Because advances in neurology have revealed how peoples' brains can have very different wiring, we have a better understanding of how we can have different styles of processing information and making sense of the world. From my own point of view as a ritualist, I can appreciate how mental quirks influence an interest in ritual and the types of rituals one might perform. At the same time, greater knowledge of how our brains work (and sometimes misbehave) has spurred my experimentation with new approaches to ritual healing, to better manage learning disabilities and other cognitive disorders. In my own case, I am a person with Asperger's Syndrome (described as an autism spectrum disorder). ...
One evening in August 1976, while driving with my husband and daughter, we spotted a friend coming out of a store in Burlington, Massachusetts. We pulled into the parking lot and got out of the car to talk to her. My daughter, Dawna, who was six at the time, stayed in the car. As my husband, my friend, and I were talking, Dawna, watching out the car window, said, "Look, it's a flying saucer." We ignored her, as adults sometimes do when they're in conversation. She, as children sometimes do when they're ignored, repeated herself, over and over. After the third of fourth "Look, it's a flying saucer," my husband said, "It's not a flying saucer." Then he turned to look where she was ...
Practicing the Speed Reading Strategy The Situation: I recently participated in a conference call concerning the launch of a new product: a discounted, "all-distance" telephone service designed to allow anyone in the country to call any other US resident at any time of day for one low monthly fee. The marketing employee leading the call asked, "With this product in mind, what are some things we can do to maximize this product's success?" I produced a Tarot deck, shuffled, and quickly dealt five cards: the Eight of Wands, the Six of Cups, the Hanged Man, the Queen of Wands, and the Nine of Coins from the Universal Tarot. Quick! Just as I did, glance at these cards, then reduce each one to ...
Your altar is more than just a place to put things. Through the ages, the use of altars has been both communal and private. Although home altars seem more prevalent in certain faiths, in recent years their use has become more widespread regardless of one's spiritual path. While altars and their purpose have evolved over the millennia, they continue to fulfill a fundamental need that transcends spiritual orientation. There is a certain power to an altar. It is not just a thing that holds a collection of objects; intention and energy transform an altar into a space that is separate from our everyday world. When we use an altar, we step outside the boundaries of our day-to-day lives. When ...