The Value of Work

A little over a year ago, I felt a subtle internal shifting that called for me to take a little leap of faith and let some things go to allow room for other things to take their place. I was guided to alter a few things in my meditation practice, among other subtle shiftings. But one of the biggest revelations that came to me is how beneficial work in the external world is. It could be all kinds of work: my vocational work as a mediator, volunteer work serving on the board of directors of my HOA and eventually becoming its president, physical work, particularly in the form of yard work, entailing working up a good sweat. There arose a sense of the intrinsic value of engaging with the world in these various aspects of work, and hard and challenging work. Perhaps a newly found phase of karma yoga. And in recent days, I continued to have a deep sense of the value of work in these manners and have reflected upon it. And then along comes the Pope:

The dignity of work at a time of digital transition

The value of work

148. Since the emergence of her Social Doctrine, beginning with Rerum Novarum, the Church has emphasized the protection of workers and the need to combat all forms of exploitation. Above all, however, the Magisterium has recognized in work “the essential key” [150] to understanding the entire social question, since it is through their work that individuals develop many dimensions of their existence. In view of this, we can understand the great intuition of Saint Benedict of Nursia, who united prayer and work, showing daily activity to be a part of the human response to God’s call. Created in the image of the Creator, our own work in some way continues his, for thereby we contribute to the progress of society and the common good, put to good use the capabilities we have received, improve and beautify the world, support our families, engage in cooperative relationships and, through listening and dialogue, learn to build together something that no one could achieve alone.

149. For these reasons, work is not simply an instrument; it expresses and enhances the dignity of our lives. It is a requirement of the human condition, a normal path toward maturity, development and personal fulfilment. In this regard, financial assistance to the poor may at times be necessary in emergencies, but it cannot become the sole response, since the goal is to enable each person to live with dignity through his or her own work. [151]

150. Today, the convergence of automation, robotics and AI is rapidly transforming the very structure of work. It is said that this will bring great improvements for everyone. In reality, however, the “new ways” of working are not necessarily better, for “while AI promises to boost productivity by taking over mundane tasks, it frequently forces workers to adapt to the speed and demands of machines, rather than machines being designed to support those who work. As a result, contrary to the advertised benefits of AI, current approaches to technology can paradoxically de-skill workers, subject them to automated surveillance and relegate them to rigid and repetitive tasks. The need to keep up with the pace of technology can erode workers’ sense of agency and stifle the innovative abilities they are expected to bring to their work.” [152] Precisely in order to avoid this drift, it is necessary to design systems that are centered on the human person and not solely on performance.

-- Excerpt from:

ENCYCLICAL LETTER MAGNIFICA HUMANITAS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE LEO XIV ON SAFEGUARDING THE HUMAN PERSON IN THE TIME OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Part of an Artist’s Job and Chief Xian aTude Adjuah Interview

Part of an Artist’s Job

There are always areas of vast silence in any culture, and part of an artist’s job is to go into those areas and come back from the silence with something to say.

--Ursula K. Le Guin

Chief Xian aTude Adjuah Interview

Following are excerpts from an interview between Finn Cohen and Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah, born Christian Scott, in the May 2026 edition of The Sun magazine. Chief Adjuah comes from a New Orleans lineage of one of many Native American tribes composed of a racial mix of freed African slaves and Indigenous Americans that originated in the Southeast US and still exist there, in other areas of the US, the Caribbean, and the Americas. His tribe and many others go back to early colonial times and still remain in the New Orleans area. They are commonly referred to as “Maroons”, “Black Masking Indians”, “Black Indians”, or the pejorative term, “Mardi Gras Indians”. He is an accomplished performing and recording artist well-known in American jazz circles. He attended the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts during his high school years and then went to and graduated from the Berklee College of Music in Boston on a full scholarship. He prefers the term “stretch music” for what he plays instead of “jazz” because of the vastness beyond the boundaries of definition that he is reaching for. While at the same time, it can be genuinely personal.

The interviewer, Finn Cohen, is a senior editor at The Sun, and has a college music degree that included participation in an Afro-Cuban percussion ensemble.

The reader may rightly ask, what does this have to do with Torah-Veda? My answer is that Torah-Veda is an avenue of spiritual expression that seems right for me, whereby I am “stretching” spirituality gleaned from given traditions in which I have made an “investment”, as the Chief puts it, in a similar manner to which the Chief is “stretching” jazz. For me, music and spirituality are intimately interconnected, and much of what I have excerpted here resonates on a level of wisdom that transcends a mere discussion about music and cultural heritage.

Q: There’s a tradition of Scandinavian jazz – I mean, there’s jazz all over Europe. Do you feel there’s a dissonance in someone performing music that comes from a different cultural history?

A: Those are not the same threads. I would hope that those musicians have made the investment in where the sound is coming from. But the point is that everybody has the ability to contribute beautiful things. I don’t expect somebody from Denmark to play the blues like someone from Tupelo, Mississippi. That’s a regional sound. And this music is about you being your sincere self. It’s always been weird to me, this idea that whoever’s on guitar needs to be able to play that line like Charlie Christian. You certainly need to be curious enough to be able to apply these different techniques and approaches, but once it’s time for you to speak your song, you don’t have to play like Charlie Christian. That’s ridiculous. Charlie Christian already played. We have recordings; we can hear him. You’re certainly not doing him any favors by messing up his lines, right? Just do your thing.

Q: I was in the Afro-Cuban percussion ensemble at Duke as part of my music degree. The instructor was a guy from Harlem who had been taught by Chief Bey. He taught me how to play guanguanco.  And he hated drum circles, because he felt like it was disrespectful to the music. He didn’t think it was OK to just hop in and beat on something.

A: I disagree. That space is designed for that. A drum circle is not the same as, like, an initiated circle, a cadre of folks in New Orleans, or Cuba, or Salvador. That’s different. You have initiated spaces where master-level practitioners work on what they work on, right? That’s not the same as a drum circle, which is a free-for-all, open for people to share vibration together and learn. It’s like a pickup game.

Q: I think my instructor’s feeling was that he was raised in this practice, and it was sacred. If you treat it this way, that’s disrespectful to its history. So I’m not asking, “Can you play like Charlie Christian?” but more, if you’re living in Denmark, “What do you know about this particular experience?”

A: It might not be your experience, but there are still synergies. I think we spend too much time trying to figure our what divides us, rather than what connects us. There is someone in Denmark right now that has the blues. That’s not up for debate. Someone is suffering. So now I’m supposed to create a metric by which to judge this person’s way of trying to express that? I’m sure people look at our way, and it might seem like we’re carving things up by definition, but actually it’s the opposite of that. For us, it’s more about understanding that everyone’s perspective is valid, but we also have to respect each other. It’s not difficult. We make it more difficult by not listening to each other. Someone in Denmark has the blues. What are they supposed to do with the blues? Eat it? We have coping mechanisms. The music is a tool.

My point is that if you’re interested in it and you want to learn how to effectively communicate with the tools and the vernacular that existed before you, then you make the investment. But the investment also doesn’t have to be made. We don’t have an unlimited time here on earth. I think it’s silly that we try and browbeat people with our priorities. Go ahead and do your thing, as long as you’re not disrespecting people. If you want to approach the blues from a space where you’re incorporating some Scandinavian scales and rhythms, then more power to you. I can’t wait to hear that. Maybe we can do better together if we actually look out for each other.

You don’t know what people are going through. If Scandinavians are non-violently expressing themselves, that’s even better, because historically there’s been some pretty rough shit going on in these countries. It’s better than somebody raping and pillaging because they don’t have an outlet. If a guy wants to sing the blues, man, but all means, please sing the blues. If you want to do it like Muddy Waters, then at least go to Mississippi and spend some time on the farms, so that your composite is stronger. But it’s not something that you have to do to touch those things.

Q: Well, we often hear the phrase “cultural appropriation” in these conversations. A white rapper would probably be the easiest example – someone borrowing part of a culture that they may not have come from. I’m not saying it’s always bad, because it’s case by case. The context of things matters.

A: Look, when I see Eminem in a cipher, I don’t see any deficit. I see someone that made the investment. It’s different when you’re pantomiming and the audience can hear you didn’t do any of the work. You’re just copying something. But you don’t want to go thirty-two bars toe-to-toe with Eminem! Where do we draw the line, right? It is a case-by-case thing. Be curious, take the time to actually make the investment, and a lot of those conversations go away.

I think when our community has reservations about these things, it’s usually because, as soon as we invent or come up with something, another culture almost immediately has to find a corollary to it. Little Richard said the reason we had all of those popular records from Jerry Lee Lewis was because there was not going to be a poster of Little Richard on the wall in a white American home. We understand the history of it, right? Given that context, yeah, it’s a little fucked up. I would imagine that our group would also kind of be like, “Yo, well, if you’re going to steal shit then we should at least be able to say you stealing some shit.” I think that’s fair. 

But in the interest of moving forward, I think if you want to touch things that come from other cultural groups, just go and be a part of the group and make the investment. Like you said about your teacher who taught you about guanguanco: If you go to Puerto Rico or Cuba, it don’t matter what you look like. If you go and you hang out with the people long enough, and get in and drink with them and be with them, they’re going to show you the moves, and you’ll become part of the larger family. These communities are not closed. Historically a lot of them didn’t have the ability to close themselves off, if we’re being 100 percent honest about it. The conversation we’re having today is about the investment. If you don’t make the investment, and you want to say that you’re revolutionizing guanguanco music, then the masters of guanguanco get to say that’s bullshit, right? But if you do make the investment, they’re going to say, “Yeah, we know him. He’s with us all the time. He’s a bad motherfucker.” I didn’t see Miles Davis kicking Bill Evans out of the band. He was with them. Dave Liebman: with them. John Scofield: with them. No one’s saying John Scofield’s not a master. He’s a master. You’re going to label him outside of that tradition because he’s white? That’s ridiculous. If Miles Davis could hear the shit, then I don’t want to hear what someone else that’s not a master has to say about it.

If you go to a place that has a history, respect the history. Be curious. Be openhearted and open-minded and less willing to accept those narratives that portray certain groups as being nemeses when reality shows that’s clearly not the case.

Those stories and those narratives, those songs, which are histories – we still have them.

Sonia Choquette and Spiritual Intuition

Introduction

Spiritual intuition is a subject of great significance to me that I have addressed in some of my books. I describe it as a “faculty”, for lack of a better term, that is innate and available to us if we know how to tune into it, just like other faculties that we regularly utilize, especially what we commonly call the senses, thinking (mental faculties), and feeling (emotional and artistic faculties). We employ them when we engage with the world, interacting and expressing ourselves. Another way to think of them is as tools by which we navigate our lives. Intuition is not the same as those other faculties, but rather is another inner resource we can tap into that is beneficial in guiding and working with all the navigation tools at our disposal.  There is what I have referred to as “Guidance” with a capital “G”. My sense is that there are two main forms/modes of Guidance: an impersonal type of external and internal force that we can tap into, and more personal, individuated forms that I prefer to call Guardian Guides of all types who assist and protect us. That would include what various spiritual and religious traditions refer to as angels, archangels, ascended masters, spiritual hierarchies, and such – all of which carry a certain amount of baggage that I prefer to avoid, so I lump them all into the generic term, Guardian Guides.

Spiritual intuition is connecting with Guidance, and as such, is a mode of functioning that stokes the fires of joyous Inspiration, Creativity, and Direction. But it is also very subtle, and requires discovering and cultivating the deepest realms of consciousness/awareness and quiet listening to and heeding the “still, small voice”.

The March/April 2026 edition of Spirituality & Health magazine contains a cover story about Sonia Choquette, and an interview with her. She is someone whom I had previously never heard of in all my meanderings. Her life has focused on the promotion of connecting with, nurturing, and living in accordance with the Guidance that is provided by Intuition. She is a cross between an “intuitive” and a psychic, having been bestowed such gifts at an early age. She has written many books and has traveled and taught widely. Look her up on the internet and you will readily find her. Below are edited excerpts from this article, with my comments/observations {like this}.

Background

Sonia Choquette has spent more than four decades traveling the world to instruct people to develop and trust their intuition, a skill her mother encouraged. Her teachings are inspired by her belief that we are all intuitive and that recognizing and relying on our innate inner guidance system is vital. Choquette pursued religious studies at the University of Denver, followed by the Sorbonne in Paris. She talks about why intuition has not always been taken seriously and why it’s more relevant than ever.

From the Interview

We are spiritual beings having an energetically sensed, embodied experience, and our angels want us to have the best. They are ready to help us with everything in life. When we ask for their help, especially with the intention of living in the highest way, they respond.

“Woo-woo” was considered a derogatory term for much of my life. When people called me that, they were implying I wasn’t realistic, that valuing the unseen world was irrational. In the Age of Reason, particularly in 17^th-century France with thinkers like Descartes, the prevailing view was that only the physical, logical, and measurable were real. Anything spiritual or energetic was dismissed as superstition. But now quantum physics affirms we are more energy than matter. What was once mocked as “woo-woo” is actually our truest reality.

Because I was the middle child of seven and wanted my mother’s attention, I became really good at listening to my spirit – and I could see things. By the time I was 12, I was doing readings for adults. I realized that not listening to your vibes is the worst handicap of all. You could lose your hearing, your eyesight, a limb, or your sense of smell, but if you lost your inner compass, you were really in trouble. I decided then that I would teach people. It was a calling. After more than 60 years of living this way, I can say with certainty that it is the only way to live.

Each of us has what I call a “core authentic home frequency”, our unique and authentic vibration, the pure expression of our spirit. It constantly communicates with us through subtle energy – not words – to keep us authentic, congruent, aligned, safe supported, uplifted, and connected. We receive it through our biology and through inner vision. It’s sensing an inner conversation. We receive it through our hands, through our skin, in our gut. Go here. Do this. Stay back. Don’t go. Just as whales use sonar or birds navigate magnetically, we humans use vibes. It boils down to this: we have a spirit that talks to us through vibration. So trust your vibes. {I personally relate to much of what she says here, particularly that it involves subtle energy and not words. It is definitely a communication, but through a sense, a feeling. I wouldn’t call it a conversation, because that suggests use of words and a two-way communication. For me, it is not two-ways, it is just silent Guidance that provides inspiration and direction. She touches on “inner vision”. I have maintained for a long time that there are subtle inner senses that correspond to our outer senses, not just vision, but all the senses. “Vibes” is not a word I would use because I think it carries too much baggage, but I get what she means. She is referring to an analogy from science that I often use as a metaphor: the vibrational frequencies of the electro-magnetic spectrum. We function through a similar system, or maybe even the same system, of internal and external vibrational frequencies. When we are consciously aware of how we are navigating those dimensions, we are in a state that I relate to called “flow” – we are flowing.}

Discernment. We have to fight [the] intrusion [of] outer world noise, external authority and influence that pulls us away from our authentic self. We have to discern energetically. Does this lift me up? Does this feel congruent or dissonant, supportive or not supportive? If you want to become more discerning, choose behaviors that support that decision: Regulate your breath, quiet the mind, root yourself in the body, and avoid excess stimulation. As you do, your intuition becomes undeniably clear, reliable, and valuable. The reason people don’t listen to their vibes is because they don’t have the language. Intuition is the language of energy. {It is also the non-verbal, feeling communication that emanates out of Silence.}

Intuition communicates like music. A melody can move you without words, and vibes do the same. You feel them in your heart, your gut, even the hairs on your skin. These are energetic communications, The more attentive and present you are, the more fluent you become in this language of energy. {Again, I get what she is saying, but I would shy away from “vibes” and “energetic” in favor of “the subtle power of quietude”.}

Because intuition is natural, it doesn’t require effort so much as it requires attention. A little bit of focus, a moment to get back into your body, and a willingness to value what you energetically sense – that is enough. When people do this, they immediately discover that their inner guidance is already present, already reliable, and already theirs.

