You can still celebrate the Summer Solstice with the Tree of Life Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 5603 Bull Valley Road in McHenry this Friday, June 23 beginning at 8 pm. with   readings, chants, drumming, dancing, and singing.   The public is welcome to attend. We’ll mark the first day of Summer, when the Sun reaches the highest point in the sky. This moment is sacred for many Earth-centered religions. Weather permitting, we will meet outside. Bring a lawn chair, bug spray, a drum if you have one, and a snack for the fairies—something shaped like the Sun, colored like the Sun, or grilled over fire. In gathering, we share our delight in the abundant sunlight, take a moment to send prayers to the wind, and affirm our sacred lov...

Although the Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, has been marked and celebrated across cultures since pre-historic times, it is today celebrated mostly—understandably—in the most northern climes.  A day on or near the Solstice is still a widely celebrated public holiday—Midsummer’s Day—in most of Scandinavia, the Baltic nations and in Quebec.  It is a widely observed unofficial celebration in Ireland and northern England and in several other countries. Of course, in the Southern Hemisphere it is the Winter Solstice and celebrated with many of the traditions imported by Europeans for that occasion .   At dusk on Midsummer's Eve young women neo-pagans launch miniature rafts with burning candles in Baltic areas like Est...

Marking the third anniversary of the COVID lockdown, I'm using this blog to reflect on this time and to point towards the audio archive Doorstep Revolution, a project I was part of putting together as part of Gentle/Radical.The seventh episode contains stories of health, illness and healing. These are some of the stories of people who caught the virus, as well as reflections on masks, social

Solstice Blessings from The Wild Hunt! Continue reading June Solstice Blessings! at The Wild Hunt.

Many Unitarian Universalist congregations celebrate the transition of youth into young adults this time of year, in a ceremony known as Bridging. Too often, though, we fail to meet people on the other side of the bridge. It is up to all of us to make transitions like this one celebrations of change within a … Continue reading Bridging

Taken with a Fuji X100V using Anders Lindborg and John Sevigny’s Kodak T-Max P3200 recipe Just click on the photo to enlarge it  

The celebration of Juneteenth has come and gone, but we continue to celebrate Black Excellence every day, recognizing the remarkable contributions and resilience of Black individuals and communities throughout history. It is essential that we continue to honor and uplift Black voices, support Black-owned businesses, and engage in ongoing dialogue to foster a more inclusive and equitable society. Amplifying Black voices is a powerful way to celebrate Black Excellence. Seek out literature, art, and media created by Black artists, authors, and filmmakers. Embrace diverse perspectives and stories that reflect the richness of Black experiences. By doing so, we expand our […] The post Beyond Juneteenth appeared first on BeyondBelief.

Sean McShee reviews the current status of the legal concept described as the "Rights of Nature" Continue reading Rights of Nature Updates at The Wild Hunt.

To install lift tabs in box lids, I first rout a groove on the front edge of the lid with a 1/8 in router bit about 3/16 in. deep. I then saw stock to a thickness of 1/8 in. and about 3/4 in. wide which I then cut to the length of the grooves cut in the lids. I work in fitting one tab to a lid at a time due to possible variations.  I use a piece of self-adhesive sand paper on a flat board to round the corners to fit the grooves. Can't fit a square peg in a round hole except by making it too small to fit. What you see in the photo are lids with the lift tabs fitted but not yet shaped. Make, fix and create...  

UUAMP Program Book 2 The post UUAMP Pro Day 2023 Program Book appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

Note:   Five years ago, on the suggestion of old Shimer College pal Sammie Moshenberg I undertook the Facebook challenge of Seven Books in Seven Days.   It took me more than seven days, but I got it done.   Because my half-assed literary tastes may be of some limited wider interest or the subject of bemused bewilderment, I am including lightly edited versions of all seven posts here. I was not exactly sure what the rules are for Seven Books in Seven Days—favorite books? Most influential? Fiction only? Anyway, I decided yes to all of those questions .  The book covers shown are from the paperback editions in which I first read them.   Day 1—Thomas Wolfe ’ s Look Homeward Angel bit me while I was in high school. I was gobsmacked...

