A Yuletide Message from my Sister

My beautiful sister Ahriana has always had the most beautiful way with words - and at this Yuletide, I defer to her eloquence to express the meaning of the season.

Hello, Dear Friends!

It is Yule, and tonight, friends from far and near will gather in faith that we can survive the longest night. From this night forward, we will experience a little more sunlight each day, until the Spring arrives in all her colorful glory.

There is much romanticizing about this holiday and how the ancestors celebrated. Lengthy conversations are held about the origins of the Christmas Tree, Gift Giving, and the Jolly Ol' Elf himself. I wonder if it might be more important to discuss what these traditions mean in our modern world, where the holiday season can be challenging for so many.

My sweetheart is outside, as I am writing, stringing lights on the Douglas Fir in our yard. We decorate the Evergreen because it is the one living thing that consistently stays green throughout the winter. We see it as proof that Mother Nature has not abandoned us. She is simply resting, in preparation for a new season of growth and abundance. Despite the headlines about unemployment, crime rates and economic decline, the Evergreen reminds us that we have the strength to persevere through the "winter" of our own lives. It serves as a reminder to have faith.

We hang apples and strings of popcorn as gifts to the animals because it is harder to find food this time of year. It is a way to give back to "that-which-is-wild," and to remember that we are all interconnected. As we care for the wild world, we honor our own wildness, the untamable human spirit that tenaciously finds a new way of doing things. This same tenacity delivers us to the doorway of change.

The sparkling ornaments dance and sway, reminding us of the brilliance of our lives. Each dazzling glint of light opens our imagination, attracting the fairy realm - the devic kingdom - the unseen "spirit" of Nature. This "spirit of the season" warms us, comforts us and plays in our hearts, allowing us to find a sense of joy. It is this same "spirit' that sparks the flame within - the radiant flame that burns brightly in our hearts and lights the path ahead of us.

Tonight, in my home, a small group will gather. We will exchange gifts, reminding each other that there is always enough. We will light candles and, as each one ignites, we will share our visions for the future. We will warm each other with our laughter and our stories, and, together, we will face a new dawn. The "longest night" will give way to the eternal sun!

You see, these ancient ways are as important today as they were in times gone by. How they originated is not as important as the fact that they exist,. Our "Winter" is different than the winter faced by our ancestors. What threatens our survival is different. Yet, our need for faith, comfort, courage and strength, is the same. "Spirit' remains the blazing gift that guides us through the darkness into the light.

From my house to yours, a wish for a very blessed Yuletide. May your fires burn warm and the morning light inspire you.

Blessed be,

Ahriana

For more wonderful words of wisdom from my dear sister, please subscribe to her newsletter and check out the important work she is doing at the Colorado Ecospiritual Center - www.ecospiritual.com

Mother Earth & Father Time

Snuggling in to my mid-winter hibernation and tending to a bad cold, I was lucky enough to find on the television the original animated Charlotte's Web - the one with the magnificent Paul Lynde as Templeton the Rat, not that new one with Julia Roberts - and was transported back to being a kid again.

While I was enjoying the movie, this wonderful song is sung by Charlotte, called Mother Earth and Father Time - it's the best sort of lullabye, blending the changing of the seasons with the unwinding of Time.

It moved me so much that I dragged myself out from under the covers to find the lyrics and a link to it on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTuDSP2Nk5Q

Mother Earth and Father Time

How very special are we

For just a moment to be

Part of life's eternal rhyme

How very special are we

To have on our family tree

Mother Earth and Father Time

He turns the seasons around

And so she changes her gown

But they always look in their prime

They go on dancing their dance

Of everlasting romance

Mother Earth and Father Time

The summer larks return to sing

Oh, what a gift they give

Then autumn days grow short and cold

Oh, what a joy to live

How very special are we

For just a moment to be

Part of life's eternal rhyme

How very special are we

To have on our family tree

Mother Earth and Father Time

This is one I want to share with youngsters as they cuddle snug in their beds tonight, waiting on Father Yule to arrive.

Preparing for the time of rest

This time of year always finds me pulled in two directions - in one, the holidays are upon us and there's frantic energy put towards preparing for family visits, cooking for friends and decorating the house inside and out -- and on the other hand, the seasons tell us this is the time for rest, reflection and stillness. Quite the dichotomy.

How to fit both halves of my life into one life - hurriedly decorate while sitting in still contemplation. I need to clone myself. Each year I struggle with this - I have pledged my life to my faith, which strongly dictates this as the season of rest. The trees are dormant, the animals are slumbering, the flowers have retreated into the dark soil of the earth, to rest until Spring.

And yet there are bills to be paid, jobs to do and so much more. I remind myself each morning, to take a slower pace, to move with deliberateness, not swiftness. To think all things through, not act on impulse. I am attempting to teach myself to live my life with the wheel, to match my energy to the energy of the Mother. To find balance in the season and meaning in the theme of rest and reflection.

New Beginnings

I typed "New Beginnings" into the image search on Google, and this came up as one of the choices - It reads: "These crocuses, poking their heads up through a powder of late snow reminded me of a quote by Albert Camus, 'In the depth of winter, I finally learned that inside me there lay an invincible summer.'"

An invincible summer - a season of joy, energy, hope and celebration - shining through the depths of the coming winter's cold and grey days. What a lovely thought - and so appropriate to what I'm feeling today. After months of being without work, and forcing myself to truly evaluate how I see myself and value myself, the Universe has presented an opportunity that fits everything we've been looking for - a job close to our land, that pays enough to allow us to fulfill our dream of living on our land, and that will allow me to get to know my new community and allow them to get to know me. We'll be closer to friends and chosen family, and finally able to call Pyrth Annwn our true home.

