"And the future is so bright I gotta wear SHADES..."

So the past two weeks have been a whirlwind.  Yes, Air has been present in my life….”"Who can tell the mind of the Wind? Who can catch it and hold in their hand? Who can tell where the Wind has been blowing? And who among the wise can foretell where it will go?"

As an Egyptian priestess and Air Sun sign I revel in Air its speed and invisibility it delights me filling me with spirit; but now that I have returned to my “real world” and “real time”.  I can look back, and see how important grounding is also.  The ATC (Aquarian Tabernacle Church) Arch priestess Belladonna and her Highpriest Dusty came into our stomping grounds and shared two festivals with me and our communities.  I had the fortunate experience of having them dwell in my home for a few days; teaching me, laughing with me, and loving me.  The time went fast, but the moments are imprinted indelibly on my life.

First we went to the Southern Delta Church of Wicca-ATC May Day festival.  It’s theme was “Getting Back to our Roots” and the week was full of communities getting to know each other better, re-establishing connections, sharing our dreams, learning and laughing from one another, loving each others children’s, playing games, utilizing warrior energy, and listening to Rev. Terry Riley and Rev. Amanda Riley as they reminded us how far we had come and where our community had come from.  It was warm, it was happy, it was home…how nice to be grounded and rooted in such rich red clay soil.  Apple Oaks, Southern Delta Wicca, White Oak Raven, Temple of the Sacred Gift, Temple of the Stone (all ATC) and Summerland Grove and Temple of the Ancient Ones were all present, and working together peacefully and lovingly for the community.  Today we have this many churches, and organized Pagan communities just five years ago we had two.

What happened to make all this growth?  Why so many organizations in such a short amount of time?  Well in this area we have grown that much!  As more and more people declare their spiritual paths pagan the need has arisen for us to offer them services, counseling, rites of passages, workshops, and celebrations that correspond with our Spiritual traditions.  Traditions have been handed down, the younger generation grew up, and so it is the wheel turns and those who taught us have either crossed over or asked us to step up and so we have.  The future does not look dismal here in the Bible Belt for us Pagans it looks bright as the sun, especially after the Temple of the Sacred Gift-ATC opened its new Temple building (that is not in a home anymore) to the public!

Next, we went on to the Pagan Unity Festival, which is put together every year by Tish Owen a well known local pagan/witch/healer/psychic/published author.  The guest speakers were five star caliber:  Belladonna Leveau, Christopher Penzack, Oberon Zell, Dorothy Morrison, Raven Grimassi, and more more more!  The workshops were stellar on everything from Tarot spreads, numerology, how to make oils, candles, ritual workshops, drum workshops.  The music was out the roof with the Tuatha de Danna and Wendy Rule!  Handfastings were numerous, with Tish Owens in her NO spare time still overseeing and conducting them, the vendors top notch, and the spirit was one where all had gathered together for community and there were NO strangers amongst us…for we have come full circle and realize we are really really not alone in these parts!

I am not a camper, I prefer hotels and linen sheets to bunks and dirty floors but all of this was tossed aside to dance, and sing, and be part of rituals, do magick, learn from masters, listen to great songs, and just become part of something so much bigger than just me…SPIRIT.

If you have ever wanted to go to a Pagan festival and never gone…you should.  If you have ever gone and did not like it…maybe you should try again.  The future of our Path is growing so fast, and broad, and strong!  Catch the Air!  Let the Fire warm you!  Drink in that Water!  Feel the Earth beneath your feet!  Join with kindred spirits and shed “you” and become a “we” just for a weekend.  It is nice to remember ever now and again that there is a tapestry being woven and you are a thread in that beautiful creation.

If I met you this weekend thank you for the gift of your time!  If I did not meet you these past two weeks then I hope I met you soon!  Special thanks to Southern Delta Wicca and Tish Owens and BOTH festival staffs for pulling together and off a most fabulous Festival occasion that I will never forget!  VERY very Very Special Thankyous go to my fellow pathwalkers Bella and Dusty and Wiccan Seminary.edu! My cup runneth over…please receive a sip!

Have a Holly Jolly YULE tide!

