition process. If you need to plant immediately, choose plants with shallow root systems, as deeper roots may be affected by the decomposing material below. If you're trench composting in a vegetable garden, consider rotating your planting areas. Use one section for composting while planting in another, then switch in the next season.
“
My whole life had been spent waiting for an epiphany, a manifestation of God's presence, the kind of transcendent, magical experience that lets you see your place in the big picture. And that is what I had with my first [compost] heap.
”
Metaphorical Composting
The metaphor of the ladder, symbolizing spiritual progress, has deep historical roots. From Hebrews to Greeks to Christians, ascending to higher realms has been esteemed, reflecting Western moral ideals where the best resides high and the worst, low. However, in recent times, our relentless pursuit of growth has become unsustainable. Darwin's theory of evolution, "The Descent of Man," has been inverted in our societal mindset to portray human progress as an upward climb. Immigrants strive for higher social status, buildings soar with elevators to costlier floors, and industrial extraction of minerals like coal, iron, and oil increases their value as they ascend from beneath the earth. This upward growth narrative has become commonplace, equating adulthood with maturity in heroic terms.
Yet, amidst this emphasis on ascent, have we overlooked something critical? Birth. Typically entering the world headfirst, like divers plunging into humanity's pool, we begin with a vulnerability symbolized by the soft spot atop our heads, a conduit for our origins' influence. As this spot gradually closes, our skull hardens, symbolizing our separation from the unseen and our definitive arrival here. But descent, too, is crucial. Like tomato plants and towering trees, our lives involve both reaching upward toward light and anchoring downward with roots, a biographical tale often overlooked in our upward-focused metaphors.
The metaphor of the Tower in the Tarot serves as a poignant reminder. Often depicted collapsing, it symbolizes the inevitable collapse of unsustainable growth and false security built upon shaky foundations. It urges us to start from a reasonable place, to rebuild with a stronger foundation, acknowledging that true growth involves both ascent and descent, balance and rootedness. Just as the Tower falls to be rebuilt anew, so too must we reconsider our metaphors of progress and maturity, embracing the wisdom of organic motion that includes both reaching upward and rooting downward in the fertile soil of our origins.
The metaphor of the ladder, symbolizing spiritual progress, has deep historical roots. From Hebrews to Greeks to Christians, ascending to higher realms has been esteemed, reflecting Western moral ideals where the best resides high and the worst, low. However, in recent times, our relentless pursuit of growth has become unsustainable. Darwin's theory of evolution, "The Descent of Man," has been inverted in our societal mindset to portray human progress as an upward climb. Immigrants strive for higher social status, buildings soar with elevators to costlier floors, and industrial extraction of minerals like coal, iron, and oil increases their value as they ascend from beneath the earth. This upward growth narrative has become commonplace, equating adulthood with maturity in heroic terms.
The Tower card from the Rider–Waite Tarot, based on the instructions of academic and mystic A. E. Waite and illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith.
Photo courtesy Wil Stewart
Yet, amidst this emphasis on ascent, have we overlooked something critical? Birth. Typically entering the world headfirst, like divers plunging into humanity's pool, we begin with a vulnerability symbolized by the soft spot atop our heads, a conduit for our origins' influence. As this spot gradually closes, our skull hardens, symbolizing our separation from the unseen and our definitive arrival here. But descent, too, is crucial. Like tomato plants and towering trees, our lives involve both reaching upward toward light and anchoring downward with roots, a biographical tale often overlooked in our upward-focused metaphors.
Indeed, isn't there more to our journey than mere ascent?
Classical Greek Art: Hecate At The Crossroads
Hecate fights against Klytios (left); Artemis against Otos (right),
East Frieze, Gigantomachy Frieze, Pergamon Altar, Pergamon Museum, Berlin
Image courtesy Carole Raddato
The Guardian at the Crossroads
Hecate, in ancient Greek religion and mythology, is often depicted as a triple-formed or triple-bodied goddess, symbolizing her dominion over the three realms of earth, sea, and sky, as well as her association with crossroads and the phases of the moon. However, the earliest representations of Hecate were singular, emphasizing her role as a solitary and powerful deity. The depiction of Hecate at crossroads is central to her imagery and symbolism. Crossroads were considered powerful, liminal spaces in ancient Greek religion, places where different paths and realms intersect. This association emphasizes Hecate's role as a guardian of boundaries, transitions, and decisions. Crossroads were also seen as places where the physical and supernatural worlds could meet, making them fitting locations for invoking Hecate’s guidance and protection.
Her earliest known representation is a small terracotta statue found in Athens, dating back to the 6th century BCE. This statue portrays Hecate in a singular form, highlighting her origins before the later, more common triple-bodied depictions.
In her triple form, Hecate is often shown holding torches, keys, serpents, or other symbols associated with her various aspects and powers. The imagery underscores her role as a goddess of witchcraft, magic, and the night.
Hecate is depicted in three forms to symbolize her dominion over multiple realms and her role as a goddess of transitions and boundaries. This triple aspect represents:
- Earth, Sea, and Sky: Reflecting her influence over these three domains.
- Past, Present, and Future: Indicating her role as a goddess of time and prophecy.
- Maiden, Mother, and Crone: Signifying the three phases of a woman’s life, aligning her with the cycles of birth, life, and death.
In her triple form, Hecate is often depicted standing at a crossroads, each form facing a different direction. This imagery reinforces her watchful nature and her ability to see in all directions, guarding and guiding those who stand at life’s metaphorical and literal crossroads.
Hecate, Procession to a Witches' Sabbath by Jusepe de Ribera (pre-1620).
Image courtesy English Heritage, The Wellington Collection, Apsley House
Diana and Hecate,
by the circle of Rosso Fiorentino (16th C.)
Image courtesy Metropolitan Museum of Art
A goddess, probably Hecate, is depicted with a bow, dog, and twin torches.
Image courtesy Theoi Project
Terracotta red-figure bell-krater showing Persephone's ascension from the Underworld. Persephone (far left) is accompanied by Hermes (second from left), Hecate (center), and her mother Demeter (far right).
Attributed to the Persephone Painter (ca. 440 BCE)
Image courtesy Metropolitan Museum of Art
Hecate's Torches are the Symbols of Power of the goddess Hecate. During Demeter's search for her daughter Persephone.
Image courtesy Nic Tillman
Hecate by Maximilian Pirner
Image courtesy Wikimedia
“
“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to."
"I don't much care where –"
"Then it doesn't matter which way you go.”
