First Entry

Hello Folks!
     This blog was designed for a college course, Creating Wellness - Psychology and Spiritual Aspects of Healing, taught at Kaplan university. Now, since most of those that I know I will be sharing this information with are at first, my fellow classmates in this course. I may open this blog up to personal friends of mine, and use it as another method of conveying my thoughts and such.
    I am Chris Keenen, age (almost) 45; I live in Mesa, Arizona with my finace' and her two kids; I have a daughter, Zen, who will be 21 this year, who if married and lives with her Sailor, also named Chris. I am a member of my local American Legion, having been in the United States Marine Corps in my youth; I am also a Legion rider, which is a subgroup of Legionnaires who ride motorcycles. We do rides for charity groups, rides to foster community awareness, and sometimes, we just have a scoot for fun. My Rider name is Wolfman - we'll get back to that!
     I have a long history of being interested in alternative religions, different methods of worship and spirituality, and have always had a deep and abiding reverence for Nature. In my circle of family and friends, I am known as the Shaman - yes, I said Shaman. I make herbal medicines, I help people find lost bits of their souls (spiritual healing), and am very in tune with animals of all sorts. I have a pack of 5 different rescue dogs, and am definitely their Alpha (see, Wolfman, it fits); it is always interesting to newcomers to my circle to see me communicate with my animals as if I was talking to another human being. I have studied psychology for many years, alongside of my study of religions and alternate spiritualities. My bookshelves are loaded with books such as the Egyptian Book of the Dead, the Nag Hammadi Scrolls, and the Magician's Dictionary, to mention a few. I have been a Mormon Priest, studied the Southern Baptist ways, and delved a bit into Judaism and Catholicism - I now classify myself as very spiritual, but I do not subscribe to any one's religion. My belief is that your relationship with the Divine is unique; organized religion is someone else's word, someone else's experience, and what works for them may not necessarily work for you.
     I love to grow things, and have managed to have a garden wherever I have lived - be it Kilmarnock, Scotland, or the deserts of Arizona, or even a very small corner of the walk outside my apartment in Lincoln, Nebraska. Growing things for me, is like going to church - well, in fact, anything to do with nature is church for me. I follow the Old Ways, marking the turnings of the moon and the seasons with ceremonies and rituals. I am always willing to discuss my beliefs with anyone who has an open mind - I don't get dragged into dogmatic discussions with folks who tell me I'm damned and am going to hell. In my belief system, I came from a better place (which they can call Heaven, if they wish), and my Spirit is here once again, inhabiting this mortal coil, undergoing the trials and tribulations of being in a body that grows old and dies (which I can relate to their Hell, if so provoked).
     I hope that this blog will be a great platform for discussions with my classmates - I am very excited to see others' blogs. We will be sharing our blog URLs next week, and so I'll leave off with a hope that there will be lots of interesting things to read and discuss, with my fellow students.