Category: Nature

• An Easter Walk

  Last night we held out family Sedar, the Passover meal at which we remember the Jewish people’s Exodus from slavery, and the many people who are oppressed today.  As we sit together, we think carefully about the strategies of oppression that abide in our world, and the duty of each generation to confront them. Then…

  Michael Watson PhD

  April 5, 2015

  Nature, Sacred Lands, Urban Development

  ceremony, Easter, Passover, slavery, urban development

• For the Love of Open Space

  Colder weather has returned and flurries fill the air. Even so, the snow and ice are increasingly found only in the deeper woods. The maple sap is running only intermittently, although perhaps we will have a strong run later in the week. There is some talk of snow for Easter. This post, like so many…

  Michael Watson PhD

  March 30, 2015

  Ecopsychology, Nature, Sacred Lands, Stories, Urban Development

  development, nature, Open Space, stories, Urban

• Ancestors In Conflict

  The other day I found myself in renewed conversation with a few Native friends, discussing the presence of the Ancestors in our everyday lives. There was shared agreement that the Ancestors are often close at hand, offering perspective and advice, although the frequency and immediacy of contact was wildly variable amongst those present. All of…

  Michael Watson PhD

  February 23, 2015

  First Nations, Nature, Shamanism, Teaching

  ancestors, conflict, psychotherapy, Shamanism, trauma

• What Coyote Might Teach Us

  Yesterday we took down most of our Christmas decorations, including the small Nativity set which consists mostly of an array of animals, both wild and domestic, that surround a manger and child. The idea behind the tableau is the ancient circumpolar Indigenous knowing that the animals welcome us at birth, and support us throughout our…

  Michael Watson PhD

  January 5, 2015

  Climate Change, First Nations, Stories, Teaching

  coyote, Native American, Shamanism, Winter Solstice