I find myself continually grateful to live in Western Maryland. For someone of Pagan faith, whose spiritual practice is oriented toward aligning with the cycles of nature, it’s hard to imagine a better region in which to make a home. The cool rains of springtime fell heavily this year. Now, as we turn toward the summer solstice, the longest day of the year and the official “start” of summer, the green and growing spirits around us are bursting forth with wild abandon. Our lush, burgeoning region is even more abundant than usual after deep watering followed by warm, sunny days. As I watch seedlings unfurl new leaves, I am vividly reminded of the outward spiral that is part of Pagan practice at this time of year.
Pagans, as a whole, think of the passage of time as cycles that repeat. For us, the year is in the shape of a wheel or circle that is constantly in motion. In addition to the outward edge of that circle where the sun inspires the change of seasons, we imagine a spiral that coils out from the center to touch the part of the edge where summer falls. As the seasons pass, we make our way along this spiral: reaching out from hearth, home, and quiet toward nature, community, and celebration during the growing season. We then reverse our path as the cold season draws near, turning inward toward reflection and recovery once more in the darker months of the year.
During high summer, those of us who can spend more time outdoors try to do so. Most Pagans have a deep love of nature and can be found kayaking the local rivers, hiking the trails, and visiting the lakes and waterfalls of our region. We see the sacred in the primal elements of earth, air, fire, and water. Places where those elements come together strongly feel resonant to us. The path of a river carving its way through the landscape and creating life along its banks, the rocky overlooks where the wind whirls unimpeded and the view of the valley below feels endless, and the deep lakes where the power and potency of water gathers in the landscape are all places of power. To us, these spaces feel the way temples do to the members of other religions. Continue reading…
