Metaphysical Musings

January 6, 2022 Today is the Feast of the Epiphany, when tradition celebrates the arrival of the Magi (Wise Men) from the East, offering gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to honor the birth of Jesus. Their astrological and astronomical studies had predicted that the advent of an unusually bright star would herald the coming…

Time-travel fascinates me. It must fascinate others, too, because if you are looking, there are many movies and books that feature time-travel. The most popular recent series is Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. I’ve read all her books and watched some of the films. Other sources are various episodes of Star Trek, and of course the…

My father was the parent I was closest to. As noted in a previous post, my mother and I had some difficulties, so it was natural to gravitate toward Dad. Besides, he was usually in good humor, whereas Mom could be moody and unpredictable. He was born in Gardner, Massachusetts but lived most of his…

In the past four years, I have lost three of my remaining four elders: my father, my uncle, and my aunt. My remaining elder—my mother—has what is probably vascular dementia, and so exists in the “in-between.” Her body is alive, she eats heartily, but speech is difficult and often incoherent so it is difficult to…

“You are enough!” is the cry of those who claim to be wise in the matters of psychological and spiritual health. “No, I’m not!” is the response from those of us who have felt the sting of shame. According to Karla McLaren—whose book The Language of Emotions is a remarkable foray into the tangled web…

A boat that is moored is secured against drifting with the current or the tide. Unless a boat or ship is being steered in a certain direction—in other words, unless it is moving to a purpose—mooring keeps it safe. Humans need mooring, too. We need some person or belief or community in which to feel…