Wunjo Way of Joy

Years ago, I found The Book of Runes by Ralph H. Blum—a companion for the spiritual warrior, offering guidance through simple stones inscribed with ancient symbols. Among them, the rune Wunjo—joy—kept appearing, quietly insisting that joy is not just a fleeting feeling but a direction, a compass, a way of being. It still feels true. Wunjo is a reminder to orient toward inner alignment, beauty, and the harmonies that arise when we live close to nature and close to ourselves.

I’ve been writing on and off since my teenage years—scribbling into notebooks, chasing questions, trying to remember and reveal who I am and why I’m here in this body, on this Earth. Writing became a way of listening: to my own heart, to the natural world, to the whispers of something larger. Julia Cameron’s Morning Pages showed me how to meet myself on the page, honestly and without judgment. That practice stayed with me. Writing still brings me peace, joy, and the kind of clarity that comes only through attention and reflection.

This blog is an offering from that place—a contemplative space shaped by curiosity, longing, love, and a quiet devotion to beauty. It’s a way of tuning in, of learning through presence, of honoring the seasons both within and without. The Wunjo Way is not a fixed path—it’s a practice of becoming, again and again, with wonder and heart.

Oak Trees

Last Updated on March 15, 2022 I was thinking about why I love oak trees so much. They make me feel like anything is possible. I learn so much from being near them and absorbing their peaceful presence. However big my problems seem or however hard my thoughts, an oak tree can give me the…

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Living and Dying

Last Updated on March 15, 2022 For many years I’ve noticed this beautiful oak tree that is both living and dying at the edge of China Camp along the Bay. When I see it from a distance at certain times of the year, I feel sad that such a majestic tree seems to be in…

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Details

Last Updated on March 15, 2022 I was thinking a little too hard about what made me happy today. I don’t feel the need to force happiness if it’s not there, that’s not happy. It makes me feel good that people check in with me regularly and tell me about their lives. I love that.…

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Always Be Kind

Last Updated on March 15, 2022 Always be kind. We can never know the underlying causes of another’s behavior. Always save some room for redemption, for forgiveness, and for allowing ourselves and others the chance to restore our own honor. Today at the farmers market, I was with 3 others from Marin Community Fridges gathering…

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Let Life Be What It Is

Last Updated on December 20, 2021 This morning I spent some time sitting, drinking my tea, listening to the sounds of life happening around me, and watching my thoughts come and go. I can string my thoughts together with such passion and dedication when I am invested in communicating them in order to achieve a…

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My Ancestors Love

Last Updated on December 20, 2021 Remembering the dead & feeling my ancestors love. My maternal grandmother, Helen Aherns Berger, was the elder most present in my young life. What I remember most about her was the feeling of being accepted. I knew she was rooting for me to be myself. In retrospect, it seems…

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The Preacher

Last Updated on December 20, 2021 About 6 years ago, my good friend and her fiancé called to ask if I would officiate their wedding. I was incredibly honored and immediately said an enthusiastic. “YES!” As what I had agreed to do slowly set in, I realized that I felt insecure about performing a wedding…

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Holding Tiny Humans

Last Updated on December 20, 2021 The right side photo is from 8 years ago. I’m overcome with wonder at the sweet, preciousness of my sleeping, spirit nephew, Sonny, in my arms. I’m so grateful that my body easily knows how to hold others. My body is designed to radiate love and comfort to those…

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Good morning sunshine.

Last Updated on December 20, 2021 I wasn’t feeling like it was a good morning when I woke up. I don’t know why I sometimes wake with hard feelings on my heart. Sometimes waking up alone feels luxurious and calm, sometimes it feels incredibly lonely and sad. Today I woke attuned to the bottomless black…

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bell hooks

Last Updated on December 20, 2021 This writing is from the influence bell hooks writing is having in my life. I’m wrapping my mind around my expanding understanding of what I thought I understood as gender roles. I invite the thoughts of those I may offend and acknowledge that I am taking a risk and…

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Autumn Equinox

Last Updated on December 20, 2021 Today is the Autumn Equinox and I wanted to spend it breathing fresh air, reveling in natural beauty, and listening to wise messages from water, trees, and my local creatures roaming & flying around China Camp. A beautiful intention gone awry. Instead, I woke up grouchy. I kept my…

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Body Love

Last Updated on December 20, 2021 Every human has a body that is beautiful, unique, and sacred. If we could all only see, know, and remember this both inside and outside of ourselves, what a vastly different world we might inhabit. A newly inspired Sacred Body Love practice for me is to stay connected to…

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