Audio by Adam

Across cultures, the labyrinth is an ancient symbol of the journey through life, as well as archetypal patters seen in everything from the structure of galaxies, the whorls of seashells and the DNA molecule itself.  Walking the labyrinth was a popular spiritual custom in medieval Europe; examples can be seen in many of Europe’s great Gothic cathedral, perhaps most famously at Chartres. This practice has been revived for modern “pilgrims” of many faiths, or no faith at all. Come walk with us at the labyrinth inside San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral and see what you find….

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 5:56 — 5.4MB)

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The Masons have long been the subject of curiosity, derision, persecution and admiration for their tight brotherhood, which claims millions of members worldwide, and which has been a mainstay for most American presidents and untold numbers of movers and shakers. The purported “secrecy” of their rites and symbols,  which are sometimes riffs on the belief systems of non-Christian cultures, notably that of Egypt and ancient Greece, has added to their allure and cache.  I met with a group of elite Amercian Masons, who described for me the spiritual path that Masonry can represent for men, and was granted some insight into how this fraternity works.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 9:50 — 9.0MB)

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Of all the species of life on earth, none are as grand a symbol of life’s majesty and diversity as the giant redwood trees of Northern California and the coastal ecosystems in which they have grown for tens of millions of years.  I visited a small and precious preserve and talked to rangers and an environmental scientist about the biology of the place, and the spirit it evokes.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 5:18 — 4.9MB)

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