As the cold winds of November swirled around my shoulders today, that invincible summer had me grinning from ear to ear.

The Power Of HOPE

Hope - such a small word, but full of so much promise. We have elected Barak Obama as our first African American president - a harvard graduate who learned from an early age the importance of community.

Building community, bridging differences, finding room for tolerance are all qualities we strive to live every day and now the leader of our country will be doing the same.

A man on NPR today said: "Rosa Parks sat, so that Martin Luther King Jr could walk. Martin Luther King Jr walked so that Barak Obama could run. Barak Obama ran so that one day we could fly."

Let's spread our wings and on the winds of HOPE, may we soar to heights of equality, tolerance and understanding, the likes of which this country has never dreamed of.

Namaste

Getting Ready for Family

In just 10 days, a multitude of family members from across several states will be descending upon Pyrth Annwn to once again reunite and share in the magick that flows through us all.

Twice a year we come together amidst the forest canopy at Pyrth Annwn - people from all beliefs and backgrounds, from all paths and places - to come together as a family to share ritual, workshops, stories of the past six months, pictures of friends and time sharing and laughing around a fire.

I look forward to these times all year long - anxiously awaiting the days and nites when we can dress as we wish, dance under the starry sky and hug with abandon.

Just ten more days......I'm already packed....ready to go....wonder if anyone else is?

The Season of Fall

Autumn is here - the autumnal equinox arrives, balancing day and night in perfect harmony, preparing us for the shorter days to come and the darkness of winter up ahead.

I've always loved the Fall, ever since I was a child growing up on Staten Island. From my window, the trees lining the street of Hamden Avenue would come alive in a riot of colors ranging from yellows to reds to oranges as the green chlorophyll of summer slowly ebbed away, revealing the true colors of the leaves in all their glory.

Seeing someone's "true colors" has always had mixed meanings for me - it could be that you're seeing the wolf underneath his sheepskin, or perhaps seeing someone for the first time, realizing the person you've known for so many years is actually a complete stranger. It could be that someone has finally stepped forth and shown their mettle - or that their actual motives for action have come to the forefront.

Did you know that the energy of a dragonfly is that of displaying one's true colors? Of showing the world who you really are inside, beneath the layers of emotional baggage and old tapes from old relationships?

There is a "clan" of dragonfly women at WytcheHaven - a group of brave souls who followed the lead of one and had dragonfly tattoos imprinted on their skin, as if saying to the world - Here I am, this is me - like it or leave.

What a perfect time of year to strip away the layers of false hopes, masks of expected behaviors and smiles of protection and reveal the true colors underneath, much as the leaves are doing now - now that the green chlorophyll that masked them for so many months is ebbing away.

What would you see in the mirror, if your chlorophyll of expectations and pretensions was stripped away? Would you like what you see? Would you recognize your own soul in the reflection?

I'm taking my cue from the leaves, and stripping away the layers to my true self, and my true purpose - and I'm planning on joining the Dragonfly Trybe at WytcheHaven come October, and proudly saying to the world - This is me - these are my true colors.

Picking up the Pieces

Someone once told me that our lives begin as a solid piece of glass, and as we experience what life has to offer, it becomes scratched and broken, never to be whole again. At the time, I found that to be incredibly depressing - being an Aries, of course I wanted to be able to "wipe the slate clean" and start anew, with a brand new piece of glass.

As the years have passed, I've begun to see this in a different light. Every scratch, every break in the glass shapes us, and makes us who we are - unique. Unlike anyone or anything else on the planet...and being an Aries, I liked being unique, so this sat with me pretty well - until yesterday.

Yesterday, a hammer that would have made Thor proud smashed into my pane of glass and broke it into so many pieces that I feel as though I have lost parts of myself in the carnage. I feel hollow, empty - as if the echoes of life have left the building. What do you have when your pane of glass is now a heap of rubble?

Well, for starters you tend to sit and stare at the rubble pile - a lot. I've found it hard to do anything else. You move some pieces around on the floor, pick out the bigger ones and brush the smaller slivers together. You find yourself thinking about what was lost, and what you've lost that you don't even realize you've lost yet...and worrying that when you do realize, it will be something important...something you may fear being without.

And you tend to cry for a while, lamenting the glass that used to be. And then you start to really look at what you have left, and face what the glass now is. And it isn't easy to face, but being an Aries I want to move forward, ever forward head first into the fray.

So, I've decided to make a mosaic of my glass pane - I'm going to make something beautiful from the chaos on the floor, and I'm going to be able to look at it and know that it's me, and that it's okay. That I'm okay. I'm just a little different inside than I was before. A little sadder, somewhat wiser, and maybe even stronger.

And I'm going to buy a lot of glue...

Celebrating Mid Summer

It is the time of action…we are in but the pubescent stage of our growth cycle. Fire’s raging heat beats upon our skin, and focuses our will. Now is a time of great purpose, as air soars overhead, cooling our brows and bringing us the fresh scent of the summer days. Our goals are manifesting beneath us as mother grows steadily forth under our feet, giving us a soft place to lie during the heat of the day, and a warm place to dance at night. As we strive together to reach our personal and community goals, water quenches our thirst for knowledge and blends our efforts into one.

