I’ve had the blessing of a few really great mentors in my life, people whose teachings and support are valuable to my development as a person, druid, and human being. Few have been as impactful as Sara Greer. Many of …
Honoring a Mentor and Friend
ancestors
Reskilling, Rebuilding Community, and Exploring Folk Traditions at the John. C. Campbell Folk School
When we think about the building blocks of a new human society, a human society that doesn’t destroy the planetary biosphere, that nurtures and supports human beings and communities, that fosters our creativity and innovation—I think it starts in fostering …
Exploring the Sacred Animals of the Quarters in the Druid Tradition
In the druid tradition, in multiple modern druid orders, we associate animals or fish with the four directions. The classic ones are: The Great Bear in the North The Hawk in the East The Stag in the South The Salmon …
A Conversation on Pollution, Extraction and Hope with Wild Pigments
There is a growing movement of people reconnecting to nature through the foraging and creation of wild pigments–pigments from the earth allow us to connect, grow and heal. This is so much more than foraging for colors from nature to …
Celebrating the Winter Solstice with Sacred Foods and Feasting
The Winter Solstice has long been a time of feasting and fires, especially with regional and special foods, a tradition that has global significance in many cultures. I’ve always enjoyed this time as a chance to dig into some really …
Earth Oven 101: Firing and Baking in an Earth Oven
One of the great joys and challenges of our present time is finding a way into a deeper connection with our ancestors, the living earth and her processes, and our own human gifts. A lot of this practice is slowing …
A Druid’s Silent Supper: A Samhain Ritual of Ancestor Connection
Friends and grove members are welcomed into a candlelit home, and with the fire in the hearth blazing. Each person brings a dish to share–steaming piles of local foods in season: a beautiful roast beef, pumpkin soup, sourdough bread, baked …
Druidry, Colonialism and the Spirit of the Mountain
A fundamental issue in practicing nature-based spirituality has to do with not only your relationship to the land but the relationship of the land in relation to your blood ancestors. Many druids, including those of caucasian descent in North America …
Building an Earth Oven Part I: Foundation, Dome, and Structure
An earth oven is an oven made of cob (a mixture of clay, sand, and straw) with insulating features (firebricks, bottles). It is an extremely efficient and sustainable method of doing any baking you might need to do. One firing …
Bringing back the Hearth: Ancestral Fires for Protection, Connection, and Comfort
Fire is one of the most ancient tools that humans have and one of the things that separates our species from others on this beautiful planet. Humans have an incredible ancestral connection to fire. Think about how a fire draws …
A 21st Century Wheel of the Year: Reskilling at Imbolc
In a traditional neopagan Wheel of the Year, Imbolc is the holiday that offers the first signs of spring. Most traditionally, this is when the ewes began to lactate, and the snowdrops appeared on the landscape in the British Isles. …
Druid Tree Workings: Witnessing the Death of an Old Tree
Many of us on the path of nature spirituality grow close to trees–so very close. What happens when a tree that you love dearly, who is a good friend and mentor–tells you that it is time to go? In this …
A 21st Century Wheel of the Year: Cultivating Receptivity at the Fall Equinox
The Fall Equinox is traditionally about harvest, harvesting the fruits of your labor and the fruits of the land in preparation for the coming of winter. This model of the wheel of the year focuses on earned outcomes: you’ve planted …
Embracing the Wilds at Lughnasadh
When you think of the term “wild”, what comes to mind? Perhaps wild can be defined by that which is its opposite: civilized, tame, domesticated, and controlled. Wild, on the other hand, is free, unrestricted, unbounded, and sovereign. And …
Wildcrafted Druidry: Using the Doctrine of Signatures, Ecology and Mythology to Cultivate Sacred Relationships with Trees
Nature spirituality is most obviously tied to one’s local nature–the trees, plants, animals, landforms, and other features of what makes your own landscape unique. One of the formidable challenges before those of us practicing nature-based spiritualities in the United States …
The Butzemann (Magical Scarecrow) Tradition at Imbolc and through the Light Half of the Year
For the last three years, I’ve spent part of my Imbolc celebration making a Butzemann for our land. The Butzemann is a really interesting tradition from PA Dutch (German) culture called the Butzemann (literally, Boogieman). In a nutshell, the Butzemann …
Ode to the Oak: Acorn Harvesting, Preparation, Acorn Breads, and More!
With the cooler temperatures of September and October, the abundance of the Oaks come forth. In my area, we have abundant oaks of a variety of species: white oak, chestnut oak, eastern red oak, swamp oak, and much more. Each …
Rituals and Prayers for Peace
Peace is a fundamental part of the druid tradition. The ancient druids had roles as peacemakers and justices, and today, many druids find themselves in a position of promoting and fighting for justice and peace. A lot of this work …
Ancestral Herbalism and Samhain: Working Deeply with Rosemary
As we quickly approach Samhain, it is a useful practice to spend some time with rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) and build her into your Samhain practices. In this post, we look into some of the magic and medicine of Rosemary, and …
How to Create Your Own Tarot or Oracle Deck for Personal Use
Ever since I self-published the Tarot of Trees, I get a fairly regular stream of people who are interested in creating their own oracle decks and want to know how to do it. So in today’s post, I’ll share …
The Ways of our Ancestors: Review of the Mountaincraft and Music Gathering
Here, in the center of our camp, the sacred fire burns. This fire is tended for the four days we are together, never being allowed to go out. This is an ancestral fire, and all of us at the Mountaincraft …