After the 18 hours that it took to make the necessary sacrifices upon the altar of motherhood, her body and mine were able to come into sync and make a birth happen. We spent a couple of days in the hospital before returning home, where I’d originally intended to give birth to her. Because we had to rush to the hospital unexpectedly, one of our midwives cleaned up after we left and was supposed to lock up on her way out.
Read MoreAt an animal tracking workshop I took a few years ago, the guide was preparing us for our walk through the woods and told us that one of the foundational skills of tracking is to widen one’s perspective. He went on to say that most modern humans go on a hike and are very focused, walking with our heads down or directly in front of us, primarily tapped into our sense of sight and not much else. This way of moving through a wild area makes it very hard to notice animal signs and contextual clues that can help us track the creature(s) we’re looking for.
Read MoreIf we step into the Winter season with the intention of embracing the deaths that have presented themselves as necessary, then we can drink in the rebirth that’s on the other side.
Read MoreThe hermit living off of the land or the priestess tending to a holy fire in a temple know that to labor is to worship. Their work is intimately tied to their connection with themselves and something greater than themselves: their human and more-than-human community. The hermit and the priestess don’t have a spiritual moment in the morning and then become absorbed by meaningless work for the rest of their days - their spirituality is the work, and the work is spiritual.
Read MoreIn the last year, I’ve experienced regular burnout, but I have also experienced something new. It’s as if I burned out - was burned away - and then fell into a thick mud. The burnout was primary and much less shocking. Now, I find that my community and I are facing the secondary and tertiary consequences of carrying so much - all within the presumed sanctity of our homes.
Read MoreNavigating career transitions is tough. Our work gets wrapped up in our identities, our finances, our social networks, and our sense of purpose. Deciding whether or not to leave a job is a big decision, but that doesn’t mean that it needs to be a tumultuous one. It can actually be very simple, if we’ll let it be.
Read More