I had a hangover Monday.  I call it a hangover, because after festivals are over <especially the ones you help throw> you feel hung-over.  No, you do not have a headache…you are just exhausted and partially dehydrated.  Your brain feels like mush, your eyes are dry and you have no idea what you are saying for at least twenty four hours following one…but you are up and moving about since the world requires this of you.

Tuesday, I had festival withdrawal.  After three days and two nights of being spiritually and emotionally fed I was buzzing.  Things that were said, shared, and taught were swimming around in my mind; and they still are.  I was fed from Dagda’s cauldron, I had the privilege of walking with Brigid and sharing her sacred flame with a community I adore.  I got to stand in circle and dispense the sacraments of the Gods with my local hero Rev. Terry Riley!  I got to meet Tish Owens in person who is the reason why I wanted to throw a festival in the first place!  I overheard Rev. Edwina Rickman’s workshop and meditation; Rev. Allison Hancock blew us all away with her beautiful dark Goddess workshop…and right when I thought the weekend could get no better it did.

Main ritual….Rev. Amanda Riley and my husband Rev. Brian Miller did the “traditional Yule log ritual”  all of us thanked the Gods for one thing from the year before, and asked for some guidance in the coming year on an issue.  Every church there (all three) shared their traditions and there were no “rights” or “wrongs”, no criticisms, no drama.  I stood witness as Alfred Willowhawk and his wife Willow announced the addition of a fourth ATC church in the Midsouth and realized we, the Pagans are organizing and gathering together sharing our teachings and traditions like wildfire!  Everyone was high, everyone was happy, everyone sang, everyone had smiles on their faces and laughter in their hearts…and when you looked there were ten children in circle.  Our babies are worshipping along side of us!

I got to do a workshop with Rev. Amanda Riley on practical magick!  Have I ever told you that when I first entered this community I observed and partook in two workshops that she taught and at that time looked at her with awe in my eyes? (pssst I still do)  Several years later and there I stood next to her listening, still learning, but having the great honor of sharing a workshop with her!  Teaching about herbs, washes, oils, and their properties thrilled my heart and I could have went on for hours…but the people would have fallen to sleep by then :)

Children’s workshop with Rev. Allison Hancock she told an old folk tale and all the children gathered together under a blanket giggling and squirming, making animal noises, because sharing and community was the theme and it is fun to be a child.  Then the Befana tale was shared and Befana came out cackling and laughing hugging children and they were all amazed and bewildered!  Who was this Befana?  Of course the adults new it was Rev. Cindy Mcmullin but the children were convinced it could not be anyone they knew, especially Cindy, because they knew that she was in the kitchen!  Thus Befana must be real! 

Rev. Anita Christopher facilitated all the children’s activities to their delight! Cookies were made, snow globes constructed, stories were shared with our tribe (children in our laps), fairy ornaments put together and placed on the tree, the children had rituals…but most of all they bonded just as we the adults did together tromping in the woods, spending time at the lake.  YULE in our Pagan tribe is about the Children; but at the very last we adults acted like children fussing and laughing about gifts while playing Dirty Santa. Oh did I mention I got a Ganesha portrait out of the Dirty Santa game? Now he lives in my hall above a niche where I can feed him with incense and candles.

The time in between all of these rituals, workshops, and craft times was a different kind of spiritual broth.  The time you spend listening, and learning and gathering as your head spins and your ears pop and you know that you may never comprehend everything that was jammed into you in those thirty six hours but you cannot walk away without being filled to the brim.

Magick is addictive, constructive, liberating, and heady but the purpose to me of festivals is for a spirit-filled fix until the next time you hang and sing with that many people.  Thus while I am still digesting like a cow chewing its cud everything shared and told me this weekend, I feel a longing, in my heart, and in my soul. It feels like when I was first in love as a young maiden yearning for a lover (I am sure we all remember those days) that is only temporarily away, but you  know and are certain they are still in love with you and like you are yearning and longing for your merging together once more.  This is how it feels to me, when I part from such a large community gathering.

So until Daughters of the Moon I will yearn, long for, reach out, light candles for, talk to on the phone and face book my Pagan family. In the meantime, know that I am here and that even if we are not together; we shall never be apart… in my heart.