Greetings!


"The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance."
~Alan Watts

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September marks the beginning of fall, which I've always thought of as the season of new beginnings and change. Maybe because that's typically when school begins. But, it's also the month that in cooler climates leaves begin to fall from trees. (Out with the old and in with the new.) I like to view this as a metaphor for shedding the old and ushering in the new; it's about honoring life and death. Spiritual seekers often view fall as the letting go of the past and the welcoming in of the present. It's also a time of gratitude and inviting balance into our lives by focusing in on our body, mind, and spirit.

The falling of leaves where a tree gets down to its bareness can also be a reminder of losing a loved one. In the early stages of the grieving process, we might feel barren and lonely. It's also a reminder than life is impermanent.

This year, the fall equinox in North America falls on Saturday, September 23rd.The word equinox means equal night, which indicates that there are approximately 12-hour days and 12-hour nights. This is also the time to harvest, whether it's our gardens or the intentions we set at the beginning of 2023. We have a few months to contemplate what those intentions were and reflect on whether we were able to manifest them. If you made new year intentions, do you recall what they were and were you able to bring them to fruition?
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  • Write about how you achieve balance in your life.
  • Write about what you are letting go of this fall.
  • Write about an experience with a tree.
  • Write about what the fall means to you.
September 19 – 23, 2023
“Writing for Bliss: What’s Your Story?”
Miraval Resorts and Spas
Authentic Circle Appreciation Week
Austin, Texas
For more information: Click here

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October 7, 2023
12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
"Write. Heal. Transform."
Mystic Journey Bookstore
2923 Main Street.
Santa Monica, CA 90405
For information: Click here
To register: Click here

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December 5, 2023
5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
“Let’s Write: Creating Harmony During the Holidays”
Santa Barbara Public Library Downtown
Faulkner Side Gallery East
Santa Barbara, CA
Details coming soon!


"Surviving the Narcissistic Mother." (article) The Good Men Project. May 14, 2023.

"What My Father Taught Me." (article) The Good Men Project. June 18, 2023.

15 Universal Truths to Understand the Human Condition. (article) Thrive Global. August 1, 2023.

She Told Me Her Secret,” and Telepathic Messages. (poems) Quail Bell Magazine. August 9, 2023.

"15 Universal Truths to Understand the Human Condition." (article) The Good Men Project. August 10, 2023.

Are We Shaped By Our Childhoods? (article) Sixty and Me. August 14, 2023.

"Life Line. (poem) Shift: The Journal of Literary Oddities. Summer 2023.

"In Last Night’s Dream,” and “Laughter at Esalen. (poems) Quarter Press: Weirder Still Issue. 2023.



Patti Smith On Patti Smith: Interviews and Encounters by Aidan Levy, Editor (biography)


I was inspired to read more about Patti Smith after attending one of her concerts in Santa Barbara, CA. As a 78-year-old, she was a force to be reckoned with! We all walked away inspired and in love. It's difficult to sum up this book other than saying it's a masterpiece that gives the reader an in-depth study of this dynamic, multi-dimensional, and powerful woman.

In discussing how she writes poetry, she says, "Most of my poems I write in two ways. I write them first writing a letter to someone who will never receive the letter or I write recording a dream."

As the book editor wisely indicated, "We don't come to Patti Smith to experience what it's like to die; we come to he to experience what it's like to live. We don't come to her to experience what it's like to suffer through grief; we come to her to experience what it's like to survive it." As a woman who endured many many losses, this statement is very close to the truth.

The book is meditative, funny, and provocative. It's a great read, and in her most repeated words--which have become her staple and populist anthem--"People have the power."
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