Bright Imbolc Blessings and Happy Groundhog’s Day!
My snowdrops are in bloom and the hellebores are coming up. Spring is coming. Really it is!
Tag: Wheel of the Year
My Snowdrops are out! Imbolc Will Be Here Soon.
Snowdrops. Ya gotta love ‘em. Dainty, pure white flowers that thrive in the coldest, darkest part of the year. In the Pacific Northwest they always arrive just before Imbolc, the festival of first light. They reassure us that winter won’t last forever. But for me, the arrival of these cheerful flowers triggers bittersweet memories. The snowdrops in the picture are growing in my front yard. They used to grow next door in Patty’s front yard. We were friends and neighbors for over twenty years, and we did a lot of talking during that time. The things we talked about most were gardens and growing things. Two years ago Patty lay dying of cancer in a hospital bed in her living-room, surrounded by grieving friends and family. But snowdrops were blooming in her front yard.
A bountiful and joyous Lughnasadh to all!
As I was looking through the cornucopia full of Lughnasadh articles offered on the web I found these two gems. “Celebrating Lammas,” by Waverly Fitzgerald is a fascinating excursion into British History and the death of King William the Red that seques gracefully into an explanation of what the festival means and ways to celebrate it. “Why I’m Boycotting Lughnasadh,” by John Halstead is a lovely rant about how pagans need to get in touch with what is really happening in their part of the world and celebrate the holiday appropriately. Our friends in the southern hemisphere should be celebrating Imbolg, not Lugnasadh, for example, and those in tropical climates should rethink the whole wheel of the year. After reading Halstead’s article I realized that I too had a rant. It’s about a small, simple problem; one that, after all is said and done, really makes no difference at all except to me and my obsessive/compulsive need to get things straight. As I was… Read More »
The God as Superhero
Back in the 70’s, when I was a baby witch and just figuring out the difference between a pentagram and a pentacle, pagans generally ignored the God. After all, we had become pagans to get out from under the stern, patriarchal thumb of the Judeo-Christian God and weren’t about to make the same mistake again. We were drunk on the amazing “new” concept that, as Merlin Stone* assured us, God was a woman. The God, when we deigned to mention him, was described as Her consort. Even as late as 2000, when I was going over my Wicca 101 syllabus with my students, one very young woman commented, “I see we have a class on The Goddess; why don’t we have one on The God?” I was speechless. This was a glaring omission. I was ignoring half the pagan pantheon and hadn’t even realized it. Bad Witch. Needless to say, from that time on, my course included a class on The God. The God… Read More »
A Blessed Samhain to All
Once again The Ways are much easier to navigate. Ghosts and spirits of all sorts swarm into our world, making this a very, shall we say, exciting time of year for those who have eyes to see. And so Samhain is a time to honor our ancestors, because they are close at hand. This is also a customary time for divination of all sorts. But we tend to forget that spellcasting, blessings, and prayers are also extra potent now, because the crack in the gates charges our world with powerful magical energy that’s just begging to be used. So cast your circles extra tight and be careful what you invoke!
A Blessed Fall Equinox to All!
The hot, languid days of summer Have shortened to cool and restless. But it’s not quite autumn yet; Even though we can smell it in the air And see it in the first golden leaves of the ash trees. We pace at a tipping point Ready to fall into winter. All nature hovers in a still, trembling moment of… Anticipation
A Bright and Blessed Summer Solstice to All!
This weekend my husband and I are headed out to the Coast Range for a Journey to the Sun, a neoshamanic pathworking by Lupa, a shaman who works with the animal powers. I am looking forward to spending time with friends; welcoming The Sun in his greatest glory and becoming even more in touch with my animal guides. These spirits are a great help and blessing to me in my everyday work as a massage therapist, offering suggestions and their own marvelous healing energy.
Happy Belated Beltane!
Sorry this is so late. I think the sun has addled my poor northwestern brain. This year Craig and I ventured into the Columbia Gorge with a few friends to celebrate The May. We toasted summer in with libations of wine and a lovely lunch, but we were also there to stalk the wild and wonderful Lewisia rediviva. And we did indeed find it. More abundant than we’d ever seen it before. I love this flower because it is so exquisitely beautiful and so ephemeral and so impossible. It blooms out of the basalt bones of the gorge, opens its pink petals to the sun for a few short days, and disappears. Amazing.
Wishing You a Joyous Spring Equinox!
Behold, my friends, the Spring has come; the Earth has gladly received the embraces of the Sun, and we shall soon see the results of their love! Sitting Bull
Imbolc, 2013
We had a very simple Imbolc this year. I’ve decided I really like simple. We looked outside around 5PM and watched our holiday lights come on while the sun was still shining. We’ll take them down tomorrow. We lit a fire in the fireplace. We took down the evergreen wreathes above the hearth and by the door and burned them. We played “Here Comes the Sun.” We put up our early spring wreath of purple, white, and yellow pansies. We watched the fire.