As I become more spiritually and ecologically aware, I have a growing discomfort in interacting with consumerist America. Its something that has been gnawing at me for many years, but it was only in the last few that I’ve been …
The anthropocene and the rights of non-human persons
We have entered a new age, what scientists are calling the “Anthropocene,” otherwise termed the “Human Epoch” by geologists. This means, for the first time in history, rather than having meteorological activity, substantial volcanic activity, or other natural phenomena which …
The Healing Waters of Renewal – An Imbolc Personal and Land Healing Ritual
I’ve written on this blog before about land healing, specifically in relation to healing the land here at my property that we purchased 2 and a half years ago. Yesterday, my grove celebrated Imbolc, and as part of that we …
Wassail – An Ancient Rite of Orchard Blessing
Last weekend, I was honored to be invited to a friend’s orchard for an old-fashioned Wassail ceremony (you can read more about my friend’s orcharding and sustainability work on his blog, The Fruit Nut). Wassail (or Old English waes hael, …
A Journey to the Source of a River – A Metaphor for Sustainable Action
I wanted to spend some time in my blog describing a journey I took last summer to see “the source” of a river. My work with the OBOD Druid grade initiated this journey, and it lead me to important insights …
English vs. the Planet – Deconstructing How Language Harms the World
In the early 1930’s, two men, Edward Sapir and Benjamin Whorf, posited that language was so powerful it had the ability to alter people’s reality just based on its vocabulary, structure, morphology and syntax. This theory later became known as …
January Garden Updates
I really love January. The bitter cold, the winds, the snow–there’s something so magical about being out in a snowstorm. Where most people lament for the sun and hot summer months, I welcome all of the cold, the wind, the …
Ethical Eating and Avoiding False Binaries – Going Localvore
The politics of food have been tenacious and challenging for as long as I can remember. I have friends/family who are vegan, vegetarian, and/or raw. In general, I find that many people who work with an ethics-based diet makes it …
The Principle of Alignment and the Anam Cara (Soul Friend)
Alignment is a concept of spiritual significance that I’ve been working with for a long time and I thought that I’d share this concept here. Alignment is when you fit with someone else–spiritually, physically, socially, intellectually, temperamentally, emotionally, mentally–in all …
A Druid’s Indoor Altar / Shrine – Seasonal, Elemental, and Spirit
Now that the winter snows are upon us, I’ve been focusing on some “inside” activities that we can do as druids. I had a few friends new to the druidic and earth-centered path ask about the purpose and setup of …
Shifting Worldviews: Three Books to Read on Sustainability & Druidry
I think that druids, and those of similar earth-centered paths, need to get really serious about sustainability. For what good is a spiritual tradition without the physical action that accompanies it? How can we revere the land while we take …
Three Representations of Druidry: Acorn, Awen, and Stone
I went to a natural gift making workshop (which I will blog about sometime soon) and got into a conversation about druidry with one of my fellow workshop participants. Turns out, she runs a local TV show called “Faith” and …
Making Beeswax / Recycled Wax Candles – Dipping and Pouring Instructions with Photos!
As I’ve argued in this blog before, we should take every opportunity, as druids and other earth-centered spiritual people, to create sustainable practices. This should also extend to our use of ritual tools and other everyday objects. Last week, I …
Successful Intelligence- A Triad for Druidry and Sustainability
Psychologist Robert Steinberg describes three kinds of intelligences that we need in order to solve the many problems of the world. These three intelligences are: Creative intelligence: intelligence required to develop solutions to problems and formulate new ideas Analytical …
Papermaking III: Cattail Leaf Paper (A Learning Experience)
In my quest for sustainable art supplies and things for daily living, I’m always experimenting with ways of replacing commercially produced materials with homemade ones. And so, my papermaking quest continues. For earlier posts on papermaking, you can read about …
Growing Amaranth for Food and Beauty
Amaranth is a wonderful plant to grow for a variety of purposes. First of all, many varieties of amaranth are absolutely beautiful. I grew Hopi Red Dye Amaranth this year, and as you can see from the photos, its stunning.The …
Incense Recipies for Druids and those doing Druidic Studies
Incenses for Druids The following recopies are most appropriate for druidic work, or those engaging in reading, study, grove leading, serious ritual work, or other work. I also have posted an introduction to incense making as well as recipes for …
Incense Recipies for Ovates and those doing Ovate Studies
Incenses for Ovates The following recopies are most appropriate for ovate work, or those engaging in divination, mysteries, and other spiritual pursuits. I also have posted an introduction to incense making as well as recipes for bards and druids. I …
Incense Recipies for Bards and Bardic Studies
About a year ago, I posted some general guidelines for how to make incense. This post describes incense recipes for those studying bardic courses or engaging in bardic activity. I suggest growing and/or wildharvesting as much of your ingredients as …
Creative Altruism: Free Art (Black) Friday
Today, at the start of the “holiday season” we have Black Friday, the epitome of the American consumerist culture. We are are continually bombarded with what to buy. We are presented with the dominant cultural narrative that owning products somehow …
Reducing Your Impact on the Planet: Ten Tips to Get Started
As we quickly approach the most consumptive season of the year, I wanted to post about ways that you can reduce your overall impact on the planet. I think its critically important that we, as druids and other earth-centered spiritual …