Pagans encounter the land beneath their feet
I don't have anything of meaning to write about this week. I've been completely distracted by children's birthday parties, meeting new people, my parents visiting, the dark moon, and the explosion of sunshine and flowers here in Olympia. Let me share some of my distraction with you. Here, have some flowers: All of these are taken at the house I rent. Rhododendrons are the Washington state flower. I adore them. In fact, I am pretty sure that if the fey get dressed up … [Read more...]
I couldn't have imagined a better beginning to May. Last weekend was the Procession of the Species parade and art walk. May first was celebrated by local anarchists with a picnic in the park. I took my kids to all of it. We played and drew and wove ribbons around a maypole in the spring sunshine. Below are some pictures from the Procession parade. Please click on this link to see many more photos of the weekend, as well as some video clips. [Note: this is not my site or my photos, but were … [Read more...]
I love parades. Most parades are really boring, though. I find them mostly to be advertising: business sponsor floats but seem to be the highlight, politicians hand out fliers. Bah humbug. But when a parade is done well, oh it is a joyful thing! The kid in me gets all worked up. I never know what is coming next. Costumes? Bands? Possibly a marching band? This time last year my family was new to Olympia. Had we heard about the Procession of the Species? And Spring Arts Walk? No, we had not. … [Read more...]
Spring has arrived in Olympia. It's been coming, slowly, but last week the sun blazed and the blooming began in earnest. Today it has been grey and rainy all day; the forecast for the week to come is more of the same. I sat in my house today, quiet and still after a morning of errands and I listened to the rain. I have been out of the house so much more in the last week. Every week I ponder what I'll write for the coming Friday post here. I almost always think, 'I barely leave my house. What … [Read more...]
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...]
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...]
The cherry trees are in bloom here in the San Francisco Bay Area. The white and pink blossoms signal that spring is here. Their beauty brings a certain lightness to the step. The tradition of picnicking under a blossoming cherry tree brings a certain joy to the heart. The San Francisco Cherry Blossom Festival in April is a wonderful celebration of Japanese culture in California as well as the beauty of the flowers and the excitement of spring. But the festival is in April and the trees have … [Read more...]
Today is the Celtic Sabbat/festival/holy day/celebration of Imbolc. Traci wrote a great post about it yesterday; I recommend it for those that want to know more about the word and its origins, as well as the Irish experience of it. I've never felt all that connected to this spoke on the great wheel of seasonal observances. While I feel connected to all things Celtic, I don't know much of the history, and there's so much to know! I wasn't raised in an Irish or Celtic diaspora family (my … [Read more...]
I've found a new trail to walk and learn: the Chehalis Western Trail, 21 miles of paved over railroad, cutting through unincorporated land and through two towns. It doesn't have the magic that I feel at Mclane, but it's peaceful, quiet, and new. I've gotten out and about a little bit more in the last two weeks than I have in a while. I'm looking for signs of spring, signs of the shift to brighter days. I love winter. I love that we're in the thick of the quiet and the cold, but this … [Read more...]
David Abram, in his amazing book The Spell of the Sensuous, talks about geography as a container. More than just mountains that enclose or fields that spread out, land shapes our views of the world, our experiences with future places, how we perceive time and seasons, how communities function, and how we relate the non-human world. I see this so clearly from my own upbringing in Juneau, Alaska. It has so profoundly shaped me that, even though I’ve not lived there for a decade, I still … [Read more...]
Follow Patheos on
Copyright 2008-2013, Patheos. All rights reserved. Terms of Service | Patheos Privacy Policy | Site developed by Avalon Consulting, LLC
Follow Patheos
Pagan: