Pilgrimage: Peoria and the Giant Oak Pilgrimage is a journey to a holy place. Many people make pilgrimages because of their religion, such as the hadj. I discovered the beauty of pilgrimage many years ago during a trip to Brittany. If a pilgrimage resonates with an individual, it encourages one to return to that place again. For a first-time pilgrim, it is difficult to imagine what one will see. When I first went to Brittany and saw so many amazing... Read more
Onward My time as Archdruid is at an end. It ended quietly in Europe, in France, in Brittany, and ultimately in the Meurthe-et-Moselle with me praying in the presence of my Ancestors. Our lives are full of cycles. This one, in ADF leadership, lasted 16 years, roughly a quarter of my life. How little do we know of the orbits into which we find ourselves? These orbits cast wide arcs and take us through vistas we could never have imagined.... Read more
Endings, part 2 After nine years as Archdruid of ADF and after sixteen years on the Mother Grove, I left on 22 April for my last trip as Archdruid for ADF. It was my own personal “Endings.” I traveled, like the typical Celtic journey, to several stops before reaching my destination. The destination? Morlaix, Brittany, France, to Ordain our first French/Breton Priest, Hervé Chauméton. His becoming a priest was the culmination of some amazing coursework, research, and creativity, the likes... Read more
Endings, Part 1 Endings are often just that – endings. If one is fortunate, however, endings are just a pause before a new beginning. I have had a few endings recently, and in one case, it is a continuation. In another, it is a new beginning. When my father passed away in 2018, I envisioned a series of books, written by the ADF Clergy Council, entitled Transitions. The titles are Beginnings, followed by Endings. Unions would come next, then Dissolutions.... Read more
Persevere The Goddess of the Forge All things that come into being, Anvil and hammer come together, And creation ensues. The Goddess cites the Bard, And speaks his word aloud: Du musst Amboss oder Hammer sein You must be anvil or hammer. In these challenging days, As the darkness slowly Cedes to the light, The hammer rings true. Bend the metal, Bend the will, Come into being, No matter the hardship. From the beginning of time, To the present day,... Read more
Distant Fires Two fires, Distant flames, