Summer Solstice (also known as Litha), the longest day of the year, is such a bittersweet day. The sun is at the peak of its power, yet at this moment its decline begins, and the days to come will become shorter and shorter as the year advances toward autumn. The very first ritual our circle …
In this series on the evolution of groups over time, we’ve been examining the features common at the beginning of a group. This first stage is called the forming stage and has very predictable dynamics. When a pagan circle (or class or performance group) first forms, several dynamics are apparent. In Part 1 we looked …
Anxiety in New Groups: Group Development, Part 3 Read More »
I was the May Queen. It was a Beltane more than two decades ago, now. I remember standing in the circle while the reigning May couple strolled along, gazing at possible successors. I was humming as if a deep chord was playing me, using my nervous system for strings. I knew, and I was afraid. …
Happy birthday to our blog! In February of 2019, the Crow Women started this online enterprise: our website Pagan Song. It seemed like the next logical step in our growth as a pagan band. What an adventure this has been! In the 1990s we sang for ourselves and at regional pagan festivals. In the 2000s …
Winter solstice certainly gives us something to sing about! In this post, I’ll share several of my favorite chants for Winter Solstice rituals. Some of these songs help us appreciate the beauty of the darkness, on this night when the dark is at its height of power. Others celebrate the joy of the sun’s rebirth …
This article will focus on issues of dependency in a new pagan circle. In a previous post, I wrote about the qualities of new groups. Pagan circles, covens and study groups function in the same way as any other group, and will tend to develop over time in a predictable way. In my last installment, …
Dependency in a New Pagan Circle: Group Development, part 2 Read More »
Babalon’s Blood is a rich black cherry mead. Read on to follow along with the process as Sylvia and I make a splendid batch. This dark red mead is named for the goddess Babalon, a powerful deity of sexuality and power. One of my favorite chants by Sharon Knight honors three Great Goddesses, Inanna, Ishtar, …
I composed my song Balance in All Things for use in group rituals for either fall equinox or spring equinox. That vision came to life this autumn in a Mabon ritual to bring balance. In this post, I’ll share that ceremony, with how-to instructions for you, dear reader. I hope you’ll incorporate these ideas in …
While unpacking, I found this battered photograph of the Crow Women, and memories flooded back. In the picture we stand in front of the lake, smiles turned toward the camera as the sun sets. We are ready to set out to serve as Amazons. We are younger in the photo–women in the prime of life, …
In this series of posts, we’ll take a journey through the stages of group development that all groups go through. A pagan circle is like any other group—it follows predictable patterns of human behavior. I taught a class on group dynamics throughout the 28 years when I worked as a psychology professor, so I’ve thought …
Forming a New Pagan Circle: Group Development, Part 1 Read More »