During the enlightenment, people turned away from corrupt religion, and in doing so, many also turned away from Spirit. For centuries, society trained us to doubt ourselves and hand authority to outside systems. Those who trusted their own spirit were often judged harshly. Fortunately, this is changing. Intuition is increasingly recognized as natural and essential. Intuition is not mystical. It is human.  {As a proponent of mysticism, I disagree with her pronouncement that intuition is not mystical. But this is more a matter of semantics than substance. For me, mysticism comprises tuning into dimensions that are not subject to detection by external senses, which is what she is describing as intuition. She seems to be suggesting a division between being mystical and being human, but mystics are humans in touch with deep subtle levels of Being. It would be interesting to know what she defines as “mystical” to understand why she distinguishes it from “human”. I suspect she wants to de-mystify mysticism as something only available to a few because she regards intuition as common and available to all. I consider myself an optimist, but her extreme optimism may be overlooking the fact that she was blessed with gifts and insights that are not as readily accessible to others.}

The Sixth Sense. I think the sixth sense is actually a whole constellation of inner senses that are really quite elegant: clairsentience, clairvoyance, clairaudience, prophetic knowing. Science has discovered that every cell in your body is a conscious responder. I understand that we have as many inner senses as we have outer senses – if not more. The outer senses are the gateway to the inner senses. Our inner senses borrow our physical senses to communicate. Some of us get a vision. Some of us get a feeling. Some of us hear an inner voice. Some of us just know. I don’t want people to think it’s one-size-fits all. However your inner sense communicates with you is legitimately how your inner sense communicates. {This paragraph really resonates with me. I would add that when she says, “some of us just know”, she is describing what is sometimes called clairgnosis, which I think is a higher category than the others, close to or the same as what she calls “prophetic knowing”. You just know and see what the right course of action in a given situation is. It just comes to you.}

Some may wonder, How do you know it’s your inner sense and you’re not just making it up? Your inner guidance, which keeps you aligned with your true self, is very quiet and consistent. Your ego-brain says, Do this! Your spirit will gently respond: No, that’s not for you. Your intuition will leave your body relaxed, while your ego and emotions leave your body agitated. It’s a very consistent signature, and it’s really a good one to refer to.  {Here is another instance where I feel she is overly optimistic in describing how easy it is to discern and follow genuine Guidance, instead of intellectual/emotional ego-driven thoughts and actions. As examples of “spiritual bypass”, I have come across many people who delude themselves into thinking, imagining, fantasizing they are functioning at a deep spiritual level, when what they are doing is ego/emotional driven. I think it can be a tricky process to distinguish between ego-driven thinking and behavior and genuine Guidance. Sometimes, there can be a temporary breakthrough/glimpse, but it can then get clothed with ego or doubted. But I agree with her description/criteria that genuine Guidance is gentle and quiet, devoid of agitation or emotional charge. It appears as very matter-of-fact communication/knowing. Sometimes, I get what I call “hunches” – guiding and valuable insights and tidbits of wisdom that invariably get validated. Such occurrences help foster a connection and trust in that inner, quiet process. Quiet listening and focusing on awareness are the key for me. They foster a deep perspective.}

For me, guidance arrives like an inner GPS: Stop. Turn. Go back. It’s clear, immediate, and trustworthy. I don’t overthink it – I simply follow. From a young age, I understood that my ego was not the leader: my spirit was. That awareness has allowed me to stay receptive, flexible, and in a constate state of listening. My inner guidance has never failed me. It is my most reliable compass and the constant thread of my life.

True authority is not external – it is the quiet, unwavering voice of your own spirit. The word authenticity comes from the same root as authority, and to me that is no accident. When you live authentically, you live under the authority of your spirit. This is what the first commandment means to me: Do not place false gods before the truth within. Don’t surrender your power to external voices, systems, or pressures. Listen inwardly. Spirit speaks not in fear or agitation, but in steadiness, clarity, and peace. Life is constantly changing moment to moment. It takes courage to release control and follow the subtle guidance of your inner compass. But when you do, you discover that living in alignment with your spirit is not only empowering, it is also the most liberating, graceful, and trustworthy way to live.

Trusting your vibes aligns you with a higher frequency – the frequency of Spirit. Ego always separates. It insists on me versus you, right versus wrong. Spirit, on the other hand, connects. It recognizes that we are both Spirit, each on our own journey. When you trust your vibes, you move out of fear and reaction and into clarity and compassion. You can discern what is truly aligned for you without being pulled into conflict or judgment. Intuition doesn’t inflame division; it dissolves it. It gives you the calm strength to say, “This isn’t for me,” without needing to condemn or attack another.

{Amen!}