The walls between the worlds are thinned; The Gods’ might is at its peak, The wights and the dead walk freely among the living. Let us remember them on this Mother Night. — from a Heathen rite posted on the Internet some years ago, original source unknown. This is the Eve of the Winter Solstice. … Read more
For Light by John O’Donohue (1956-2008) from To Bless the Space Between Us Light cannot see inside things. That is what the dark is for: Minding the interior, Nurturing the draw of growth Through places where death In its own way turns into life. In the glare of neon times, Let our eyes not be … Read more
Blessed is your gift of the Winter, The icy winds that sweep clean the world; The bare trees that reveal the glittering stars; Silent roots growing deep within the land; Sleeping, resting, going within; The surrender to the dreaming dark. For much of my life, I dreaded Winter. My anticipation of its awful dark and … Read more
I am reprinting renowned astrologer Lynn Hayes’ post regarding today’s momentous astrological event. I love Lynn’s evaluations, because they are geeky enough to satisfy the “real” astrologers amongst us, and yet they make sense for those of us not schooled in the esoteric arts. Best of all, though, she is always able to point to … Read more
What shakes the eye, but the invisible? – Theodore Roethke In this final chapter of The Artist’s Way, as her bon voyage gift to us, Julia offers a bouquet of ideas. When we begin to understand our creativity in terms of it being a sacred conversation between our Divinity and our human selves, she emphasizes … Read more
This is the Eve of the Winter Solstice. This is the great celebration of Mother Night. As far as we know, our ancestors did not have atomic clocks or satellites to help them dissect Time to the nanosecond. Instead, they had to figure by their keen observation, by dead reckoning, by the plants and animals, … Read more
The gloom of the world is but a shadow. Behind it, yet within our reach is joy. There is radiance and glory in the darkness could we but see – and to see we have only to look. — Fra Giovanni Giocondo, 1433-1515 C.E. We are now in the deepest darkness of the year, with … Read more
I said to my soul, be still, and let the dark come upon you which shall be the darkness of God. — T.S. Elliot We here in the Northern Hemisphere are in the deepest darkness of the year, with the arrival of yesterday’s New Moon and then the Winter Solstice less than a week away. … Read more
Although technically, the New Moon doesn’t occur until tomorrow, I invite you to begin to set your intention for it today. The Scorpio New Moon is always powerful, but this is a particularly intense astrological cycle. We are in unprecedented times. I believe we are being called to come together in this Dark Moon time, … Read more
There was a grove, immemorially inviolate, Hidden from the air above by interlacing branches… There fell fountain-streams, There gloomy images of Gods Stood guard, jutting, human-carven in tree-trunk shape… — from De Bello Civilis by Lucan (39-65 C.E.) As we approach the crossroads of the Old and the New Year at Samhain, we honor the … Read more