When I look at the path of a river, I sometimes marvel at the way it cuts through stone to wend its flow through the landscape around me. I’m lucky enough to live near both the Potomac and Conococheague rivers and I’ve spent a lot of time wandering their shores and paddling kayaks along their…
Category: Holidays
The Pagan holiday cycle is largely anchored to changes in the natural world. We celebrate the shifting of the seasons by honoring specific days that can be viewed as turning points in the year. We celebrate the solstices (the longest and shortest days of the year) and the equinoxes (the days when light and darkness…
Many years ago, I was introduced to the idea of selecting a single word for each calendar year to act as an intention, touchstone, and big-picture goal. Sometimes the word selection is something we wish to cultivate. Sometimes, it is a gift we give ourselves for the coming year. Sometimes it is an anchor, sometimes…
The contemporary Pagan year begins and ends at the close of the agricultural season. Most modern-day Pagans celebrate the year’s turn on or around October 31st, often in conjunction with the Celtic holiday of Samhain (pronounced “sow-ehn”). The shifting of the year marks a transition between the outwardly-focused warmer months and the more inward, home-oriented…