Ptolemy Tompkins is a Senior Editor for the Guideposts magazine, Angels on Earth.His column for Beliefnet is titled "The Winged Life."
Columns by Ptolemy Tompkins
When Pets Cross the Rainbow Bridge
Did pets go to heaven? I set out to explore the topic and came upon a comforting pet poem titled "The Rainbow Bridge."
Where's Lucy?
What can television, the TV show "I Love Lucy," and the brain teach us about life on earth?
The Egg's Promise
We think about eggs more than usual during the Easter season, but eggs are more extraordinary than we may think.
The Knowing Heart
Why is love so important? What is it about love that sets us apart and sets the angels apart?
Warp and Weft
A man, a rug, and a warped view of life
A Butterfly Is Born
The butterfly is a resilient role model that can teach us how to be soulful, determined, and courageous in times of change.
The Message of the Seashell
Wondrous beauty can be found on the world's beaches, small and miraculous souvenirs of heaven's beauty.
Heaven Is a Rose
Is a rose really just a rose? Or does the fragrant, blossoming beauty show us the deeper mystery and meaning of ourselves?
The Emerald's Allure
Is green the color of heaven and the angels? Green has significant, spiritual meanings--in nature, in various faiths and cultures, and even in the Wizard of Oz.
Ordinary Stardust
We're all unique, individual parts of a greater universe, and big, red U-shaped magnets from my childhood helped me realize this.
A Pitiless Brightness
Does death that brings us darkness? Or does this world, with its dim shadows and bleak moments, bring darkness?? What brings us to real light?
Beach Reading
On the sands, we reveal different sides of ourselves to the public--our physical attributes, our spiritual leanings, our intellectual interests--through the conscious revealing of our bodies and the unconscious display of our chosen books for summer reading.
What do we see when we look at life with the eyes of the morning? Do you see possibility, angels, and the magic of a new day?
Into a Summer Woods
In fairy tales and fables, woods are often depicted as dark and dangerous...but, in reality, woods can help us connect to a greater spiritual world around us.
The Twittering World
Are social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter substitutes for our spiritual lives? Or do we connect deeper with our own spirituality by being constantly "plugged in"?
Promises of the Rainbow
Why the Rainbow Bridge serves as a symbol of hope, peace, and rest for both pets and humans.
The Things That Are Happening
In the world of spirituality, how do we know which religion is "right" or "wrong"?
The Light of the World
What makes Christmas special? Is it the Charlie Brown special, the caroling, or the birth of a baby?
The Snake's Answer
My mom always loved dogs because they were loveable and loyal, but when it came to snakes...
The Anchoring Star
In a world where everything moved, it alone stood still.
Water Miracles
During my childhood, summers were a joyful time filled with achievements at the swimming pool.
The Step-Out Moment
When ferocious animals become meek, they teach us a lesson on how animals and man can spiritually reconnect.
Water Miracles
During my childhood, summers were a joyful time filled with achievements at the swimming pool.
Anchoring the Star
In a world where everything moved, it alone stood still.
The Snake's Answer
My mom always loved dogs because they were loveable and loyal, but when it came to snakes...
The Light of the World
What makes Christmas special? Is it the Charlie Brown special, the caroling, or the birth of a baby?
How would Plato and Aristotle have explained the possibility of animal souls?
Why Are Rivers So Comforting?
There is an eastern and a western philosphy of why rivers are a metaphor for life and the life that goes on after death.
Three Kinds of Thirst
The simple sweetness and smoothness of vanilla milkshakes taught me the deeper meaning of spiritual thirst.
My Father's 'Moonlight Mile'
My father and I had different taste in music, but one moment helped me see we weren't so different after all.
Content
Is the world saturated with too much spiritual reading material?
Mildew and Vanilla
For me, true bliss is a place where a shelf is full of well-worn paperback books.
Lucky
With a new year comes new things to fill me with gratitude--but what if I'm not feeling grateful?
Christmas Lights
What does a science fiction movie directed by Steven Spielburg have in common with the holiness of Christmas?
A Place at the Edge
If you're overwhelmed by the dramas of life, escape somewhere that you know will always be safe and peaceful.
Under the Skin
How my brother's fourth high-definition TV re-opened my eyes to spirituality.
Body Thoughts
We have to overlook our obsession with the physical body to see what our surroundings really say about our souls.
Stardom
The perks of being mistakenly recognized as a famous actor eventually waned when I recognized real fame.
I Like That Party Hat
Are the angels partying in heaven just like the dogs in my favorite childhood book?
Incorruptible
How two toy dinosaurs helped me see the fragile spirituality of our world.
A Dream of Flight
The human desire to fly--physically and spiritually--is a profound way to transcend like the angels.
Now Do You Know Who You Really Are?
When I was a child, an unusual cartoon taught me how to understand my true self and my spirituality.
Saved
What do iPods and cell phones have in common with Jacob's ladder?
