November is a liminal time – a month-long bound)ary, in our latitudes, between the glorious finale of October and the run-up to the winter solstice, a term that comes from sol, or sun, and sistere, to stand still. We’re approaching the December moment when the Sun’s position at noon seems to pause before pivoting toward the new year with its promise of new life. For all earthly creatures this is a time of in-gathering – of storing up physical resources for the coming winter a

By Richard Knox We live in a secular society -- who can deny it? We’re marked by our relentless focus on materialism and preoccupation with what established religions call “worldly” concerns. Recent statistics bear this out. In the early-1950s nearly half of all Americans went to church regularly. Today fewer than a third do. And yet, lately the nation has been seeing a rise in the proportion of Americans who identify as “spiritual but not religious.” About seven in ten peop

- By Richard Knox Music is an emotive art. It can arouse a gamut of feelings, touching parts of our soul beyond logic and analysis....