The Pomegranate & The Rose
Blooming into Being
Dear reader,
Welcome to the inaugural issue of The Pomegranate & The Rose! I’m grateful that you’re here. In the coming weeks and months, we will explore a vast cosmos of topics, weaving them together into a luscious, creative tapestry of deep personal and collective meaning.
When the seed of this newsletter first started to germinate, I imagined it would blossom into a lush conversational garden on ecology, mysticism, and erotic interbeing–and it will, true to its name. However, I contain multitudes–and if you’re here, I suspect you do, too. Along with longer-form writing, you will receive my original poetry, art, and audio recordings which will also be directly accessible on my forthcoming website.
These are the core threads that will run through everything we encounter together: exploring Love in all its facets, from eros to tender interbeing; the call to justice for all of Life on Earth and beyond; and mysticism–how we engage in deep connection with ourselves, one another, and Spirit through, between, and beyond traditions.
These explorations will be rooted in my present reality as a 3rd year Master of Divinity student at Union Theological Seminary, preparing to graduate in May. The experiences I have in this community shape and energize my being with the prophetic call to Love and Justice, as well as emergence into my fullest self– yearnings that I imagine animate you, too.
Interwoven will be some of my current reflections as an intern hospital chaplain, which is a tremendously intimate practice of intentional, skilled presence with strangers in some of the most difficult moments of their lives. In this, you will likely hear what I’m learning from my personal experiences of chronic illness and history of trauma and grief. Here especially, I am learning much about interbeing and communal support through my ongoing healing journey. Many of you found your way here while directly supporting my healing, and for that I am overwhelmingly grateful. It is my sincere hope that my experiences will speak to yours, and that we can flourish in our healing and expansion together.
There is plenty of content on the near horizon which I am excited to share with you. In the meantime, keep an eye out for an announcement about my website launch where you can keep up with all of my works in one place as well as purchase art prints and more. I’m so excited to embark on this journey with you all. Thank you for joining me.
In Love,
Jennifer