St. Patrick has been upheld as the patron saint of Ireland, but he has also been said to have "driven out the snakes," including a possible abrupt and violent overthrowing of earlier religious and spiritual practices in Ireland. Was this story even true? And, is it possible to instead "embrace the snakes," in a life-affirming, … Continue reading "Embracing the Snakes / Embracing the Snakes, with Amy Panetta"

“The soul should always stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic experience,” wrote the poet Emily Dickinson. Anne shares her difficult journey of leaving a fundamentalist religion as well as insights from her whirlwind year of experimenting with two dozen spiritual practices—from singing to solitude to going to a witch camp and heading out on … Continue reading "Lessons from My Year of Living Spiritually: A secular quest for a more soulful life / Leçons de mon année de vivre spirituellement : Une quête séculaire pour une vie plus profond – with Anne Bokma"

  Spirits, History, and Belief: Dark Tourism in New Orleans Esprits, histoire et croyance : le tourisme sombre à la Nouvelle-Orléans