Your “Samhain Moment” may not happen exactly on Samhain. If we slow ourselves down in the headlong rush to get there, if we soften our expectations and are mindful about being fully present where—when—we are right now, we may be surprised to perceive our Beloved Dead whispering across our senses. Read more
I'm not fond of Samhain. For me, I remember too many transgender women and men who have either committed suicide, or been murdered for living how they needed to live. Instead of remembering my ancestors, I will be honoring those of us who are no longer alive at Samhain. Read more
By bringing forth light from the darkness (new information) and transformation (new interpretations of, or applications for old information) Crone is a visionary leader on our earthly path, a guide through the shadows of our psyche, and a priestess of the spiritual realms. Read more
Samhain is a time when the beings of the Otherworld are more present in the human world not as the twee fairies of modern popculture but as the powerful and tricky beings of older folklore and myth. This isn't a bad thing, but it does require a certain canniness to navigate. Read more
The D&D chart is an example of non-binary thinking. Odds are you’ve been using it just fine for years, and never thought about it in terms of binary vs. non-binary. Non-binary thinking really can be that easy and natural when it more accurately describes the subject. Read more
On at least a weekly basis I see people asking which Celtic god is like Zeus or who is the Irish equivalent of Loki. No. Just stop it. Also, why? How would answering this make your life, or your relationship with a deity, better? Read more
The moon has always drawn me in. Its bright, changing face was a comfort to me when I was homeless, sleeping on the street. I was not alone when I had her to talk to. And I do, I talk to the moon, still to this very day. Like a consistent, dependable friend, she has always been there. Read more
The first anniversary of my sister’s death is next week. She was 59. She died three days before Granny’s birth date, so now for me October belongs to Laura and Granny. The beginnings and endings become blurred, obscured and indistinct like the thinning of the Veil that also takes place around this time. Read more
This is the time of year when magick is often dedicated to the Ancestors of all varieties. It’s going to stir things up and sometimes draw things through. Mostly though, I believe that this time of year affects the OtherWorld in exactly the same way it affects us. Read more
Samhain is not an Egyptian-originated holiday. But if you take a look at the religion of the ancient world of Egypt, it’s rife with themes of death, the dead, the afterlife, spirits of the dead, ancestral reverence, etc. For me, it’s not as much the origin of the celebration as the celebration itself. Read more
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