The Reverend Joyce McDonald says a pastor once told her to "ask God what type of artist you are." She says God responded, "You're a testimonial artist." McDonald's testimonies come in the form of mostly unfired clay sculptures, sometimes embellished with glitter, nail polish, fabric, or paper towels. These figures are very small and simple (a mother and child, a woman praying) and almost naïve in affect (they carry titles like
Normally, a person goes about their life, making meaning of everything that happens to them, slotting it into a world that makes sense. Psychologist Bessel van der Kolk explains that a traumatic event short circuits this process. Trauma overwhelms a person, rendering them unable, in the moment, to integrate the event into their lives. In the context of spirituality, trauma is a hand grenade, exploding two of spirituality's primary functions: to help a person make meaning and feel at home in the universe.
Dratch, who wore an all-navy outfit with a small bird-pendant necklace, was exploring Stick Stone & Bone, a West Village boutique that hawks woo-woo wares: gems, jewelry, incense. Nose-ringed clientele browsed quietly; jazzy piano twinkled softly from above. The shop had been recommended by Amy Poehler, Dratch's close friend and podcast guest. On the show, Dratch and her co-host, Irene Bremis, a comedian and Dratch's high-school pal, are regaled by familiar faces' woo-woo tales: Tina Fey's spooky Jersey vacation town, Will Forte's Ouija high jinks, Gloria Steinem on the intuition of the oppressed. Dratch said that Poehler is, generally, "the ultimate skeptic" of woo-woo-ness.
Horror defines our boundaries and illuminates our souls. In that, it is no different, or less controversial, than humor, and no less intimate than sex. Our rejection or acceptance of a particular type of horror fiction can be as rarefied or kinky as any other phobia or fetish. Horror is made of such base material-so easily rejected or dismissed-that it may be hard to accept my postulate that within the genre lies one of the last refuges of spirituality in our materialistic world.
Several Indigenous tribes in South America had ancient prophecies that one day, when the world was ablaze, its waters filled with poison, a man with a White face and blue eyes would arrive to help unite the tribes and help them save the planet. A few years ago, the tribal elders announced that man was Patrick McCollum, a Northern California man.
There's a particular kind of heartbreak that happens when you realize some of your prayers are going nowhere. There's a painful silence that follows unanswered calls. Yet, despite the ache, I can still feel the pull to pray to the God outside of myself-that old reflex to place faith in something bigger, some invisible force in the sky, who, apparently, can make things happen magically here on Earth. But it doesn't always go that way, does it?
The main argument here is that spiritual strength is fundamentally about cultivating wisdom. From a psychological perspective, spirituality isn't about dogma or belief; it is about developing the kind of wisdom necessary to face suffering without denial, accept uncertainty without despair, and discover meaning beyond the ego. Modern cognitive scientists, such as John Vervaeke, describe wisdom in two dimensions: moral (what serves the greater good, the long view) and cognitive (navigating complexity, managing strong emotions, and distinguishing the essential from the trivial).
Big energetic shifts are in the air, as September not only coincides with the powerful magic of eclipse season, but it also heralds in the autumnal equinox, which is the first official day of fall here in the Northern hemisphere. In 2025, this celestial event takes place on Sept. 22, and it serves as the exact midpoint between the summer and winter solstices.
"I wonder if there isn't a larger danger in pouring your heart out to a chatbot," Catholic priest Fr. Mike Schmitz told The Times. "Is it at some point going to become accessible to other people?"
The only citywide festival of its kind in the nation is a celebration for the Chinese diaspora, signifying a time when the boundary between human and spiritual realms is thinner.
A sense of purpose can be understood as an organizing drive towards fulfilling a goal in one's life. Oftentimes, our purpose can involve professional, spiritual, or interpersonal goals that help us feel like the best and most authentic version of ourselves.
As we age and experience the death of parents and peers, we become increasingly aware of our mortality. Such awareness may trigger anxiety and prompt preparations, such as writing wills and advance directives.
Nima Nabavi’s exhibition, Roswell2223, showcases an 18-foot-long hand-drawn canvas that embodies spiritual intensity and meditative clarity through intricate geometrical forms.
The TRIRIS lamp by Chinmayi Bahl transforms spaces into sanctuaries of ambient light, merging traditional craftsmanship with modern design sensibilities.
For me, costume has always been part of everything. Culturally, I grew up in Venezuela seeing costume not as something separate from daily life but as something deeply embedded in it, especially through the lens of carnival.
The legislation that made the eagle official came from members of Minnesota's Congressional delegation. The federal act recognizes the eagles' centrality in most Indigenous peoples' spiritual lives and sacred belief systems.
"A vital component of Tibetan Buddhist experience, musical notation allows for the transference of sacred sound and ceremony across generations. A means to memorize sacred text, express devotion, ward off feral spirits, and invoke deities."
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