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…
Tag: rituals
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…
This sermon was offered to the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Wyoming Valley in July of 2021 Every year I coordinate a large event for my chapter of the Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans in Frederick, MD. It’s a masquerade ball – a formal gala with a faery and fantasy theme. It’s our big fundraiser of…
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…
This time was serious. I’d been hauled into Top’s office first thing in the morning, and my Staff Sergeant’s face looked thunderous. My Master Sergeant, Top, was furious of course. But also, oddly, concerned. “Why are you always so angry? Do you even know?” Top loomed over me. He was Nordic – tall and pale,…
I was recently interviewed by Sam Arthen-Long for the The EarthSpirit Community‘s EarthSpirit Voices podcast. Our conversation is wide ranging – witchcraft, spirituality, community service, Kindred Crow, and so much more. Give it a listen here.
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…
One of the memes floating around right now talks about the difference between nice and kind, and the way people can be one but not the other. It relates those concepts to different regions of the United States. That meme generates a chuckle for me since the east coast is associated with being kind but…
Laughter and play are some of the most healing activities we can engage in. And as the saying goes, ‘it’s never too late to have a good childhood.’ But how do we get started? How do we free the Survivor from its death grip on our steering wheel? How do we access the Kid self…