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The Face in the Window: A Ghost Story
Hello again friends! I’m back with another spooky tale, this time one that I personally experienced when I was a little kid staying the night at my grandparents’ house (the same grandpa who went to the cemetery I previously wrote on). I didn’t learn many of the details that clued me into the reality of my experience being a ghost, until well over 20 years after it had happened. I didn’t tell anyone it happened, but it scared me shitless. I was only 8 or so years old, and at that age, didn’t understand the spiritual side of life yet. I’ve always had clairvoyant and medium-like abilities, but given the…
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The Green Ghost of Maple Grove Cemetery: A True (and Forgotten) Northeast Ohio Haunting
Hello friends, I’m so happy to be writing another piece for you in my favorite time of year! Given the natural inclination towards ghost stories and other paranormal, creepy and supernatural stories this time of year, I’ve decided to unearth an ancestral ghost story to share with you. This story scared the crap out of me when I was little, and my grandpa told me about what he experienced at that old cemetery off of North Chestnut in Ravenna, Ohio. Before we get into the story of my (now late) grandfather, whom I’m also hoping to honor in my own way with this article, I think it’s necessary to go…
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Weyland’s Whey October 2025 Harvest and Supermoon Column
Shine on, Harvest Supermoon It will happen on October 6th, and it’s going to be the biggest and brightest full moon of 2025. The first of three–count ’em, three!–consecutive supermoons this year. Astrologically, this luminary falls in Aries, so think passion and impulsivity. It’ll be the spice in your cider, Pilgrim. Shaken and stirred. (Yahoo!, www.northjersey.com, www.space.com, Old Farmer’s Almanac) Canary in a Coal Mine Call them circles of bad intentions. Where wiccans and pagans aren’t welcome. Other minorities are already labeled unwanted, unloved, hunted even. Maybe I’m paranoid. I hope I am. But I can feel bad intentions in the air, growing stronger. Halloween is a secular holiday derived…
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Cody’s Column: For the Love of Wisdom
What wisdom does your land hold? How about the people who live there? These are two essential questions that have guided me on a quest to become more connected and explore a realm beyond my own, uncomfortable at times, but filled with adventure. It all started when I began working at the local library a little over a year ago. I had just finished a stint on an organic apple orchard, picking apples, juicing them, and bottling the juice on site. Before that, I had worked on my own farm, during which I experienced a manic episode that nearly separated me from reality and all that I love. The…
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Weyland’s Whey Mabon 2025 Column
Mabon This year Mabon will arrive on Monday, September 22nd. It’s the second harvest on the Wheel of the Year. (Lughnasadh is first, Samhain is third), and it celebrates feasting, giving thanks, and preparation for Winter. Mabon Activities Try a nice, quiet walk outdoors. Helpful hint: don’t take along a dachshund, unless you’re collecting ulcers. Delinquent barks at everything. Now, since my heart attack, I’d like to think she’s actually trying to “protect” me against (to her) perceived threats, but a stroll with her is far from tranquil. I reserve walks with my little girl (three or four times a day, Pilgrim–puppies need exercise!) for times I can concentrate on her, not trying…
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Learning Lunar: New Moon into Waxing Crescent, Autumn Equinox 2025
If you’ve been following previous issues of Learning Lunar, you’ll see that we’ve looked at some of the major moon phases both generally and in relation to the specific time of year. This month, I want to get super specific and look at the exact phase and movement of the moon around the Autumnal Equinox. Why? Because I love this time of year. The Autumn Equinox is very magical for me, and has seen me go through many changes, some good, some bad; some happy and some sad. This year’s equinox holds bittersweet mixed emotions, thanks to a run of events coming to an end, but with it, the opportunity…
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The Modern Merlin’s Summer Reading List: Lessons, Perspective Shifts, Transformation and Impermanence
Hello friends! I know it’s been a hot minute since you’ve last heard from me, and I do apologize for that. To be honest, I hit a moment of deep inner change, one that I’m still not completely out of. During this process of change, I came to realize that returning to my roots in Buddhism and Taoism wasn’t enough; I had to apply those practices in my daily life, something that I still struggle with, and likely will for the remainder of my time in this life. That’s not to say that it isn’t worth it; in my view, it’s well worth it to be mindful, live in the present moment,…
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Weyland’s Whey September 2025 Blood Moon Eclipse Column
Full Moon Call it the Blood Moon. It’s subject to a total lunar eclipse on September 7th-8th, depending on the observer’s time zone. It will take about 3 1/2 hours for the Earth to pass before the moon. Totality (when Earth’s shadow fully covers the moon) will take about 1 hour, 22 minutes. Sorry, Pilgrims, this show won’t be visible from the US. It will be seen from Asia, Australia, Africa, Europe and New Zealand. According to NASA, the next total lunar eclipse seen from this country will be on March 3rd, 2026. Now, maybe we won’t be able to see it, but the astrological impact will still be…
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Road to Runes: Buying a Rune Set
There are plenty of questions you might ask when choosing a rune set. What material should I choose for runes? Do I have to make them myself? Are mass-produced runes okay? To be clear, there are no “right” or “wrong” answers, only answers that are right for you. However, we’ve pulled together some tips and advice to offer guidance with this important choice of divination tool. Materials for Runes You can find runes made out of just about anything, and you can make a set of runes out of any materials you might have to hand. Even runes written on pieces of paper can work. But if you’re in the…
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Notes from the Apothecary: Bistort
Until the end of August, possibly a little beyond depending on the weather, you may find the bristly, bottlebrush-like flowers of bistort growing everywhere from meadows to roadside hedgerows and verges. Although the bistort we have in the UK and that found in the US are slightly different, they’re all part of the same family: Polygonaceae, under the genus Bistorta. Here in the UK, I always think of the flower as little pink or purple cleaning brushes. The North American variant tends to be a bit paler and fluffier looking — I hope I get to see some with my own eyes someday. The Kitchen Garden The Wildlife Trust reports…