”
Guilty, Defrocked, and Excommunicated. What’s next?
“
I’m guilty of aiming to live a life of love. As I see it, loving people fully affirm LGBTQ+ identities, orientations, and healthy sexual behavior.
”
Thomas J. Oord Announced the Verdict (printed with permission)
By a decision of those representing the Church of the Nazarene, I've been found guilty, been defrocked, and am excommunicated.
Last Thursday, June 25, a board of discipline in the Church of the Nazarene heard my case and my witnesses. I'm grateful to my wife and daughter Alexa who accompanied me. And I'm grateful to my six witnesses, Kara Jo Hudson, Keegan Osinski, Sam Powell, Steve McCormick, Craig Keen, and Eric Severson.
The verdict: I was found guilty for advocating for the full inclusion and full affirmation of queer people and their allies.
The punishment: removal of my minister credentials and church membership. I’m now a defrocked and excommunicated heretic!
“
Our sincere prayer is that Oord will repent of his heretical teachings and devote his considerable talents in a way that he and all those whom he has led astray will find wholeness in Christ. The seriousness of his offenses cannot be overstated. Under the guise of being a Nazarene elder and educator, he has sown deep seeds of confusion and division, leading people away from sound doctrine. Only eternity will show how many souls have been led astray through this false teaching.
”
Tripp Fuller Chats with Tom about the Trial & Verdict
On July 31, Tripp Fuller interviewed me about the history and details of my recent queer trial.
For the full conversation, see this video.
For the full verdict, see this blog post.
For a summary, see this new Religion News Services article, "Church of the Nazarene Expels LGBTQ-Affirming Theologian."
Photo courtesy Ole Kloth
Commentary On Thomas Oord's Trial and Verdict by Kat Reeves
Thomas Oord and I do not share the same theology as he is a Christian and I am a Pagan. I don’t need to share his theology or religious affiliation to understand what a big deal this is for someone in the Church of the Nazarene to take a stance in affirming LGBTQ+ identity.
People might think that Tom can just join another denomination and leave the Church of the Nazarene behind. But there is more to understand here. This is the church that Tom grew up in. This is part of his family history.
Tom stood at a crossroads and tried to bring two elements together. He reached with love in one direction toward the LGBTQ+ community. During his trial he reached toward the Church of Nazarene and tried to pull them toward love. He did this all because of love. He embodied the most beautiful of the Christian values. Tom knew what was at risk in his own life. He knew what he stood to lose. I find it interesting that a church named after the Nazarene did not act as Jesus taught, yet the man they found guilty, and chose to defrock, and excommunicate showed us the best side of Christianity.
In John 15:12-13, the Bible says,
This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
I remind you that I’m a Pagan, so I don’t have the same attachment or even an understanding of the Christian theological arguments. I write as an outsider with a perception of Christianity. I don’t have the same emotion around the circumstances and implications of Jesus’ death as Christians do.
I am certainly not comparing Tom with Jesus. But I do acknowledge that he sacrificed quite a lot when all he had to do was remain quiet and he would not have lost anything. But we need brave people to step forward if we are to break down barriers. Tom is not a savior, or a saint but in my book, Tom is a hero. He might have lost his trial, but he made a good case for love. He weakened the mortar of the high walls of exclusion at the Church of the Nazarene.
And, The Church of the Nazarene may not realize it but they may have made Tom stronger. By trying to silence him they have amplified his voice. Tom shared on the recent podcast with Tipp Fuller that he will not stop fighting this fight. Tom knows that this is what true Christianity looks like.
Thank you Tom for being a hero at great cost to yourself. It matters more than you may ever realize.
Commentary On Thomas Oord's Tiral and Verdict by Clarence White
One week ago today, my good friend and colleague Thomas Jay Oord was tried for heresy, and convicted, by his denomination, the Church of the Nazarene. The reason Dr. Oord was found guilty was because he has a firm conviction that Christian love should compel us to be fully affirming of LGBTQ+ persons in the life of our churches. I am a Roman Catholic, but in the mid-1980s I was actually a licensed Nazarene minister for about a year before I moved to the Friends Church (Quakers). I had heard of Tom, never dreaming that either (a) I would someday become Catholic, or (b) that Tom and I would ever know one another and become friends.
Prior to serving that Nazarene Church in Louisville, KY, I had been part of a small, fringe religious groups which basically shared the same theology as the Church of the Nazarene. I had left because, as a disabled man, this group had told me they considered me incapable of, and not qualified for, service in ordained ministry. I was also told my disability meant that it would be inappropriate for me to ever hope to be married. (I did get married, and have been married for 39 years!)
At this time, I, like most evangelicals, considered same-sex relationships sinful because of what we had been taught about the Bible. Over the next 20 years or so, my view began to change.
For Tom, the change in his views happened in the mid-1990s. For me, it was about a decade later. My position on this changed on a dime, as I listened to Bill Moyers interview David Boies and Ted Olson, lawyers who opposed each other in the 2000 Bush v Gore Supreme Court case which settled that year’s presidential election, as they teamed up to oppose Proposition 8. This case resulted from a 2008 ballot measure in California banning same-sex marriage. In the interview, Ted Olson made a statement to the effect that most people do not know what it is like to be told they are not suitable for marriage. I remember it was like I had been slapped to get my attention. I thought, “My God, I know exactly what that feels like.” As I said, my position on this issue turned on a dime.
So, one area where Tom and I differ is that his evolution on this was more theological, and mine was more experiential. I value both of those. It is so disappointing to me that Tom’s trial came out the way it did, because I believe he is correct. Love should triumph over doctrine. I have a niece who is Catholic who, when Pope Francis became Pope, and I had only been Catholic about a year, asked me what she should tell her boys if Francis decided same-sex marriage should be accepted in the church. I told her, “Tell them it is more important to be merciful than it is to be right.” I believe that is a good synopsis of the argument Tom is trying to make.
But in the decade since I made that statement, my thinking has developed further. I have written a short book, A Brief Process Perspective on Natural Law. Natural law has been used in Christian circles, and in Catholicism in general, to argue that same-sex relationships are sinful because the purpose of sex is procreation. I believe that is one purpose of sex but not the only one. The idea behind natural law is that nature should have some important things to say about how God wants humans to behave. I have no disagreement with that in principle. The problem is that as time goes on, we are learning things which were not known at the inception of the school of thought known as natural law ethics. Thomas Aquinas wrote as a Christian about natural law in the 13th century but the discovery of chromosomes did not come until the 19th century. Originally, geneticists considered gender binary, with females having the XX chromosomal pattern and males having XY.
We now know it is much more complex than that. There is not only XX and XY, but XXY, XYY, XXXY, and X0. My perspective on this is that it is correct that nature does tell us something about morality, but maybe what it is telling us is not what we thought it was telling us. Nature includes more chromosomal patterns than we once thought, and therefore it is impossible to argue for gender and sexuality to be binary when the very pattern nature has given us is not binary.
All humans are actually 99.9% genetically identical. That means that all the observable differences in skin and eye and hair color, height, to some degree our build, and other, non-observable characteristics, all come from 0.1% of our DNA. That includes sexuality concerns. It seems to me pretty easy to conclude that excluding persons from a faith community because of their sexuality makes about as much sense as excluding someone because they are a redhead. Excluding people based on 0.1% seems to me to be a very weak position to hold compared to including people based on 99.9%!
The 21st century is nearly through its first quarter. As we think about the Christian faith being at a crossroads, I believe some self-examination is warranted on this and so many other issues. I have said many times, and I do believe this is a sound principle for process thought, if our theology gets contradicted by science, it is time to adjust our theology rather than rejecting the science. Even if we stipulate that we do not have certainty about these issues, we should take the position that it is better to be merciful than to be right. It is time to err on the side of welcoming and inclusiveness rather than exclusivity and rejection. My concern is that not doing so may push the church into a position of irrelevance.
Photo by Yingchih
Commentary on Tom Oord's Trial and Verdict by Jared Morningstar
My friend and colleague Thomas Jay Oord recently underwent an ecclesial trial in his denomination, the Church of the Nazarene, to determine whether he should be stripped of his ordination credentials as a result of his scholarship and activism delineating reasons the Church should be accepting and affirming of queer individuals.
Dr. Oord received the verdict today after passionately advocating a vision of love on the stand and unfortunately he was found guilty. All the worse, the disciplinary action the Church has decided to take as a result is to not only revoke his credentials, but his very membership in the Church as well.
As this saga has been unfolding these past few months, I’ve witnessed concerned friends question Tom as to why he even sticks around in his denomination when he experiences so much hostility and pushback from the authorities of the Church. His responses to these earnest and concerned questioners struck me very deeply: beyond mere fidelity and attachment to the religious community in which he was raised, Tom pointed out that there are, and will continue to be, queer kids who will be brought up in the Church of the Nazarene and they deserve to have someone advocating for them. They deserve to hear they are loved, accepted, and affirmed. They deserve to hear ideas that paint a different picture beyond the dominant perspective that their identities, forms of love, and modes of expression are perversions, sin, something ungodly.
This is a real, living ethic of love—to continue to place oneself in the midst of a community where one is lambasted, censured, and denounced in deeply cutting ways, all in order to pursue advocacy for others. Why? Because no one deserves to feel hopeless and forsaken by God merely for who they are, for their natural longings for intimacy. To dedicate oneself to such a vision, despite all the personal and professional sacrifice and hardship, is to truly take up the example of love Jesus disclosed in his ministry. Even as the Church of the Nazarene has made choices which seem to limit divine compassion and pastoral care to only those who fit a certain mold, I think Christians and people of all faiths are able to find a wonderful example of how to live out Jesus’ ethic of love in Dr. Oord.
Of course, there are open questions of sexual and social ethics brought to the fore by greater visibility of LGBTQ people and families these past few decades. To my mind, however, these do not extend to the question of whether queer people in their very identity are legitimate and worthy of love and acceptance. For all of my adult life, many of my closest friends and family have been gay, trans, and queer. The idea that these people who I love very deeply are—in their very existence as themselves—living in sin, involving themselves in something morally reprehensible, or corrupting social fabric is patently ridiculous. This sounds no more sane to my ears than if one attempted to make similar claims in regard to underrepresented racial groups.
Hearing Dr. Oord speak passionately in advocacy for his LBGTQ co-religionists has inspired me to be more steadfast in doing the same—even as it shall likely result in some controversy and opposition for me as well. Call me a heretic or a zindīq if you wish, but I know I will be in good company with those who live out an ethic of love such as Dr. Oord.
My own religious commitments are to a vision of pervasive and superabundant Divine compassion. If this was not what I found constantly foregrounded in my religious tradition, I would have continued my spiritual search elsewhere. I am queer affirming, not in spite of, but precisely because of my religious and spiritual commitments, even if this puts me at odds with much of the historical tradition. But that is nothing new—most abolitionists were also at odds with the human-historical religious authorities in their traditions, yet their perspectives have now become pervasive moral common sense. Today, to suggest slavery is at all acceptable is rightly viewed as ethically abhorrent and barbaric. I pray that such transformations may also occur in our religious traditions with regard to queer affirmation. May it happen in our lifetimes. Amīn.
A City Making Choices
UPDATE ON POMONA: A CITY THAT’S BUILDING COMMUNITY
Through the efforts of several of its members, Cobb Institute continues to infuse vitality and spiritual integration into key projects in Pomona that advance process and ecological principles. Much is happening that other communities might find inspiring and informative, and we actively invite relationships with cities that have or are considering similar goals.
Economic Transformation
Cobb Board members Linda Lowry and Dick Bunce and former board member Michael Witmer are making important contributions to the Pomona Valley Wellbeing Project, which is working to transform the economy of Pomona with collective impact strategies and worker-owned coops. CI helped bring sister agencies, the Institute for Ecological Civilization (Eco Civ) and WEAll California into the Project. With its grant writing capacity, EcoCiv helped secure a $200,000 grant to launch a new co-op. A previous grant of $650,000 was secured from the City to fund a job training program that launched last year.
Cobb Board member Linda Lowry—a former city manager of Pomona—continues to work with the Pomona Valley Public Bank study group, which is lobbying and educating for the formation of a public bank that will help focus investment locally and put bank profits to work for the common good.
Spiritual Growth
With strong encouragement and support from Compassionate Pomona, restorative practices have been introduced in all the public schools and a stress-reduction discipline called SKY Breathing has been adopted by the police; CP is hosting annual “Kindness Carnivals” where social service and NGOs promote their programs while attendees also enjoy arts, food, games, and music. Dick especially has been instrumental in the work of Compassionate Pomona for its entire existence. Presently, he and Michael are helping CP mount a public forum on a potentially transformative initiative on Pomona’s November ballot.
