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  5. Stonehugger
    Me too. The physics/chemistry/biology of how it works means nothing to me, and probably would cease to be magic if it did. There was a book out a few years/decades ago (Supernature by Lyall Watson) that everyone thought was twaddle and maybe it was but he did speculate about trees being telepathic. We now know they communicate through fungus. Does that make trees more magickal or less magickal? It doesn't make us any more or less able to tune into their wisdom, so that's probably a bad example. If we understood how standing stones remember what's happened to and around them over the millennia and how they generate wisdom in people who manage somehow to tune into it, would that understanding make it any less real? I suppose it might. But things like consciousness and relationships, and wisdom for that matter, aren't about scientific explanations.
  6. Stonehugger
    I like that idea very much.
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  13. UK Pagan
    A few days ago I was witness to a post going viral on the internet. I shared an article that Cerri wrote on her blog about Magic and Tolkien that was titled ‘Finally I understand why Tolkien’s Elves make me cry‘. I simply shared it on my Facebook page saying “Cerri has written a lovely article about Tolkien and Magic. Have a read!” I moved on to other things but within a few hours I heard Cerri downstairs obviously shocked at something. I came and she said “look at this!”. Over a thousand people had read the article in about an hour. More followed. It was shared hundreds of times and the next day was pretty much the same. It was obvious that this article had touched a nerve, but what was it? That very evening we had our local pub moot. It’s a talking stick moot where we pull a topic from The Jam Jar of Possibilities, a jar filled with topics people have suggested we discuss and explore, and the one pulled that night was Magic – What is it, where does it come from, and how do you work with it? The Universe works in mysterious ways. So the beer mat was passed around the table with each person offering their views. A fascinating evening ensued. The moot has been running for over 20 years so we’ve obviously discussed Magic before. Back in the 90s there was a great deal of enthusiasm for Magic. Paganism was a deeply magical path, the routes in were Wicca, Witchcraft, Druidry, Asatru, all of which are initiatory paths that held within them a magical training. Over the years Paganism has become far more eclectic and diverse. With the publication of Dawkins’ The God Delusion there was, for a while, a pressure to try to shoehorn beliefs and Magic into purely logical explanations and abide by a more Atheistic world view. So at the moot we have seen all of this ebb and flow of fashion and changing opinions. It’s always interesting to note further changes. So as the mat was passed around I was expecting more of the logical explanations, and of course they were there, but there was something else, something that was expressed in Cerri’s article – a longing for mystery. Look, I am convinced that one day a scientist will create a machine that will go ping and they will ‘discover’ Magic Waves. Kind of like the way explorers ‘discovered’ America and Australia. These islands were already there, being lived upon quite happily by countless generations of indigenous peoples, but now someone had ‘discovered’ them, well, they really existed. Of course these ‘waves’ would never be called Magic Waves, but they will be the physical forms of the mystical energy Magicians, Shamans, and Priests have been working with for millennia. Look away from the lab coats though, and look to the land, the green, the mud, the waters, and the sky, because although that machine may one day go ping in that laboratory, our senses already go ping when we develop a deeper relationship with the natural world, which is where Magic has always lived. It isn’t an unnatural energy, it’s a completely natural, yet deeply mysterious, one. It is a yearning for connection with that mystery that I witnessed in the pub moot, and I am convinced it is also the reason why Cerri’s blog was shared and commented upon so much. There is a place, deep within the soul, that understands that mystery. It not only understands it, but it knows that it is made of the same stuff and is essential – without it there is a hole, there is something fundamental to being alive that is missing. My view on how Magic works has shifted and changed over the years. Right now I feel that the connection between what we see/feel as Magic, and what we see/feel as consciousness, be that our own, or the consciousness of the land, the planet, the Sun, the Universe, to me is what makes this stuff work. It is the Spiritual Quest to be in relationship with all of that. By being in relationship with it, maybe we can then understand that there is no separation, and that the consciousness behind my eyes, is the same as that behind yours, as that behind the plant or tree, of the hawk or mouse. That when we Journey in a pathworking those paths and visions are created within that consciousness and literally open to other worlds. That when we make that spell, or work that Magic, our consciousness becomes one with the consciousness of the Universe and, just as with the Web of Wyrd, we pluck a thread here, and it is felt way over there, and that causes change. I love a piece from a talk given by academic Graham Harvey at AnderidaFest last year. He spoke of those moments when we are in tune with that Universal Consciousness. We walk upon the land, look up, and right before us is a glorious stag, or an eagle swoops down and lands on a post. Maybe, just like me last year, you are seemingly mobbed by two crows. In those moments we feel that magical connection and relationship. Graham suggested however that these things are happening all the time, and rather than the stag appearing to confirm our acts, it’s actually the other way around, and the stag, crow, eagle is really there to say, “Oh! You’ve finally turned up! We’ve been here all along!” I too feel that sadness when I see the Elves leave at the end of the Lord of the Rings. I feel the same way when I get to the end of Arthurian novels and films (at least the ones that understand that the old Arthurian Mythos is also a tale of our connection to the Spirit of the Land) and I see Arthur being carried away on the ship to Avalon, sailing to the west, and the Otherworld. They do symbolise Magic leaving the world with the arrival of industry and so-called progress. And with that arrival a separation was felt, and so we search for the Grail once more, to bring healing to the wound created by that perceived separation. View the full article
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  26. UK Pagan
    I confess that I have always found January to be the hardest month of the year. Named after the God Janus there is a real sense of things not quite beginning yet, with the God’s faces seeing both back to the old year, and forward into the new. The festivities of Yule and the New Year are past, the decorations now back in their boxes for another 11 months, yet the light is not visibly growing just yet – by the end of January, yes, but right now the nights are still falling before 5pm. It’s a strange time of limbo, and one I’ve never particularly enjoyed. But… Last year I said that I would try to embrace all aspects of the year, and that is what I’ve been trying to do. Admittedly there have been some days when all I could come up with as I walked Oscar along the Adur river in ice-cold winds, greyness and damp air was, “well, it’s nice and quiet”. But on the whole I’ve been doing much better. So what of the time between the Winter Solstice and Imbolc? January, that lies in between, like the dark lines between tracks on an old LP record. What do you show me? It is true. It is quiet, and that is a blessing. As I walk through the countryside the trees are sleeping, some of the plants a sending out fresh green but most rest beneath the earth, not fooled by the occasional temperate air above. The air, when it’s not bitter cold and windy, has a joyful crispness and freshness to it – the earth not always muddy, and sometimes hard with ice. As I look across the fields they are open and bare. But instead of the silence between the songs on a record they are more like the emptiness of a blank page of paper. The paper is there, empty and waiting, and what could be written there? A song, a poem, a letter of love, the first words of a tale. The field lies empty and waiting, just like that page, empty, yet full of potential. Our Grove marked the Solstice this year by splitting up and taking torches to the peaks of seven of the hill forts in Sussex. There at 7pm on the night of the Solstice, in the darkness of the longest night, we all lit our torches and held them to the sky, symbolising the Sun reborn, creating a pattern of light across the land. The seven hills we stood upon form a rough pentagram with one in the centre, and an eastern outlier. I was at the central hill with a few others, and we saw 6 of the other torches lit upon those other hills. It was a magical night, and maybe we had a peep into how those who lived upon the hills 2000 years ago would communicate between each other with their beacon fires. So with the Solstice marked January arrived. There is a tangible feeling of both peace, and tension, as the buds of Spring wait for the warmer air and longer days. Yet if the plants sleep, the spirits of the Otherworld certainly do not. I know of their love of Beltane, but it seems to me they are very much present at this time. Maybe, just as the red breast of the Robin is here all year, yet is more easily seen in the greyness of Winter, so the Fair Folk are also more visible, in their cloaks of green. Maybe when the fresh green of Spring arrives they blend more easily with the leaves of the greenwood. Yet now they stand between leaf-bare branches, their music playing upon the chill winds, and their feet dancing upon the wild earth. And I listen. There is beauty in Winter after all. View the full article
  27. antd1287 antd1287 changed their profile photo
  28. UK Pagan
    Well hello again, and happy new year! I love the feeling of ‘resetting’ that happens with a new year. It really feels like I can put stuff behind me and move onto new things. I know in some ways it’s just an arbitrary date, but it somehow doesn’t feel that way. January 1st arrives and it does feel new and exciting – what will 2019 bring? What do I want to focus on this year? Where do I want to guide things? What do I want to do? One of things I always do is recapitulate the old year, and write down goals for the new. I don’t use the word ‘resolutions’ or ‘promises’, goals is just fine. I’ve kept my old lists going back about 15 years and I confess there are some things that come back year after year. When I was playing a lot of World of Warcraft one of my goals was ‘To play less WOW’. Yes, that one was repeated for a few years, but now it’s gone. One of the goals I wrote this year was: Make my blog an exploration of my spirituality. A part of my growth. I know. Of course it always has been, but for whatever reason this was added to my goals for 2019. Maybe it’s because I see so much division, so much disquiet, even in the Pagan world, that I want my blog to be a place where this just doesn’t happen. A haven that encourages connection rather than division. I’m very much up for that, and I hope you’ll join me. So what else is in store for 2019 so far? Well, I’ve just added the gigs I’ve been booked to play so far on my concerts page here on the website. I’m looking forward to playing a gig at Paganicon in the USA having not been there at all in 2018 – I missed you lovely American Pagans! I’m then off to Australia in April to help run a Druid camp with Cerri and our good friend, Kristoffer Hughes, then afterwards I’ll doubtlessly be playing another gig in Adelaide, plus it looks like I’m booked to play a concert at the wonderful English Ale, just outside Adelaide at Mylor, so plenty of exciting things there too. This year I’m taking a break from the Y Mabinogi albums to focus on an album of songs and I’ll be getting my teeth into writing those songs over the next few months. My aim is to have the album out ready for Yule, but that could change, and I’ll certainly keep you posted! I am really looking forward to the freedom that comes with writing new songs, songs that aren’t linked to a particularly story, and the Awen is already starting to flow. As well as the music I’m increasingly being booked to speak at conferences and camps and although this is right outside of my comfort zone, I thoroughly enjoy the challenges it brings. For instance I’m not playing music at this year’s Pagan Pheonix South West conference (what was the PF Devon and Cornwall conference) but instead will be talking about Y Mabinogi, the history and lore surrounding the tales. I’ll also be speaking at Paganicon in Minneapolis, as well as playing a concert on the opening night, Witchfest Midlands, and at the Druid camp in Australia. And then of course there is the monthly DruidCast podcast and my other work with the Order of Bards Ovates and Druids, the seasonal open Wheel of the Year rituals at the Long Man of Wilmington have entered their 19th year, and it looks like there will be another Anderida camp in the Autumn, so plenty to keep me busy. But also this year there will be space. Space to just be, to connect with the Source, to watch the sunrise, to sing to the stars, to allow that Awen to flow into songs. Whatever you have planned for 2019, may it bring you wonder and joy, magic, and blessings! View the full article
  29. Daisytegan Daisytegan changed their profile photo
  30. Ellinas
    Indeed. Truth is not the same as verified fact. It is, rather, something along the lines of the individual's grasp of his or her place within the cosmic jigsaw (that's off the top of my head, so don't be over critical of the terminology). Therefore, authenticity and truth are both personal. Truth is mutable for each individual also, but that mutability is a pre-requisite of authenticity. Consistency is no virtue if it does not reflect actual current beliefs and outlook.
  31. Moonsmith

