What’s Your Plan For 2017?
I know I'm a little late... But wanted to let you know I'm thinking of you and wishing you and your family good things in 2017. Don't know about about you, but I'm glad 2016 is behind us and I'm looking forward to the challenges of 2017. Just got back from an amazing two week trip to the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. Had a chance to work on my...
Getting The Help You Need
There's a difference between needing help and wanting help... That's what my friend and mentor, Willy, was explaining the other day. Lots of folks need help, he says, but not everyone wants help. You gotta know the difference. Willy knows what he's talking about. He used to be a drug addict... It was bad. He even attempted suicide decades ago...
My Jam Session With Steel Pulse
The director of the upcoming documentary on legendary reggae band, Steel Pulse, wrote me recently on FaceBook. His name is Yoni Gal and his upcoming film is called Dreadtown. Can't wait to see it. You can check out the clip below. Dreadtown Teaser Trailer (Steel Pulse Documentary) from Rory Gordon on Vimeo. Anyway, I was totally surprised...
The Wisdom of Going Slow
Bumped into my friend, Tobe Correal, about 2 months ago. She's the author of the book, Finding Soul on the Path of Orisa. If you haven't read her work yet, check it out. You might enjoy it like I did. Here's the link: Finding Soul On The Path of Orisa Anyway, Tobe was at my neighbor's 40th birthday party. Turns out they're cousins. It was great...
Connecting With Nature
I moved into my new office recently... You'll find me under a tree in my backyard. O.K. I'm not outside all day but I've been spending a lot more time there. It's addicting... I've fallen in love with the butterflies, the constant cooing of pigeons, and for the first time in many years, I've planted tomatoes, strawberries, eggplant and a...
Rituals For Living
"When you live by Spirit, there will always be a way made out for you," says filmmaker Dalian Adofo, co-producer of the documentary Ancestral Voices, a film that combats misconceptions about African spirituality. I'm interviewing Dalian by phone, and he's telling me about his experiences working on Ancestral Voices 2, the sequel to his first...
Reunion in Exile
My spirit soared home to the Virgin Islands and returned to Virginia again and again. I'm traveling on the East Coast and had a chance to visit two childhood friends in Maryland recently. They’re from St. Croix, Virgin Islands, too. It's been a long time, too long. Seeing Ian and Brenda, after not seeing them for so long, stirred up memories of...
Wisdom From The Sea
"Wisdom comes from the sea," says famous South African spiritual leader, Credo Mutwa, in the film, Dolphins. "The Zulu people of South Africa believe that centuries ago, a race of intelligent creatures chaperoned humans into this world. Members of this race returned to the sea to become dolphins. Over the centuries, dolphins and whales sent...
Honoring What Spirit Brings
"I write exactly what comes into my head," my friend, Keisha, tells me. "I honor whatever comes. When I'm writing the poems, I'm listening. I go into a different zone." Keisha is a poet and a rising force in the literary world. She "wields her pen like a Samurai swordsman," says master poet, Abiodun Oyewole, a founding member of the legendary...
Finding Soul on the Path of Orisa
I fell in love with Tobe Correal's book immediately. Tobe, an initiated priestess, is the author of "Finding Soul on the Path of Orisa: A West African Spiritual Tradition." She's a talented writer: "Yoruba religion is a way of life. It is seeking to know the sacred nature of life - the breath of God flowing through all things. It is the holistic...