Community Development
Cobb Members have been generous with their time and money to support progressive candidates in city government. We helped the mayor win re-election in the spring primary, and are working for a creative, inspirational city council person who faces a November runoff.
Cobb Board Member, Prof. Richard Rose is working with Board Member Kat Reeves, and Michael Witmer, along with several community partners to adapt Prof. Roses’ college course, “Building the Beloved Community” for a multi-semester, online format to be offered through Cobb Institute. This effort is particularly notable because the course is being eagerly requested by numerous community partners, including Circle of Chairs, Compassionate Pomona, Claremont Friends Meeting, and two retirement communities.
Here I Stand: Poems From the Crossroads
Photo by Calin Stan
The Chosen Task
When paramedics bring
him back to life
he becomes Osiris
a broken god
I become Isis
travel the world
of therapies
reconstruct him
and pray
please give him nine lives
like the mythical cat,
but do not count
the first three.
By Georgette Unis
Snapshots
young love
they laugh
just because
mother to be
feels texture
of tiny dress
baby with furry toy
clutches, stares
smiles
backyard Maple
shines in afternoon
sun, sways
with breezes
and endless up down
of the swing
afternoons pass
leaves swirl
swing dangles free
rooms, hallways
once teeming
echo farewells
old man
alone now
eyes the bottle
walks toward it
then past it
into the yard
settles on the swing
surveys the night sky
and remembers
to say thank you
By Dick Bunce
The Coin
It is written somewhere in the code
of appropriate living
a senior should age gracefully
Who coined that phrase?
I grip it in my coat pocket
one side adhesion
the other separation
Is this a process of losing words
and how do I retrieve them?
I know how to ride a wave when it crests
but how to swim when it subsides?
Will my easel become an ornament, a memento?
Will my keyboard become silver beads
with indecipherable markings?
Still, what does it mean
to do anything with grace?
What is grace?
A choice or a gift
to hold or spend
Either way,
acceptance lies in its shadow
By Georgette Unis
A Chronicle of Ill Fate
I am six years old
on a handed down bike.
He trots beside me
one hand holds the bicycle seat
one stretched to steady
the wobbling handle bars.
Atta girl! Atta girl!
But then I pedal away
his track-team skills
no longer needed.
We ski on moguls.
I am lighter, faster,
he has more muscle
determined to beat me
to the bottom of the hill.
Years later, as an injured body he came
down a mountain where promised fun
became betrayal.
The ski patrol revived his heart, lifelines halted
by a bruised spinal cord, his immobile body,
an animal caught in a hunter’s net.
When surgery could not relieve his paralysis
disappointment seeped into his arteries, veins
and capillaries until it coated his skin.
No high-tech wheelchair, voice software, therapy
or faith could relieve his anger at his body’s failure.
Confetti masses formed in his lungs and brain.
Oncologists promised a year if he left it alone.
He knew his body couldn’t tolerate treatment
yet he determined to try.
continued
He was the keeper of my earliest adventures,
crayon marks on the window ledge,
nursery rhymes and songs out of tune,
tag football, races on the running track.
I became his adoration committee,
though there were days I hated him
for his ability to win every chess game,
his insistence I polish his shoes,
infractions pointless after a time.
My sister and I cloaked ourselves in grief as we
stumbled into a new arrangement of siblings
afraid if we let it go, he would disappear
like the thousand souls across the ocean
a tsunami claimed on the same morning
he finally paid his purgatory dues.
By Georgette Unis
Photo courtesy Irina Iriser
The Day After
It comes in the mail
a photograph on the catalogue cover
missive like a dream
with no address of origin
The centered light gilds clouds
radiates golden across a still lake
where fishermen gather on shore
One holds a rainbow trout
its gills outlined in yellow
and other iridescent colors
A row of houses and trees
appear in shadow
between the sky and water
a slightly familiar
mirror image
On this day after a holiday gathering
I wonder whether these places
are where I have been or
where I am to go
Shall I play the weary elder
sit on a bench and
contemplate
my history
or shall I prepare
for the next holiday
purchase gifts
set the table
When I turn this page
will I determine
whether the message is about
dawn or dusk
By Georgette Unis
Between the Worlds
I like to walk
in the early morning
while the world
is still sleeping
when the sky
is pink and orange
ribbons before
the sunrise spotlight
shows the waking monsters
before the newspaper
arrives with tales
of murdered children
I like to walk
between day
and night
in the time after
and the time before
I try to hold onto
this threshold
ask the world
to pause before
birthing the day
pause in this place
where nothing exists
but possibilities
where I can walk
the world into peace
By Kat Reeves
NUMBERS, 2013
On Friday December 20, they drive the forty-two
miles in one hour to 6500 Wilshire Blvd.
They arrive at 1:00pm for her son’s appointment
and wait ten minutes for the nurse to call him.
Young, just twenty-one, but unable to drive,
he’s here to be tested; this will take three hours.
Alone in the waiting room, Mother
brought Neruda and Dickens to read.
A couple enters, checks in, stating it has taken
three buses and four hours to arrive from Lynwood.
After their appointment, they ask the receptionist
for another bus voucher for the return ride home.
Oh, she says, there are no more vouchers
and I won’t have any until after the New Year.
But how will we get home? they ask.
We were promised . . . we don’t have money for buses.
Understanding this dilemma, Mother pulls
three twenties from her wallet, approaches
the couple, offers the money.
No, we cannot take this—this is too much.
Please, she answers, consider
this an early Christmas gift.
Percent of her monthly income—one.
Cost of giving—zero.
© Veronica Michalowski, March 4, 2022
im at a crossroad
(I) feel sad
A lot of the time
And I (have) so many
Doubts about whether
(To) bury my heart
Or (keep) it
With me
I am (trying) to decode
The echoes of myself
And I want to just
Give up.
By Georgia Marginson-Swart
“
Not I, nor anyone else can travel that road for you.
You must travel it by yourself.
It is not far. It is within reach.
Perhaps you have been on it since you were born, and did not know.
Perhaps it is everywhere - on water and land.
”
Possibilities and Choices
Heroes Needed: Taming the Monster in Our Midst
By Kathleen Reeves | Jul. 29, 2024
Dive into the heart of the human psyche with this provocative reflection as it unravels the enigmatic layers of fear that drive our destructive behaviors. Here Kat Reeves explores how our evolutionary need for social connection transforms into a monstrous force, exacerbated by modern social dynamics and political polarization. Discover the shadowy depths of collective fear, its impact on our society and hopes to build an ecological civilization.
