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My Blog: Spirit on the Web December 24 The Michael Moore Archetype: Peaceful Warrior or Destroyer? I wish I had a dollar for every time a friend has said, over the years, "I don't much like Michael Moore personally, but he really hit the nail on the head this time." I suspect they're probably just jealous of how good Moore is at self-promotion, a jealously... Read the Rest August 19 Compassionate Catholicism The Roman Catholic church in which I was raised hasn't had much to recommend it recently, from pedophilia cover-ups to the male hierarchy's domineering attacks on a whole new generation of socially conscious nuns. But one aspect of core Catholic teachings that I have always admired is the church's outspoken... Read the Rest June 20 The Union of Opposites Three years ago while I was teaching my workshop on How to Write and Publish Spiritual Books at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, N.Y., I was introduced to a fellow teacher named Mark Whitwell, who wanted to publish a book of his own. When Mark and I met at the... Read the Rest February 17 The Changing Catholic Cafeteria Back in the 1980s, during the reign of Pope John Paul II, conservative Roman Catholics minted a pejorative term for their coreligionists who thought independently, sometimes daring to differ with the Vatican over matters including contraception, homosexuality, women priests, and eating meat on Fridays. (Oh, right, the Vatican canceled that... Read the Rest October 31 Practical Wisdom of Spiritual Masters: A U.N. Talk As he lay dying, one of the last acts the Prophet Muhammad performed was to use a twig called a miswak to clean his teeth. According to oral tradition, the Prophet often advocated the use of a tooth stick, made from a twig of a tree (Salvadora persica) that is... Read the Rest October 19 Keeping Occupied "Involvement is its own reward," my therapist Gary used to say, back when I thought psychotherapy could help me. If that's true, I've wondered for the past few decades why young people weren't involved in political activism. "What happened to the '60s?" my friends would say. "We stopped the Vietnam... Read the Rest July 5 Food Is a Right, Not a Privilege The essence of Christianity can be found in several passages from the Gospel of Matthew. One is the Sermon on the Mount (Chapters 5-7), which appeals to us to go beyond the letter of the law and act always in compassion and humility. Another key passage is the parable of... Read the Rest

Quote for Friday, May 24 Jesus said, "If you bring forth what is within you, what you have will save you. If you do not have that within you, what you do not have within you [will] kill you." - Gospel of Thomas, 70, trans. Stephen Patterson and Marvin Meyer  Email   List   Click here to sign up for Peter Occhiogrosso's email list. You'll receive notice of new blog posts, workshops, and other goodies. Peter's Blog, which has replaced his Newsletter, covers a wide range of contemporary spiritual topics, including the interface of spirituality, science, and politics. Past Newsletters are archived on this site; past blogs are also archived on this site. Sacred Journaling An online class beginning Monday Feb 11, 2013. 8 weeks for $295. Click for detailed information and to register. Dreamlight Pen Some people insist that they don't dream, but what they really mean is that they don't remember their dreams. And that's mainly because they haven't gotten in the habit of recording them right away. One great help is to keep a small dream journal and a special "Dreamlight" Pen next to your bed. These pens allow you to see well enough to write without waking yourself up any more than needed. Exposure to bright light during the sleep cycle can interrupt the flow of melatonin, which helps us sleep. When you double-click the Dreamlight Pen, a small light goes on around the tip enabling you to see while you write. (They're also ideal for taking notes in a darkened theater or movie house.) $10 includes shipping. The Promise: Yoga Journal Review In his new book The Promise of Love, Sex and Intimacy, world-renowned teacher Mark Whitwell reveals a secret seven-minute practice he distilled from the greatest yoga masters of India. The original purpose of these ancient teachings was not to gain enlightenment but to heighten the levels of emotional and physical intimacy with yourself and others in your life. I had the privilege of working with Mark on the manuscript of his book, and getting it published by Atria – the imprint of Simon & Schuster that also Publishes The Secret. Although Mark is best known as a yoga teacher, The Promise is written for non-yogis and yogis alike. It just received a great review in Yoga Journal that includes an interview with the author, which you can read here. Purchase The Promise Archetypal Readings I am now offering Archetypal Readings and Counseling for individuals. Perhaps the most compelling set of hidden powers within our psyches that I have worked with over the last decade are the Archetypes — ancient patterns of behavior like the Queen, Warrior, Child, Saboteur, Victim, and Mystic. They are part of our Collective Unconscious, and understanding how they work can give us a valuable tool for gaining insight into our motives and appetites, strengths and weaknesses. Most of the people whom I've helped to gain insight into their Archetypes have been extremely enthusiastic about how well this fits with their desire to understand their lives without endless therapy sessions. They have said that a familiarity with archetypal patterns has also helped them enormously in the work they do, whether as schoolteachers, yoga instructors, life coaches, therapists, actors, writers, or business people. But most of all, they use the insights they learn to see themselves and others in archetypal terms. A reading and possible follow-up sessions can help you: Gain clarity about your life choices Identify and manage fear and other emotions Get insight into health issues Enjoy more satisfying relationships Read more and Request a Reading I'm excited to announce that the popular deck of Healing Cards that I created with Caroline Myss a few years ago has just been made into an iPhone app. Healing Cards iPhone app. | Healing Cards. World Religions Visit the all new World Religions section with detailed material drawn from my book The Joy of Sects. More Info Order Now New 8 CD Set: Creating a Personal Spiritual Practice Peter Occhiogrosso and Lench Archuleta Many people on the spiritual path have expressed the desire to create a personal spiritual practice that can be integrated into their daily experience. In this CD set, recorded live at a three-day workshop held at Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, N.Y., in August 2007, Lench Archuleta and Peter Occhiogrosso present a diverse array of wisdom, rituals, and traditional methodologies from which to create your own daily practice. Working separately and together, Lench and Peter draw on both Native American and Eastern traditions that connect Body, Mind, and Spirit. More Info Order Now New DVD: Building a Personal Spiritual Practice Peter Occhiogrosso and Lench Archuleta Discover elements of a Personal Spiritual Practice that you can integrate into your daily life. Learn to build a home altar. Yaqui healer Lench Archuleta joins author, spiritual writing teacher and breathing instructor Peter Occhiogrosso to show how to create a sacred space almost anywhere in your home. Lench explores the sacred in urban and country landscapes, including how to create a sacred circle in the woods. Peter demonstrates a classic Qigong exercise called the Swimming Dragon. Together, Lench and Peter offer an interactive combination of Native American and Eastern traditions based on workshops they have taught together at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, and The Crossings in Austin, Texas.

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