    How To Tell If A Teaching/group Is Authentic?

    Moonsmith replied to Earthdragon's topic in Starters Orders (basics)

    Your own truth is authentic.
  32. Stonehugger

    How To Tell If A Teaching/group Is Authentic?

    Stonehugger replied to Earthdragon's topic in Starters Orders (basics)

    I personally (just me) try to avoid generalising as it doesn't work for me, but it does work for others. However, I agree that self examination, criticism and openness to change are important and that schools of thought that are convinced that they hold the only truly true version of truth are best avoided. Regarding "How To Tell If A Teaching/group Is Authentic", that word "authentic" needs careful handling. I see something as authentic if it works for me and if it's open to change, criticism etc. I'm less sure about what would cunt as universally authentic though. Yes (again, I'm personally wary of myself generalising too much, but...) cultures change so what worked in the past could be entirely irrelevant now. What worked in the past was presumably tuned into some far more abstract "?truth" that is still there today so we still need ways of approaching the same truth but in ways that are culturally meaningful for us today.
  33. Moonsmith

    How To Tell If A Teaching/group Is Authentic?

    Moonsmith replied to Earthdragon's topic in Starters Orders (basics)

    I really must stop writing sentences containing multiple predicates. It isn't the reviewing that is in the least uncomfortable:- From nanometre to parsec I absorb new information about the cosmos like a sponge. This is, for me, the shifting image and nature of deity. Whether from new neuroscience or philosophy, new information concerning reality arriving faster than I can read it. This is my creed, my relationship with deity. All this is what makes being alive right now so invigorating and exciting. What is uncomfortable is the frequency with which I have to adjust image and relationship. 🙂 .......but that's postmodernism for you 🙂
  34. UK Pagan
    The room is dark and quiet. A lone candle, no flame, yet burned low, wax melted, sits upon a cobweb-covered wooden desk. A door opens and a figure walks in, their footsteps disturbing the dust that covers the old woodworm-ridden floorboards. The chair scrapes across the floor as the figure sits down at the desk. He blows some of the cobwebs away, and with old tired fingers, presses the power button on the MacBook Pro. Yes. It’s been a while since I sat down to write for my blog. The last time was November 12th and since then I’ve put together two episodes of DruidCast, each posted to the blog that stand together, unhindered by any article in between. I’m not sure that’s ever happened before. Ok, just over a month isn’t that long, and certainly there are no cobwebs covering my studio desk, but it feels like it’s been a long time. So what’s been happening? Well, the launch of the new album went very well. It came out dead on time, and the CDs were posted all across the world to those who had pre-ordered. Then there was that liminal space before I began to hear from people, and see reviews posted on the web. The response has been overwhelmingly positive. Ok, with one caveat. I was always very honest that the 2nd Branch is not a happy tale, and many people wrote saying that they had truly felt the heartbreak of Branwen, the loss of life during the great battle, and tears were shed. But to me that is a positive review. The Four Branches were written down at least 700 years ago, and are doubtlessly older than that, and yet they hold up today and can still stir that emotional response. I think the feedback I received from the 2nd Branch was even more positive than that I received for the 1st. Unlike the time immediately following the launch of the 1st Branch album, this time I completely unplugged. In truth I needed to. The writing and recording of the 2nd Branch, being immersed within the story for a full year, had emotionally drained me. So the break was very welcome, and it seems that break included a time away from writing. Then after the launch of the album me and Cerri went with two friends for our first overseas holiday for 15 years. We went to Tenerife, a beautiful volcanic island in the Canaries, Spanish owned, and just off the coast of Africa. I’d been to three of the other Canary Islands before on family holidays but never to Tenerife. We got on the plane in sweatshirts and thick coats, and got off to bright sunshine and 25-28 degree heat. Utter. Bliss. We took a trip across the island to the 17 kilometre wide caldera, and walked through a landscape that felt more like Mars than the Earth. We toasted the sunset from above the clouds, near the peak of a volcano, then went stargazing in an area renowned for its utter lack of light pollution. In that space I saw