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I feel like this month has not been very spiritual productive, and so I had a hard time writing this column. I spent several days trying to come up with a topic that I could write about that would allow me to show some sort of progress. But, this was a month of dark nights of the soul, failure, and stagnation.   My biggest failure was my attempt at meditation. I signed up to take part in a 21-day guided meditation program with high hopes that it would provide the impetus I needed to get back into a regular practice. The daily program was short; I just needed to find…

Malala Yousafzai is a child, a baby, really, in the whole scheme of things. She is sixteen years old. On October 9, 2012, Miss Yousafzai was shot in the head, point blank, by a grown man, a coward. He was a member of that benevolent group known as the Taliban.  (I promised myself I would not editorialize, but it is very, very hard.)   You must know the story by now. Miss Yousafzai advocated education for girls, and, indeed, had been writing a blog for the BBC World Service since the age of eleven. She defied the ban on education for girls, in Pakistan, and got shot for it. On…

Pagan festivals   During the last two months Ron (my husband) and I visited two more or less pagan festivals in The Netherlands. Very different, but at both we had a great time!   In July we went to the Heartbonds Festival. It is a fairly new festival, this was the second edition. Created from enthusiasm, creativity and passion by two young women with a little help from their friends in a wonderful meadow in the forest. Ron is one of the volunteers. The festival is meant to be low-budget and affordable for almost everyone; meals and camping space included. Small-scale with free workshops and an inspiring market with artists…

  Lakshmi Hindu Goddess of Good Fortune and Beauty Since I began writing girl talk the thing I’ve enjoyed the most has been researching different information to include, with Lakshmi, the amount was overwhelming and incredibly interesting. Lakshmi was born , fully-grown, on a pink lotus that rose from the sea.  She appeared bearing gifts and was so strikingly beautiful that all of the Gods wanted her as their wife.  She chose to be with the sun god, Vishnu, and it is said that she was thereafter reborn to remain his companion in each of his lives.  In addition to wanting Lakshmi as a wife, she was also immediately given…

The distance between us is an elastic band, ready and able to contract and expand. At times it can stretch to the utmost extreme, requiring such energy with no where to lean. One side gets hooked, unable to release from the rising tensions which forever increase the need for readjustment, for give and take it’s lack of awareness which leads to a break. An observant eye is kept on our connection, making sure to detect any slight imperfection. Together hooking up to create the slack, so often required to bring closeness back, dispelling the tension, relieving the strain, strengthening a bond which will always remain.

The Internet is an interesting place to learn about something, especially religion. With all that is available it should be a great source of information. Many times it isn’t. There are diamonds in the rough, though; authors, bloggers, sites and forums that truly provide a rich learning experience for new and old Pagans alike.   Like many new Pagans in the Internet era, I started my research online. I used the same search terms as probably any other looking into this for the first time – “Wicca”, “Pagan”, “Witch”, “Druid”, etc. And again, like many others, I found plenty of places – from “Wicca 101” and Celtic Reconstructionist sites to…

Arianrhod Goddess of the Summerland “I am the Gracious Goddess who gives joy unto the hearts of men and women. Upon earth I bring knowledge of the Spirit Eternal, and after death I bring peace, freedom and reunion with those who have gone before.” (from the Charge of the Goddess by Doreen Valiente) In Wicca there is no bible or “Universal” Book of Shadows that all Wiccans follow. Most Wiccans use the Charge of the Goddess in their rituals and most believe in the Spirit Eternal, that is life after death. Many Wiccans believe in the idea that after death we go to the Summerland, a place where the soul…

In The Shadows        We’ve all had it happen, you see a dark shadow from the corner of your eye, but as soon as you turn to look at it straight on, it’s gone.  Almost as if it dove out of sight on purpose, but how could that be?  There is an even more alarming experience.  Something startles you awake in the middle of the night, you see a dark shadow standing at the foot of the bed, watching you.  This has to be a trick of the light or maybe you’re not fully awake and your eyes need to adjust right?  Not necessarily.      There have been numerous…

August has come to an end and it’s time to begin the process of fall planting preparation.  Beets, kohlrabi, kale, carrots and fennel will be overwintering in the raised beds.   The groundcover this year will consist of mustard, Daikon radishes, turnips and rutabagas.  Next year’s garden will be considerably larger by a few acres in the hopes it will provide more food for the community.  The field has seen many years of grain and grass, so the compost crop will provide a grass suppressant, add the richness of green manure to the soil, help control pests and disease, boost the soil’s nitrogen content and best of all, those Daikon…

Nature Quotes to Inspire You   There is new life in the soil for every man. There is healing in the trees for tired minds and for our overburdened spirits, there is strength in the hills, if only we will lift up our eyes. Remember that nature is your great restorer. ~ Calvin Coolidge Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty. ~ Albert Einstein Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. ~ Albert Einstein   Look at a tree, a flower, a plant. Let your awareness rest upon it.…