Below is one of my favorite poems by Mevlâna Jalâluddîn Rumi. This one is a translation by the American poet, Coleman Barks.There is an interview with Coleman here, in which he speaks to the idea, near and dear to my heart, that ecstatic states are not necessarily limited to transcendent, meditative states that one patiently works years to experience, but …
Dreamland
"Myth is the dream of the people - the dream is the myth of the individual" Herbert Silberer Whether my attraction to liminal states comes from a lifelong interest in dream states, or attention to dreams leads to an interest in liminal, non-ordinary states, or a mix of both, is unclear. Perhaps it's the persuasive …
Character
"A man's character is his fate." Heraclitus (540 BC - 480 BC), On the Universe "If the final purpose of aging is character, then character finishes life, polishes it into a more lasting image." James Hillman If I have felt compelled towards living life closer to the margins, seeking out what is obscure, liminal, or for …
Crystal Blue Persuasion
In the latter part of my recent post, Primordial Necessity, I offered some reflections on Ananke and the idea of Necessity as a compelling force, which are based on James Hillman's Eranos Conference speech titled, Athene, Ananke, and the Necessity of Abnormal Psychology. Here, I would like to continue on with Hillman's insights into the significant role the goddess Athena plays …
Carry On
I was going through some old posts of mine and found this one about the story teller Michael Meade. Michael is someone whose life has been courageous, and yet, it is easy to see that his past, with the deep wounds he suffered, were very much a catalyst that find him in the place he …