Remember that this is the longest day of the year. Air is aloft, clarifying our purpose and actions as we strive to maintain our goals. Earth stands beneath us as our crops begin to manifest within the fields of our endeavors. Fire blazes forth as the heat of the sun at its zenith beats down upon us, focusing our will and illuminating spirit's vision within us. Water ripples around us, awakening us to our intuitive connections with each other and our surroundings, and bringing us the wisdom to further our paths in the summer heat.

A Blessed Summer Solstice to You All - May the Longest Day Bring You Clarity, Faith and Hope for the Future Harvest Still to Come.

The beginning of a new home

I am beyond excited - we're finally moving forward with our plans to build a home at Pyrth Annwn. I can't describe to you the joy and overwhelming feeling of anticipation for this. It is something we have dreamed about for a very long time, and it's finally happening.

In fitting with our nature, our home won't be the ordinary box or cabin. As shown in the model, we're using the starplate building system as the basis for our home, our greenhouse and our future storage building.

Starplates create five sided structures, so we've created an arrangement that will work for us, including a two story main building that will house the living room on the bottom floor and our bedroom on the top floor, a two story bath house module for an upstairs and downstairs bathroom plus our telescope viewing area on the roof, a one story kitchen module, one story study/guest room module and a laundry/mud room. In the future, we'll be adding on a dining hall so we'll have room when our large chosen family gathers to celebrate.

We already know where the garden is going, and where we'll be fencing in an outside area for the cats to enjoy, plus a separate area for the puppies to play. We've got the site for the well picked out, and pretty much figured out the layout of the septic system.

We've picked out an area behind the main house that's partially into the cliff face for a canning cellar/mead brewing room. Next up is figuring out where the chickens and goats are going to go once we get them. Our friend Megan has us hooked on goat milk and cheese, so Cabrito is definitely going to be on the menu, and my friend James has me hooked on fresh eggs, hence the chickens. And yes, we will have many guineas to control the tick population. Cenau will have his work cut out for him keeping the coyotes and foxes at bay.

The best part about all of this - we're doing it ourselves. The magick that will infuse this act of creation will make this home a very sacred place indeed - and anchor my gypsy feet once and for all firmly in the ground.

Continuing the Journey (or how I try to keep ducking the Cosmic 2 x 4)

Ah, the Cosmic 2 x 4 - that gentle hand of the Universe, guiding us along our life lesson path...why as humans do we insist on ignoring the gentle prods and pokes and instead only pay attention when we get smacked on the back of the head? You'd think paying attention to all that poking and prodding would start to look good after a while...

but alas, we are only human aren't we?

No matter how far we think we've come, or how much we feel we've learned, there is always another lesson just waiting around the bend for us.

Mine this week is the lesson of release. And I really thought I had this one down too, but - whack! - apparently not.

And so, Aleve in hand, I find myself once again making meditation time for myself each day so that I can reflect on what I've been missing, or what it is that I refuse to release, and hope I get it right this time.

'Cause even for an Aries, we can only take so many hits to the head.

A Pagan Parable

I was sent this wonderful parable from an anonymous reader - and it's fabulous - a tale to be told to all pagan children (and adults) dealing with bullies in the schoolyard or the workplace.

The Little Boy Who Cried Lawsuit
A Pagan Parable
By
Golden Quill

Once upon a time, in the Pagan land of Ar-Kann, there was a little boy named Davy who, along with his faithful hound, Uninformed lassie (Davy called her Uni for short), had dreams of doing great things. Unfortunately, little Davy, was just a little crazy and had an unhealthy fascination with Christianity, Evangelism and Catholicism. None of the Pagans in Ar-Kann were quite sure why. Perhaps, he didn’t have a father to teach him any better; perhaps he was molested by a priest or a minister; or perhaps, like Reverend Jim Jones, he just wasn’t born right. To this day, it’s still a mystery.

Anyway, one day little Davy starts calling himself, Reverend Davy, and proclaims himself the first Pagan Pope of Ar-Kann. He wandered out to the meadow and called all the creatures together. Once all of the Pagan creatures had gathered he started to tell scary stories. There was a horrible monster roaming the land called the Guvmint that would steal away their children; that wolves roamed all around the meadows; that terrible storms were coming -- torrential rains and droughts, then plagues and all the crops would fail, and they would all starve, but he said, because “I am a Messiah”, he could save them all.

Well, naturally, the little Pagan creatures did not want all of these terrible things to befall themselves and their children, so they pleaded with Davy, “What can we do?” Davy raised his little crooked staff in the air, straining to get it past his very fat belly, and told them, “All you have to do is recognize that I am you sacred leader as proclaimed by the ALMIGHTY GOD. Umm,… I mean the gods of course. Give up your free will, your right to think for yourself; become sheep and recognize me as your Divine Shepherd, and umm, let me sleep with you wives from time to time.“

The little Pagan creatures thought these rules a little strange but, not being sure what it all meant, and being frightful of this terrifying world around them (which, they never even knew existed), they agreed. After all, they must think of their children first.

For awhile, all was good within the flock. The Guvmint monster wasn’t seen, wolves didn’t threaten their homes, the landscape and crops weren’t devastated, and even the Jehovah Witnesses stopped coming around. Then…things changed.

Davy’s faithful hound, Uninformed lassie, started biting at their heels, forcing them to run around in circles. And then, Shepherd Reverend Pope Davy, started rapping them on the head with his little crooked stick, calling them names, threatening them, abusing them and mistreating them in many different ways.

