THE DRUIDS ARE COMING! Plant a tree.

THE DRUIDS ARE COMING! Plant a tree.

Open yourself to the movement of creativity in your life, and there is no telling what will happen. I have a tradition of rearranging plastic, magnetic letters on the back of my local coffee shop's espresso machine to make ridiculous phrases. While waiting for my chai (much lower in caffeine than the triple espresso I used to drink), I make my silliness all over the silver, Italian shininess. A few examples of my literary genius: And, this heartfelt confession: This … [Read more...]

Think, Drink, and Be a Druid in Honor of Isaac Bonewits

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In his brief, "immodest third-person" biography, Issac Bonewits called himself, "articulate, witty, yet reasonably scholarly." I never knew the man, but I hear he was a bit cantankerous, too. In the early part of 2009, a year before Isaac's passing, I was encouraged by T. Thorn Coyle during an intuitive reading she gave me to make my way to a Druid gathering in California to meet Issac. The event would be a Lughnasadh celebration at the Pema Osel Ling Retreat Center in Corralitos, California, … [Read more...]

How Do We Stock Our Metaphoric Pantry?

Castlecraig Wheat Field, by Jrimas

Last year on Lughnasad I was all worked up over food. Riffling through some old files yesterday I discovered this entry: I’m not sure there’s a way to talk about the “First Harvest” without paying mind to the fact that there is a severe drought across the land, or that in other parts of the country there is great flooding.... Is it possible that Neopagans (using the Bonewits definition of the term) are enacting the rituals of an earth tradition without being fully engaged as … [Read more...]

The Awen Moves: An Offering in the Morning

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There is an intrinsic connection between creativity and spirituality, I think. The impuse to create feels very much to me like the impulse to worship, to do ritual, or to pray.Perhaps this is why my heart sang out so loundly when I first found the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids. OBOD asserts that the spirit of creativity and inspiration, the Awen, flows through me and through all things, and by learning to nurture my relationship to the Awen I can develop the foundation for a living, … [Read more...]

You Say Tomato, I Say Druid.

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Ever since I took the name, Teo Bishop, and made it my own -- both in a religious sense and through the proper legal channels -- I've had cause to explain what it is that I do on this blog. My writing, as well as my deepening engagement with my own spiritual work, are both major influences on my decision to undergo this transition. Identity is interesting, and something that often goes undiscussed. What we are, how we identify, is often more experienced than it is questioned. That is, this … [Read more...]

Listen to my interview on The Pagan Knitter Podcast!

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I'm excited to announce that my interview on The Pagan Knitter Podcast is live!! I had such a wonderful time talking with Ursa about my experience of Druidry, my love of knitting, and my passion for writing and blogging. You can listen to the podcast on the Pagan Knitter website, or download it directly through iTunes. I hope you enjoy! … [Read more...]

WARNING: Call on a God, and He just might show up.

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I drove an hour to Malibu for my Spring Equinox ritual. The location was a secluded, public beach called "El Matador." The site opened at 8, and I arrived just a few minutes after the top of the hour. I followed the dirt trail down the edge of the cliff side, wearing jeans and work boots and too many layers. I’d overdressed, fearing that the ocean would bring a chill to my skin, but the sun was already up and it was plenty warm.   Once at the bottom, I started searching out a … [Read more...]

Doing It Alone on the Equinox

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I find that the best way to get my house clean is to throw a party. My desk may be covered with books and papers, my laundry bin filled, and my various interests -- knitting and sewing being those that come with the most accessories -- all sprawled out across the dining room table, but as soon as I decide to invite people over? POOF!! I'm a bearded Mary Poppins, snapping my fingers at the furniture. Before the song is over, my house looks marvelous. All it took was a spoon full of sugar … [Read more...]

I Keep Vigil to the Fire: Imbolc Poetry for a Goddess

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Today, pious Pagans around the globe are posting poetry online in honor of the Goddess, Brighid (otherwise known as Brigid, Brigit, or simply, "exalted one"). I join them here on Bishop In The Grove. Imbolc, as I wrote about yesterday, may have milky origins, but the day and the season speak to something much deeper than a single agricultural marker can convey. On Imbolc, we recognize the primal fire within us, and when we speak from that place with a clear, honest voice, beautiful … [Read more...]

The Lactating Ewes of Imbolc

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I don't know much about cows. Or sheep.   I know that cows tip (not from personal experience, though). I know that sheep are cute, and I love their hair. I was just working with some last night. I also, on occasion, like to eat a bit of both. I'm a city boy, born and bred. I don't really pattern my day-to-day life around the ways of farm animals. A few of my more hipster friends are keeping bees and chickens. They have a different relationship to animals than I do, because … [Read more...]