In the midst of the political upheaval and general upset, seeking peace of mind and heart, I have come to speculate that there are two lies at the foundation of human suffering:

First is that death is the ultimate evil and to be avoided at all cost.2-truths

Second is that I am (us humans are) fundamentally bad, unlovable and/or unacceptable.

Until I accept that they are lies, I am in a constant, if unconscious, state of fear and defensiveness. That fear drives aggression, greed, hatred, lying, hunger for power and control, living as victims, depression, imperialism, competition and addiction.

Contrary to almost universal consensus, here is the truth that can set us free:

First, death is natural. Death is transcendent. Death is an ending and a new beginning. Although it can be a disappointment to our friends and family and sometimes a shocking surprise to the deathee, the moment of everyone’s death is perfect. There is conscious being after death and, by all reports that I know of, is way, way nicer and easier than being incarnate.

Second, I (us humans) am a finite and personal expression of the infinite consciousness. I am exactly who and what I am supposed to be. I am a being of light. I am, in my core nature, lovable, worthy and good.

When I REALLY, TRULY trust this to be true, I am free. I can breathe. I can live my true self, motivated not from fear, but from inspiration, aspiration and love.

Try it on. Take a few deep breaths, exhaling gently.  Now imagine that there is genuinely, absolutely nothing to fear – there is only the truth that death is perfect – a sweet passage that cannot be premature –  and that I am OK and totally lovable exactly as I am.  Trust that it is true.

Okay, easier said than done. Being able to do this has been the culmination of my life’s work and, although I believe it in my intellect, I still only experience glimpses of that exalted state. It is also the underpinnings of my practice as a psychotherapist.

It is also one of the most treasured of the beliefs that make up Riley’s Bubble.


To my Friends:

Like so many of us, I’ve been struggling lately. I’m upset. I’m scared and mystified and depressed and angry. I’ve been unable to find my beloved place of equanimity. Knowing that I will be gathering with friends tonight who are part of my cohort of like-minded has given me the focus I need to sort myself out. So here goes.




There are mystical traditions that speak of this time as the Kaliyuga, a chaotic period of drastic change in the community of humans. Astrologists describe it as the transition from the Piscean age, a two thousand yearkaliyuga epoch of authoritarian patriarchy, to the new Aquarian age, a two thousand year time of balance between feminine and masculine energy, a period of collaboration and consensus.

It may be true. I choose to believe it is. It is my way of making sense of what’s going on. I find solace in that.

From that point of view, I posit that Trump energy is the (hopefully) last gasp of the Piscean age, Hilary is a transition energy, 2 feet in the Piscean and one foot in the Aquarian age, and Bernie is a harbinger of the Aquarian era.

Here are some random ideas that emerge out of this point of view.

The established world religions are Piscean. The emerging, contemporary spiritual experience and experiments are Aquarian. Pope Francis is Aquarian.

Compassion and wisdom in the realm of law, commerce and government is Aquarian.

Feminism is an expression of Aquarian energy as we move into gender equality.

All civil rights and minority rights are an expression of Aquarian energy.

THE PATRIARCHY WILL NOT GO GENTLY OR WILLINGLY, i.e., evangelical Christianity and radical Islam, NSA, CIA, KKK, etc. Neither will it go immediately.

The chaos that we are experiencing is inevitable.   The human race is evolving. The change is very frightening, tragic, apocalyptic and very positive. It is challenging and exciting to Be Here Now. I will do my part, and as much as I can, handle my upset and enjoy the view.



How does it serve my Soul Self to inhabit this time of Kaliyuga? To be an activist? A resource? A witness? To evolve as a Human Being?

BYE THE WAY, the historian in me knows that there have been many, more cataclysmic upheavals in the past than we’re experiencing now. Authority vs compassion, separation of church and state, institutionalized prejudice, greed vs patriotism are old struggles in human history. Strong federal government vs “state’s rights” (to hold slaves) almost doomed the old US of A in the 1790’s and then again in the 1860’s. Perhaps my Kaliyuga theory is only a comforting fantasy. WE SHALL SEE.