Owlspirit's Nest

Seasons

Owlspirit — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 02:38:39 +0000

Birds pull me from sleep
with the joy of their morning call.
I unfold into the sunlight,
a seedling every year,
contributing to the smell of green
and the new life of Imbolc.

The sun sweats along with me.
Dogs lie in the shade.
We dance around
the Beltane fire,
breathe the incense of desire,
and chant under the stars.

Leaves are the color of fire
left over from summer.
Crisp air wakens me.
Harvest moon guides me.
The open veil of Samhain
releases me.

I gather friends, sharing warmth
under winter’s quilt.
We welcome bits of evergreen
to remind us that the cold moon
doesn’t last forever.
Yule turns the wheel another notch
and the circle remains unbroken.

Every Day

Owlspirit — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 02:15:21 +0000

In the light of the gods,
I live my life.
In the shadow of the night,
I live my life.
I am tied,
in blood and bone and genetic code,
to dust, to the world, to the universe.
The spider web connections of my life
are boundless,
in the past and future
as well as now,
the eternal now.
The world changes every day,
whether we notice
or not,
whether we willingly participate
or not.
In the bright of the day,
I live my life.
In the shadow of the gods,
I live my life.

11/3/2001

Dead Poets Society of America

Owlspirit — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 17:40:25 +0000

The Dead Poets Society of America is alive and well. No, not the celluloid classic with Robin Williams, but instead a group of folks who honor American poets who have shuffled off this mortal coil. While these folks may or may not visit coffeehouses and quote (in)famous and obscure poets at the drop of the proverbial hat, they also get out and about, touring a bit like an up-and-coming rock band. Instead of musical venues, these guys “play” at cemeteries, paying observance to final resting places and often commemorating their visits with some tombstone art. For those who think that appreciating Shakespeare or Walt Whitman or Sylvia Plath does not automatically make you a nerd, visit the DPSA.

Columcille Megalith Park

Owlspirit — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:39:04 +0000

Columcille Stone Circle

In the mountains of Pennsylvania (Bangor, to be exact) is a marvelous place, privately owned but open to the public. If you want to experience a stone circle or visit a small stone bell tower or a stone chapel without traveling to Europe from the U.S., go to Columcille. There are separate men’s and women’s meditation areas, Thor’s Gate (the uprights are about twice the height of an average man), and many stones of various large sizes around the space and along the paths. It is a space where anyone open to spirituality, of whatever stripe, is likely to feel at peace, and that’s the point.

Fire and Forge

Owlspirit — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:47:06 +0000

Fire and forge,
blood, bone, and breath.
I walk the road
twixt birth and death,
and return again
from beyond the veil,
with soul renewed
and body hale.

Forge and flame,
breath, bone, and blood.
The life force flows
in stone and wood,
in bird and beast
the spark ignites,
all connected
in the mage’s sight.

Fire and forge,
blood, breath and bone.
Each path’s unique,
we make our own.
World tree, gods and guides,
above, below.
Earth, moon, sun and stars.
Dream and make it so.

Occult America by Mitch Horowitz

Owlspirit — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 15:22:06 +0000

Occult America is a fascinating look at a part of American history that is largely unknown. It focuses on a variety of spiritual and religious movements and experiments and leaders. Some of these you have likely heard something about (Edgar Cayce, Madame Blavatsky) but many that are likely new to you, as they were to me (Andrew Jackson Davis, Frank B. Robinson), and some whose names you might know but never knew their connection to the mystical (Abner Doubleday, Henry A. Wallace). Most interesting to me were the sections on early America and some of the movements of the early 20th century.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but I think it might have been better titled “Mystical America” than “Occult America.” This is because there is much that is not covered that relates to Paganism, magic or some of the darker aspects of the occult. Many of the paths discussed have at least a veneer of Christianity. For example, in the 20th century, Gerald Gardner and Wicca constitute less than a page and there isn’t anything on any of the other (Neo-)Pagan paths. Anton LeVay isn’t mentioned at all. Aleister Crowley pops up in a couple of paragraphs. While these are subjects with which I have some familiarity, most of mainstream America does not, and it is mainstream America that is the target audience for this book. That seems to be the constraint on what is covered here, subjects and paths that may be palatable for the mainstream. Having said that though, there is much of interest for the Pagan or magician as well. In the first couple of chapters, there seemed to be an interesting nugget of information on every other page. Andrew Jackson Davis’ mystical insights, in which he describes an idyllic afterlife he called the “Summerland” made me perk up. Some of the books Horowitz mentions gave me the context for works that our coven has in its library but that I didn’t really know much about (moving them higher up in my reading list).

