Corpus : \cor·pus\ [n] : A collection of writings
Curio : \cu·ri·o\ [adj] : Born of curiosity
Thoughts, ideas, projects, explorations, etc. on a range of topics, sprung from the mind of Christian B. Newton - a curious fellow making his own way in the world, just as we all are.
Submitted by chris on
Today (March 20, 2022) at 8:33AM Pacific Time, the Earth passed the second cardinal point in its orbit - exactly 1/4 of its journey around the Sun. This is meaningful astronomically because it is the exact moment at which the Earth's tilt is neither towards nor away from the Sun. Consequently, both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres receive exactly the same amount of light and the Sun appears to be directly overhead at the Equator. Hence, the term "equinox" - or "equal day/night".
Submitted by chris on
There’s a woman I know,
She’s quite a handful,
Passionate and Compassionate,
Honest and Driven,
Loving and Lovely,
Committed and Spirited.
I fell in love with her 33 years ago,
And luckily she fell in love with me, too
30 years ago today we got serious about it.
This morning, I awoke beside her, once again.
This morning, I recognize my great good fortune, once again.
This morning, I take the next step on this loving journey, once again.
Submitted by chris on
Last month, Carol and I were fortunate to attend the final performance of “The Heal” at the beautiful outdoor theater at the Getty Villa in Malibu. A modern re-imagining of Sophocles’ “Philoctetes”, “The Heal” brings the classic tale of wounding, betrayal, redemption and the essential power of truth vividly to life. Written and directed by Aaron Posner and performed by a small but positively-electric cast, “The Heal” tells the classic tale of the wounded Philoctetes, abandoned by Odysseus years ago on a deserted island.
Submitted by chris on
Today, we mark the winter solstice - the longest day in the Southern Hemisphere and the shortest in the Northern. This year, the precise moment at which the earth passes this fourth cardinal point in its orbit will be 2:25pm PST. Those souls living in Antarctica right now are enjoying a sun that never sets, while those above the Arctic Circle won’t see the sun at all today. Around the world, ancient “observatories” such as Stonehenge mark today with a unique alignment of stones which direct sunlight to a spot visited only on this day each year.
Submitted by chris on
I’ve posted previously about the dramatic effect mindful meditation is having on my perception of time’s passage. I concluded that the rapid rate at which the days, weeks and years seem to pass is largely due to inattention to the present. This theme continues to grow in my daily life, and it continues to reveal the many ways in which I mentally manage time.
Submitted by chris on
In Zen practice, sesshin is a period of time dedicated to intensive meditation, intended to enable practitioners to focus exclusively on their practice and deepen their self awareness. Usually held at a Zen center or zendo (meditation hall), sesshin traditionally lasts 7 days, each day filled with many periods of zazen (seated meditation) and kinhin (walking meditation), interspersed with private conversations with a teacher, work periods, meals, etc. The days are long and participants maintain silence throughout, in order to reduce distraction from contemplation.
Submitted by chris on
Many of you were aware of (and even witnessed) the unusually-large full moon late last month - a triple-combination super, blue, blood moon, made possible by the coincidence of the second full moon of the month, at perigee and eclipsed by the Earth’s shadow. This interesting combination is beautifully illustrated in the Moon Section of Guy Ottowell’s Astronomical Calendar 2018.
Submitted by chris on
A year ago, I made a deeper commitment to my meditation practice: to sit in zazen (Zen sitting meditation) every day of the year. At that time, I had been steadily increasing my practice over a number of months, using Insight Timer on my iPhone to provide some structure and track my sessions. The app has grown from a simple timer into a world-wide community fostering all types of contemplative practice through online socialization and support groups.
Submitted by chris on
It's over. The solar glasses have been discarded. The sea of humanity that had migrated to a 60-mile-wide transcontinental strip of real estate has dispersed towards home - back to daily life, yet hopefully buoyed by the singular experience of totality. So much happened so fast, that it's taken a bit of time to reflect on my own experience and take stock of its meaning.