According to Kat, as we battle this unseen monster within, we must recognize the influence of the collective unconscious and the archetypal potentials that fuel our fears. From the divisive power of social media to the survival instincts of hoarding and mistrust, this essay delves into the psychological roots of our most pressing societal issues.
Are you ready to face the monster?
The Case For Being Nobody
By Andre van Zijl | Feb. 23, 2024
What Andre van Zijl desires most of all is to be “nobody.” Inspired by the teachings of Ramakrishna, the 19th-century mystic and spiritual teacher, Andre has strived for ego transcendence and spiritual humility. By recognizing the transient nature of the self and surrendering personal desires and attachments, one can attain a state of egolessness where the boundaries between oneself and the universe blur, leading to a profound sense of oneness with all existence.
Facing the Fading of Becoming
By Richard Livingston |May 16, 2022
To understand the truth about reality is a common human impulse. And one of the many ways to satisfy that desire is the creation of and reflection on religious symbols. The most powerful sacred symbols have the capacity to illuminate not only the meaning of our lives but also the nature of our world. This piece considers one such symbol, and the beautifully tragic truth that it evokes.
Crowned in Lukumi
Kathleen Reeves | August 31, 2022
“I am crowned in Lukumi” is where artist Lolei Pavão begins. In this month’s Novel Becomings post, we explore art from the religions that grew from Africa. As African religions encountered other places they began a process of becoming something novel. In some of these practices, religion is a way of life, and can never be separated from life. Here we see art that is part of religious practices, and we get a rare peek into some of the religions of the African diaspora and the sacred art that guides us through this story.
The HwaBang: Where a Dweller Seeks Cosmic Harmony
Kathleen Reeves | July 3, 2023
Architecture is a form of art. Sung Sohn created a dome using Superadobe which is a form of earth-bag architecture. The building process was a conversation between Sung and the dome that involved the becoming of a HwaBang. A dome is a relational structure. The ceiling and the walls work together to hold everything in place. Sung shared his architectural drawings so we could peek into his imagination and dream with him—a dream that became an actual occasion.
Soundtrack: Roads and Choices
We are exploring music that captures the essence of life's pivotal moments. Here, we delve into the powerful themes of the road not taken, the crossroads we all face, and the blues that echo our deepest contemplations about choices and their consequences.
Music has a unique way of expressing the complexities of decision-making, the allure of the unknown, and the bittersweet emotions tied to paths we didn't choose which the Scottish Band, The High Kings express so beautifully. From the heartfelt blues of Robert Johnson (featured about with his story) that resonate with our struggles and triumphs to the evocative melodies of the Indigo Girls, that accompany our journeys, this section celebrates the artists and songs that beautifully articulate the human experience of pondering choices.
May the road rise to meet you in the path that you choose.
The Cobb Institute's Music in Process Cohort explores music together. We invite you to join us.
Adventures in Reading
Adventures Across Space and Mind
These historic times of decision making and trail breaking call for us to consider our routes with care: to look back to see how we got to this point even as we look forward to action. Two recent books can help in this endeavor. The first book examines the historical interplay of equality and autocracy. The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity by David Graeber and David Wengrow, (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2021) instantly became a best seller despite its daunting length (702 pages). Unlike other popular “big histories” such as Harari’s Humankind and Diamond’s The World Until Yesterday, this new book attacked the previous commonly held assumptions that societies inevitably became less equal as they become larger, more complex, wealthy and “civilized”. Graeber and Wengrow took another perspective. After examining the Enlightenment assumptions of both Hobbes (that humans are inherently adversarial) and Rousseau (that humans lived in equality in nature), they concluded that both rested on fallacious grounds. Instead, they used recent anthropological research to show that in the second millennium BCE, Native Americans built giant earthworks for mass gatherings, drawing people from hundreds of miles around. They argued that new evidence disputes the view that foragers lived simple, isolated lives.They particularly scorned the commonly held myth that the “savage” was ignorant as well as noble, pointing out that indigenous democratic councils developed skills and habits that enhanced their political awareness. In chapter after chapter, the authors stressed the variety and hybridity of early human societies, both hierarchical and non-hierarchical.
Photo by Jessica De Jonghe, 2024
They showed how peoples like the Cherokee and the Inuit alternated between authoritarianism and democracy depending on the season. Similarly, the rise of cities did not necessitate kings, priests and bureaucrats. Indus valley settlements such as Harappa (c.2600 BCE) show no signs of palaces or temples and instead suggest dispersed, not concentrated power. The real question, they argued, is why and how societies have become “stuck” in hierarchical structures. Their book has been criticized for failing to answer this question.[i] However, the authors had too much intellectual integrity to attempt facile solutions to these profoundly difficult questions. Instead, they urged us to appreciate the range of our choices: to admire experimentation, imagination, and playfulness, as well as the art of not being governed: to see the crossroads before us, and to act with wisdom for the future.
Graeber has been described as the Elvis of anthropology, a reference to the way he successfully subverted his discipline, made it sexy, and became a celebrity in the process.[ii] His immense popularity stemmed in part from his courage in breaking taboos. According to radical anthropologist Chris Knight, Graeber
took pleasure in finding striking exceptions to prevailing stereotypes or imagined laws. By integrating economics with history, archaeology, and ethnography, he left anthropology in a much better state than he found it.[iii]
Both authors had impressive credentials for making their arguments. Graeber was a professor at the London School of Economics, one of the world’s most famous anarchists, and an intellectual leader of the Occupy Wall Street movement. His PhD from the University of Chicago was based on his ethnographic research in Madagascar.[iv] He died suddenly from Covid-related pancreatitis at age 59, just three weeks after completing Dawn. He also published eight other books including Bull Shit Jobs, 2018. Graeber’s co-author, David Wengrow, professor of comparative archaeology at University College London, conducted archaeological excavations in Africa and the Middle East, most recently in Iraqi Kurdistan. His previous books included The Origins of Monsters, 2013, and What Makes Civilization? 2018.
Graeber and Wengrow ask us to look beyond the current class structure of society mired in layers of wealth, colonialism and racism. They ask us to envision communities of equality, caring and adaptability, capable of embracing change. In these days of mercantile interest, everything is being sliced, diced, and packaged for sale and resale. If we look beyond the stagnant decay of present society, we also need to look beyond the commodification and monetization of resources, services, arts, and ideas. Our second book, Common as Air, takes up this challenge.