Well, the flock became agitated, chaotic, and began whispering among themselves. And, one day a member of the flock, timidly approached Reverend Shepherd Davy and said, “I don’t like the way you’re treating us. You’re very mean and you lie to us and, another thing, I don’t think I’m a sheep. I’m pretty sure I’m a rabbit”. The flock grew quiet. Uninformed lassie started running around in circles, barking and barking and barking. Little Davy’s face turned red from anger. He raised his crooked little stick and said, “YOU ARE EXCOMMUNICATED”. And, then, pointing his crooked little stick at her, called down the greatest curse he knew, and cried, “LAWSUIT, LAWSUIT, LAWSUIT”. All the flock trembled in fear, and the scared little sheep (or rabbit, depending on who you talk to), fled into the wilderness. And, for awhile… the flock was quiet.

Well, months passed and all seemed right with the world, at least from Shepherd Reverend Pope Davy’s position. Amongst the flock though, it was a different matter. Uninformed lassie continued nipping at the heels of the flock, making them run around in circles, and little Davy’s abuses became even worse.

This went on for many, many, months. And, every so often, one of the little Pagan creatures of the flock would timidly approach little Davy and complain about the abuse, the lies that they were told, express doubts that there were monsters all around, or sometimes just because they didn’t want to be a sheep but, wanted to be a hawk, or a butterfly, or a dragon instead. And, every time Uninformed lassie would run around in circles, barking and barking and barking. Little Davy would grow angry, point his crooked little stick, and call down the curse, “LAWSUIT, LAWSUIT, LAWSUIT,” upon the poor creature. The little creature would run off into the wilderness and the flock would stand there quivering in fear. And, once again, for awhile, things would be quiet.

But, one day, something strange happened. One morning Reverend Pope Shepherd Davy awoke, and he with his faithful dog Uninformed lassie, went to round up his flock. When he got to the meadow though, he realized that something had changed with his flock. Many of his little bitty sheep seemed larger, and had grown these huge, curving, dangerous looking horns. Undaunted, Uninformed lassie went to work, biting at their heels and trying to get the flock to run around in circles. But, this time the flock stood still… unmoving. But, then the flock began to move, as one, and the sheep with horns approached little Davy. Uninformed lassie began running around in circles, barking and barking and barking, and little Davy began to scream and yell at them, and rap them on the head with his little crooked stick. Yet, this time the flock didn’t quiver in fear and the little crooked stick had no effect on their big curved horns.

One of these strange looking sheep stared at little Davy and said, “We don’t want you around anymore. You lie to us, you abuse us, you take advantage of us, and you’re untrustworthy”. This so shocked Uninformed lassie, that she stopped barking, and stared in shock at little Davy, her thin little legs shaking, barely keeping her fat belly off the ground. Little Davy stared back at the sheep, and threatened him saying, “I’ll shall call the curse of LAWSUIT, down upon you all, if you do not obey me, and worship me.” The sheep sighed and replied, “You keep saying that but nothing ever happens, no one is cursed and no magickal lawyer ever appears. It’s time for you to go”. Undaunted, little Davy asked the strange looking sheep, “If I leave who will lead you, who will think for you, who will you follow!!” The sheep, glared at him saying, “Rams don’t follow”. Then the rams lowered their heads and moved menacingly toward little Davy and his dog Uninformed lassie. Little Davy and his dog began to shake with fear, and not knowing what else to do, turned and ran and ran and ran deep into the wilderness.

After that, things were better in the Pagan land of Ar-Kan. They learned that if they weren’t forced to run around in circles, they could get many things done. They realized that they didn’t have to be sheep, if they didn’t want to. They could be a hawk, or a butterfly, or a cat. They realized that they didn’t need an all powerful leader to think for them; they could do that for themselves as well. And, as these things happen, some of the little Pagan creatures became leaders, and others became followers, and some chose to lead at times or follow at other times. But, the most important thing that they learned was that they could work together.

Now, of course I’m sure that you are all wondering, what ever happened to little crazy Davy and his faithful dog Uninformed lassie? Well, it turned out that they were right about one thing. There are wolves in the world, hounds from the otherworld, and a horrible monster called Guvmint. And, they fell upon little Davy and his faithful dog Uninformed lassie, and devoured them, bones and all.
But, don’t worry kiddies, that only happens to the bad Pagans.

And, the moral or morals of this story are:

Lawsuit is not a magickal curse that you can smite your enemies with.
You can only frighten people for so long.
Telling a lie repeatedly doesn’t make it truth.
And, though some people are happy being sheep… well, I’d rather run with the
Wolves.


Copyrighted 2008: I freely give permission to anyone to copy or repeat or share this story, I only require that you maintain the work as it was originally written.

Chosen Family

I'm back - refreshed, revived, renewed ... and tired, tired, tired.

What a wonderful weekend - what amazing energy. I don't know where to begin. From the last minute push to get everything ready to the first welcoming hugs, this WytcheHaven Weekend was awesome! We have composting toilets now in place of those awful smelly port-a-potties we used to have. We have a shower house to get the camp dust and dirt of off us during the weekend. We have easy access to the river now, to go and play and relax in the sand. Speaking of sand, we have a dancer's track around revels of soft sand so the dancers no longer have to sing out the litany of "Stump, Rock, Hole..."

Vendors! Shopping! Wow! Artisans Alley was full of bright shiny baubles from new and old vendors - the didge workshop brought out some hidden didge playing talents (I expect to hear more Didge's at the next Revels!)

The Flight of the Faeries was beautiful as always - so many new faeries this year! And Faery's panty hunt was a wild time - congrats to Rowan for finding the special pair!

