"Late September" (Image & Text Copyright Wylddane Productions, LLC)
In just a few days, October will arrive, carrying with it the full embrace of autumn. Yet here in the Northwoods, late September lingers with unusually warm temperatures, as though summer is reluctant to loosen its hold. The forecast promises this warmth for another week, and one wonders: will this be a mild fall and winter? When will the cooler, rainy days arrive, if at all?
No matter. With gratitude in my heart, I raise my coffee mug in salute to this radiant morning. The fountain on the deck burbles cheerfully, offering its own music to the dawn. Songbirds have already taken flight to southern skies, but their absence is filled with the calls of Canadian geese gathering on the nearby lake. Their honks carry across the air—an unmistakable reminder that even when the warmth lingers, the season is quietly turning.
As I sit in this golden light, a phrase drifts into my mind: religions divide, spirituality unites. Perhaps it comes from growing older and, I hope, a bit wiser. I know religion well; I grew up among fundamentalism and evangelical fervor, and in my early adulthood I turned away from it. I came to abhor the rigid boundaries, the sharp lines drawn between "us" and "them."
Religion, bound in doctrine and exclusivity, often insists on one narrow path and labels others as false. This has sown conflict for centuries. Yet spirituality—spirituality is different. It does not bind, but frees. It is the quiet, inner wisdom that lives within us all, calling us toward love, kindness, and connection. It is not a matter of dogma but of presence. It does not demand adherence but invites seeking. Spirituality is the recognition of the divine essence woven into every being, into rivers, mountains, and skies.
This morning, I came across words from Indigenous Pride that stir my soul:
"Our identity is carved in the rivers, the mountains, and the sacred fire that never dies. We live as guardians of traditions, bound to the earth in spirit and truth."
Such words remind me that spirituality is not about separation but belonging. Not about walls, but about rivers flowing, fire burning, mountains rising. Spirituality is a song of unity—of finding common ground in shared values of compassion, generosity, and hope.
So on this late September morning, surrounded by the colors of autumn fire and under the canopy of a brilliant blue sky, I feel my spirit rise. I feel it singing with joy, envisioning a world no longer divided by creeds and conflicts, but joined by love. For beneath the many names, the many languages, the many forms—there is but one light, one breath, one sacred truth that unites us all.
“When I see Spirit in everything, Peace is at hand.” ~A Course in Miracles
~Wylddane
No matter. With gratitude in my heart, I raise my coffee mug in salute to this radiant morning. The fountain on the deck burbles cheerfully, offering its own music to the dawn. Songbirds have already taken flight to southern skies, but their absence is filled with the calls of Canadian geese gathering on the nearby lake. Their honks carry across the air—an unmistakable reminder that even when the warmth lingers, the season is quietly turning.
As I sit in this golden light, a phrase drifts into my mind: religions divide, spirituality unites. Perhaps it comes from growing older and, I hope, a bit wiser. I know religion well; I grew up among fundamentalism and evangelical fervor, and in my early adulthood I turned away from it. I came to abhor the rigid boundaries, the sharp lines drawn between "us" and "them."
Religion, bound in doctrine and exclusivity, often insists on one narrow path and labels others as false. This has sown conflict for centuries. Yet spirituality—spirituality is different. It does not bind, but frees. It is the quiet, inner wisdom that lives within us all, calling us toward love, kindness, and connection. It is not a matter of dogma but of presence. It does not demand adherence but invites seeking. Spirituality is the recognition of the divine essence woven into every being, into rivers, mountains, and skies.
This morning, I came across words from Indigenous Pride that stir my soul:
"Our identity is carved in the rivers, the mountains, and the sacred fire that never dies. We live as guardians of traditions, bound to the earth in spirit and truth."
Such words remind me that spirituality is not about separation but belonging. Not about walls, but about rivers flowing, fire burning, mountains rising. Spirituality is a song of unity—of finding common ground in shared values of compassion, generosity, and hope.
So on this late September morning, surrounded by the colors of autumn fire and under the canopy of a brilliant blue sky, I feel my spirit rise. I feel it singing with joy, envisioning a world no longer divided by creeds and conflicts, but joined by love. For beneath the many names, the many languages, the many forms—there is but one light, one breath, one sacred truth that unites us all.
“When I see Spirit in everything, Peace is at hand.” ~A Course in Miracles
~Wylddane
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