Whenever I am in Phoenix seeing my daughter, we always practice the delightful ritual of visiting her favorite vegan ice cream shop. Not only does this magical establishment sell vegan ice cream it also has, wonder of wonders, gluten free … Continue reading →

It’s that time of year again — if you’re in the northern hemisphere, get ready to pee on the earth! June 21 is annual Pee-on-earth Day, a day to urinate outside. By urinating outside, you don’t have to use water for flushing. As climate change gets weirder we’re going to have more droughts, so why … Continue reading "Pee-on-earth Day is June 21!"

In this week’s Pagan Community Notes: Juneteenth, Christian Pastor idealizes suicide bombers, Extraordinary Sword found, more news, announcements and upcoming gatherings. Continue reading Pagan Community Notes: Week of June 19, 2023 at The Wild Hunt.

“It’s not a cis-man becoming a cis-woman. It’s a trans person just being who they want to be. This is how I’ve always felt, and this is who I’ve always been. But so much focus is put on the transition or the change because it’s so visible. But that’s not even what it is… That’s … Continue reading Gender

Recently, I read an article quoting a Juneteenth activist saying something like: The time between Juneteenth and July 4 should be a sixteen day celebration of American freedom. Now I can’t remember where I read this, or who said it (maybe Opal Davis?). But as someone who grew up celebrating Patriot’s Day — April 19, … Continue reading "Celebrating Juneteenth"

In this week's Pagan Community Notes: Juneteenth, the Troth elects new Steer, Christian Pastor idealizes suicide bombers, Extraordinary Sword found , more news, announcements and upcoming gatherings. Continue reading Pagan Community Notes: Week of June 19, 2023 at The Wild Hunt.

Today I'm working on a bunch of boxes. I've cut slots where lift tabs will fit the lids, and I've done the first sanding of the cuts made when separating the lids from the bodies of the boxes. I sand them using a flat piece of 3/4 in. MDF covered with self-adhesive sandpaper to keep them absolutely flat where the surfaces meet. Some of my readers know that I'm interested in history, and I've seen eyes glaze over when I mention the history of Friedrich Froebel's Kindergarten, or Educational Sloyd.  It is good to know our history for two important reasons. Knowledge of history can help us avoid repeating things that we must not repeat. It can also inspire us to repeat things that should be repeated. With Kindergarten and the Educational S...

During this cold rainy spring season, we have been delighted with the baby robins, batch number two. There seem to be four babies this time, and they seem more lively than the first batch of two. But maybe it is just that there is less room in the nest. Still, they all can fit underneath […]

Ibram X Kendi Fundamentally racism—its heartbeat—has always been denial.

Some relationships are keepers. They go deep and last long. And then, for one reason or another the relationship changes. Someone moves, retires, or passes. And right there we are heartbroken. We are split wide open. We can hardly contain … Continue reading →

From left to right Ken Davis, Darlene Brown, and host Gloria Van Hoff at opening. It was a near ideal Saturday afternoon on Woodstock Square for McHenry County’s inaugural Junteenth—Freedom Day Festival.   There was an excited but chill vibe as people gathered as organizer/host Gloria Van Hof, a long time social justice activist and first term McHenry County Board member stepped to the mic in the Gazebo to greet the gathering crowd. Organizing Committee Member Regina Ferguson and Rev. Norval Brown. Rev . Norval Brown, Lead Pastor of the Cary United Methodist Church, resplendent in a white and gold dashiki and cap opened the proceedings with an inspiring benediction. Darlene Benton singing from the Woodstock Square Gazebo . Things go...

Ten years ago this week, I became a parent, a major transition in my life. I suddenly had incredible clarity about what my priorities in life were–because my child would always be first. -Michael Tino (CLF) When has a transition led you to a moment of clarity?

The Guild of Carilloneurs in North America (GCNA) held their annual “congress” at St. Stephen’s church in Cohasset. St. Stephen’s has a 57-bell carillon — this gives it a range of over four octaves, and apparently qualifies it to be called a “great carillon” (it’s the largest carillon in New England). There aren’t that many … Continue reading "Bells"

TWH welcomes Christian Cooper, Pagan, author of the new memoir "Better Living Through Birding," and host of the new National Geographic TV series "Extraordinary Birder," to consider new directions for magical practices beyond the classical elements. Continue reading Guest Column: Thinking in New Directions at The Wild Hunt.

SERVICE PARTICIPANTS Stephen Ledoux, Guest Speaker Thomas Graves, Worship Associate Yelena Mealy, staff accompanist Nelly Case, piano Patrick Webb, Renae Mitchell, Mike Begnaud, Galen Gisler, and Rick Bolton, AV techs WELCOME! New to our church community?  Sign our guestbook and let us know if you’d like to get more connected. If you would like to …<p> Seeing the Light—A Pilgrimage Read More »

We spent a few days up in (more) Northern CA this week. We stayed in Redding because we had some free nights with points, but drove up into the mountains each day to hike. The hotel had free breakfast and of course there were cocktails and dinner out each night we were away. The above […]

  I may have mentioned before that Father ’ s Day is the redheaded stepchild of holidays .   It gets less respect than Rodney Dangerfield and is widely perceived for what it is—a tiny participation trophy to the gold plated loving cup that is Mothers ’ Day.   And that’s alright with most Dads who would rather just sleep in , thank you, and pass on the fuss. Once neckties were the gift of choice, but since few Dads regularly use them anymore, sales have concentrated on novelty coffee mugs, t-shirts, and caps , all cheaper than a dozen roses or two pounds of gourmet chocolates for mom.   If the family insists on dragging the Old Man out to dinner, a chain bar and grill with plenty of meat, cheap margaritas, and waitresses in ti...

“I try to transition my energy into just having fun.”-Solange Knowles How might you have more fun today?

We need to be visible for the next generation of kids so that they know that there is a place for them in this world. For that small percentage of children who are destined to be queer, our visibility can be a shining beacon of hope that can make the difference between giving up and hanging on for another day. Continue reading Opinion: Pride and Prejudicial Ponderings at The Wild Hunt.

      “‘One day Ajahn Chah held up a beautiful Chinese tea cup, “To me this cup is already broken. Because I know its fate, I can enjoy it fully here and now. And when it’s gone, it’s gone.’”  When we understand the truth of uncertainty and relax, we become free.” Jack Kornfield in The […]

Colonial Militia under Col. John Stark repelled the first British assault against their hastily thrown up defenses on the left of Breed's Hill. The Battle of Bunker Hill is so famous that the most historically illiterate Americans—and there are a lot of them—have at least heard of it and can probably figure out that it was fought during the Revolutionary War.  Many may recall from High School or an old Peabody and Sherman cartoon that an order was issued—“Don’t shoot until you see the whites of their eyes.”  Whatever that meant.  And most will assume it was a great American victory for George Washington.  Almost all of that would be wrong or misunderstood.  The real story is more complex and interesting. By mid-June 1775...

A short  “ thought for the day” offered to the Cambridge Unitarian Church as part of the Sunday Service of Mindful   Meditation. A pdf of the revised order of service in which this address was given, and about which it speaks, can be found at this link.   (Click on this link to hear a recorded version of the following piece)   —o0o— Let me start by telling two stories. The first concerns a comment I have received in various forms from about a dozen new visitors who have checked us out since we returned to face-to-face meetings in October 2021, using what we now call our Sunday Service of Mindful Meditation. This service was, remember, always a post-pandemic compromise, a hybrid construct, being, essentially, the old Evening ...

Please join us on Sunday (18 June 2023) at 11:00 AM for “Dad Jokes:  Humor as a Spiritual Tool in the Parenting Toolbox” with John Allen, Amanda Lawrence, and Susan Caldwell. Dad jokes, amiright?  The worse, the better.  You will more than likely hear a few of those this Sunday and also perhaps hear and … Continue reading "All Ages Worship (18 June 2023)"

2023 Unitarian Universalist Association General Assembly Livestream Videos (21-25 June 2023 — Pittsburg PA — External Link) 2023 Pledge Drive — We Need Your Pledge Now

Please join us on Sunday (18 June 2023) for our adult religious education class at 9:00 AM. Our adult religious education class is now a dual-platform class — meeting in person in the church social hall and also on Zoom. This week, we will continue our discussion of Patrice Cullor’s An Abolitionist’s Handbook.  We will … Continue reading "Online and In-Person Adult Religious Education — 18 June 2023"

There will be no Zoom lunch this Tuesday (20 June 2023). Please join us on the following Tuesday (27 June 2023) at 12 noon for our weekly Zoom lunch. Our weekly Zoom lunch is going dual-platform — join us from home using Zoom or in person in the social hall. Bring your lunch and meet … Continue reading "No Zoom (and In-Person) Lunch on Tuesday (20 June 2023) — Zoom Lunch Resumes 27 June 2023"

Please join us on Saturday (17 June 2023) at 10:30 AM for our weekly meditation group with Larry Androes. This is a sitting Buddhist meditation including a brief introduction to mindfulness meditation, 20 minutes of sitting, and followed by a weekly teaching. Please note that this group is still meeting via Zoom.  You will need … Continue reading "Meditation with Larry Androes (17 June 2023)"

“The transition was difficult. It’s hard to stop something that you’ve enjoyed and that has been very rewarding.” – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar How have you come through difficult transitions in your life?

Beacon Press joins others across America and the world in commemorating the life of the patriotic whistleblower and decades-long anti-war activist Daniel Ellsberg (1931–2023).

June is usually referred to as “Pride Month.” However, this June is different: It’s Pride Month as always, but also “National Immigrant Heritage Month.” Continue reading Opinion: The Life We Deserve at The Wild Hunt.

Junio generalmente se conoce como "Mes del Orgullo". Sin embargo, este junio es diferente: es el Mes del Orgullo como siempre, pero también el "Mes Nacional de la Herencia Inmigrante". Continue reading Opinión: La Vida que Merecemos at The Wild Hunt.

A few days ago, the Southern Baptist Convention voted to expel some local churches that had women as pastors. They kicked Rick Warren’s huge Saddleback Church, and they also kicked out a small church where as woman has been serving as pastor for three decades. If they’re suddenly kicking out a church where there’s been … Continue reading "What the Southern Baptist vote means"

I’ve been researching the race riot that happened at the high school in my hometown in 1978 (I hope to have a blog post about it on the 45th anniversary of the actual event). Part of my research led me to a 2002 oral history interview with Phil Benicasa, for many years an elementary school … Continue reading ""

      Michael Coren, a writer and late vocation priest in the Anglican Church of Canada whom I quite admire, recently offered an anecdote on social media. “I took a funeral recently where a woman told me at the reception that she was actually at the wrong ceremony. She didn’t know the deceased. I’d […]

This is an excerpt from a post I wrote in 2017. At first glance, it’s not the bright, sunshiny sort of thing one would expect under the theme of “delight” which we are focusing on in June 2023. Bear with … Continue reading →

The UUA affirms the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) because ICWA preserves Indigenous culture and sovereignty by protecting Native children from being removed during custody proceedings and placed with non-Native families. Continue reading "The UUA Applauds Supreme Court Ruling Upholding the Indian Child Welfare Act: Decision will help to maintain sovereignty of Indigenous communities"

The June 2023 issue of Popular Woodworking has an article of mine about making a coopered leg hall table, but what's more exciting is a review of our art and craft school, ESSA. In a 3 page spread, editor Logan Whitmer describes the wonders of our small school as well as the beauty of Eureka Springs. I'm pleased to have yet another article in a national magazine, and also pleased to see ESSA receive the attention it deserves. Make, fix and create. Enable others to do likewise.

  “A Unitarian Universalist can believe anything.” – Michelle Huneven interviewed by Scott Simon for NPR (April 23, 2022) When a dear and trusted friend of mine recently reached out to me and excitedly told me that I needed to read the book Search by Michelle Huneven, I winced at first and informed her that […]

14 years old in South Carolina in 1944 and accused of a double murder and rape, George Junius Stinney, Jr. had no chance of a fair trial. The slender 14 year old was led to the execution chamber at South Carolina’s Central Correctional Institution in Columbia on June 16, 1944.  He was so small that he did not fit well into the adult size electric chair.   The Bible he had carried with him to his doom was taken from him and used as an impromptu booster seat.  Officials struggled with the straps that held him down because they could not be properly tightened down to his scrawny arms and legs.  The face mask hung loosely.  With the first jolt of 2,400 Volts the mask was knocked off of his face revealing his wide open, tear filled ey...

A Prayer for Freedom - Week of June 19, 2023 Lover of Liberation, teach us to be suspicious of the long legacies of white supremacy and enslavement practices that adapt from season to season and era to era, to keep power available to a few and leave even those who...

