I am Juliana Howard -- a wife, mother of five, and grandmother of ten. My father was a Norwegian Lutheran but I was raised Methodist, and I am now a Catholic. My husband is half-Chinese and my daughters-in-law are Jewish, Chinese, Venezuelan, and East Indian. I have always been an advocate for peace and justice and my music and writing reflect my deeply held belief that we are one human family, sustained by the same loving Source.

We Are the Circle: Celebrating the Feminine in Song and Ritual, was recorded by members of St. Benedict’s Monastery in St. Joseph, Minnesota. The book and music are useful for women’s spirituality groups or anyone wanting to deepen his or her connection with the Sacred Feminine. I chose We Are the Circle (WeAretheCircle.com) for my domain name because it reflects my belief that we are all connected, part of a web of life, and that whatever we do or think affects other living beings. The circle symbols reflect aspects of my spiritual path and help to tell my story.

I was born in Dickinson, North Dakota, grew up in Glendive, Montana, and attended Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, where I majored in English. After teaching junior high for several years in a Catholic middle school, I took a leave to be with my mother who was dying of cancer. After her death, I began writing music, as a means of self-healing. I was reading Matthew Fox’s Original Blessing at the time, and I wrote a children’s song for each chapter in the book. Though I had composed and performed political and social parodies during the 70’s, I had never written original music before. The words and tunes pouring out of me resulted in my first children’s collection, Take Out Your Crayons. It was recorded by the students from Sts. Peter, Paul, and Michael School, who soon became known as The Crayons. I quit my teaching job to direct The Crayons full-time and to compose and record my music. What followed was Walk on the Water, Sing for Joy, One of a Kind, and Here I Am, God! These materials, including cassette tapes, CD’s, music books, videos, and Spanish translations, can be ordered from World Library Publications, www.wlp.jspaluch.com. Go to the home page and click on “artist.”

As we surrender our own wills and submit to the guidance of the Beloved, amazing things happen! In 1998 I received a copy of Psalms for Praying by Nan C. Merrill. This lyrical and inspired rendition of the ancient Psalms became my next musical project, resulting in Heartpsalms of the World, a collection of twenty-five songs and mantras based on Nan’s book, and sung by Diane Bosl and Kevin Anderson.

The first song I wrote after the death of my mother was We’re Swimming in the Same Soup. When I recently taught it to a class of immigrants learning English from Viet Nam, The Dominican Republic, Korea, Somalia, and Mexico, I held up the globe to represent the “soup bowl.” Their delighted smiles and nods showed they understood that each of us adds something special to the delicious cosmic broth. We are, in the words of the official slogan of Key West, Florida, ONE HUMAN FAMILY. Through my music and writing, I strive to bring this slogan to life. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if it became the official slogan of the world? (For free stickers, e-mail [email protected].)