More new additions to the Memory Garden this year - it's truly gaining it's own voice in the community...and Wadjet's Wadi had a terrific innaugural event. From the swing to the sandbox to the blue and white fort - what a cool place for kids and adults to play!

I miss the drums, I miss the hugs, I miss the sleepy pagan zombies coming to the Wytche's Brew in the morning for coffee...I miss you all so much already. How long til October?

Family Reunion

I'm getting ready to leave for my family reunion - it's a bi-annual event, held in sacred space in the Ozarks under the beautiful shady trees of Pyrth Annwn.

My chosen family members from 11 different states will be there - gathering in together to share, laugh, learn, grow and reconnect as a loving community with love, respect and trust the foremost tenants.

We'll drum together, dance together, celebrate ritual together, laugh together, talk together, share together and learn from each other.

We'll shop and find amazing gifts hand-crafted by pagan artists; we'll go swimming in the crystal clear Starwberry River; we'll shuffle sleepy-eyed together into the Brew for coffee in the morning and share stories of the previous night's revelry.

Druids, eclectics, hermetics, wiccans, odinists, OTO'ers, agnostics, buddhists and more - all coming together as family.

Why can't mundania be more like this?

Creating Sacred Space

Creating sacred space, I have found, is a lot like any handmade craft - it takes time, skill, and energy. Like weaving the patchwork of a quilt, or adding touches of moss to a birdhouse, or finding the perfect word for a line of poetry, the creation of sacred space is a journey of discoveries.

Last weekend, an incredibly diverse group of Weekenders came together with one unified mission - to continue the creation of sacred space at Pyrth Annwn. Some were focused on a children's area, others on gathering wood for the communal fires, some on erecting a shower house and still others willing to apply their labors as needed. We were adults and children; husbands and wives; students; teachers; druids; hermetics; eclectics -- combining our creative energies into making something for the entire community to share.

We discovered the joys of hammer throwing (don't ask), of digging up rocks and rolling boulders, of sitting in a sand box and laughing with the kids, of relaxing by the fire and just enjoying the conversation.

All of this mixed into the aether, into the creative energies that flowed out and over Pyrth Annwn, renewing and refreshing her soil with peace, love, laughter and joy. And renewing and refreshing us as well.

Happy May Day! Happy Beltane!

To all my friends and chosen family, may this season bring new spiritual growth, an abundance of new colors and an overflowing of joyful emotions. I dance with you on this path, bells jingling, eyes smiling and arms outstretched to you.

Ah, those little victories in life....

You know the ones - small, somewhat inconsequential, but man - you feel better when they happen don't you? That time you fought with the printer until it FINALLY printed your information onto the specialty paper correctly (after trashing the first 5 sheets), or you did battle with the CD duplicating computer and actually got it to start working again without having to hit it with a sledgehammer...oh yes, these small victories make for those little pick me ups throughout the day that help get us closer to Friday.

I'm excited to get to Friday you see, because we've got so much planned for the work weekend out at our land, Pyrth Annwn - and many of our good friends are coming to join us in the labor and help us create more sacred space amidst the forests of Pyrth Annwn. We're creating a play area for the kids, working on small building projects and clearing out campsites of last fall's leaves. The day we can finally call Pyrth our permanent, never moving again home can't come too soon. (Come on water table, I want to drill a well!)

I could live there now, I really could. We have a little portapotty, with five actual 55 gallon drum composting toilets coming soon. We have solar showers and a river to swim in. We have tents that work for us quite nicely, just not so much for the cats. They might have a thing or two to say about that. The dogs however would be as happy as us I think - they both love it out there, whether they're chasing the errant armadillo or napping in dappled shade near staff camp.

The one thing I'd miss would be electricity - I like my Internet and my TV shows. They're my vice. I could live a really simple existence if it wasn't for them. The idea of planting gardens and orchards, and canning our crops fills me with absolute delight. I have a lot to learn about it, but I'm so excited to get started. And chickens - now that's going to be an adventure, especially with the two dogs to help chicken-wrangle.

Soon, now - soon. Every step forward brings us that much closer....

Making room for chaos

I was talking to a relative the other day, and they expressed great distress at the size of my ever increasing household - in just 8 years Brennan and I have managed to provide a home for not only ourselves, but five cats and now two dogs (there was a fish at one point, but then, remember, we have five cats...).

To them, the word menagerie doesn't even begin to cut it - they feel we're basically starting our own zoo. I was really surprised by their tone, and their concern. To me, each addition has found their niche, brought their share of love into the house, and done their part to really make our place a home. It made me wonder why they are denying themselves the joy of furry ones in their lives.

I can't imagine living without our munchkins - granted, they're messy sometimes, we do have dangerously large dust bunnies that roam the hallways on occasion, and a few tiffs tend to break out in the evenings come feeding time - but so what? How does that compare to the many mornings of hugs and kisses, lap warmings as you drink your coffee, evenings snuggled up with a massaging purr-box on the couch, the afternoons of playing with dingle-balls and using old rope for tug-tug.

The more I think about it, the sadder I feel for them. All they can see is the mess and expense - none of the joy and unconditional love.

The fastest way to your dog's heart....

is apparently to get another dog.

Our newest family member was found by a fellow Weekender, wandering down a busy highway, scared, hurt and alone. He was scooped up, taken to the vet, given his shots and a call went out to find him a home.

Well..we'd been thinking of getting our Akita pup Cenau (pronounced Ken-Eye & welsh for Bear Cub) a buddy to play with, as the cats just don't seem to be that interested in playing tug-tug with him (gee, wonder why?), and so we saw the call and said - sure, why not. Let's meet him and see if Cenau eats him or not.

