Now is the time when the darkness is deepest. The nights are long, and the further north you live, the more intense the difference is. Winter Solstice brings us to the peak of the power of darkness. As pagans, we know that this darkness is holy. Singing at Winter Solstice, we embrace the value of …
I love the lead-up to Samhain. I can dress as witchy as I want and fit right in with the Muggles celebrating Halloween. As Jon mentioned in his astrololgy post last week, even though most people celebrate Samhain and Halloween on October 31, the actual cross-quarter day is November 6, which is this coming weekend. …
As we turn toward the darkening year, and the long Summer days give way to the generous ripeness of Autumn’s reach, I feel myself begin to focus my gaze inward, like the trees drawing back their chlorophyl, allowing the rich, hidden colours of the Inner Self to emerge. In witnessing and honouring the festival of …
Summer Solstice. Midsummer. Litha. Alban Heflin. Feast of the Sun. Sonnenwende. Thing-Tide. By whatever name you know it, ’tis the season to celebrate the sun! The Summer Solstice has been celebrated for millennia all over the world. So, chances are, you know at least a bit about it. But how much do you really know? …
All of the sacred self-care advice I see has started to sound the same. Take a yoga class. Be more mindful. Count your blessings. Meditate. Tune out the world. Turn off social media. Calm down. Chill. Relax. Blah, blah, blah. I’m over it. In the same way that I despise elevator music, I dislike this …
Spring is the time of fairies. Okay, every time is the time of fairies, they’d have me remind you. But spring is a time when those of us inhabiting the mortal world can most easily see their effects. And as liminal creatures, fairies are certainly comfortable in the spring, the transition time between the cold gray winter, …
Beltane is joyful. Beltane is colorful. Beltane is sexy. Sometimes Beltane is challenging. Sometimes, Beltane is…Snowtane. For the second year in a row, the Beltane Southwest festival near Albuquerque will be virtual because of continuing COVID concerns. But I can look back to the in-person celebrations. It’s an occasion to wear my most outrageous …
Looking for ideas for your Spring Equinox ritual? Look no further, for today I’ll share the Crow Women’s rather theatrical Ostara ritual, complete with the script for a fun little play to perform in the midst of the ritual. And, of course, there are lots of pagan chants in the ceremony. After all, that’s the …
As we enter a new season, I welcome the bold green of the grass underfoot at the park; the sense of possibility and change inherent in a fresh start. I want to embody the Divine, and treat my body as a temple of Aphrodite; to integrate the sacred arts of pleasure into daily life and …
