“We are at this moment participating in one of the very greatest leaps of the human spirit to a knowledge not only of outside nature, but also of our own deep inward mystery.”—Joseph Campbell While Joseph Campbell lived, he was considered as perhaps the most important scholar of the mythologies of the world. His seminal … Continue reading The Man, The Myth, The Legend
The title of this posting has expanded well beyond my initial idea for it, and as I explored a number of resources in the research phase of the writing process, I began to see part of the reason why there is a kind of muddling in the terminology between all of those listed in the … Continue reading Metaphysical, Mystical, Mythological, Metaphorical, or Just Plain Mysterious?
During my recent sojourn into the wilderness, I took advantage of the opportunities provided by several days of inclement weather to catch up on reading a book by science journalist and Yale professor, Carl Zimmer, entitled “Life’s Edge.” Several of my recent encounters with the natural world have brought the title of his book vividly … Continue reading Life’s Edges
I finally had a chance to post the poem I worked on during my recent trip into the mountains, and hope my readers and visitors will enjoy this brief video. https://videopress.com/v/SlIyuuM6?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true Here is the text of the poem, so you can read along as I recite it. Enjoy! The Only Light in the Wilderness The … Continue reading Light in the Wilderness
Reflecting back over the years of my life now has taken on a wholly different character and sense of urgency. Each time I sit down to write these days, I am reminded by all of the objects surrounding me that the accumulation of years has also resulted in an enormous accumulation of memories and souvenirs … Continue reading A Writer’s Journey
View of the lake in the Pennsylvania mountains Several times during the year, I have recently been able to enjoy the exceptional privilege to be invited to my sister's lakehouse in Pennsylvania, occasionally for family gatherings, and sometimes simply for the pleasure of a visit. As someone who savors opportunities for communing with the natural … Continue reading Enriched Beyond Measure
“Without consciousness there would, practically speaking, be no world, for the world exists for us only in so far as it is consciously reflected by a psyche. Consciousness is a precondition of being. Thus the psyche is endowed with the dignity of a cosmic principle, which philosophically and in fact gives it a position co-equal … Continue reading Jung’s Psychological Reflections at Year’s End
“Were a star quenched on high, For ages would its light, Still travelling from the sky, Shine on our mortal sight. So when a great man dies, For years beyond our ken, The light he leaves behind him lies Upon the paths of men.” --Henry Wadsworth Longfellow from his poem, “Ode to Charles Sumner” While … Continue reading The Light We Leave Behind
“See, hear, learn, and understand; and write when there is something that you know; and not before; and not too damned much after.” –Ernest Hemingway It’s good advice to use your experience of life, to take in what you perceive in the interest of a better understanding of life, and then to write when you … Continue reading An Extraordinary Life
Brilliantly blue sunlit skies combined with especially brisk winter temperatures this morning, and presented me with two seemingly contradictory experiences simultaneously. As I sat alone at my desk, sunlight streamed through the windows of my home office, and I could feel the warmth of its rays on my hand as the pen I was … Continue reading Blue Skies and Biocentrism
John's Consciousness 