Quest for Manitou

Looking toward the tail of the Great Serpent,         In my own story in Marked by Fire: Stories of the Jungian Way, I told a big dream I had as a young adult in which I was introduced to the word manitou. The word was so compelling I began a search to… Read more »

More About Mystery: Marked by Fire Stories

The Path of Contemplating Mystery, Pisa, Italy       Opening to mystery: such a creative act! My job as analyst is often helping people tolerate the anxiety of mystery long enough to enter the portal of the unknown. So often we scramble to the so-called safety of the known, concentrate on adaptation, the tasks… Read more »

On Seeds and Chaos

Black Oak Seed     Rudolf Steiner stated that when matter’s complexity is taken to its most ultimate degree (as in the seed), it disintegrates, and chaos ensues. Carl Jung would call this enantiodromia: the tendency to change into the opposite, “especially as a supposed governing principle of natural cycles and of psychological development” (New… Read more »

Olivia and the Goats

When you are short, it is important to stick close to an adult! Negotiating with Dasher.       Last month my great niece, five year old Olivia, visited with her grandmother, my sister Judy. We did the usual things when people visit: spent an afternoon on the paths through the redwood giants of Armstrong… Read more »

Biodynamic Preparation 505: Oak Bark

The bark of an old friend. Biodynamic Preparation 505: Oak Bark Our first introduction to Biodynamic Compost Preparation 505, Oak Bark, was as one of the ten sprays our biodynamic consultant used to ripen a failing mountain vineyard. It was already late September and the grapes were six weeks behind schedule. The winemaker informed us… Read more »

Biodynamic Prep 503: Chamomile

Biodynamic Prep 503: Chamomile By the time your read this, my second grandson may be born. His due date is today, August 1. This topic seems particularly appropriate as I associate chamomile with children, and particularly babies. The homeopathic remedy chamomile is often used for a newborn colicky baby to help sooth a digestive system… Read more »

Biodynamic Prep 507: Challenges of Valerian

Valerian in our garden. Biodynamic Prep 507: Challenges of Valerian Until I was well into my Jungian analysis and had personally experienced the paradox of dark light, I could not have understood the mystery of valerian. We planted the seeds in our garden, not knowing the looks of the plant. When the seeds vigorously sprouted and… Read more »