Comforting Thought: We are all made of stars

Every element in the universe is composed of parts of a cataclysmic explosion of supernovae. This encompasses the iron found inside of the hemoglobin of our blood, the primary element of supernovae. That’s what we all are. The instant of star death.    

Art: The Horoscope of Prince Iskandar (1411)

A sublime Persian horoscope crafted from lapis lazuli and gold leaf by hand for Prince Iskandar. The Prince was named after Alexander the Great and was the grandson of Tamerlane, the Turkman Mongol conqueror. This horoscope shows the positions of the stars and planets in the sky at the moment of Iskandar’s birth on 25thContinue reading “Art: The Horoscope of Prince Iskandar (1411)”

Book Review: Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn

Jon Kabat Zinn is a Professor Emeritus of Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and is the founder of a stress reduction technique called MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction), which is used in hospitals and medical centres throughout the world. He is a student of Thich Nhat Hanh and a life-long teacher andContinue reading “Book Review: Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn”

Tane Mahuta’s Triumph by Jane Crisp

In the beginning there was no sky, no sea no earth and no Gods. There was only darkness, only Te Kore, the Nothingness. From this nothingness, the primal parents of the Maori came, Papatuanuku, the Earth mother, and Ranginui, the Sky father. Papatuanuku and Ranginui came together,embracing in the darkness, and had 70 male children. TheseContinue reading “Tane Mahuta’s Triumph by Jane Crisp”

How slow-growing lichen opens up the vast universe

The Lichenologist from Matthew Killip on Vimeo. Hidden within this remarkable short film The Lichenologist is the slowly-growing story of the unassuming and vividly beautiful botanical wonder of lichen. Kerry Knudsen has the auspicious title of  Curator of Lichens at the University of California. He dispels common misconception between lichens and mosses. The latter beingContinue reading “How slow-growing lichen opens up the vast universe”

An interesting holistic model for health according to the eight tentacles of the Octopus, Te Wheke in Māori culture

The Maori (the indigenous people of New Zealand) which includes myself, have a very different way of defining health outcomes compared to western medicine. Te Wheke (the octopus) is often used as a symbol to define integrative and holistic health. This holistic approach to health encompasses ten elements in Maori life. Funnily enough this holisticContinue reading “An interesting holistic model for health according to the eight tentacles of the Octopus, Te Wheke in Māori culture”

Asmrion the online generator of positive feelings

Asmrion is an elegant and beautiful ambient sound simulator that’s best enjoyed with headphones. It’s completely interactive and has a very natural, organic and soothing user experience with subtle buttons to shift up and down volume. It’s possible to attune yourself with these app tools to varying states of consciousness, all pleasant, reassuring and relaxingContinue reading “Asmrion the online generator of positive feelings”

Marshall Berman: All that is solid melts into air

To be modern is to find ourselves in an environment that promises us adventure, power, joy, growth, transformation of ourselves and the world – and at the same time that threatens to destroy everything we have, everything that we know, everything that we are. Marshall Berman, “All that is solid melts into air’.

Hiroshi Yoshimura – Soundscape 1 Surround

Over the coming weeks I will share an eclectic lucky dip of music that I discovered and loved via subreddit /r/listentothis, Here is no.5 on the jukebox, Japanese ambient/new age producer Hiroshi Yoshimura’s floaty album Soundscape 1 Surround from 1986.  There is something eerily familiar about Hiroshi Yoshimura’s 1986 album Soundscape 1 Surround. It’s soContinue reading “Hiroshi Yoshimura – Soundscape 1 Surround”

<3 The Internet: Solistice Streets makes pagan worship easy

Solistice Streets is a web-based app that’s the brainchild of some pagan programmers who wanted to make it easier to worship the seasons and the summer solistice (21st of December) and winter solistice (20th June). In particular they wanted to create an online place for collective worship in honour of Stonehenge. A place where onContinue reading “<3 The Internet: Solistice Streets makes pagan worship easy”