Thankfully, Cenau didn't eat him - he's instead herded him around, cleaned him every morning from top to bottom, escorted him to the best "potty place" in the yard, shared most of his toys (he occasionally sneaks one away and gives it to Daddy to hide from the baby) and sleeps with him at night.

So....it looks like he's staying, which means he needs a good Cajun/Celtic/Welsh name. Because, all of our other furry family members have really good Cajun/Celtic/Welsh names (Boudreaux, Thibodeaux, Calisto, and Maxie - except for Seymour, but there's a story to that one).

And we watched the baby, and thought of name ideas, and tried to come up with somethig that sounded NOTHING like Cenau, so as not to get everyone confused and we came up with....Remy. Granted it's actually Acadian-y Cajun, but still Cajun enough to count. So little Remy (aka stinker) has found a home, and we've found another lovable love sponge to add to the brood.

Another year has come and gone...

It true, the old saying that time goes REALLY slowly when you're young and just ZOOMS past you like a race car on acid as you get older. Another year of my life has come and gone...and what a year it was.

We've made great strides at Pyrth Annwn, our sanctuary in the Ozarks. We've put in roads, cleared out camping areas, created sacred space and made a home away from home for our Weekenders. This year - hot showers (Yahooie!), a well (finally!), electricity (yeah!) and composting toilets to replace the smelly port-a-johns!

I celebrated my seventh year married to the love of my life - my best friend, my soul mate. This year - happily celebrating the eighth year of our adventure together!

Bren and I have moved (again) one step closer to living on the land itself, and not having to drive just to visit. This year - we'll be living there full time by late summer, and celebrating Yule with friends in our new home.

I found my place at the most incredible job ever - doing my first love of marketing/writing, working in a pagan friendly environment, for pagan-friendly people, in the Ozarks, helping non-profits raise more money for their organizations. And I get to wear sandals and shorts to work. This year - continuing to grow and prosper, along with the company so that we can hire more free-thinkers and grow the FundRaiser family.

I celebrated the next step of the journey on our path with my beloved Sister Ahriana, as she welcomed her first group of students to the Hermetic path in a very long time. To come full circle with her was beyond amazing. This year - to watch as my own students blossom, grow and learn on their journey down this path, and to celebrate with them along the way.

We adopted a beautiful puppy named Cenau who has added warmth, hilarity and quite a bit of mischief to our lives. This year - we're expanding the brood and getting another one so Cenau will have a playmate who, unlike the cats, won't spit and paw at him.

So much to look forward to this year, and so much to celebrate from the last. I am truly blessed in this life, and I stand humble before the God and Goddess, my heart full of love and joy for all those I call Family.

The Lure of New Orleans

Ahh....the smell of jasmine, the sounds of quarter jazz coming out of a window, the flash of neon and the taste of fruity cocktails all combine into that which is the French Quarter, New Orleans.

After a 10 hour drive, my three co-workers and I made it to the Sheraton New Orleans, right on Canal street and just two blocks over from Bourbon Street - we had arrived in the home of jazz, and the music was already playing.

It wasn't lost on us that we had left the devastation of a 500 year flood behind us in Missouri to ride into a town that is still recovering from Katrina. But to see this shining, neon pearl of the gulf in it's springtime glory can truly take your breath away, and make you forget about the world for a while.

Bourbon Street is a wild, mixed up scenery of clubs, bars, restaurants and men's clubs - as you walk along, you're assaulted by T-shirt stores, bead shops, feather masks, scantily clad hookers trying to lure you in to their dens, jazz musicians playing a rollicking creole beat, street kids tapping for money or singing acapella for the hell of it, the smells of creole cooking and spices, and the overwhelming smell of the jasmine and plumeria - beautiful scents that lift your spirit and carry you further along the sidewalk.

Go through the Quarter, and you reach Frenchman Street - the true heart of jazz the locals say. Here, away from the neon lights of Bourbon Street, are the small, intimate jazz clubs where the well known musicians come out to play. The Marsalis patriarch was playing one night there, along with his band. And the emphasis was on the music - no distractions from food or lights or scantily dressed women - just the jazz, in it's purest form.

We had time to amble through the Garden District too, with it's amazing old houses and shadows of Anne Rice's vampires lingering in the azaleas...but the spirit here is quiet, laid back, almost dreamy compared to Bourbon Street and the vibrancy of the Quarter.

Between these two famous districts lies the Warehouse District, full of museums and - surprisingly - zydeco, in all its Cajun glory. The self-proclaimed "Home of Zydeco" resides here in a small little bar in the middle of the district, and the most wonderful, toe-tapping music streams forth from the windows and hypnotizes your feet to dance right through the door.

We spent our last day down by the waterfront, ambling through the flea market and seeing the many intriguing ways the local artisans have taken what Katrina left them and made into gold. One man had crafted exquisite pins out of "Katrina-junk" that he found and recycled into art. Many others had heart-breaking prints of what had been, and still others had created beautiful and colorful collages of Katrina aftermath.

These people are amazing, to still have such spunk and spirit - to still love their city and to continue to rebuild bigger and better. They take great pride in their city's comeback, and will gladly share stories and first-hand accounts of the past and the present, while always looking to the future.

On that last day, we met a local woman who lives on the outskirts of the French Quarter. We had stopped to admire her beautifully decorated window, which was graced with colored glass and hanging objects d'art. She came out with her two dogs, intent on walking down to the local grocers and giving "the boys some air."

