Author Archives: Greer Barker (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

Light Passing Through

Amy Friend's photographs materialize the transience of light and being

Amy Friend’s photographic series “Dara Alla Luce” whispers ephemeral. Orbs of light give form to lines of the body, subjects whose physiology has long been returned to the dirt of the earth. Dara alla luce is Italian, translated as “to bring to the light.” We … Continue reading

Posted in Soulful Expressions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“I Did Not Attend the Funeral, but I Sent a Nice Letter Saying I Approved of it.”

- Mark Twain / Ebenezer Rockwood Hoar

(This quote, like many witty quotes, is often wrongly ascribed to Mark Twain, though it was actually Hoar to whom it should be attributed, as the website “Quote Investigator” details. Twain’s place in our collective imagination continues to earn him … Continue reading

Posted in Laughter is Medicine | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Seeing Emptiness

Life and death in Mark Rothko's paintings

Staring at the floating colors, I find myself weeping. As my eyes fall into the deep, red abyss, my mind fills the void with everything: love, life, grief, death. The gift of the abstract is that we infill its apparent emptiness … Continue reading

Posted in Soulful Expressions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment



Our Weekly Tip: Find Your Way With a Labyrinth

Labyrinths create a sacred container for end-of-life and memorial ceremonies

Our tip of the week: Labyrinths have been with us for thousands of years. The Reverend Lauren Artress uses labyrinths in ritual, and champions its use as a tool for emotional and spiritual healing in the grieving process. In a … Continue reading

Posted in Practical Tips | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Healing (the Spirit) Through Plants

Ayahuasca is one of many Amazonian plants with tremendous healing potential, which is why people are talking about it

What is the difference between a drug and a medicine? We use the terms interchangeably, though drugs are more readily labeled as illicit substances that lead people down a path of psychological addiction and abuse. Medicine is viewed as a synthetic, … Continue reading

Posted in Cultural Perspectives | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment



Finding the Faces of Cancer

The radio show "On the Media" charts the changing conceptualizations of cancer

In a recent two part series, the NPR radio show “On the Media” explored the media constellation that comprises the multi-faceted disease, cancer. The show charts the historical framing of cancer – including the earliest recording of cancer case stories on … Continue reading

Posted in Something Special | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment