Autumn is the cool, crisp, deliciously colorful taste of memories and reminders.
Earthy gemstones flood the senses, amber scarlet pumpkin latte-colored leaves bounce over roads and fields, skipping, floating, flitting, dropping, tumbling into the forest’s floors like tiny dancers…twirling their last dance in a whirl, landing quietly to become food for next season’s saplings.
It brings back a visceral thing for some, an anxious exciting feeling of going back to school with that new sweater on, books, pencils and paper, both thrilled and sometimes afraid of what we might learn in this year’s halls.
I wasn’t a huge fan of back-to-school day, myself.
My kiddo seems to be the opposite. Bless her, and thank Goddess for her thirst for knowledge.
Autumn Fires at Wisteria
I just returned from Autumn Fires at the lovely Wisteria site in Ohio. What an amazing time filled with so many important moments.
I was reminded that our cellular devices are no substitute for the smell of the woods, the drums we dance to, the bonfires, smoke and sparkles we make that quench the thirst our souls desperately need to rejuvenate. We forget that sometimes – to take care of our souls and nurture them with these fires.
I cried this weekend, when it was over. I remember doing that almost three decades ago at one of the first festivals I went to. My sister and I stood in the bathroom and cried because we were so sad that our friends were leaving! It seemed a little silly years later, but now I feel it again and I get it. Again.
I also pondered over those that we have had to say goodbye to this year, and I had some delightful and interesting conversations with some of them. You can see a lot scrying into a leaping bonfire.
Many of the tears were gifts, though, of good memories and times I’ve had throughout my wonderful, sometimes painful, but beautiful life!
I think that this is one of the best lives I’ve lived, so far.
My mother once said that our trying to figure out the Universe is like an ant trying to decipher a quantum computer. My faith is strong, and I know that we will have more answers as we journey onward.
The Autumn of Your Life
Part of me is a little fearful even speaking the words about “returning to the source,” when you are looking into the Autumn of your life. You see and realize profoundly that you don’t want to go, and that you don’t want to miss all of these wonderful people and places and experiences. But my gosh, these experiences are so worth it. Sometimes, the sound of the birds alone makes it all worth it.
Well, as I’m going to live to be 94, I guess I still have some time. What I chose to do with it is what matters.
My journey took me ten or so hours to beautiful Pomeroy, Ohio. I listened to my road trip setlist with lots of good Muse, Heilung, Sleep Token, Leap, Halestorm, Badflower, Sneaker Pimps, iPrevail, and I listened to some of the other musicians who would be at Autumn Fires. I got to rock out in the car on my own, kept the energetic music on, and made it there smoothly and without incident! Whew.
As I entered the site, I saw the familiar, beautifully painted signs, stopped, took that deep breath, and released all of the stress and tension that I might have carried there with me. I left it all outside the gates, and entered, smiling.
The folks at the gate were lovely and I got settled in quickly. I had my mattress in the back of the SUV, threw some blankets and pillows on it, grabbed my walking staff in case I got stiff, and went out to seek the sacred fires.
Bardic Circle at Autumn Fires
I started meeting folks and asking them to sign up for the bardic circle that would be on Saturday. We had so many wonderfully talented people show up and play! We had Genie on his beautiful lavender guitar with a song that was gorgeous, SHANE who sang and played a couple of fantastic songs (and I mispronounced his name at first! Gah! I’m so sorry dude!), and then Earthworm on the upright bass (Yes! Very talented and a great painter, too!), and Tom Swiss rocked us out on a couple of songs that he sang/played. Next, Summer got up and sang/played (beautiful voice!), and Babs came up with her shruti box and chant (amazing, and hauntingly beautiful), Annie Wolf offered her soulful serenade (that was lovely), and of course, Buffalo Man, with his mystical sounding accordion and didge combo!
What a fun time it was!
Performing at the Festival
I walked about with my guitar around the nearby campsites and practiced a bunch, and had fun doing it!
My Thursday night set at the Green Man Tavern felt really good. I started the night off with a new song, Aegis.
The compliments I got on my own set were appreciated, heartfelt, wonderful and genuine. I met a lot of new people through these songs, and things they were going through that reflected things I had gone through in the past. There was even another Yungblud fan there, who high fived me afterward for playing his song When We Die.
More Autumn Fires Music
The shows were all absolutely wonderful, and I got to see quite a few of them.
Ginger Doss and Lynda Millard
Ginger & Lynda…always incredible, and we got to hear some requests for Mandala, Marais des Cygnes, We Do Not Die, Four Directions (I always cry), and Ginger’s new song Oracle! Wow! Soothing and transcendent. Powerful. Lynda was an angel surrounded by colorful halos and just fierce on the bass and vocals and flute, and Ginger on the keys and vocals…the two of them are just f*ing magic embodied.
Feel as you’re asking
The answer in you
What you seek is seeking you
And I bridge the twoExcerpt of lyrics from “Oracle” by Ginger Doss from the recording “Sacred Flow”; listen here: https://gingerdoss.com/track/4446138/oracle
(Beautiful. Aghh. Tears in eyes.)
Check out Ginger Doss at https://gingerdoss.com/home
And learn more about Lynda Millard at https://gingerdoss.com/lynda-millard
Gypsy Funk Squad
I got to hear (but not see) from the campsite, the Gypsy Funk Squad, and their music was vibing, kind of hard to pin down, which made it even cooler! Funky, dancy, tunes from all over the world, so much fun! It was fun to move to, and the guy on the tablas was amazing!
Find out more about Gypsy Funk Squad here: https://gypsyfunksquad.com/
Primal Rhythm
Primal Rhythm brought it, man those women can drum us down! I don’t know how they play so many different creative rhythms and rock it for an hour like they do, my Goodness. ENERGY!!!
For more info about Primal Rhythm, check out their website: https://primalrhythm.net/
Colin and the Crows
Colin and the Crows from Pennsylvania were absolutely delightful. I got to camp next to them and they were the best neighbors. They had a variety of young talented people over there jamming nonstop, and they were all so cool! And their music, Oh, My Gosh. It’s unique, and it’s soooo good to groove out and listen to. If you haven’t seen them, please try to get the chance. Poetic, passionate, and man they can just play. And their tribe reminded me of what ours used to be thirty years ago! LOL.
Listen to all the music from Colin and the Crows here: https://colinandthecrows.bandcamp.com/
Swamp
Swamp was a super bluesy, sexy and soulful duo…I couldn’t get enough of her voice! Incredible!
Brian Henke
Brian Henke laid down some beautiful guitar pieces, as he does, and I got to hear a couple of wonderful new (to me) songs I hadn’t heard before! He had to make a trip away from the fest to get to another gig at a Highland Games event, and then rejoined us all at the PawPaw fires! Man, he’s one of the hardest working musical travelers I know. It’s always so good to see and hear him!
Listen to Brian’s music on Spotify:
Monkeystik
Monkeystik was the last I got to see, and man! It was unique and high energy and mindful! His message was great, (all about the Earth and being good to one another) and he (Bezl) was super creative, musically. Loopers, drums, vocals…it was wild and crazy and wonderful!
Monkeystik music can be heard on Soundcloud.
Autumn Fires Afterglow
Fun things that happened…
It isn’t every day that you get to see a guy riding by on a four-wheeler with a kilt and ram horns on, casually driving by. Wondrous and fantastic.
I got a lovely print from our next-door neighbor, the upright bass player from the bardic circle, and he is an amazing artist and musician! I got to jam with him in the morning, and then he came up and joined me on the violin and the bass during the show! His paintings are mystical, gentle and seductive.
There were a couple of sweet little girls (sisters) asking for gifts and things for the kitchen shrine, so they could bless the kitchen and the food. I gave them a little blue lamp that I made. They were absolutely delightful and kind.
The row of carved pumpkins at night that the kids created, were beautiful.
Near the end of each fest, I feel like I walk away with new parts of the tribe. It’s a great feeling.
tell us a tale and ride on the wind, come and dance to the red violin
Excerpt of lyrics from “Gypsy Song” by Beltana Spellsinger
I didn’t want to pack up and leave.
But I made memories that I’ll never forget.
Samhain approaches.
Make memories.
Write Songs.
Make Magick.
Listen to live music every chance you get.
For more information about Beltana Spellsinger, including her collected articles here on Pagan Song, her bio, and links to her sites on the web, check out Bel’s author page here on Pagan Song.
Featured photo taken at Autumn Fires 2025 by Beltana Spellsinger
For another Pagan Song article about the importance of music around the fire circle, check out Weaving Pagan Fire Circle Chants by Alane Crowomyn.
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