This question gets to the heart of the problem for the mystic who writes about the divine.

From my real-life mystical experiences and those of my mother before me, I trust that it is true that all is divine, however mysteriously.

But what If I’m deluded? I have to give you that I may be. But not because I’m wrapped in a cocoon of spiritual bypassing. I can see what’s wrong in the world; it makes my heartache. As a child of the 60s in Germany, I was terrified of global nuclear annihilation. At night before sleep, I was often…

How you can replace habits without guilt, self-abuse, or shame

“Your gentleness shall force
more than your force move us to gentleness.”
― William Shakespeare, As You Like It

Last night, I fell asleep with the thought, “Henry, remember what you wrote about how important impulse control is. Go ahead, prove that you can do it. You can leave the phone on the nightstand.” And I did. And this morning, I woke up, feeling proud because, for the first time in years, I didn’t automatically grab my phone and scroll through the news.

I’ve been wanting to back off from…

A FINAL HOLIDAY MESSAGE FOR 2020 FROM ME TO YOU

The Festive Season this year looks so different from what we’re used to because of Covid-19. It has cast a long shadow that deepened as the year went on, and that will extend far into 2021.

For those who are by themselves in their place, it’s especially hard. Because of safety measures, there’s not even the possibility of escape into the company of strangers at a bar or restaurant or mall.

If that’s you, my heart flies to yours, and I’m sending you Reiki healing and divine loving feeling.

Many…

One cruel moment in episode #1 and I couldn’t watch anymore

The clip lasts only for a few seconds but it delivers a harsh jolt in an otherwise jovial show. A pale pink and sinewy octopus is seen on a metal surface desperately trying to get away. Moments before, the host of Amazon’s Our Man in Japan, James May, describes the extraordinary intelligence of this species. What you hear elicits a sense of awe and wonder. And then, the next thing you know, there’s the shot of one of those amazing creatures trying to escape being “processed.” It’s a real…

Risking the treacherous outdoors during a pandemic.

On Wednesday, we went to Lincoln Park. We decided on the bluff trail thinking the lower promenade that winds its way along the shore would be dangerously crowded. And the upper walk enticed us with its promise of the soothing shade from oaks and cedars, blue douglas firs, and ponderosa pines.

The bridge that crosses the Duwamish river which separates West Seattle from Seattle was closed, discouraging, we hoped, just the right amount of park goers. This turned out to be true. We found a parking space right at the mouth of the…

A magical hidden room provides solace | Portal Fantasy

I love my partner so much . We are lucky to have each other. No, not lucky — blessed. We tell each other everything. There are no subjects cordoned off with velvet rope. No emotional do-not-touch signs. We both cherish that about our relationship. So imagine my surprise that after almost two decades of partnership, I have a secret. One that I plan to maybe keep because I just can’t seem to envision letting them, or anyone else know. This secret is so exquisite, I don’t ever want to be without…

Shouldn’t we live and let live?

Recently, I posted on social media, requesting of people that they please stop “picking” flowers. “Picking” is a euphemism hiding the fact that we’re separating them from their life-giving source. Flowers, like all of nature, are living manifestations of the Divine and deserve to have their lives honored on their own terms, not as decorative objects in our homes.

I was blessed to get one response which was enough to carry on the conversations. The innocuous enough reply informed me that the individual grows flowers for the garden as well as the house. …