Winter
Sunday Inspiration – Swanlight
Swanlight ~ John O’Donohue © 2001 If it could say itself January Might brighten its syllables on the frost Of these first New Year days whose cold is blue. Meanwhile in this corner of its silence A weak winter sun lowers down behind The moor that rises away from the lake. Beyond reach of light, … Read more
Thirty Days of Thanksgiving: Day 9 – Dark-eyed Juncos
One must ask children and birds how cherries and strawberries taste. ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe One month to the day after our last hummingbird sighting, John saw the first dark-eyed junco of the season. Often called “snowbirds,” this member of the sparrow family ranges throughout North America. But here in North Carolina, we only … Read more
The Edge of Transformation
A silver apple falls. There, amongst the branches, the mother sits. Weaver of dreams against the weft of the wood, Insight falls like gentle rain on a moon-bathed garden. – Song to Hecate, by Alison Jones Now we make ready for the great festival of Imbolc, sometimes called Candlemas or Brigid. In many places, the … Read more
Wishing You a Most Merry Yule!
Happy Winter Solstice! Now, in the ancient ways of our Ancestors, let us make merry for the days of Yuletide! (Yes, more than one. Twelve, as a matter of fact). This morning or tonight (if you didn’t already) you can light the 5th and final candle of your Solstice Sun Wheel. (If you are counting … Read more
Consecration of the Commonplace
“As I watch the stars of evening, and in the morning open my window toward the east, I shall observe the Ceremonial of quietness of heart, of simplicity, and poise of spirit, that I may keep my soul and the souls of others free from entanglements in the machinery of the day.” — Ceremonials of … Read more