Only Breath
Not Christian or Jew or Muslim, not Hindu
Buddhist, sufi, or zen. Not any religion
or cultural system. I am not from the East
or the West, not out of the ocean or up
from the ground, not natural or ethereal, not
composed of elements at all. I do not exist,
am not an entity in this world or in the next,
did not descend from Adam and Eve or any
origin story. My place is placeless, a trace
of the traceless. Neither body or soul.
I belong to the beloved, have seen the two
worlds as one and that one call to and know,
first, last, outer, inner, only that
breath breathing human being.
—-Mewlana Jalaluddin Rumi [Rumi] (1207 – 1273 / Persia)
I have long thought of myself as a Renaissance woman. I claim the titles of feminist, writer, editor, musician, professor, dancer, ethicist, queer, spiritual coach, and my proudest achievement, Jewish mother to two adult children who are beginning their own journeys of discovery. My Ph.D. is in Ethics and Religion from USC; my B.A. is in World Literature from UCLA. (I have always believed that we should all just get along).
The name Skysong came from when I was practicing Wicca in the mid-nineties, and the name stuck. It is a good manifestation of the heartsong I feel when I am under the sky. Skysong Consulting is my professional site, and when I decided to start a blog, I thought that Simply Skysong pretty much sums it up. It’s just me, doing the best I can, as we all are, on my journey toward mindful living.
I live in Southern California and work in the Jewish community. I’m an accountability coach and writing tutor. I love gardening, music, cooking, square dancing, nutritional healing, and listening to Books on Tape (titles ranging from Zealot to The Secret Life of Bees). I’m currently working on a podcast about dating with my 24-year-old daughter.
I am starting some LGBTQ workshops on sexuality and religion, so if you’re interested, please let me know and I’ll put you on the mailing list. [email protected]