2021 -

Zodiac Tablet

Current work in progress.

2019 -

“The Egypt of the Astrologers” by Franz Cumont

Forthcoming, Rubedo Press. English edition translated from the original French by Franz Cumont.

Vivid descriptions in this philological survey on the civil and religious life of Ptolemaic Egypt through the writings of astrologers.

The translation process began in October 2019 and is currently in proofreading and editing stages.

Click here to preview the table of contents.

2017

Power and Consciousness

This body of images was conceived by examining the modern concept of the twelve signs of the zodiac given by Dane Rudhyar (Daniel Chennevière), an influential 20th century French composer and philosopher, in his book The Pulse of Life (1963). Based on the idea of a cross where consciousness is a horizontal line (the horizon, dividing light from dark) and power, or vital force, is a vertical line (the meridian, absorbing power when rising up to it, releasing when falling), these images are responses to the following question:

If life springs at the intersection of power and consciousness, and the zodiac signs were manners of expressing life, how might power and consciousness represent themselves through each sign?

These hand-made ink drawings show in part the cyclic passage of the Sun through the zoidion of the seasonal year - the increase and decrease of day and night as the central theme. While they are clearly abstract, they also relate aspects of nature to humanity such as plant growth, war, birth, government, science and philosophy, devotion, greed, decay, death, and renewal. Individual geometric shapes can have specific meanings while the entire image is meant to evoke in the viewer an experience of what the sign itself represents.

Here you can read brief synopses of each sign based on the writings of Dane Rudhyar.

2016

Cob Oven

Revive the Roots, a permaculture non-profit in Smithfield, Rhode Island.

“Cob” is a Welsh word that means “loaf” and refers to a very old style of building with clay-rich soil and straw. This strong combination of earthen material has been used for thousands of years all over the world to build entire cities.

In 2016 I organized and taught a 3-day workshop on how to build one of these ovens to a group of 6-10 people. Today, the cob oven still stands and it brings great joy to see it used regularly for community baking on Sundays during the warmer months. Photos below courtesy of Revive the Roots.

2013

Cob casita

Sequim, Washington.

One month on the northern coast of the Olympic Peninsula with about 15 other volunteers, some of whom were already my friends. We helped build a small cob dwelling on a ten-acre property in exchange for delicious meals and beautiful camping scenery.

2013

Cob House

Los Olivos, California.

An apprenticeship through Cob Cottage Company, one of the first formal revivalists of natural building in North America in the 1980s. I camped on a plateau with 15 other apprentices for three weeks and then stayed on for another three weeks with a few other apprentices who became friends I would see later on in Oregon and Washington.