Andromeda without a telescope. Another Galaxy spinning far outside that of our own. Looking up that night at the stars, really helped put things into perspective. Of how lucky I am to be living a life. Of the immeasurable odds that, of all of the life-forms upon the Earth this spirit could have been born into, it was a human body that found its home. Not just that but a human born into a loving family, who lived in the South East of Britain. Looking up at the stars and seeing Andromeda, and the bow of Orion so clearly, along with the countless stars that form our Milky Way, I felt so tiny and insignificant. Yet it also reminded me once more of the privilege I have, for this life, in such an amazing Universe. As soon as my feet touched the Earth of the UK I went straight into organising the Winter Gathering for the Order of Bards Ovates and Druids. Two days to get everything together, then zoom down to Glastonbury to host 200 Druids from across the world. The weekend was a great success, but whether it was someone on the plane, or the sudden shock/chill of going from 28 degrees to 5 degrees, both me a Cerri came down with colds and a nasty cough. I still have the cough. So the illness then wiped out the following week. So, album launch, a moment of stillness, a holiday, organising a Druid event, then illness, that’s why the blog has been quiet. I usually take the time between the Winter Solstice and the New Year off from all things and just enjoy the moment with family and friends, so this might now be my last article until the new year. If it is may I thank you, for reading the blog posts, downloading and listening to DruidCast, buying or streaming my albums, coming along and singing at the tops of your voices at my shows, welcoming me into your communities at festivals around the world, and for your support. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing for the Solstice, be that Winter here in the Northern Hemisphere, or Summer in the Southern Hemisphere, may you feel the power of the reborn Sun, or the Sun at his zenith, and then have the most healthy and prosperous New Year. Until then – Peace, and blessed be. xx View the full article
  35. UK Pagan
    Shownotes for DruidCast Episode 141 These are the Things – The Trials of Cato – https://thetrialsofcato.com Thunderhead – Afro Celt Sound System – https://www.afroceltsoundsystem.org.uk The Talky Bit – Looking at the last 20 years of Paganism – Julian Vayne – https://theblogofbaphomet.com Hawthorn – Ryn – https://rynacoustic.com Tom Paine’s Bones – The Trials of Cato – https://thetrialsofcato.com DruidCast theme – Hills they are Hollow – Damh the Bard – https://www.paganmusic.co.uk For further information on the modern Druid tradition – https://www.druidry.org View the full article
  36. Ellinas
    Hmm. Not sure how I missed the last couple of posts for so long. Anyhow: I rather suspect that the founding thoughts of most aged and ancient faiths are irrecoverable or culturally outmoded and impracticable. Therefore, if the followers have not allowed it to evolve, it is liable to be dead or dying. As to a formula - I am not a behavioural scientist. Unfortunately, those followers who claim "authenticity" generally seem to me to mean only that they are convinced that they hold the only truly true version of truth. Such are to be avoided, and a pox on all their authentic or inauthentic houses. No, the aged and ancient (or modern and youthful) faith never needs a controlling body to reinterpret original thinking for current conditions. Such bodies create orthodoxy and orthopraxy, and enforce their ideas by more or less overt oppression. Agreed thinking can only be agreed between those discussing it - and is very dangerous when the agreement takes on the character of a conclusion to regulate general belief and practice. Such are to be avoided, and a pox on all their authentic or inauthentic houses, Whether Anglicanism and Roman Catholicism "find their planetary conscience outside of their founding reference" rather depends on whether you are speaking to a bible bashing Anglican or Roman Catholic. I know bible bashers of neither persuasion who claim that the Anglicans and Romans both err from their founding reference. But there are as many versions of that founding reference as there are denominations of bible bashers. Such are to be avoided, and a pox on all their authentic or inauthentic houses. I suspect it is inevitable that the founding thinking is forgotten beneath dogmatic self interest. That is human nature. The "authenticity" of a long established faith lies with its' current followers - but, as hinted above, those who claim authenticity do so for the benefit of their own internal political ends within their faith. Such are to be avoided, and a pox on all their authentic or inauthentic houses.
  37. Earthdragon