I’m in Venice with my daughter, and Joy got her passport and arrives tonight. Munchkin asked what I want for my birthday, which is today, and what else could I possibly want? Another day like yesterday? I am beyond blessed to have life, my family, work that sustains me, and time to enjoy this beautiful […]

On this, my birthday, I am ever aware of the passage of time. I notice how much has changed in the last year, and I ponder how much might change in the next one. I cherish each gray hair left on my head, representing experience and resilience. I honor that nothing can stay the same. … Continue reading Birthdays

In her first installment, Liz Watkins chronicles her path to ministry and the challenges and joys of seminary training. Continue reading A Call to Ministry at The Wild Hunt.

This is another piece of spalted wood forming the lid of a box. I'll add a lift tab along the front edge before adding mite keys to strengthen the box corners.  I'm lucky to have a few pieces of interesting wood hanging around waiting for their best use. Make, fix and create... Assist others in living likewise.

Staff Writer As her time as UUA President winds down, Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray shares a message of appreciation for the work we’ve done together and excitement for what’s to come.

Richard CLF member, incarcerated in NY Do you believe in heaven? Then there is no end. Do you believe in hell? Then there is no end. Do you believe in spirit? Then there is no end. Will man destroy what God has wrought? Maybe. You’d think we’d learn That we don’t really count in the […]

DONNA CLF member, incarcerated in CA My experience has taught me that many adults who seek a new spiritual connection have, like myself, been particularly sensitized to the suffering of the world. Maybe some people have been taught to be sensitive in this way. Either way, I would like to see us broaden our empathy […]

GARY CLF member, incarcerated in NC “Transition” has become a byword in the corrections field over recent years. It has come to encompass classes bearing such fanciful titles as “Thinking For A Change,” “Crossroads,” “Men In Transition” and “Ethical Choices.” Yet, despite these, recidivism rates in the U.S. run from 41–79%. How is this possible? […]

 Marking the third anniversary of the COVID lockdown, I'm using this blog to reflect on this time and to point towards the audio archive Doorstep Revolution, a project I was part of putting together as part of Gentle/Radical.The sixth episode contains stories of homeschooling. This was one of my favourite episodes as it contains some really funny, touching, and interesting accounts of this time

Every summer our community pool opens Memorial Day Weekend with a party. After that weekend it opens daily at 11:00 right after swim practice ends.  For over 5 years and counting a group of women, myself included, head to the … Continue reading →

The Book of Cernunnos, the new devotional anthology dedicated to the Lord of the Animals – and of many other things – is now available.

Most illustrations of the famous kite fly get it wrong--Ben out doors, the lightning actually striking the kite, his son William either absent or depicted as a small boy.  This one gets most of it right as Ben and his 19 year old son seek shelter from the rain in a shed.  The only err in this one is Franklin is holding the wet string above the key, not by the dry ribbon below it.  William holds the Lyden Jar which is charged by electrical discharges from the clouds, not by a direct lightning strike of the kite. Like a youthful George Washington chopping down the cherry tree, Benjamin Franklin flying the kite in the lightening storm is an image known to every school child.   Unlike the cherry tree myth, Franklin really did fly a kite ...

Or what if, worse, I don’t love them? Love is a many faceted thing. So is liking. Having connections with. Delighting in the presence of. All of these are many faceted. We have a cultural framework of parenthood that suggests it should be all beauty, all roses, that as parents we should be overflowing with …</p> The post What if I don’t like my child? first appeared on For Parents of Children w/Chronic Illness.

This is a new lift lid box. The lid is spalted maple and the body of the box is elm. Note the direction of the wood grain, and that the mitered corners are glued side grain to side grain, making it an easy box to make. Make, fix and create...

“A lot of people resist transition and therefore never allow themselves to enjoy who they are. Embrace the change, no matter what it is; once you do, you can learn about the new world you’re in and take advantage of it.” – Nikki Giovanni How have you learned to embrace change?

CUC Approves Motion to Repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery — June 14, 2023 In its final report, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada called on “all religious denominations and faith groups who have not already done so to repudiate concepts used to justify European sovereignty over Indigenous lands and peoples. . .” (Call to […] The post CUC Approves Motion to Repudiate Doctrine of Discovery first appeared on Canadian Unitarian Council Conseil unitarien du Canada. The post CUC Approves Motion to Repudiate Doctrine of Discovery appeared first on Canadian Unitarian Council Conseil unitarien du Canada.

