Three Prayers for Samhain Samhain is the Season’s End, and we naturally think about other endings. We think about those that we have lost, in the world around us. This includes any creature or spirit in the world, anyone that has lived on this green earth. These could be humans, animals, insect friends, imaginary friends that are no longer with us – any such spirit. There are many ways of interacting with the Ancestors. The easiest and most frequently used... Read more
The Veil is Thin Everyday One doesn’t have to wait until Samhain to speak to the Ancestors or to feel their presence. The veil is thin every day. Traditionally, the Three Days of Samhain represent the time when the veil between the worlds is thinnest. While I have no way in measuring the width of the veil or its function at this time of year, I do acknowledge that as we enter the so-called “Dark Time” in the Northern... Read more
A Coincidence of Cycles: Blue Moon I am not sure about others, but dates and times seem a little less rigid for me. I often must think for a moment or two to settle on what day of the week it is. I am not sure if it is the aftermath of the pandemic or if it is the result of working from home for the last four years, but it gives me pause to think. I never feel that... Read more
Reflections on Pan Pagan My first Pan Pagan festival happened sometime between 1990 and 1991. I attended my first pagan festival at Lothlorien, in central Indiana, in 1989 and I fell in love with festivals. Festivals, and the Festival Movement, were a way to meet other pagans in a natural setting and share what it was to be pagan with others of a like mind. That first Pan Pagan festival took place in Plymouth, Indiana, self-proclaimed Blueberry Capital of the... Read more
Hergest Ridge Hergest Ridge is a large elongated hill which traverses the border between England and Wales in the United Kingdom, between the town of Kington in Herefordshire and the village of Gladestry in Powys. (Wikipedia, 2023) Hergest Ridge is also the second album by talented music Mike Oldfield and was released on Virgin records in 1974. I managed to get listen to a promotional copy of this album while I was working for my high school radio station in 1975. (Wikipedia, Hergest Ridge, 2023) The... Read more
A Pet, Passing My household familiars are more than just pets. They are more than just familiars. They are an integral part of my family. I cherish their presence in my life as family, as a Nature Spirit. About five years ago, we took in two cat brothers who were abandoned in our neighborhood. One was a Maine Coon, the other was a sweet tabby cat who captured my heart immediately. We had them both tested for feline leukemia... Read more
Solstice Solstice comes almost unexpectedly. In a part of the world where the seasons change, Autumn into Winter can arrive quietly, without warning, almost unnoticed. The ten days between solstice and the civil new year are a time of quiet and reflection that I like to call the Ten Days of Silence. Solstice New Year While there are ample reasons to recognise the November Cross-Quarter as a new year or the 1st of January as the civil new year, the... Read more
Prayer to Macha We call to you today, Macha, Goddess of sovereignty As we stand upon this land, Let there be sovereignty of the land, Fertile, Proud, And free. Let choice be yours alone, Send your blessings, I pray. We call to you today, Macha, Goddess of sovereignty, As we stand on our own, Let there be sovereignty of one’s own body, Empowered, Proud, And free. Let choice be ours alone, Send your blessings, I pray. We call... Read more
The Shining Ones Speak I have recently read comments by people on how they feel separated or distant from the Gods, or, as we call them in ADF, the Shining Ones. Of all the Kindreds, they are the entities that differ from us the most. The Ancestors are those that we knew, or at least knew of. The Nature Spirits are those that inhabit this middle realm with us. The Shining Ones, well, they are very different from ourselves. ... Read more
Getting to Know the Ancestors (I Never Knew) I never knew my maternal grandparents. My maternal grandfather passed away before I was born, and my maternal grandmother passed died on my second birthday. I know them from pictures on the wall and from stories I have heard. Now, I wish to know them better. What I do know My grandfather was a vegetarian, like I am, unusual for a person living at the turn of the 20th century. He worked... Read more
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