The body as a place

April 19, 2013 By 8 Comments
My Welsh fairy tree, standing in for the World Tree today.

I've been thinking a lot about the body, specifically my body, this week. I haven't been feeling all that great. But it's led me to think about how our bodies are places, too. It took me a long time to realize that I carry my sense of place within me. I don't just mean feeling comfortable in my own skin or feeling like a friend to myself, a self-companion where ever I went, or comfortable in a location. I mean, I carry my Land within me. I think I was in Wales when I realized that I carry … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Earth, experiential Tagged With: , , , , , 8 Comments

I’m an Animist: and what that means

April 18, 2013 By 9 Comments
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I rarely speak publicly about my spiritual practice.  This is mainly due to the intimate nature of relationship. You see, my worldview is animistic, and for me, this means I view the universe as a community of living persons, of which humans are a part.  I perceive everything within the universe, including the Universe herself, as possessing unique worldview, culture, and language (method of communication), e.g., the Ash tree near my front door is a living person, who possesses a worldview, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Connection, experiential, Ireland Tagged With: , , , , 9 Comments

Why getting outside matters

April 12, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Capitol and Capitol Lake, Olympia, WA by Brylie Oxley, via Wikimedia Commons.

There are a million ways to connect to Place, and most of them involve going 'outside.' Some of the reasons don't necessarily involve the Land, but involve people, groups, events, our own homes, etc. Of course, this makes it sound like those things are separate from the Land, which they are not, as everything is interdependent. There are also many reasons why going outside matters. We can talk about the health reasons for walking and not driving, for the environmental education the outdoors … [Read more...]

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Boots Across Ireland: Liosnabroc ringfort {video}

April 11, 2013 By 2 Comments
Screen Shot 2013-04-04 at 11.44.09 AM

Liosnabroc (Fort of the Badger - anglicized as Lisnabrock) is a ringfort located in the townland of Templebodan, east Cork.  The ring is found labeled on the 1890 Ordnance Survey map.  Like the majority of ringforts in Ireland, Liosnabroc opens to the NE -- offering a lovely view of the Knockmealdown and Galtee mountain ranges.  I am privileged to live next door to this active and beautiful Lios. Ringforts were constructed mainly from the Iron Age into the early Medieval period (800 BCE … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Boots Across Ireland, experiential, folklore, Ireland, Journeys, video Tagged With: , , , , 2 Comments

Cultural Boundary Spaces

April 9, 2013 By Leave a Comment
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I first heard of the idea of "boundary spaces" in anthropology and cultural geography classes in college. The idea instantly resonated with me because I'd spent many years living at the boundary of Anglo-American culture and Latino-American culture. I spent a lot of time in San Francisco Bay Area neighborhoods where the majority language is Spanish and shops have signs that announce "We speak English" not as a political statement but as a reassurance to potential customers. These are spaces … [Read more...]

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House and Home

March 29, 2013 By 1 Comment
Something like would sure be nice..... (Joe Mabel, via Wikimedia Commons)

My partner and I are looking to buy a house. We've decided to settle in Olympia. We want a house that we can raise our kids in and live happily for the next 20 years. We've never owned a home before. This entire process is a giant learning curve. We're getting educated at every step along the way: mortgages, inspections, paperwork, what to look for, what to ask at showings, etc. We know what we're looking for, as far as size, price, location, and aesthetic. But there's a certain piece of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Connection, home, United States Tagged With: , , , , , , 1 Comment

A Little Meander on Culture: or, what one does when the Wi-Fi dies

March 28, 2013 By Leave a Comment
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On the About The Authors page of this blog, I mention 'sensuous scholarship' as my approach to academic study.   I like to get my hands dirty and engage my entire body when exploring a topic, hence when I wanted to better understand Irish culture and mythology, I moved to Ireland.  Now that I'm here, I get out and visit the places associated with the festivals and events mentioned in the mythology and folklore.  I speak to Irish people living in those areas, and, more importantly, I take the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Boots Across Ireland, Connection, experiential, Ireland Tagged With: , , Leave a Comment

Meeting the wild

March 26, 2013 By 2 Comments
connect in the garden

I mentioned last week how disconnected I was from the cycles of nature as a child. It wasn't for lack of exposure to non-urban places. In fact, my father took great pride in the fact that he shared his love of the outdoors with me from infancy. My parents have photo albums full of pictures of me in a backpack on my dad's back exploring nature. My dad would carry magnifying glasses in his pocket so that we could look at leaves and bugs and rocks up close. When I was 3 we visited a tiny pod with … [Read more...]

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I like weather

March 22, 2013 By 3 Comments
By Juni from Kyoto, Japan (Flickr), Creative Commons

Spring is here! In Olympia we have blooms and blossoms, verdant greens and dreary grays. One moment we have icy rain and near freezing temperatures, the next the sun is blazing and things feel (almost) warm. On the cold mornings when we walk to preschool, my 4.5 yr old son insists it's still winter. No, I say, look at the daffodils, violets, and pink blossoms on a tree I don't know the name of yet. Spring is just getting started! People love to  complain, especially about the weather. … [Read more...]

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The Awakening Spring: of light, embodiment, and soliphilia

March 21, 2013 By 1 Comment
Cairn T Backstone : Loughcrew : Ireland

Yesterday was the vernal equinox.   Here in Ireland, we have a solar alignment that occurs in cairn T on Slieve na Caillaigh during this astronomical event.  It’s a phenomenal sight! But that’s not what I want to talk about. The spring equinox heralds the Light half of the year.  We aren’t fully there yet (as it doesn’t officially begin until Bealtaine) but oh...we are tantalizingly close.  Close enough, in fact, for spirits to rise and frivolity to ensue.  Just look at … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Connection, experiential, Ireland Tagged With: , , , , 1 Comment