For this Halloween weekend, here is a haiku first posted October 31, 2015, inspired by a photo by my friend, Sharon Caulfield Lewis.
Celebrate a new morning with Bob Dylan's song that has been remastered with horns added. The horns give the song a more expansive sound. Who doesn't need a new morning and a new day from time to time?
"Jung believed that we could integrate the shadow using dreams, creativity or active imagination (Stutz & Michels, 2012). What more active form of imagination could be found than Halloween? We examine, create and adorn ourselves in our Shadow Selves, and for one night alone we live free, are praised or feared, and as children, rewarded with candy." (from Shadowdancing: Jung's Halloween, by Keith Karabin)
Yesterday, I shared a blog post from a priest explaining how Halloween need not be dressed up in such innocuous terms as "Fall Festival". Indeed, taken within the context of the liturgical cycle, the holiday can be celebrated without fear of sanctioning evil forces.
Today, continuing with the subject of Halloween, I am sharing another blog post, this one by Keith Karabin. He explains from a counselor's perspective how Halloween can help us get in touch with our own shadow side in a healthy way. You can read his post, "Shadowdancing: Jung's Halloween" here.
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When COVID shut down their possibilities of performing, Ravi Shankar's daughter, Anoushka, "asked many of my father’s students to record from their own homes around the world so we could play for you. Here is a taster of what you will hear when we reschedule these shows!"
The Rev. Joan Armstrong Davis, a former minister of the Camp Hill Church, was on hand to deliver the sermon for the historic homecoming event. In her sermon, she presented a brief history of Universalism in America. She told of how a Congregationalist minister, Rev. Charles Chauncy, was not comfortable with the hell-fire and damnation message of George Whitfield and Jonathan Edwards in the religious movement that became known as the Great Awakening during the American colonial period. Chauncy came to adopt a doctrine of universal salvation when he questioned the Calvinist doctrine that God predestined some people to eternal punishment in hell. John Murray was another who questioned the Calvinism of the evangelists of the Great Awakening. Murray is considered by most to be the father of Universalism in America. He was an evangelist of hope who participated in the first Universalist Convention and became pastor of the Universalist Society in Boston. It is said of him that he set out to “give them not hell, but hope and courage.” Rev. Armstrong Davis affirmed that human goodness and hope are central to the Universalist message. 
The church members seemed delighted to have almost sixty people in attendance, about three times the normal Sunday attendance (they meet once a month on the third Sunday of the month). After the service, all were invited to an abundant fellowship meal downstairs. It was a magnificent meal of all kinds of home cooked delights. There was home baked bread, casseroles, soups and stews, stuffed peppers and a variety of vegetable dishes along with baked ham and fried chicken. Further down the table was an equally delightful array of desserts: hummingbird cake, german chocolate cake, apple pie, fudge brownies and all manner of cheesecakes and custards. The after-church crowd shared food, fellowship and conversation in a delightful celebration of history, friendship, and family. 
In terms of an optimistic vision for society, in addition to the Winchester Profession, the Unitarian Universalist Association has adopted Seven Principles which are promoted by each congregation:
"Early Morning Rain," written and recorded by Gordon Lightfoot, was a hit on the folk music scene in the mid-1960s. It was recorded by many other folk artists, including Ian and Sylvia, Judy Collins, and Peter, Paul & Mary. Here is Eva Cassidy's superb rendition released in 2002 (six years after her death) on the album, Imagine.
The legendary Tony Bennett recently announced his retirement from performing at the age of 95. Famous for his singing career, he has also had a passion for painting. In celebration of his career that has spanned eight decades, I have been doing a series of haiku inspired by Mr. Bennett's artwork (when he paints, he uses his given name, Antony Benedetto).
Last week, 60 Minutes
on CBS aired a piece about Tony Bennett’s final performance at Radio City Music
Hall with Lady Gaga. Mr. Bennett is now living with Alzheimer’s disease and the
story of his farewell performance is beautiful and inspiring. Here is the 13-minute program segment.
On my blog, I write a new haiku every Saturday. When I heard about Tony Bennett’s retirement from performing at the age of 95, I took it upon myself to expand my tribute and do a series of haiku using more of his paintings. Listed below are the haiku I have written that were inspired by Mr. Bennett’s art:
And by the way, here are some songs by Tong Bennett that I’ve
posted in the past:
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Image: "Central Park"
Artist: Tony Bennett (Antony Benedetto)*-
Autumn Beatitudes
by Charles Kinnaird
I am happy with the leaves.
Let them fall
And let them be.
Let there be no stench of burning,
No dissonant noise of leaf blowers,
But let them rest on the ground
Covering a thousand footsteps of summer.
I am happy with beans.
Dried beans in the pantry
Assure me that there is bounty in the earth
And that the world is latent with possibilities.
I am happy with the way they swirl about
in the rinsing bowl
Like hundreds of prayers
On unstrung rosary beads.
If ever I am unsure of what to do next,
I can always cook beans.
I am happy with the sharp clear angular slant
Of the afternoon sunlight,
Reminding me that there comes a time
To slow down.
A time to not think.
A time to settle
Like autumn leaves on the ground.
Like beans in the bottom of the rinsing bowl.
Yusuf / Cat Stevens joins a worldwide chorus of singers performing his 1971 hit, "Peace Train." Playing for Change shows us the song is still an inspiring anthem.
