What is the common good? The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy say that the common good “refers to those facilities—whether material, cultural or institutional—that the members of a community provide to all members in order to fulfill a relational obligation they all have to care for certain interests that they have in common.” Put more simply, it is whatever is for the benefit or interests of all.

In this podcast, Matthew Fox talks with Merryn Jose about the current imbalanced view of what is masculine, the initial attempts of the budding “men’s movement” and the ridicule it received, ancient rites of initiation into manhood, how women can support the men in their life as well as men’s efforts to be more spiritual. Matthew Fox was a member of the Dominican Order for 34 years. He holds a doctorate (received summa cum laude) in the History and Theology of Spirituality. Matthew is the founder and former president of the University of Creation Spirituality. He is currently a scholar in residence with the Academy for the Love of Learning. Matthew lectures, teaches, writes and serves as president of the nonprofit he created in 1984, Friends of Creation Spirituality. He is the author of 28 books.

As reported in The Huffington Post and USA Today, last year Las Vegas became the latest U.S city to complete the switch over to solar power for its municipal buildings. Now that the final array of solar panels has gone online, Las Vegas can brag that all of the city buildings, parks, community centers and street lights are powered by renewable energy. At a news conference following the completion, Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman said proudly, “We can brag that the city, this city of Las Vegas, is one of the few cities in the entire world that can boast using all of its power from a green source.”

The Pudgy Squirrel is a marvelous little gem of a children’s book, written and illustrated by German author, Markus de Vries. Importantly, this slim volume tackles important issues of mental health, such as depression, anxiety and addiction, in simple language to which a child can relate. Through following the adventures of our hero Squirrel, the child is introduced to a variety of animal friends who are suffering obstacles until Pudgy helps them in small ways.

Dean Ornish has spent over 45 years researching and developing programs to reverse heart problems and improve overall health. Now he has turned his attention to warding off and reversing Alzheimer’s Disease. In a recent documentary, The Last Alzheimer’s Patient, with Sanjay Gupta on CNN, a woman named Cici Zerbe explained how dramatically her life had changed over the course of five years by following Dean Ornish’s health recommendations.

In drugstore dream dictionaries we are told that water, as a dream symbol, is about emotions. Well, ye-es, it maybe, but what you find in your dream waters and what I find may be very different things. As with any dream, a dream of water may be symbolic, literal, or an experience of a separate reality. I have dreamed, over decades now, of being able to travel to the sea floor without any breathing problems and of encountering a Mother of the Deep and various other characters who seem to embody the elemental powers of the ocean. I have dreamed of healing in sacred pools, and delight in mermaid coves, and the kind of inundation that brings fresh new growth bursting into the world.

This is a fascinating book, and a whole new way to bring the sub-conscious up to the light of day. The Back in Time Tarot Book is not like any other tarot book you may have read before. Janet Boyer has developed an innovative and unique method of working with the cards… Not only does this teach the Tarot deck in a uniquely personal way, but it allows you to gain valuable insight into your own psyche. By exploring the past you begin to learn what is influencing you in the present.

Not too long ago The New York Times ran an article, Sedate a Plant, and It Seems to Lose Consciousness. Is It Conscious? The new evidence that plants have a type of “conscious,” joins a host of other research indicating that plants are intelligent, understand where they are in space, respond to threats and obstacles, and communicate with each other. We’ve known for years that plants grow faster and lusher when you play the right music or speak nicely to them, but now there is evidence that plants form memories. Does that mean they remember that you were kind to them? And what does it mean now to eat them? What, if any, are the moral or ethical implications?

“At Mirabai you’ll find an amazing array of books devoted to inspiration, transformation and healing, the best in World Music which you can sample on our listening station, exquisite statuary and jewelry from Asia and the South Seas, crystals from Brazil and beyond, incense from India, meditation and yoga supplies, and so much more. Nearly every day, new and long-time customers comment on the “good energy” they feel here. Some refer to us a sanctuary for the soul. Come visit sometime and see if you agree.”