[i] See for example: William Deresiewicz, “Human History Gets a Rewrite: A Brilliant New Account Upends Bedrock Assumptions about 30,000 Years of Change.” The Atlantic, November 2021. See also: Chris Knight, “Wrong about Almost Everything; Review of 'The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity by David Graeber and David Wengrow,” Submitted by hedgehog on January 13, 2022.
[ii] Erica Laglisse, “The Elvis of Anthropology: Eulogy for David Graeber,” The Sociological Review, October, 2020.
[iii] Chris Knight, “Did Communism Make Us Human? On the anthropology of David Graeber: A Critique of David Graeber’s Understanding of Communism.” Submitted by hedgehog on July 14, 2021.
[iv] David Graeber, Lost People: Magic and the Legacy of Slavery in Madagascar, (Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press, 2007).
Common As Air
In this work Lewis Hyde examines the crossroads between common and private property. Common as Air: Revolution, Art and Ownership (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2010) argues for a communally held right of access to shared resources such as air, seas, woods, pastures, and ideas. In his New York Times book review, Robert Darnton called Hyde's book, Common as Air, "an eloquent and erudite plea for protecting our cultural patrimony from appropriation by commercial interests."[1]
In his 2007 bestseller, The Gift: Creativity and the Artist in the Modern World, Hyde defended the value of creativity and its importance in a culture increasingly governed by money and overrun with commodities. In this newer book, he explores the concept of commons and community and their relationship to the creation of our democracy. Visitors to New England may recall with fondness the Boston Commons and the verdant green commons at the center of every small town. These were common pastures where citizens could bring their animals to graze safely at night. Hyde takes us back to their medieval origins and then shows how they were destroyed by the Enclosure Acts that began with the dawn of the industrial revolution. The emerging wool industry in the late middle ages led farmers to attempt to enclose their sheep pastures. Between 1604 and 1914 over 5,200 individual acts were passed to enclose over 28,000 square kilometers of land in England. Hyde argues that the threat of these enclosures was very much in the minds of founding fathers, as was their commitment to a commonly held body of knowledge. The founders Jefferson, Adams, and Franklin believed that created works should belong largely in the commons so as to enable democratic self-governance. Echoing the founders, Hyde proposes that cultural properties should belong largely in the commons, to enable certain kinds of collective being–civic, creative, and spiritual, which are valuable in their own right. However, he points out that the public domain has turned out to be highly vulnerable to private capture. He then asks: How might this vulnerability be reduced?
Using the example of free software programs, Hyde gives four freedoms that could guide our quest:
- the freedom to run the program for any purpose
- the freedom to study how the program works and adapt to needs
- the freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor
- the freedom to improve the program and release improvements to the public so that the whole community benefits[2]
Hyde worries along with Jurgen Habermas about the potential refeudalization of the public sphere: the fusion of news and advertising, the corporate ownership of media, and the return of government secrecy.[3] In the modern age, the worst form of tyranny has arisen when state power commands every other sphere. Almost as dangerous, however, is that of commercial power–capital. Hyde suggests that the monied spheres which now threaten domination are a handful of influential fiefdoms within the kingdom of capital: most importantly, entertainment and biotech. It is not so much their values, he believes, but the power of their reach that is so threatening. Despite these dangers, Hyde remains optimistic:
The public domain has turned out to be an unregulated, common-pool resource, subject to all sorts of cunning appropriations. There are ways to protect it, however, and thus preserve it as a durable cultural commons.[4]
We can only hope that Hyde’s optimism is well placed and that we will do everything we can to bring it into a reality. To accomplish this goal, we will need Graeber and Wengrow’s vision to admire experimentation, imagination, and playfulness: to see the crossroads before us, and to act with wisdom for the future.
[1] Robert Darnton, “A Republic of Letters,” New York Times, August 8, 2010.
[2] Lewis Hyde, Common as Air: Revolution, Art and Ownership, (New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2010) p. 219.
[3] Jurgen Habermas, The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere. Translated by Thomas Burger and Frederick Lawrence, (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1991.)
[4] Hyde, Common as Air, p. 214.
Exploring Myths: Meeting Hecate at the Crossroad:
Making Soul-Shaping Decisions
In the ancient days of myth and legend, the world was a battleground for the forces of order and chaos. The Olympian gods, rulers of the cosmos, found themselves under attack from a fearsome group of beings known as the Giants. These enormous, powerful creatures, born from the blood of Uranus, sought to overthrow the gods and claim dominion over the heavens.
The battle that ensued was known as the Gigantomachy, a cataclysmic clash that shook the very foundations of the earth. The Olympian gods, led by Zeus, prepared for war. Among them was Hecate, the goddess of magic, witchcraft, and the night. Though not always counted among the primary Olympian deities, Hecate’s loyalty to the gods and her formidable powers made her an invaluable ally.
As the Giants surged forward, their colossal forms casting long shadows over the battlefield, Hecate stood resolute. With her torches blazing in each hand, she invoked the ancient and arcane powers that were her domain. Her presence was both awe-inspiring and terrifying, a beacon of hope and a harbinger of doom for her enemies.
The battle raged fiercely. The Giants, towering and ferocious, wielded immense strength and savage fury. They tore at the earth, hurling mountains and uprooting forests in their quest to overthrow the Olympian order. The gods fought back with equal determination, their divine powers clashing against the raw might of the Giants.
Hecate moved through the chaos like a shadow, her torches illuminating the dark battlefield. With incantations and spells, she summoned the elements to her aid. Fire erupted from the ground, consuming the Giants in searing flames. Bolts of lightning, called forth by her magical prowess, struck with unerring precision, felling even the mightiest of the Giants.
In the midst of the fray, Hecate encountered Clytius, a giant of immense power and ferocity. He loomed over her, his eyes burning with hatred for the gods. With a cry that echoed across the battlefield, Hecate confronted him. She raised her torches high, and a blinding light filled the air. Clytius, momentarily blinded, stumbled back. Seizing the opportunity, Hecate unleashed a torrent of magical energy, enveloping the giant in a storm of fire and lightning. Clytius roared in pain and fury before collapsing to the ground, defeated.
Her actions inspired the gods and demoralized the Giants. The tide of the battle began to turn in favor of the Olympians. One by one, the Giants fell before the combined might of the gods and their allies. Hecate’s presence was pivotal, her magic and courage tipping the scales in the gods’ favor.
As the final giant was vanquished, the battlefield fell silent. The Olympian gods stood victorious, their reign secure once more. Hecate, her torches still burning bright, was hailed as a hero. Her bravery and power had played a crucial role in preserving the divine order.