A Statement on the CUC’s Goals & Strategic Priorities — June 14, 2023 Each year, the Board of Trustees reviews and updates the goals and strategic priorities of the Canadian Unitarian Council (CUC). These are sent out in advance of each Annual General Meeting, and member congregations, through their delegates, discuss and vote on these goals […] The post A Statement on the CUC’s Goals & Strategic Priorities first appeared on Canadian Unitarian Council Conseil unitarien du Canada. The post A Statement on the CUC’s Goals & Strategic Priorities appeared first on Canadian Unitarian Council Conseil unitarien du Canada.

Editor-in-chief, Manny Moreno warns the increasing trend by Evangelicals to demonize alternative beliefs and practices that has the potential to fuel a reprisal of the Satanic Panic of the 80s. Continue reading Editorial: There is Plenty of Panic Fuel at The Wild Hunt.

                                          A Book of Verses underneath the Bough, A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread – and Thou Beside me singing in the Wilderness – Oh, Wilderness were Paradise enow! It was today, the […]

By Leslie Feinberg | Capitalism is one of the most irrational economic systems imaginable: those who do the most, get the least, and those who do the least, get the most. How can such a system continue? It couldn’t if the vast, laboring majority got together to fight for a new, more equitable economy.

The Biden Administration’s efforts to secure the border have only caused more hardship for people seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Jeff Milchen U.S. Supreme Court Threatens Dangerous Exceptions to Public Accommodations Laws.

June 2023

The months of May and June often bring transitions related to academic promotions, graduations, and other milestones related to the culmination of years of dedication and hard work. At this time of year, we often celebrate loved ones as they move from one phase of life into another. We wrap up another year in the […]

This box is unusual in that the grain runs vertically rather than around the box. Gluing edge grain to edge grain eliminates the need of other joinery techniques.  In the meantime, as I'm working in my shop there are others whose purpose is more profound. The makers of Ukraine... https://makezine.com/article/maker-news/makers-in-defense-of-ukraine/  Make, fix and create...

Marking the third anniversary of the COVID lockdown, I'm using this blog to reflect on this time and to point towards the audio archive Doorstep Revolution, a project I was part of putting together as part of Gentle/Radical.The fifth episode features stories of family life, parenting, and raising children in a time of pandemic. This was a tough time for children and families, and those caring for

We are in Venice! Minus Joy, because she is still waiting for her passport. Public service announcement: If you need a new passport, imagine how long each stage would normally take and double it. This part of the State Department is so understaffed, or whatever, that it’s not even possible to get an appointment in […]

Our Rev. Jan is retiring. Our congregation had a retirement party for her. It was a sad and joyous celebration. Sad because she is leaving. Joyous for the time she was with us and for the beginning of a wonderful … Continue reading →

Seven questions and answers about the Gods and our experiences of Them, Pagan books, spiritual practices, and the concept of grace.

  Note:   We’ve been here before but slightly updated to account In case you hadn’t noticed today is officially Flag Day , a demi-holiday easily overlooked.  It is celebrated by displaying the American Flag.  Veterans groups often organize solemn flag disposal ceremonies .   No other country on Earth makes quite the fetish of its flag as does the United States.  The word idolatry comes to mind.  At its worst it elevates the symbol—the Flag—over the substance—the democratic values espoused in the Declaration of Independence and protected by the Constitution.  It is an absolute truism that those who wrap themselves most in the Flag—and these days that is not just a figurative term—are the most disingenuous and dangero...

I have spent most of the last twenty years working in sexuality education, in one way or another. It’s been good for me. I hope I’ve been able to inspire many teachers and facilitators with the materials I’ve created to work with young people directly. I hope I’ve been able to provide many of the …</p> The post Shifting Focus first appeared on For Parents of Children w/Chronic Illness.