    How To Tell If A Teaching/group Is Authentic?

    Earthdragon replied to Earthdragon's topic in Starters Orders (basics)

    Hi Moonsmith, it occurred to me on rereading your comment above to ask why such reviewing and potential re-jigging is an uncomfortable process for you? - for me there is a slight uneasiness if new conclusions about my spiritual practice might lead to a seeming lack of authenticity of any of my previous practice or experiences. Usually I am quite happy to delve into such things though - it feels a bit like being an explorer - it's interesting and it feels like I'm getting somewhere. Interesting question - firstly Ellinas framed his statement around beliefs ideas and experiences and I think it's important to encompass the diversity of the content of spirituality when talking about authenticity. In Buddhism for example, one would not generally think of oneself as having faith. In Druidism I can relate to having beliefs somewhat though ideas, pracrices and experiences are what I personally relate to most. My own take on spirituality is that it doesn't need to remain as an imprint of some previous generation's version. In terms of duality - for there to be a continuity of a spiritual system there has to be an ongoing connection to, for example, certain themes, deities, principles, locations, ideas, language, stories. These.connections have a discernable structure and a coherence which hearkens back to the original practice. But contrasting with this the is that for the spirituality to be authentic to the current practitioners, there has to be a liveliness and freedom in the way individual interpretation and experience is encouraged to feed into the whole thing. One way that this can happen is for space to be given within set rituals can be devoted to personal dedications. Hence there is chance for individuals to develop the theme of the ritual or add a different but compatible theme. As for developing a formula for the evolution of its tenets , I think that it may be possible though I personally see spirituality as a living experiential process rather than theoretical. No. One could argue the opposite - that forming a constitutional body which controls things may very well lead to a stymied development of individual spirituality which, informed though it is via the collective consciousness of this awesome world and it's inhabitants, relies on freedom rather than hierarchy and control to be creative and evolutionary. I think it boils down to how you define the essence of that system... one for another time maybe 🤣
  38. Moonsmith

    Do You Have A Sacred Animal?

    Moonsmith replied to fizzyclare1's topic in Starters Orders (basics)

    A witch friend of mine kept dreaming of a wolf, sometimes with a girl and sometimes she felt she was the girl. This is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay out of my anything zone but I sent her this picture: The title is "Wolf Protecting Girl". Now I am not into dream interpretation at all but we worked together on her thoughts. Like you she felt protected and calmed. We noticed that the eyes of both subjects are the same. Perhaps they were the same person. My friend laughed and pointed out that the wolf is better equipped to handle their current situation than is she in that weather. However she left with that thought: that girl and wolf were one. Later I mentioned the she-wolf and again she laughed. She had always thought of the wolf as male. Make of it what you will but you are not alone. [Deebs this picture is copyright - delete it if you think you should and I'll try and find a link. Failed so far.]
  39. WillowLily

    Do You Have A Sacred Animal?