From that day forward, Hecate was honored not just as a goddess of magic and the night, but also as a protector of the Olympian realm. Her role in the Gigantomachy showcased her strength, loyalty, and the profound respect she commanded among the gods. She remained a powerful and enigmatic figure, revered by those who understood the delicate balance between light and dark, order and chaos.
This story underscores Hecate’s formidable abilities and her unwavering support for the Olympian gods, highlighting her as a crucial figure in maintaining cosmic order.
“
Homecomer, hitcher, phantom rider,
White lady wants what’s been denied her,
Gather-grim knows what you fear the most,
But best keep away from the crossroads ghost.
Talk to the poltergeist, talk to the haunt,
Talk to the routewitch if it’s what you want.
Reaper’s in the parlor, seizer’s in a host,
But you’d best keep away from the crossroads ghost.
”
Hecate, image courtesy Paleothea
After the fall of Troy, the once-mighty city lay in ruins, its people scattered and enslaved. Among the survivors was Hecuba, the grieving queen of Troy. She had lost her husband, King Priam, her sons, and her beloved city. Her heart was heavy with sorrow and despair.
As the Greek forces prepared to depart, taking with them the spoils of war and the enslaved Trojan women, Hecuba faced a cruel fate. She was to be taken as a slave, a stark fall from her former position of power and respect. In her anguish, she wandered the desolate shores near the ruins of her homeland, mourning the loss of her family and her city.
Amidst her sorrow, Hecuba prayed to the gods for deliverance, her cries echoing through the deserted landscape. The gods, moved by her plight, decided to intervene. Among them was Hecate, the goddess of magic, witchcraft, and transformation. Known for her ability to traverse the realms of the living and the dead, and her affinity for animals, particularly dogs, Hecate took pity on the fallen queen.
Hecate appeared before Hecuba, her presence both awe-inspiring and comforting. "Queen Hecuba," she said, "your suffering is great, and the gods have heard your cries. I will grant you a new form, one that will free you from the bonds of your sorrow and protect you from further harm."
With a wave of her hand, Hecate invoked her magical powers. A shimmering light enveloped Hecuba, and her form began to change. Her body transformed, shrinking and reshaping until she took the shape of a black dog. In this new form, Hecuba retained her consciousness and memories but was freed from the human grief and pain that had plagued her.
As a dog, Hecuba roamed the shores of Troy, her keen senses and newfound agility allowing her to survive in the wild. Hecate watched over her, ensuring her safety and guiding her path. The transformation was both a gift and a protection, granting Hecuba a new life free from the suffering she had endured.
Over time, the people of the surrounding lands began to speak of a mysterious black dog that roamed the ruins of Troy, a creature said to be both fierce and wise. They believed it was a guardian spirit, sent by the gods to watch over the fallen city and its memory.
Hecate's connection with Hecuba in her new form underscored the goddess's dominion over transformation and her protective nature. Dogs, often associated with Hecate, became symbols of her power and presence. The tale of Hecuba's transformation became a testament to Hecate's compassion and her ability to bring solace and protection to those in need.
Through this myth, Hecate was revered not only as a goddess of magic and the night but also as a protector of the downtrodden and a master of transformation. Her association with animals, particularly dogs, highlighted her unique role in the pantheon of gods, bridging the realms of the living and the divine, and offering hope and protection to those who called upon her.
This story emphasizes Hecate's compassionate side, her powers of transformation, and her protective nature, particularly in relation to animals and those who suffer.
Experience Hecate at the Crossroads
Become attuned to the enveloping night, listening to the whispers in the darkness. A path unfolds before you, its way lit by the lantern clutched in your hand. Step onto it. As you advance, feel the ground beneath you, a path paved with obsidian stones, dark and foreboding. Under the lantern’s glow, the path shimmers like mirrors reflecting all the choices that took you to this place. You traverse this path, descending further and further, until you see a figure standing in the place where three roads meet. The roads beyond do not shimmer nor do they reflect your past. You have not traveled beyond this point, this concrescence. You are at the crossroads.
The mysterious figure awaits. She is in shadow. She is in mystery. She is Hecate, the Ancient One, the Crone Goddess.
She stands in front of you holding a box. Within it is a gift she has brought for you to take along the road you will walk in the coming year. As you stand before her, the box opens. You see what she has brought for you. You reach out and receive the gift and offer your gratitude.
You will have time to reflect on the gift’s message and how you will use it.
She extends Her hand to you, and you grasp it. At this crossroad, where your path intersects with two others, a choice lies before you.
Each path extends toward you, beckoning. Which one will you choose? They stretch out before you, each promising something you desire. They shimmer and call out before you. Seek Hecate's guidance in making your choice. She has already imparted a message to you through her gift. At this intersection, Hecate sits and gestures for you to join Her. Feel the power of the web of intersecting paths vibrating beneath your feet. Relax... Breathe deeply and sense the vibrations within your body... Feel the energy of the invitation.
The vibrations from the web intensify, sweeping through you like gusts of wind. They engulf you, surround you, hold you... The strong energy of these vibrations will guide you on your journey tonight... You release everything—thoughts, feelings, memories, choices, actions. A profound sense of peace envelops you, reminding you that Hecate is with you, ready to assist . . .
The winds wrap around you, lifting you into flight. They carry you, swaying from side to side, then ascending higher and higher. Hecate flies with you, soaring ever upwards. She urges you to observe the paths below. The crisscross patterns of shining silver threads spread beneath you like a vast web. Countless paths twist and turn, intersecting and re-crossing. A colossal web represents your life's journey, composed of thousands of tiny paths, each crossing and forming the patterns of your choices. From above, they appear small and insignificant, just paths, just possibilities, just choices.
As you look around, you notice other webs surrounding you. . . . Some threads pass through your web, others close enough to touch. These are not your paths to walk. . . . Floating above your web, you see these paths, ever so close, belong to others. You focus on your own web, with its intricate intersecting paths and the many routes you can take. . . . marvel at the tiny threads crisscrossing in wondrous complexity to create the patterns of your web.
The winds calm, and you gently descend back to the ground. You find yourself once again at the crossroads with Hecate.
Artist: Dante Gabriel Rossetti. 1882
Hacate speaks:
I sit in the blackness of the dark moon night
With my hounds at the crossroads
Where three roads converge
The place of choice
All paths lead to this place
Only one can you travel
Only one can you choose
Choice creates endings
All beginnings come from endings at the crossroads
Which one will you choose?
Which way will you go?
Which direction with you face?
