Category Archives: Indigenous traditions

Being “Outed” in Whole Foods

Posted on January 1, 2016 by Michael J. Melville

Still wearing my crimson winter jacket and white stole, I donned my Moroccan hat with its small circular mirrors and entered Whole Foods. I paid for my coffee and éclair with a gingerbread man, a clever paper cutout with a … Continue reading →

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The Counselor at the dinner table

Posted on November 27, 2015 by Michael J. Melville

If you know a family member, friend, or lover who is struggling with a diagnosis on the Asperger/Autism continuum, or has been abused in childhood, you probably have seen their symptoms and strategies to deal with post-traumatic stress. These adaptations … Continue reading →

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Irish Magic, Monsters, and Transformation, the novels of Douglas Nicholas

Posted on November 21, 2015 by Michael J. Melville

When cultures collide, themes of transformation are necessary. And what better place to discuss cultural conflict than sometime long passed, like say England around the time of Robin Hood and the Magna Carta. Opening up to a wider audience, the … Continue reading →

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The Bitter Cup: Ayahuasca – beware the hand that serves you

Posted on July 7, 2015 by Michael J. Melville

The Bitter Cup: Ayahuasca – beware the hand that serves you. via The Bitter Cup: Ayahuasca – beware the hand that serves you.

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The Water Horse Way

Posted on May 19, 2015 by Michael J. Melville

Honestly, I didn’t know what to do. Out of the blue came a Facebook friend request from someone I hadn’t seen in five years. Three years ago he agreed to meet me for a movie, Cloud Atlas, which illustrated most … Continue reading →

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Psyche’s Pearls

Posted on November 24, 2014 by Michael J. Melville

James Hollis is perhaps my favorite living author in the Jungian lineage. His book The Middle Passage: From Misery to Meaning in Midlife, (1993) begins with the basic foundational concepts of archetypal psychology, the complexes. These energy matrices are hot … Continue reading →

Posted in Balancing male/female energy, Child/Parent Relationship, Foster Children, Indigenous traditions, Individuation, Philosophy | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Taking Names

Posted on November 5, 2014 by Michael J. Melville

The indigenous practice of getting and being given new names after a transformation of character is ancient. The birth name no longer seems appropriate when the child’s growth and development moves in a different direction. We like to honor those … Continue reading →

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On the edge of the abyss

Posted on October 30, 2014 by Michael J. Melville

Two dead sun dance trees. The moon’s infinity shines at night, while the light of consciousness illuminates the foreground. Two trees grow green out of the strange ground of white and blue flowers. A darkened white tipi stands waiting as … Continue reading →

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Happy Birthday Brother Coyote

Posted on August 26, 2014 by Michael J. Melville

The Mexican/American kid who was cutting the weeds this afternoon was very talkative and friendly. He asked me, referring to the hillside, “How does it look?” to which I responded, “How does it look to you?” “Better than it did,” … Continue reading →

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When cell phones won’t work

Posted on August 14, 2014 by Michael J. Melville

Over the past 5 years I have always had trouble with my cell phone reception, no matter what part of California I was living in. Ojai, Berkeley, Santa Barbara, and now Val Verde, still the problem haunts me. Creator is … Continue reading →

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