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A Dog, a Dream, and a Prize: Jung in the Heartland

325 I sit in a woman therapist’s office. On my lap, I hold a dog, too large to be a lap dog. The dog trembles against me in fear. I pull her against my breasts and belly,

Forgiveness Revisited: Resolving Old Resentments

On July 25, 2017 / Bereavement and End of Life, Family and Friends / 34 Comments

137 My son’s partner Jenna had a dream last month. In her dream, My mother-in-law Virginia is dead. Jenna wipes Virginia’s face with a warm wet cloth and Virginia’s eyes pop open. Alive! Jenna is upset because

The Black Madonna Wore Pink: Marion Woodman, 1988

On July 11, 2017 / Psychology and Mythology, Spirituality / 20 Comments

754 I felt compelled to go. I wasn’t sure why. A friend had invited me to a weekend workshop on the Black Madonna led by Jungian analyst and writer Marion Woodman. In 1988, I had a few

When the Bluebirds Fledged

On June 27, 2017 / My Land and Home, Nature, Spirituality / 32 Comments

143 Birds make great sky-circles of their freedom. How do they learn it? They fall, and falling, they’re given wings. ―Rumi. In April, the female claimed the nesting box closest to my house, just down the driveway

6 Ways to Invite Love to a Death Anniversary

On June 13, 2017 / Bereavement and End of Life, My Land and Home / 44 Comments

3198 “Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that have been built against it.” ~Rumi On June 3, the ninth anniversary of my husband Vic’s

I Will Help You: Palliative Care Support Before Hospice

On May 30, 2017 / Bereavement and End of Life, Family and Friends / 30 Comments

191 I asked my mother-in-law’s doctor to order a palliative care consultation when we saw him a few weeks ago. Our local Hospicare has a program called PATH (Personal Attention to Health). I was desperate for help and advice.

Everything Leads to You

On May 16, 2017 / Bereavement and End of Life, Psychology and Mythology / 25 Comments

141 “This much I know. Everything leads to You.” Deborah Gregory, “In Full Flower” from A Liberated Sheep in a Post Shepherd World *** You were in my dream last night, healthy, waving from across the room.

Three Little Love Stories on the Anniversary of A Brother’s Death

On May 2, 2017 / Bereavement and End of Life, Family and Friends / 29 Comments

107 1950 Jim and I sat in the backseat, our faces out opposite windows. The wind dried our sweat into salty white stains. Daddy was sick, so our parents had pulled a tiny Airstream to Arizona for a virus-free winter. We

The Delicate Dance between Mother and Crone

On April 18, 2017 / Family and Friends, My Land and Home / 32 Comments

272 My son Anthony sent a text last week. “Leaving San Francisco now.” Their move to rural New York had been planned for many months, so that was no surprise. I wanted to write back: “Watch out for

Reclaiming Inner Peace in an Agitated World

On April 4, 2017 / Spirituality / 29 Comments

186 “Ultimately, we have just one moral duty: to reclaim large areas of peace in ourselves, more and more peace, and to reflect it toward others. And the more peace there is in us, the more peace there will also be in our troubled