Though the choice is yours
I’ll tell you this
The way to choose is to hear the call
Follow the lure
Then enter the space
The void at the in between place
The way to choose is to let go
The way to choose is to fly free
Then all becomes one within you
Image courtesy WikiMedia
Hecate releases your hand and you express your gratitude for the insight and clarity She has provided. She turns and vanishes into the night, accompanied by Her hounds...
You take three deep breaths and, slowly as you exhale, and take a step forward.
“
When the winter winds blow and the Yule fires are lit, it is best to stay indoors, safely shut away from the dark paths and the wild heaths. Those who wander out by themselves during the Yule-nights may hear a sudden rustling through the tops of the trees - a rustling that might be the wind, though the rest of the wood is still.
But then the barking of dogs fills the air, and the host of wild souls sweeps down, fire flashing from the eyes of the black hounds and the hooves of the black horses
”
Go Deeper: Hekate: Guardian of the Crossroads by Monte Plaisance
At the very heart of the Thessalian religion, where the boundaries between the mortal and the divine blur into mystical obscurity, there stands a goddess whose multifaceted presence serves as the very core of the religion itself. She has captivated the imaginations of countless souls throughout the ages. Enter the enigmatic world of Hekate, the Guardian of the Crossroads, in this illuminating exploration of Thessalian religion, mythology, and mysticism.
Within the pages of this short book, the Church of Thessaly, one of the oldest ancient Hellenic Religious Organizations in the United States, takes you on a journey deep into the myths and mysteries that shroud Hekate, the goddess of magic, witchcraft, and the liminal spaces. Beyond the grandeur of Olympus, her shadowy realms and the profound depth of her power are unveiled, revealing a story of transformation, intuition, and the mystical journey of the soul.
"Hekate: Guardian of the Crossroads" beckons you to delve into the rich tapestry of Hekate's influence, a deity who straddles the worlds of both mortals and immortals. She is the mistress of magic, the guide through life's transitions, and the embodiment of the secrets that lie within the hidden corners of existence.
This book invites you to immerse yourself in Hekate's mysterious world, where the lines between light and darkness, life and death, and past and future blur. Journey through the ages to discover the timeless lessons of transformation, empowerment, and the boundless depths of feminine wisdom that Hekate embodies.
You will be entranced by Hekate's alluring and enigmatic presence, and you will come to understand that within the crossroads of existence, there is a goddess who holds the keys to the unseen realms and the hidden truths of the universe.
"Hekate: Guardian of the Crossroads" pays homage to the goddess whose mystique has guided seekers and mystics through the ebb and flow of life's mysteries. Prepare to be enchanted by the enduring spirit of a deity whose influence continues to illuminate the path for those who seek the magic, wisdom, and transformation of the liminal spaces.
A Diversity of Relgious Celebrations
September 2024
- September 11 – Coptic New Year/Nayrouz: A feast day that commemorates martyrs and confessors in Coptic Orthodox Christianity.
- September 15 - September 16* – Mawlid: The celebration of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad in the Islamic faith. Observance varies significantly by community.
- September 17 to October 2 – Pitru Paksha: A period when members of the Hindu faith pay homage to their ancestors.
- September 21 to September 24 – Mabon: Pagan and Wiccan religions use this day to mark the autumnal equinox. Dates and duration vary.
October 2024
- October 2 (sundown) to October 4 (sundown)– Rosh Hashanah:The two-day Jewish New Year that highlights rest and reflection. Is the first of the High Holidays and the 10 Days of Awe. Observance includes refraining from work, attending services, hearing the sound of the shofar, and holiday meals.
- October 3 to October 11 – Navaratri: A festival in the Hindu faith that celebrates the Goddess Durga.
- October 11 (sundown) to October 12 (sundown) – Yom Kippur:This is the holiest day of the year in the Jewish faith, also known as the Day of Atonement and the end of the 10 Days of Awe. It is the second of the High Holidays devoted to prayer, repentance, and fasting. It is the most widely observed Jewish holiday of the year. Observance includes refraining from work, refraining from eating and drinking from sundown to sundown, and attending religious services.
- October 12 – Dussehra: The final day of a 10-day Hindu festival that honors Asuj Navratras.
- October 16* to October 23 – Sukkot: A day commemorating when Jews journeyed to the desert on the way to the promised land.
- October 31-Nov 1 – Samhain, Sauin or Oíche Shamhna is a Gaelic festival marking the end of the harvest season and beginning of winter or "darker half" of the year. It is also the Irish language name for November. Celebrations begin on the evening of 31 October or 30 April, since the Celtic day began and ended at sunset.
- October 31 - Nov. 4 – Diwali: A 5-day festival celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains. It honors gods, goddesses, harvests, New Years, etc.
November 2024
- November 1-2 – Dias de los Muertos, Samhain, All Saints, and All Souls: Multiple overlapping religious traditions and cultures, including Wiccan/Neo-Pagan and Christian communities and Mexican and other Latin/x communties. Observance and duration vary.
- November 2 – Anniversary of the Crowning of Haile Selassie: The day when Haile Selassie ascended the Ethiopian throne. This is one of the holiest days in the Rastafarian year.
- November 2 – Birth of the Bab: A day honoring the birthday of a co-founder of the Baha’i faith.
- November 3 – Birth of Baha’u’llah: One of the nine holy days in the Baha’i faith that honors the birthday of one of the co-founders.
- November 15* – Guru Nanak Ji’s Birthday: A day commemorating the birth of Guru Nanak Ji who founded Sikhism.
- November 30 – St. Andrew’s Feast Day: St. Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, Greece, Russia, Ukraine, Barbados, and Romania. This day honors him, his good works, and his canonization in the Catholic Church.
Next Season: Winter
The next issue of Seasons will by published in December, and will explore the theme:
Our Stories
Like chapters in a book, each phase of life adds depth, complexity, and richness to their story. Our stories are not just chronicles of events but are imbued with our dreams, challenges, and triumphs. As we share our stories with others—whether through a simple conversation, art, writing, or daily actions—we offer a glimpse into the diverse and dynamic human spirit. In recognizing that everyone has a unique and unfolding story, we can foster deeper connections and a greater understanding of the vast human experience.
Photo courtesy Arūnas Naujokas
"Surely everyone is aware of the divine pleasures which attend a wintry fireside; candles at four o'clock, warm hearthrugs, tea, a fair tea-maker, shutters closed, curtains flowing in ample draperies to the floor, whilst the wind and rain are raging audibly without.”
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