Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Spring

It's rainy and raw, today. I love these chilly days. It's about 45* out there, and it was near to 70* yesterday...welcome, Spring!
It's not a whole lot different up here than in North Carolina. I venture to guess Spring happens in much the same way in the Eastern United States, though at different times.

Here, we are in growing season 5-something (b?). Western NC was 7-something. And Spring, I hear, is a couple weeks behind schedule. My friend sent me an email this morning that she just found baby nettles growing about a half hour south of here. I can't wait to go forage some! I wasn't thrilled with the nettle tea I made last year, but I'll deal. Nettle tea = Spring Tonic, and although I think it tastes much like the water left behind when boiling spinach, I will drink it anyway, and toast to the season.

It's hard to believe Beltane is upon us already, in only a week! My personal habit, Beltane morning, is to wash my face in the morning dew, to retain my youthful beauty. This year shall be no different, though I expect to rather have to hunt for a place for dew, unlike in Asheville when I just had to walk out my door into the backyard.

Ahh, Spring...welcome, new growth and rebirth. Father Winter has for sure gone into hiding, until next year; I'm sure of it.

Saturday, April 19, 2014

Holy Days

It is the day before Easter. As a Pagan, my main holy day is Ostara, but I appreciate and honor all paths to the Divine as valid, and as a child I was raised Episcopalian-- those roots don't go away. I love all religions and I am fascinated with each and every one. We go to a Christian church on Easter, usually Episcopalian.

When we lived in Asheville, we went to the Cathedral of All Souls in Biltmore. What a  beautiful church that is! And Reverend (Father?) Todd Donatelli is the coolest person. I've seen him at interfaith things, and at the board meetings to push to get all religions equal treatment (or NO treatment, really) in the public schools, which is a Big Deal in the South, let me tell you. Up here in Massachusetts, it's a refreshing break not to talk about religion all.the.time. Nobody mentions it at all!

But one thing I realized out of all that religious talk down there is, I love talking about it. Not contentiously, but in a "I do God this way, how do you?". Because I find it so interesting. I don't find any of them wrong. Here is what I believe: There are many paths up the mountain, as it were. Many paths. Some go winding and meandering around, some go straight up...you get my meaning. But they're all striving to reach the top. It's the striving that counts.

Back when I was first interested in Paganism, I met a woman who identified as a Celtic Christian. I was confused enough with all the new Pagan paths I was discovering, but what was this? She told me that she honored all the Old Ways, but she couldn't give up Jesus Christ as her lord and savior. Weird, to me, but cool. Anyway, she once told me that "If you aren't in love with your religion, you're not doing it right". That really stuck with me, and I believe it, too. I don't believe in lip service only, to the Divine(s)...I believe in jumping in all the way.

So here I sit on the eve of the most reverent Holy Day in the Christian traditions, honoring Jesus' path to enlightenment, as it were....as a Witch. And I really don't see any contradiction in that.