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.
Oriel Katsir
I posted a 1 star Yelp review about a male spiritual teacher that I’ve experienced to be psychologically harmful and predatory. My heart pounds and I feel scared like I’ve done something wrong. I’ve written about this experience many, many times over the years, but never shared it publicly. I am still worried that maybe…
Intention and Impact
Shaun King talks about how his wife, Rai King, taught him the difference between impact and intention. He says, “You might not have intended your words to be harmful, but we aren’t just responsible for our intentions, we are also responsible for the impact of our words and actions. And sometimes the impact of our…
When One Of Us Falls
6 years ago, my friend Afran ended his life. Though I hadn’t known him long, his life and death impacted me so deeply. Witnessing the effect of his suicide on my community and the grief of so many people I love was almost unbearable. I didn’t know what to do or say, but I knew…
Disrupting the flow
Here are some things I’ve been thinking about lately. Current goals for my ongoing, ever-changing state of awareness: 1. Noticing and taking in all visible and invisible forms of disparity I encounter and holding them as an expanded awareness of how to be most human and humane. There is always a worse circumstance or a…
Police brutality
“Police brutality is as deadly as it has ever been in the entire history of our country. Do you know why? For all intents and purposes, police brutality is legal in America. Police policy manuals may discourage it and communities across the country may absolutely despise it, but the bottom line is that our courts…
White Privilege
Shaun King offers a helpful explanation of white privilege on his new podcast, The Breakdown, which is now the #1 news & politics podcast in the world and the #4 podcast overall across all categories. I’m proud to be supporting The North Star as a founding member. “Privilege is complicated to explain in part because it often functions…
Mya Hall
#sayhername #MyaHall Mya Hall died on March 30, 2015 after an incident involving her crashing an SUV into a police cruiser near the gates of the Baltimore NSA. She was a 27 year old black, trans woman. Simply living life as a black, trans woman puts her in an incredibly vulnerable state considering the cards…
Open Eyes of Racism
Open eyes see Racism everywhere Don’t fucking look away You know what you saw You know what you heard You witnessed the harm You were part of the harm You stood silently for too long You accepted the lies Made them your truth & tradition Time to break down and dismantle white supremacy We must…
I love you
I wrote this 4 years ago and I remember precisely the feeling of expressing it. I still feel exactly the same way. The growing edge is living it and choosing this level of dedication to move, act and react from this wise and inspired part of myself. The sincerity of my words hold up over…
Meditation
I captured only a fraction of the intricate drops of rain beaded on the flower buds and leaves in this garden. The rain felt dewy and mist-like. I can’t remember ever feeling so content to be covered in tiny droplets of water and larger, more splatter-y drops falling on my head from the branches of…
Changing My Mind
In February, I went to 19 yoga classes. At the beginning on the month, I overdid it and injured my shoulder & neck. I spent about a week & a half in pain and taking it very easy. I got a massage, saw the chiropractor, took Advil, did things with my non-dominant hand, iced, took…