I grew up in Frederick, a large town located in Western Maryland. I personally love the place – it has a beautiful historic district, a wonderful linear park that runs through much of the city, excellent restaurants, a vibrant theater district and lots of mom and pop stores that make shopping interesting. It also had…
When I read last week’s blog on Major Arqueerna (‘Magic and the Physical Art of Release’), I was practically yelling ‘YES! EXACTLY!’ over my morning coffee. In the blog, Annie talks about how practicing Yin Yoga has supported their spiritual practice – in particular, some of their Shadow Work. One of the soapboxes I frequently…
The Pagan wheel of the year marks the quarters – the longest and shortest days (solstices) and the days of equal light and darkness (equinoxes). Our wheel also marks the points in between: the midway point from the extreme of light or darkness to the point of balance. Right now, we are getting ready for…
This is the age of overstimulation – of so many concerns vying for our attention that intellectual, emotional and focus burnout is a daily occurrence for many people. When we look at the needs of the world, or even just our individual countries, it’s easy to become overwhelmed: poverty, climate change, war, illness, natural disasters,…
The deepest, truest magick I know is the power of self-determination. Much more than the simple ability to make choices, there are additional layers and abilities that come from having a rooted sense of Self. I teach a Mystery School and the very first magickal tool Blackfeather students start with is a mirror. Establishing a…
I have nightmares about the ocean. They never start off scary. In my dreams, I am excited to go to the beach. It’s often the same seaside town I visit in my slumbering journey: a rather New England-looking village that slopes down a hill toward the shore. Cheerful buildings, boardwalk, winding sidewalks and narrow roads,…
We stand in the Underworld right now – that space between Samhain and Yule where darkness, quiet and inner work reigns. We carry the burdens of the past year with us and some of them are incredibly heavy. One of the things I hear from people constantly these days is that they’re tapped out. A…
“For many of us, the prospect of multiple family gatherings over the next couple months can be anxiety-inducing. Add shopping, holiday parties, school obligations and packed grocery stores, and we have the ingredients for a very stressful season. The good news is that we know it’s coming, which means we can prepare for it. So…
The Wheel turned, and the final harvest lies behind us. The nights grow longer now and cool darkness whispers against the windows after the sun goes down. It is the time of the inward spiral. Living in rhythm with seasonal shifts includes many challenges, though. Although our ancestors were governed by their seasons and climate,…
October 31st marks one of the High Holidays in the widely-used Pagan Wheel of the Year – Samhain. Out of all our holidays, I’d say this one gets the most press. Our celebration of the end of the growing season coincides with all that is spooky in the larger culture. This time of endings in…