                                            When the rain beats down on the pear blossoms, a butterfly flies up. A Zen koan by way of Dahui Zonggao   Butterflies: Reflections, Tales and Verse by Hermann Hesse Selected by Volker […]

Ouroboros, the ancient symbol of a snake devouring its own tail, is a powerful representation of the interconnectedness of all nature as well  the lifecycle stages of birth, growth, death, and re-birth. Our earlier selves continually feed our later selves as we mature, creating a continual cycle of death and re-birth of self. -Lori Stone … Continue reading Cycle of Becoming

Taken with a Fuji X100V using Anders Lindborg and John Sevigny’s Kodak T-Max P3200 recipe Just click on the photo to enlarge it  

TWH speaks with Robert Schreiwer, founder of the Heathen tradition of Urglaawe, and the livestreamed ritual remembering the desecration of Pagan shrines. Continue reading Remembrance and honoring the deities of desecrated Pagan shrines at The Wild Hunt.

June is many things, including Pride month. This year, we are especially grateful for our many GLBTQ+ ancestors and kin who have worked, danced, played, struggled, lived and loved before us and alongside us. Some of us have been activists for a very long time, ... read more . The post Co-Ministers’ Colloquy – June 13th appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

Children and youth will be attending the multigenerational service in the Great Hall with their families this Sunday. Come to the Welcome Table to pick up an Activity Bag for your child so they can follow along with the service. Childcare for children 5 and under ... read more . The post Religious Education programming Sunday June 18th appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

We’re planning a more robust Religious Education (RE) program for 2023-24, with plans for each grade level. We’d like to offer RE for each age every Sunday that’s not a multigenerational Sunday. We’d like to lighten the load for RE teachers by having teams of 4. That ... read more . The post Plans for Our RE Program Next Year: This Could Be Your Time to Volunteer! appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

As part curricula for the faith development of children and youth next year, we are working to offer the year-long Our Whole Lives (OWL) program at the 8th /9th grade level, and the 9 week programs of K/1 and 5th /6th grade OWL in the ... read more . The post Our Whole Lives: Lifespan Sexuality Education for Children, Youth and Adults appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

Chris Chepel , David Stewart UUA Co-Financial Advisors, Chris Chepel and David Stewart, provide a statement about actions following the UUA’s 2014 Climate Divestment Resolution. Continue reading "Co-Financial Advisors’ Statement on Actions Following the UUA’s 2014 Climate Divestment Resolution"

Marking the third anniversary of the COVID lockdown, I'm using this blog to reflect on this time and to point towards the audio archive Doorstep Revolution, a project I was part of putting together as part of Gentle/Radical.The fourth episode features stories of pregnancy and birth. These are stories of two families, living round the corner from each other in Riverside, who reflect on what it was

The Juneteenth—Freedom Day Festival on historic Woodstock Square on Saturday, June 17 from 3 to 5:30 pm has announced a full program for the celebration of the date for the remaining 250,000 enslaved people in Galveston, Texas first heard news of Emancipation.   The commemoration of that event has spread from Texas and now is observed nationally as a day of Jubilee and freedom.   The event in Woodstock represents the first ever such celebration in McHenry County.                                                                       Kenneth Davis, Chicago bluesman of the Ken Davis Group, has been added to the Festival line up. The program will include an invocation and a benediction by the Rev...

2023 June The Path of Delight – Playday – Lydia Patrick Like most dogs Millie loves to look out the window. If a car passes she sees it. If an animal runs through the yard she lets us know. If … Continue reading →

According to a recent news article, Vermont, Maine, and Maryland have removed time limits for law suits about sex crimes. Massachusetts, Michigan, and Rhode Island are currently considering such legislation. What this means is that if you were abused by someone as a child in these three states, you have the rest of your life … Continue reading "An interesting development"

People talk about “artificial intelligence.” They get corrected by people who say, It’s not intelligence, it’s “machine learning.” But actually machines don’t learn either. All this false terminology isn’t serving us well. It obscures the fact that the humans who design the machines are the intelligences at work here, and by calling the machines “AI” … Continue reading "Let us name it … ASS"

“I hope we will take one good look at the passingness of things, the precious fragility of everything. A single blade of grass, a much loved coffee mug, a fading photograph, a quick kiss; all speak of the wonder and transitoriness of life-and-death within the interdependent web. There is beauty and wonder in this existence. … Continue reading Fleeting Moments

In this week's Pagan Community Notes: thor's Oak Kindred joins Race Against Hate, Bible banned in SLC, OKC apparently OK with publicly funded religious schools, Elon Musk looking for Witchcraft VP