Sometime during summer, I go a little dormant. The high heat and humidity where I live in the mid-Atlantic weighs heavily on me. I begin to drift, to slip into the doldrums. I tend to slide out of my patterns of practice and choose checking out rather than dialing in. I go through the motions…
Tag: holidays
August can be tough in Maryland. The high heat and lack of rain (in some years) means that backyard gardeners like me often struggle to keep our vegetable and fruit beds happy. Air conditioners work overtime, and tempers can be a bit more volatile. When I’m nearing a high frustration point with the umpteenth 90-degree…
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 Monocacy rivers and I’ve spent a lot of time wandering their shores and paddling kayaks along their…
I recently accepted an invitation to become part of the writing rotation for the The Frederick News-Post ‘s ‘Words of Faith’ section – a column written by local leaders of various spiritual paths in the Frederick area. This is my first contribution to the column. Bright summer is upon us, and the change of seasons…
I am a teacher of many things. Most of what I share here is pagan spirituality, but I am also a teacher of yoga. I love the way breath and movement come together in a flowing dance. I love the way these beautiful human bodies can move, twist, balance, and open. My great joy over…
I sat where I always do, the thready mists of Helheim swirling before me. The crowd had gathered again, an indistinct circle of hundreds around me. More an impression of a gathering of people than anything solid. I could smell apple blossom on the breeze. My heart hammered in my chest and I could feel…
Recently, Seo Helrune posted a question: if you were going to design a 30 day challenge, what would it be? That question got my wheels turning and they’ve been spinning ever since. I used to help manage a yoga studio and our Spring Challenge was one of my pet projects, so I’ve thought a lot…
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. The beauty of a single word intention is that the simplicity means multiple ways of connecting are possible. For example, one of my words over the years was…
When I was a kid, I spent many of my summers attending YMCA Day Camp programs. I grew up in Frederick, MD, and the region is blessed with abundant parks and forests. For each session of summer camp I attended, I had a buddy assigned to me. One of the camp field trips I went…
Right now, the sun is setting before 5 PM here in the mid-Atlantic and the days are only getting shorter. A season normally marked with family gatherings, festive events, circles, services, and bustling shopping malls looks a little different this year. Yuletide 2020 is shaping up to be a quieter, smaller, and more solitary affair….