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Croning: A Ritual for a Woman of a Certain Age
She’s a woman of “a certain age.” Our culture thinks those words are better than saying “she’s old.” Well, I am a woman of a certain age. I am certain of who I am, certain of what I want, and certain of what I have to offer. I’ll be 78 in a few days and…
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Romance, Alzheimer’s, and the Alchemy of Ritual
I recently marked the third anniversary of my husband’s death. He had Alzheimer’s. These days, I find myself looking back through photographs, journal entries, notes I made in the margins of my cookbooks, and the birthday and anniversary cards we gave each other over the years. The passing of time has shaped my vision of…
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Yemaya, Part 2: The Middle Passage ~ Aug 25, the Day of Healing
In Part 1 of this article, I explored the connection between seashells and the Yemana, the Yoruba Orisha known as the Mother of All. I shared rituals inspired by cowrie shells, murex shells in general, and in particular, the Venus Comb Murex. With Yemaya in mind, I designed those rituals to help women discover and…
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Yemaya, Part 1: Shell Rituals Inspired by the Yoruba Orisha
Science shows that all human life began in Africa. So it’s no surprise that on the west coast of Nigeria we find the orisha Yemaya, Goddess of the Seven Seas, known as the “Mother of All.” Yemaya is often shown with conch shells. She fills them with her comforting voice. She is also shown with…
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Lammas, the First Harvest Festival: Pay Debts? Forgive Debts?
In the Old World of my Celtic ancestors, August marked the beginning of the harvest season. Country fairs called people from the fields where they grew crops and from the open lands where they grazed herds. August heralded a time to acknowledge hard work and enjoy its rewards. Lughnasadh, Lammas, and the Highland Games The…
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Dementia Podcast Shortlisted for 2025 International Women’s Podcast Award
I’m a Finalist! What does my dementia caregiving podcast have in common with a CNN podcast? Or a podcast on ABC Radio? A Stak podcast about ballet’s underbelly? The National Prison Radio podcast? A North Carolina podcast on the NPR network? Stanford’s storytelling project podcast? And a podcast on the BBC? Out of almost 700…