She was gracious and upbeat, and kind to four travelling Midwesterners who had pretty much camped out on her stoop looking at her window display. It's that friendliness, that upbeat attitude that hooks you - that's what the lure of New Orleans is for me, and I'm anxious to make my way back.

Preparing to plant

The equinox is almost upon us - it's time to take our seeds of potential and prepare them for planting in the mother's soft earth. Have you taken the time to reflect on what you wish to grow this year? Do you know what goals you want to reach come the autumnal equinox? Have you thought of the sacrifices you may need to make along the way?

In our tradition, we choose our seeds at Imbolc/Candlemas, and we keep them safe on our altars or around our necks, so that each day we can instill into them our hopes and dreams for the coming year. And now, as we reach Alban Eilier/Ostara, the time has come to till the soil and plant those seeds. You have to take the time to add nutrients to the soil, remove the weeds, pull out the rocks and be sure your seeds can stretch and breathe and grow.

And I'm not just talking about the potting soil here - you need to look inside yourself - find the weeds of despair and doubt and pull them out now. Root around for any rocks that might cause you to stumble along the way and remove them. Make sure you take the time each day to feel the sun upon your face, and feel its warmth in your heart.

It takes work to accomplish a garden, whether it be a physical one or a spiritual one. Be sure you're ready to be a consummate gardener this turn of the wheel - and watch your seeds sprout into joy.

Countdown to WytcheHaven!

The Strength to Persevere

We drove down to Atkins, Arkansas this weekend, to help friends with clean-up after a devastating tornado hit the area on Super Tuesday, February 5th. Aside from getting a bit lost, and almost running out of gas in the middle of nowhere, we eventually made it down to their house.

Driving in to Atkins as we did, from the northwest, you don't really see much in the way of damage. Twice now we've lived through tornadoes, once when we lived in Vilonia, Arkansas and once when we lived in Morrilton, Arkansas - and both times, it was pretty obvious that a tornado had barrelled through. So, we were a bit surprised at how normal everything looked in town -- until we turned onto our friends' street - and the true extent of the devastation became clear.

Several homes were completely and utterly gone - only concrete foundations remained at one house - twisted vehicles and trailers, and huge oak trees pulled out of the ground and tossed around like pick-up sticks - and every inch of ground covered by the remnants of lives torn apart: pictures, pots, papers, insulations, fencing, pet bowls - all just strewn about.

Utter devastation - it just took your breath away.

Then we pulled into their driveway with our trailer in tow and what do we see? Friends and neighbors, hauling tree limbs, raking up debris, laughing and joking and finding a way to persevere through it all. I don't think I've ever been so proud to call myself a member of community before - to see all of these folks who had driven hours from their homes across the state to come and help out - and bring smiles and hugs, laughter and support. Our friends' house was literally raised off its foundations several times; their bedroom was pretty much obliterated, and their vehicles took a whale of a beating. But they managed to smile and laugh, joke and hug with all of us, even through all of this. Their strength was truly inspirational.

The one tearful part of the afternoon was related to the Grandmother Tree - this beautiful cedar had graced their garden and kept the house safe, and it now lay resting on the ground where it had fallen. We were honored to be asked to take this very special tree and to bring its remains to Pyrth Annwn to become part of the opening revel fire for our next Weekend in May, but as the chainsaws began to bring her to a more manageable size, the tears did flow. It was decided that her base would remain as an altar in our memory garden, so that a part of her would always be in sacred space.

I look forward to next weekend when we can place her there, and decorate her appropriately, for she stands not only for our friends, but for all those who stand up to adversity, and she stands for the love and support of community through thick and thin.

Reverend Whitney's Homework for the Day

My darling friend Whitney occasionally sends out missives from her higher self as daily exercises for meditation work. Below, is the one she sent today and I felt spirit move me to share it with you.

The druids believe that the soul encompasses the far extents of time and space, unencumbered by temporal dimensions. For the Celtic peoples, the physical world is seen to be made up of three elemental dimensions: the depths of the sea, the breadth of the Earth, and the airy regions of the heavens. Fusing these three dimensions together is the fiery Sun, whose diurnal circuit maintains the life of the apparent world.

Each soul lives within the dispensation of these dimensions; but the soul is regarded as yet greater than these, able not only to move through water, earth, air and fire but also to travel beyond these modes into the wider domain of the unseen world. For the Soul, the passage of ages is but a day in cosmic time; there is no sense of time passing, only an eternal present to soul-travelers who enter the otherworld.

When we begin to pay attention to our soul, rather than ignoring its needs and urgings, we experience a sense of inclusion within the Universe. When we learn to pass beyond the limits of our body as soul-travelers, we discover that the constellations and planets that spin within the soul are qualities, intelligences, and allies we have always longed for.

Look into the depths of your Soul, as into the immensity of inner space.
How is the cosmos reflected within your soul? What constellations and planets are featured therein? Within the Solar System of your Soul, what major features do you recognize?

Coming full circle - in Circle

This weekend, I had the honor to stand with my sister in Circle, as we initiated the new members of her coven into our tradition. My sister taught me, so to stand there with her and bring these neophytes through to the start of their journey on this path, brought the circle to completion for me in so many ways.

We often talk about the turn of the wheel when we refer to the year as a whole, the changing of the seasons and the transition from Sabbat to Sabbat - but this time, it truly hit home with me how much these turns impact our lives.