    WillowLily replied to fizzyclare1's topic in Starters Orders (basics)

    Wolfs are very special for me i keep seeing them in my dreams one of the things i see is a white wolf and an native American little girl they are calming and talk to me when i am feeling unwell they soothe me when am scared or upset i have seen wolfs in a nature reserve before there amazing and beautiful and i wish they where free i dont normally go to nature reserves or zoo i would like to see animals free I just became Vegan in the last few months i love animals there beauty and there uniqueness wolfs more so
  40. UK Pagan
    MEDIA RELEASE – NOV 27, 2018 Lost Souls European Tour expands into summer 2019 Includes outdoor concerts, festivals & heritage venues STRATFORD, ON – The multi-award winning Canadian singer-songwriter and musician, who in May 2018 released her first recording of original songs since 2006, has announced she is taking her Lost Souls Tour to Spain and Italy next summer, as well as adding performances in Germany. “We’re excited to be revisiting some places we’ve not been able to get to for some time, reconnecting with folks we haven’t seen for a while and to perform in some fabulous outside heritage venues.” says McKennitt. The Lost Souls Tour next summer will run from July 3rd through July 26th. Tickets go on sale November 30th, 2018. The summer performances follow a 25-concert spring tour encompassing ten countries in Central Europe between March 9th and April 8th 2019. In the event additional countries are added to the tour, they will be announced through McKennitt’s website and through newsletters sent to members of the Loreena McKennitt Community. Prior to embarking on the highly-acclaimed South American leg of the tour, McKennitt held several concerts in her home base, Stratford, Canada. Describing the show as “one of the finest performances McKennitt has ever given,” a reviewer for the Toronto-based online music publication spillmagazine.com said, “her voice is stronger than ever and the emotion coming from her as she sang is beyond words… Quite simply, one of the best shows I have attended this year.” The summer leg of the Lost Souls Tour will also feature fellow musicians Brian Hughes on guitars, oud and Celtic bouzouki, Caroline Lavelle on cello, Hugh Marsh on violin, Dudley Philips on double bass and Robert Brian on drums. While the concerts draw on her expansive catalogue of recordings, McKennitt also performs songs from her new album. Several of the songs on Lost Souls she composed some time ago. Others progressively took shape in the midst of more recent projects and journeys. A few draw on the poetry of John Keats and W.B. Yeats, while another evokes a distinctly Middle Eastern flavour. In Lost Souls, they all come together to create an artistically diverse and timely collection. The album was released in May as a CD and 180-gram vinyl record and through all music services, including iTunes, Apple Music and Spotify. Loreena McKennitt’s eclectic Celtic blend of pop, folk and world music has sold over 14 million albums worldwide. Her recordings have achieved Gold, Platinum and multi-Platinum status in 15 countries on four continents. She has twice been nominated for a Grammy Award and has won two Juno Awards, as well as a Billboard International Achievement Award. She has performed in some of the world’s most-respected and historic concert venues, from Carnegie Hall to the famous Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain and for dignitaries including Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and numerous heads of state. In addition to her musical career, McKennitt has been recognized for a number of noteworthy philanthropic initiatives, including: • The Cook-Rees Memorial Fund for Water Search and Safety • Falstaff Family Centre • Honorary Colonel of the Royal Canadian Air Force In 2004, McKennitt was awarded the Order of Canada and in 2013 was appointed Knight of the National Order of Arts and Letters of the Republic of France. -30- ON SALE NOVEMBER 30 Jul 14 Abenberg, Castle Jul 15 Munich, Tollwood Jul 16 Berlin, Zitadelle Jul 17 Freiburg, ZMF Jul 18 Mainz, Zitadelle For more information or to request an interview, please contact press@quinlanroad.comor +1-519-273-3876 Share your thoughts and discuss this subject on our MessageBoard. The post Lost Souls European Tour expands into summer 2019 appeared first on Loreena McKennitt. View the full article
  41. UK Pagan
    I try to give my family great holidays, and frequently, that has meant that I turn myself inside out trying to do that. My plans for Thanksgiving were not grand, in comparison to some years (no roasting, scrapping and pureeing pumpkin for days to make the pies from scratch this year), but on Tuesday night, I found myself melting down over a series of individually minor mishaps that turned my expectations into ash. It started with the dishwasher dying at the beginning of the month, and the ensuing comedy of errors won't be resolved until December 3rd. Doing dishes by hand eats a lot of time. I fell behind on my holiday preparations, regular housework, and organization projects. Then we had a twelve-hour power outage that caused us to have to toss everything in the fridge and freezer and replace it. That was expensive and smelly. Then all of the orders I've placed for clothes for the kids, a prepared meal from Whole Foods for the holiday, and solstice gifts I ordered well in advanced because they were coming from overseas have all had problems. Add to that potty training the little one, a preteen with an attitude, and teenage snark, and you have me threatening to drink an entire case of wine at once. Thanksgiving came and went yesterday. The china and silver didn't come out. The tablecloth and candles stayed in their cupboards. The pie came from a box. I used Cool Whip instead of whipping cream. We had a good meal together. At the end of the day, I found myself, tired, relaxed, and surprised. By focusing on all of the misfortunes, I had lost sight of why I cared about making a great holiday for my family- I love them and I want us to have happy times together. Sometimes, it is so easy to miss the point. There are many distractions in life that will happily lead us off course into unrealities that trap us in illusions. We have to be careful to stop, look around, and be certain we know where reality is. View the full article
  42. Moonsmith

