Rituals and celebrations
Death and dying
idea
Why ancient Mesopotamians buried their dead beneath the floor
In an age before photos or audio recordings, people found other ways to stay sensorially connected to their deceased
by Nicola Laneri
Rituals and celebrations
idea
More radical and practical than Stoicism – discover Shugendō
As they train for their own deaths, Japan’s mountain priests develop a form of acceptance that goes beyond the Stoics
by Tim Bunting
Rituals and celebrations
guide
How to set yourself free with ritual
For a life of harmonious ease, find the rhythm in the everyday: make your world your temple and submit to its sacred ritual
by Alan Jay Levinovitz
Rituals and celebrations
film
Come on this painterly journey to Madagascar’s ‘turning of the dead’
Directed by Bastien Dubois
Civic life
idea
Voting in person brings democracy to momentous life
Elections are about more than tallying votes – they offer voters a deeply felt connection to democracy and their role in it
by Emilee Booth Chapman
Rituals and celebrations
idea
Far-flung ancient communities forged bonds through broken rings
What can the fragments of Neolithic slate rings found in Finland tell us about social relationships 6,000 years ago?
by Marja Ahola, Elisabeth Holmqvist & Petro Pesonen
Parenting and families
guide
How Chinese philosophy can help you parent
Confucianism and Daoism suggest ways to guide your children toward meaning and fulfilment rather than wealth and prestige
by Erin Cline
Spirituality and religion
film
An ancient ritual is a window to Mayan culture’s deep past and vibrant present
Directed by Ricky Lopez Bruni
Sports and games
idea
For players of fafi, dream interpretation is a vital skill
The fafi lottery game in South Africa requires the careful interpretation of dreams and the waking world around you
by Brittany Birberick
Grief
idea
‘A tattoo is for life’: how memorial tattoos help the bereaved
More intimate and permanent than other reminders, tattoos offer an embodied form of meaning-making in the wake of loss
by Jennifer L Buckle & Sonya Corbin Dwyer
Drugs and psychedelics
guide
How to have a safe psychedelic trip
A psychedelic experience can be deeply rewarding, but also carries real risks. Here’s how to avoid a bad trip
by Christian Jarrett
Rituals and celebrations
film
Mamuka and his tuneful panduri light up this Georgian village feast
Directed by Bálint Bíró, Diego Quindere de Carvalho and Salome Razikashvili