I unpacked the manger set from my childhood and imagined myself into the scene again – but now the rich metaphors of the annunciation, nativity and epiphany unveiled truths of my own life.

I unpacked the manger set from my childhood and imagined myself into the scene again – but now the rich metaphors of the annunciation, nativity and epiphany unveiled truths of my own life.
Jesus’ message of peace might have had a more transformative impact in the world had the Christian movement followed Jesus’ example in his relationship with women.
Years ago, a chance encounter in an antique store ultimately led to a reclaiming of my spiritual roots and a deeper relationship with the Divine. The encounter was with Mary, aka the Blessed Virgin, or rather, a simple unpainted ceramic statue of a young woman that...
Let’s start 2021 by recalibrating our intentions to our most important values that will guide our choices (big and small) in the months ahead, regardless of external events.
Republished from November 2019 Cosmic Birth/Sacred Moment in Time ©Mary Southard marysouthardart.orgCourtesy of MinistryOfTheArts.org All rights reserved When I was a little girl, my December ritual was to sit alone in our living room beside the twinkling tree lights...
The adoption caseworker made it clear the child coming to MN to live with me had endured a staggering number of losses. Preparing to become a mom meant lining up grief therapists, researching childhood trauma and carefully thinking through small acts that could help...
Consider: All earthly life together is one being. “Everything that is in the heavens, and on the earth and under the earth is penetrated with connectedness, penetrated with relatedness” -Hildegard of Bingen, 12th century Christian mystic In her forest home, Hildegard...
There is sometimes (often?) irony to be found in the reflectiveness and goal-setting of January. I rang in the New Year bemoaning how creatively on-fire – to the point of agitation – I was in 2019 for a vision that has met only roadblocks. Then today, I came across my...
When I was a little girl, my December ritual was to sit alone in our living room beside the twinkling tree lights and imagine myself into the coffee table manger scene. I visualized myself with the shepherds underneath a Bethlehem sky full of angels until the angels...
Last April, famed scientist Jane Goodall recalled a transformative moment she had in Notre Dame cathedral: light streaming through the Rose Window, Bach filling the vastness. “How could I believe it was the chance gyrations of primeval dust that led to…the collective...
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