I do recommend this book, it is an interesting read with some off-beat information that I will follow-up on with research of my own. As long as you aren’t expecting hard-core occultism, I think you will enjoy it.

The Wiccan Minister’s Manual by Kevin M. Gardner

Owlspirit — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 14:53:25 +0000

I recently started thinking about putting together a clergy curriculum for my teaching coven and therefore started looking for resources I could recommend. The Wiccan Minister’s Manual definitely fits the bill. In the first section, “Making the Connection,” Gardner talks about ways we can facilitate individual’s search for the connection to divinity. Some of this is very practical, such as suggestions on how to help someone who does not visualize be able to do guided meditations. Other sections of the book cover “How to Live a Spiritual Life,” “Healing Mind, Body, and Spirit,” “Psychic Self-Defense and Rituals of Protection” (which includes the only example I’ve seen of how to perform a Wiccan exorcism), and “Spiritual Support Roles and the Many Hats We Wear.”

Gardner has been clergy for many years and clearly has dealt with many situations personally. That knowledge and experience comes through as he gives examples of how he has dealt with various situations. I do recommend that you take his approaches into consideration but use your own judgement or research. For example, the section on the laws for being able to perform marriages has some out-of-date information, as laws change. I will say that nothing in this book raised alarms with me, unlike A Handbook for Wiccan Clergy by the same author. In the Handbook, some of the materials included suggestions on how to help a couple through a divorce, including some activities that I think are better suited to a lawyer or accountant. I suggest you tread lightly in areas where you don’t have expertise. That approach is more prevalent in the Manual.

I do recommend the The Wiccan Minister’s Manual as it covers a good amount of material I haven’t seen elsewhere and does so in a responsible and compassionate manner.

Sunsets

Owlspirit — Sun, 30 May 2010 20:17:20 +0000

I’d forgotten about sunsets, so caught in the cogs, the daily slow hour and fast headache world. But Thursday, there were deer grazing on the highway shoulder. Yesterday, the scent of lavendar won through the car exhaust. And tonight, there was a sailor’s delight, flush pink sky. And I remembered sunsets.

12/2007

. . . → Read More: Sunsets

To Beg the Motion

Owlspirit — Sun, 30 May 2010 20:16:53 +0000

I stretch ahead, to move forward,
to beg the motion to take me on,
but I know the road is broken.
I stumble on my love,
I stumble on emotion,
I crumble by the shore.
And climb again upon the rocks,
reaching for more.
I stretch ahead, to move forward,
to beg the motion to take me on.
I’m mired in my lifetime,
the ebb and flow of my desire,
the mirrors that forsake me
as I look beyond the door.
I stretch ahead, to move forward,
to beg the motion to take me on,
please let the flow erase me,
rebuild me stronger on.
I know the road is broken,
let me walk the chasms further on.

12/2007, inspired by the instrumental “To Beg the Motion” by
Crystalysis

Pemaquid Day

Owlspirit — Sun, 30 May 2010 20:16:11 +0000

You’re only allowed to feel the cooling breeze
if you hear the ocean come ashore.
Find the places where the sea crawls,
insinuating itself between the rocks,
a shy but eager child
looking for a place to rest.
Find the places where the sea demands attention,
chisels the stone like a sculptor
so used to his work
that the blows are unconscious.

It’s that time of day
when the sky and sea
are the same color,
the clouds are islands,
and you can’t be sure
you’re not driving down
into the sky.

The stars are profuse tonight,
faint and brilliant,
they make a contour map of the sky.
You can reach out
and feel textures,
touch the light cotton
of the Milky Way
and prick your finger
on carnelian Mars.