2022 Brigid's Crosses | Crosóga Bhríde February 1st is the feast of Imbolg. Also known as Candlemas and St. Brigid's Day, this festival celebrates the warming of the sun and the fertile earth that lies beneath the snow. The festival was original a pre-Christian Irish celebration of spring, which is where we get the name …
Witchcraft is many different things to many different people. Perhaps the broadest definition I can give is that, today, witchcraft is a practice of using natural energies to effect change. There are many different types of witchcrafts: herbalists who invoke the powers of Jesus and the saints to heal; charmers who practice traditional ways handed …
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to present to the Advocate Aurora Health palliative care team on Wiccan beliefs and practices and how these can impact serious illness and death. Check out the Friday Chalk Talk YouTube channel for other videos, covering other religious traditions and general palliative care topics. **Disclaimer: I did …
Continue reading Palliative Care Concerns for the Wiccan Patient
It’s August already. Hard to believe, honestly. Last year at this time, I was climbing a mist-covered South Barrule on the Isle of Man. I sat atop its peak surrounded by the old hill fort, sheltered from the wind by the low circle of stones that enclosed the central marker. I thought of Lugh and …
I've been exploring chaplaincy for the past nine months. I've always felt prompted to work in the spiritual. When I was in undergrad, I strongly considered Pagan ministry, but I realized that wasn't for me. Rather than ministering to a particular path, I wanted to work with people of all different faiths and non-faiths. I …
We spent Laa Luanys (Lá Lúnasa) on the Isle of Man this year. Mann isn't a place that I associate with Lúnasa, but it certainly didn't disappoint. True to Celtic form, there were advertisements for many festivals throughout the island during the early days of August. Unfortunately, we weren't able to make any of them …
Yesterday we stumbled upon King Orry's Grave in Laxey. The complex consists of two tombs, both built around 3000 BCE. Contrary to the name, the graves don't actually have anything to do with the historical King Orry. He's one of those figures that gets a lot of things attributed to him. King Orry's Grave King …
I'm on a month-long sabbatical from work. I'm taking a couple of weeks in the Isle of Man to start and then will be wrapping things up in Iceland. A few people were skeptical of my itinerary: "What are you going to do for two weeks in Mann?" Truthfully, I didn't know. Now that I'm …
I had planned to do more individual posts about the UK, but as usual, the busyness of life has gotten the best of me again. So I thought I'd combine many events in one post. Rollright Stones The Rollright Stones was my favorite place to experience. There are three monuments on the land: a circle …
Stonehenge opens for a few hours to the public four times a year, on the equinoxes and solstices. I was able to take a trip into the stones for the Spring Equinox yesterday. It was a very surreal experience. Being able to see and touch the stones and feel their energies was moving. The day …
The Point Witch 