12 years ago, I found this family of coven brothers and sisters, and set my feet upon the path I now walk to this day - one of teaching, learning, growing and changing. In those twelve years, I've gotten divorced, found my voice, lived in four states, found my soul mate, studied at seminary for a year to become an ordained interfaith minister, began teaching my own students, became a Reiki Master, my partner and I bought 43 acres of land upon which to build a future, we started a non-profit Interfaith Foundation and a Pagan Festival in the Bible Belt, I began a blog, and found my stride as a person on this planet.

I have buried friends, familiars and old habits and welcomed new friends and familiars into my life. I have learned to let go, to just be and to find comfort in a good book and a cup of hot chocolate.

I think back on the woman who was me 12 years ago, and the transformation is startling - the mouse has become a lioness. So mote it be.

The Strength of Belief

As we wander through our daily routines, we don't often think about our belief systems, and our faith. We're focused on driving, on work, on balancing the check book and getting something made for tonight's dinner...but how often during each day do you really focus on the strength of your beliefs?

This is something I have vowed to focus on during this turn of the wheel - as priestess, as teacher, as student, as wife - as sister, as daughter, as friend, as journeyor on this planet.

Each day, I am going to make the time to sit at peace with myself, and truly probe the depths of my beliefs and my faith. How much is purely rote? How much would I willingly die for? What would I kill to protect?

Strong thoughts, but ones we have a need to make time for, especially now as the world we know continues to go through amazing transformation - the solar cycle has begun, global warming continues, the ice sheets are melting at a blazing speed, and the winter solstice of 2012 looms on the near horizon. Are we ready for a changed world? Are we prepared? Can we be?

Learning to Breathe

Sounds like a weird title doesn't it? Supposedly, we've known how to breathe since we took our first breaths in this world upon being born. The breathing I'm speaking of are the breaths we need to learn to take when we find ourselves growing frustrated, angry, stymied or just plain pissed. I finally got it yesterday as to how important it is at these particular times to really, deliberately, BREATHE.

I'm a pretty easy going kind of gal, and I can usually let things wash over me without too much getting ruffled. But at work yesterday, I had reached my limit with a particular situation that's been bubbling around in the pot for weeks now...and I truly got mad. Really mad. One step away from downright fightin mad. And it isn't good to get to that point in the workplace...not if you want to keep your job anyway.

And I made myself go outside (into the lovely freezing Missouri winds) and deliberately BREATHE. Deep breath in, slow exhale. Deep breath in, slow exhale. I did that 9 times. I wanted to quit after 5 but made myself keep going through the 9th breath. Guess what?

I wasn't mad anymore. I wasn't even peeved anymore. I looked out over the blue sky, followed the flight of a bird, shoved my hands into my pockets to keep warm, and realized - it really didn't matter. The world wasn't going to suddenly spin out of control, our company wasn't going to nose dive because of this...it needed to be solved, yes. But was it worth getting nutty over? No.

How magickal is that? I went from wanting to punch someone's lights out to wondering what flowers we should plant up at the land - all in 9 slow breaths. I wonder if it will be that easy at tax time? Better plan on 13 breaths for that, just in case.

Thanks Cheri - this should make Brennan happy...

How will I die? Your Result: You will die while having sex. Your last moments in this life will be enjoyable indeed...hopefully. Do not fear sex. Try not to become celibate as a way of escaping death. You cannot run from destiny.
You will die while saving someone's life.
You will die of boredom.
You will die in your sleep.
You will die from a terminal illness.
You will die in a nuclear holocaust.
You will die in a car accident.
You will be murdered.
How will I die?

Expressing Gratitude

For those of us lucky enough to have found teachers on our path, and who learned and continue to learn from these guiding lights, and who found new ways to think, to perceive and to cope with life thanks to their teachers' instructions - I talk with you now.

So many of our teachers give of their wisdom freely - no fees, no strings attached - just the pure joy of sharing knowledge, and learning right alongside their students. These teachers are a blessed bunch, and I for one treasure them and all they have helped me to learn and perceive about the world around me.

In the mundane world, people like this would expect - if not outright demand - payment for their services - there would be limits, restrictions, things you'd have to buy to go from one level to the next - people you must or must not associate with, depending on their whims.

We are so lucky that on Pagan paths, it isn't like this - not with true teacher spirits.

I speak of this now because I have the honor of participating in the initiation of one of my teacher's first class of students since she taught my class MANY moons ago - I am to stand with her, in circle, and help her students begin their journey along this amazing road...perhaps one day to become like myself, a teacher with students of their own, who teach for the joy of sharing and growing and learning together.

I am so excited to be making this trip to share in this experience - not only to meet her students and share stories of learning with them, but to tell her of my students and the many joys they have brought to my life. Had I not learned so well, I do not believe I could teach so well now. (At least, I believe I teach well - my students would be the best judge of that.)

To see the living history of our path handed down from one group to the next - what an amazing and wonderful feeling this is. Memories of cram sessions with my fellow classmates, late night calls to my teacher for help, support, and sometimes just to rail at the world with an audience. So many important times in my life have occured since I began this path almost 20 years ago. And I look forward to all the important times yet to come...

My New Year's Wishes for You All

May peace break into your house,
and may thieves come to steal your debt.

May the pockets of your jeans
become a magnet for $100 bills.

May love stick to your face like Vaseline!!!
May laughter assault your lips!

May your clothes smell of success like smoking tires.
May happiness slap you across the face.

May your tears be that of Joy!!
Any problems you had..May they forget your home address!

In simple words ...May 2008 be the best!
Many blessing to you all...