River of the Letter Wood is at once a political blog, alternative news blog, activism blog, and holistic lifestyle blog — because being an activist, staying informed, performing one’s civic duty, and achieving higher consciousness are all inter-dependent. Simply put, River of the Letter Wood was borne from my love for technology, love for food, love for politics, love for learning, and love and respect for the wisdom of ancient cultures. The blog officially launched on September 22, 2009, the Autumnal Equinox, a day of equal day and night, the season of waning light and impending darkness, and the season of the harvest.

Who am I and why did I decide to start this blog, you ask? I am an over-educated, brown woman of Indo-Caribbean and Native descent living in America. I am currently living in New York, where I recently graduated law school, earned my MPA in non-profit management, public policy and international development, and am awaiting bar admission. My entire life’s work has been devoted to social justice issues, challenging and eliminating oppressive cultures, increasing intellectual diversity and critical thinking, and living a more holistic, spiritual life than our current culture allows. I do not follow any particular organized religion but I have a deep and profound respect for all faiths. In my college days, I was fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to study modern and ancient monotheistic and polytheistic religions, as well as the history of ethnic pluralism in America. It is from this collective of faith, culture, and history that I draw from to live a more informed life, develop sense awareness, and work towards self-development and community-development.

It is my fundamental belief that we co-create the world we live in. This decentralized medium we call the Internet is simply another avenue for me to share information, work towards social justice, and bring diversity of perspective and experience to the blogosphere. River of the Letter Wood is simply my creation to facilitate personal development, achieve higher consciousness, and co-create a better, more equitable, more egalitarian world with you.

I decided to name my blog “River of the Letter Wood” because it evokes the values held by the Natives and other ancient, sustainable cultures; it evokes the value of simplicity; and it evokes the image of a more wholesome planet earth, untouched and unexploited by profit-driven interests. Literally, “River of the Letter Wood” is the Arawak translation of “Demerara,” which is located in the Northeast South American multi-cultural nation of Guyana, my country of birth.

Here at River of the Letter Wood, life is organized by the Six Pillars:

Pillar I: holistic health (food, exercise, community, spirituality, science, art, nature),
Pillar II: civil duty and activism
Pillar III: finances
Pillar IV: professional/career
Pillar V: the home
Pillar VI: creativity

This blog will attempt to explore each of these Pillars with the aim of informing, entertaining, and inspiring readers.

As this blog takes root and begins to develop, I hope you will enjoy your stay at River of the Letter Wood and find something that adds value, information, and inspiration to your own life.

Many thanks,

Seeta

Disclaimer: Occasionally, I will discuss nutrition on this blog. I am not a licensed nutritionist, nor a medical practitioner. Any knowledge I have with respect to food, spices, and nutrition are drawn from self-education and my multicultural background.