I love the origin story of books. The way books come to us as readers can be as varied and numerous as the books themselves. I found one of my favorite books at a little free library. Others were assigned to me in classes, stuck out to be at a bookstore, or were recommended by a friend. I found My Body, My Home: A Radical Guide to Resilience and Belonging by Victoria Emanuela and Caitlin Metz on…
I've been fascinated with archetypes ever since discovering Joseph Campbell and his studies on mythology. What, exactly, are archetypes? Jean Bolen, author of Goddesses in Everywoman, defines them as "powerful inner patterns... dominant forces within us" linked strongly to myth, which Joseph Campbell calls "depersonalized dream." Within myths are characters who express singular aspects of our existence and potential. These are archetypes, alive in human imagination since the beginning of time.The Women's Wheel of Life, Chapter 1:…
One evening a few years ago, I was walking around Corvallis. Ryan had left for work, and it was my favorite time of day, when the sun is setting and everything is getting dark and quiet. I went to the river and found a bench. Behind me, a group of friends ran through the water and laughed and took videos and pictures of themselves. I watched the wind move through the trees between me and and wondered…
Earlier this spring, I was exploring the city I'd just moved to and decided to stop at a used bookstore. In the spirituality section, I found a book called, The Feminine Face of God: the Unfolding of the Sacred in Women, written by Sherry Ruth Anderson and Patricia Hopkins. As I was checking out, the clerk told me it was one of the best books he'd ever read. It took me quite a few months to finish…