By "Thoughts" I mean items that are not better described as part of a "Places" page or a "Thematic Review" or "Book Review" page (see links for these items listed below).
So these are my thoughts on the meaning of life and love and liberty and on persons in my life who have passed away and left a strong influence or impression (not all of them, just a few, so don't feel bad if you are dead, were meaningful to me, and are not mentioned here).
In addition to essays, there are also fictional stories, some set in the past, some set in the future, and some set in a fantasy that is beyond time.
Departed Friends and Relations
Life of my mother, Adriana Van Luik
A 2009 Addendum to Adriana's 2005 Biographical Sketch
A 2010 addendum concerning a newspaper article about our coming to the US from the Netherlands.
Another 2010 addendum: My younger brother, Alex, carried on an email exchange with our mother that I was not really aware of until after her death, when Alex composed a farewell tribute to our parents using our mother's words from her emails, and illustrated it with some photos. Now with the fifth anniversary of her departure coming up, I looked at this tribute again and it occurred to me that I can scan this and put it on this web site as a PDF! So I did. Alex wrote it and provided the pictures to our mutual friend Caroline, in Virginia, who produced a book of 40 pages. In my copy she inserted an additional page, the cover of a book I had told her that my mother liked: Esoteric Christianity, by Annie Besant. That book is not mentioned in Alex's tribute, but I have discussed it elsewhere on this site.
My sister Corrie passed unexpectedly in 2009. Corrie's ashes were spread into the Colorado River at about the same place where my mother had chosen to spread my father's ashes and where hers were also spread. May they rest in peace!
Forever Friend Eulogy (Mary Jane Root)
My cousin Ben, a real shock and surprise
Tribute to Thea Lipp, a kindred soul
Fiction, historical and otherwise
The lives of Piri and Scipi and their unintended offspring, a tragic saga (NOT for kids, rated R) during the violent times of the Roman conquest of Spain, starting about 200 BC. Also, an external link to great photos from the general region where the story is set.
Two items of fiction, a short story about a past life, a longer story about a future life. Written in 2003.
A witch's triumph in death "Margreet's Fall Into Love" (according to one credible critic, this is my best writing)
Thematic Discussions and Writings
Zoroaster said to please God we must think good thoughts, say good words, and do good deeds. Saint Francis would have added recognizing and appreciating God in nature. Were they alive today, they would add that those good words and God-filled places should be shared on a web site. Wouldn't they? Im sure.
Motivations for Essays (with links to a variety of topics)
Introduction to my historical and other musings (with links to those musings)
One of those historical musings confess my temporary period of belief in the divine origins of Mormon polygamy: "Standing on the Principle"
A critical review of an article by the Mormon scholar Hugh Nibley, entitled "Patriarchy and Matriarchy." A presentation made at the SUNSTONE SYMPOSIUM in 1989.
My 2005 views on religion and the meaning of life subject to change without notice.
Cathars, Troubadours, and Courtly Love
Why the focus on Courtly Love [with several links]?
One of the links on the above page I purposely hid to assure that someone is seriously looking into a topic before they hit some subtopic that can be considered controversial. That link is to a page called The Works of Venus, Ritual of Renewal which is a discussion of historical material about the ritual of the hieros gamos, the 'sacred marriage' as some call it, but it is really an ancient sacred ritualized love-making event that was thought to be the way to call down the blessings of the Goddess Venus to enhance the local world's fecundity to solve a famine problem, or to strengthen the kingdom against its enemies. It deserves a serious 'R' in terms of a rating.
Anna Kingsford and Edward Maitland: extraordinarily creative lives lived in Courtly Love!
Joan of Arc (a discussion with links for older readers)
Joan of Arc (a story written for younger readers)
Discussion of revelation as exemplified by Joan of Arc (Catholic) and Joseph Smith (Mormon)
Rumi, Poet without Compare, with references to Courtly Love and a Revisiting of the life of Francis and Clare of Assisi!
A Womens' Movement in the Middle Ages (Beguines in a larger context) (My most popular page over the last decade!
Thoughts on the Divine Feminine with a footnote that links in some ideas from the book "Secrets of Mary Magdalene, The Untold Story of History's Most Misunderstood Woman" edited by Dan Burstein and Arne J. De Keijzer (EDS Books, 2006)
A comparison of four themes in the writings of Marguerite Porete and Jan van Ruisbroec (Accompanying photo pages revisit the grove where Ruisbroec found inspiration, the Place de Greve where Marguerite found death, and an early morning walk in Paris)
More on the life and teachings of the Flemish mystic Hadewijch (Motivated by addressing a question about her relationship with Bloemardine of Brussels, a heretical prophet by all accounts)
19th Century Mormon women defending polygamy
A real change of pace. . . here is the word for the year 2008: OROGENY! Two orogonies, the Sevier and the Laramide, are causing me to make changes to several of my older pages! Not nice! But click on the word, get the story of why I had to change a few of my older pages, and click on the links to see the corrected pages.
Life, Love and Time, some reflections after reading Destiny of Fire by Zoe Oldenbourg.
Go to Thoughts: Thematic Reviews
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