Thomas Schenk 
What if the darker moods of life are not merely obstacles to happiness, but invitations to discover a deeper way of being? Drawing on the mythological figure of Saturn and Thomas Moore’s Care of the Soul, this article explores how melancholy, contemplation, and the acceptance of life’s shadows might deepen the soul and help us find meaning beyond the demand to “only count the sunny days.”
Human beings inhabit two realities at once: the immediate world revealed by our senses and the mental world woven from memory, language, imagination, and belief. This article explores how mindfulness can help us reconnect with direct experience without abandoning the uniquely human capacity to create meaning, culture, and possibility.
This article explores the inherent tension between competing moral “goods,” like economy versus environment, which often drive social polarization. It advocates for a “both/and” approach to help bridge these divides by recognizing the valid intentions behind perspectives different from our own.
From the discovery of musical harmony in simple ratios to the modern idea of a finely tuned universe, this article traces a surprising thread connecting sound, mathematics, and cosmic order. What begins with Pythagoras and a vibrating string unfolds into a meditation on whether the universe itself can be understood as a kind of intelligible music—and how we might learn to bring that same harmony into our own lives.
This article explores the powerful role of erotic love in human life, examining both its emotional intensity and its biological roots. It then contrasts this fleeting passion with deeper, more enduring forms of love grounded in care, compassion, and a broader spiritual understanding of our place in the world.
This article explores the author’s experience of naturalistic spirituality through the lens of contemplation, drawing on the philosophical ideas of Whitehead and others. It reflects on how moments of deep awareness—whether inspired by thought, nature, or the vastness of the universe—can dissolve the ego and reveal a profound sense of connection to a greater, mysterious whole.