    How To Tell If A Teaching/group Is Authentic?

    Moonsmith replied to Earthdragon's topic in Starters Orders (basics)

    I've just been re-reading this thread and this caught my eye: [My weekly comic causes me to undertake this kind of review on an uncomfortably frequent basis.] So: Where the founding thoughts of a faith are aged or ancient; to what extent should its followers allow it to evolve? Might it be possible to derive a formula for evolution from its tenets? or/and Does it always need a controlling body to reinterpret the original thinking into modern times? Judaism has Shul and Islam has its madrassas where elders discuss these things but it must be very difficult to control the promulgation of agreed thinking. Anglicanism and Roman Catholicism are only just catching up with environmental issues and have for a long time struggled with the development of society in Britain. I can only surmise that the solely bible based versions of Christianity find their planetary conscience outside of their founding reference. These re-thinks and add-ons tend to a natural diversity of thinking and often [historically] to schisms. Is it inevitable that the founding thinking becomes increasingly diluted or stretched? Where does the authenticity of a long established faith lie in such circumstances?
  43. Jon
    the talk of authentic can also take a different turn, are they teaching something religous or spiritual or is it something else, is it an extension of politics or nationalism dressed up. that is a good question to ask. as is the question what is the focus of the group, is it focussed on justification of something otherwise reprehensible? is it focussed on justifying nationalism, racial purity and blood, is it focussed on specific individuals or specific interpretations of material that fit within a narrow viewpoint. anyone care for a wee jaunt into american folkish white supremacist nationalism for instance? thats one example that turns up daily in northern quarters.
  44. UK Pagan
    Shownotes for DruidCast Episode 140 The Gap of Dreams / Nia’s Jig / The Beekeeper – Altan – https://altan.ie The Talky Bit – The Anglo Saxon and Norse Runes – Suzanne Rance – http://www.suzannerance.co.uk Lady of the Lake – Lori Llyn – https://www.lori-llyn.com/index.html The Migration Medley – Afro Celt Sound System – https://www.afroceltsoundsystem.org.uk DruidCast theme – Hills they are Hollow – Damh the Bard – https://www.paganmusic.co.uk For more information on the Druid tradition – https://www.druidry.org View the full article
  45. Earthdragon

    How To Tell If A Teaching/group Is Authentic?

    Earthdragon replied to Earthdragon's topic in Starters Orders (basics)

    Indeed people, myself included at times, judge books by their covers 😉 and popularity doesn't guarantee authenticity just as obscurity doesnt equate with being unimportant or inauthentic for those who derive inspiration from it. The Coen Bros film Inside Llwyn Davis Davis is a good study on fame and obscurity... We all answer these questions in our own way. I think that people in general have failings and are in some ways compromised. Most spiritual teachings are likely compromised in places and accepting these things means that I don't need the author of a piece of writing or the origin of a teaching to have some sort of ultimate purity to be relevant to me or my spiritual work. Let's wait and see hehe. A couple of examples: Heidegger is acknowledged as one of the most important philosophers of the twentieth century and yet dipped into social nationalism in Germany. One may have a well supported view that an ex-con should never be employed in role which exercises responsibility over prison inmates. However there are many examples of trained rehabilitated offenders being most effective in counselling and mentoring inmates ,and also post release, with a dramatic reduction in re-offending rates. See I don't think things are all black and white. (Aside: in Druidism we say we aren't aiming to be in the pure white light but rather a lighter shade of grey). I try not to judge somebody by the nature of their known associates. Its just not logical to go down that route even if it appeals to our emotions at times. "Don't listen to her because she is friends with so-and-so -so" - it just doesn't ring true does it...? Likewise while a person's reputation may be coloured by any misdemeanours or errors that they have made, to me the worth of their other actions is not completely compromised by those errors. Showing responsibility for the implications of the errors is the important thing. I really like this take on things, Ellinas. Nurturance implying growth with a lack of dogma and therein a respect for honestly held perspectives.
  46. Moonsmith

    How To Tell If A Teaching/group Is Authentic?

    Moonsmith replied to Earthdragon's topic in Starters Orders (basics)

    Totally agree ED ......but..... Desiderata was originally marketed as being of the seventeenth century but in fact written in 1927. Would it have been so popular originally published under its authentic attribution? Why not? How widely are his other poems known? What about this guy? He had a huge following. Would anyone have listened to Archibald Stansfield Belaney of Hastings? Are they any more authentic because we now know who these people are? Any less so? How has their credibility been affected? What about the effect of their writing; has that changed? Shall the Writings of Moonsmith lose all their value once my true identity is known?
  47. UK Pagan
    I noticed this week just how quickly the year had flown by. One moment it seemed I was welcoming the Spring after the Beast from the East had left our shores. Smiling at the blooming Spring flowers, enjoying the Blackthorn, the Pussy Willow, the Mayflower, and what seemed like the next day watching the leaves turn red and yellow, hearing the Autumn storm winds outside, and the nights have drawn in once more. Boom. Gone. In past years I would now begin to retreat. I really enjoy the time between Samhain and New Year. I’m not a Bah Humbug when it comes to Christmas, but after new year, January to early April, I seem to wish the time away. I’ve had enough of dark evenings and cold by then. And this year, above all others, I’ve realised what a mistake that is. I literally wish away a quarter of the year. Sometimes if the S.A.D. hits early that wishing away can start as early as November. Not good. So this year I am making a pledge, a promise. I will find those things of beauty you Winter lovers enjoy. I will seek out the magic and wonder, and enjoy the rest of the Autumn and the approaching Winter, and embrace it all with open arms. If I find myself wishing for the Spring and the warmth of the Sun I’ll remind myself that every day is precious. Who knows if tomorrow will ever come? I will remind myself that the Now is here, and to live in the moment. Maybe that will help to slow down time a little, who knows, but there is no wisdom in wishing away an entire season. So, Autumn and Winter, I welcome you, season of mists, and of cold. Of the womb of darkness, and the embrace of the night, the crisp sunny day, and the wet, cold mud beneath my walking boots. I look to you with love, affection, and cast away my years of distaste, of turning away, of not seeing or feeling the power that resides within your cold and icy days and nights. Be gentle, be harsh, be what you truly are, and allow me to experience the wonders you bring. So mote it be. Are you a Winter person? What is it about the season that brings you so much joy? Help me out. Let me into your world. View the full article
  48. Bubl
    I haven't read my cards for some time but I used to do free readings while conducting my Sunday car boot stall and I just read as I saw them although I did once, years ago, learn the 'meanings'. My mum was a country girl and tarot reader and she got my interest going back some 25 years ago or more.
  49. wandering_raven

    [Llewellyn] What Are Ghosts? And Why Do We Believe in Them?

    wandering_raven replied to UK Pagan's topic in Around the Web

    I find the whole thing about ghosts really interesting, even though I don't believe in the supernatural (well, I keep an open mind given that no matter how much we discover with science, you can always conceive of there being something beyond it, out of reach of what can be measured - but I don't believe anything specific of what that might be, if anything). I can think of rational/scientific explanations for most of the accounts of hauntings I've come across. The accounts of hauntings on planes as a result of aircraft parts being salvaged from a particular plane crash and put in other planes is particularly interesting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90P6sWZPpCc (though what I find scary is the fact that they thought it was a good idea to use these parts in other aircraft to begin with - never mind supernatural, just from the fact that you can't tell there's been no damage at the microscopic level due to the impact and stresses on the parts that might make them unsafe.) But apparently they stopped doing this due to reports of hauntings, not safety concerns. Some interesting stuff in the comments of the video as well. What's hardest to explain from a scientific point of view is if any of the people who reported the hauntings weren't aware that the parts had been reused. If you know about it it might prime your brain to interpret ambiguous stimuli as something related to the crash, but if you don't know then your brain isn't primed that way...
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