Category Archives: Wheel of the Year

It’s Groundhog’s Day! – Groundhog Medicine

Groundhog MedicineGroundhog’s day is coming! No, not the Bill Murray movie AGAIN (the movie seems to return almost as much as Groundhog’s Day does in it). February 2 is the celebration of Imbolc, Candlemas and Groundhog’s Day. The underlying theme of each of these festivals in the beginning of February is the coming of spring, renewal and hope.

Groundhog Day is derived from earlier celebrations held on February 2, dates variously known as Brigid’s Night in Ireland (festival of the Celtic goddess of poetry, birth, weddings, smithcraft, and healing), Oimelc/Imbolc/Imbolg in Scotland, and Candlemas in England. Ancient celebration were often associated with divination. Continue reading →

Spring Equinox Ceremonies

SpringEquinoxEggPart of living a shamanic lifestyle is being attuned to the cycles of Nature, whether it be the phases of the moon, life cycles of the animals, fish and plants or the cycle of the seasons. Those of us who choose to walk a Shamanic/Druidic/Pagan path often acknowledge the “turning of the wheel” or cycle of seasons with some type of ceremony. Some celebrations are are grander than others, and some are very simple ceremonies.

The Spring Equinox is a day to celebrate the revival of life after a long cold winter. Our focus shifts from internal to external, from preparation to action. This is a time of renewal and rebirth…Eggs are hatching, birds are returning from their migrations, butterflies are breaking from their cocoons, plants are celebrating the return of warmth with vibrant greens and flowers of every color, the trees are bursting with new buds, and baby animals are appearing in our yards.

Spring arrives next week, on Thursday, March 20 at 6:57am EDT. So, let’s begin to think about celebrating it’s arrival with a ceremony. I’m offering a few simple ideas with plenty of time to plan. Choose one or more of these ideas and create your own Spring Equinox ceremony. Continue reading →

Imbolc – The Festival of Brighid

brigidcrossFebruary 1st marks the beginning of Imbolc (Imbolg or Oimelc as it is known to the Celts, Candlemas to the Christians). This is the first of four fire festivals celebrated by my Celtic ancestors. But unlike the other fire ceremonies, Imbolc’s emphasis is on light, rather than heat. Although the days began to get longer following the Winter Solstice, now the light and longer days begin to become more noticable. This is the time of the first stirrings of Spring in the womb of Mother Earth. We begin to see the first of the crocuses and daffodils peeking through the snow, the spring lambs are being born, we can trade the heavy winter parkas for lighter coats, spring rains bring green grass and Old Man Winter begins his slow retreat. Continue reading →

A Winter Solstice Journey

Winter_landscapeThe Wheel of the Year has turned once more and the Winter Solstice is upon us again.

Over the years we have offered up ideas for celebrating Yule, or the Winter Solstice. You can check out this blog in particular – Winter Solstice Celebrations from 2010 .

This Solstice, our gift to you is a guided journey that Debbie created specifically for you. Continue reading →

Honoring Our Ancestors – The Ancestor Altar

I recently received a newsletter from one of my suppliers with an excellent article on honoring our ancestors by creating an ancestor altar that I want to share with you. Thank you Jacki Smith at Coventry Creations for this wonderful article.

This month my project is to go through the picture boxes and gather some pictures for my Samhain altar. Continue reading →

Spring, Eostre and the Hare

Well, Spring sprung at 4:03 this morning heralded with a healthy dose of rain. Believe me, I didn’t “spring” to see it. I was still wound tightly in my blankets, enjoying the warmth and dryness of my bed.

So, 4:03 PDT was the spring equinox. The time when the daylight and dark are once again equal and everything is in balance (or at least the natural world.) I’ve been told that at the exact time of the equinox, if you stand an egg on end, it will balance. Continue reading →

A Samhain Poem

I have been studying Celtic Shamanism for quite a while and am about half way through my Bardic training. Eventually I will complete the Druidry course, but it is a ways out.

Bards are storytellers, poets and musicians. Since Celtic society was an oral tradition, they were also the keepers of tradition, of the memory of the tribe.

One of the areas I struggle with is poetry. It has become a standing joke within my circle that when we come to poetry, I go blank. So, maybe I’m beginning to “get it” because as I was going to sleep last night, I was creating a Samhain poem. Continue reading →

Lughnasadh – First Harvest

Wow, can’t believe it’s August 1 already. This year is flying by. Fall will be here sooner than we think.

August first is the beginning of Lughnasadh (or Lammas). This is the celebration of the first harvest. Depending on your traditions, Lughnasadh is celebrated from August 1 – August 15.

The name of this festival is Irish Gaelic for “Commemoration of Lugh”.  Lugh is associated with the power of sun and light, and so fires were burned in honor of him on this day. In addition to his associations with light, Lugh is a God of Skill and Craft, a master of all human skills.

Continue reading →