The relationship at the heart of ritual is the relationship between life and death, mediated by elemental forces. The kinds of rituals that fall out of that might be a monthly day of silence, perhaps periodic fasting, perhaps singing around the fire. All such things need to be done as symbolic testimony to the joy and sorrow of being human, no... See more

This shift in perception isn't just a private, internal matter. It fundamentally changes how we relate to everything - to other beings, to the natural world, to our own lives and deaths. When we directly perceive the inherent value and aliveness of reality, exploitative or destructive actions become increasingly unthinkable. We don't need ethical r... See more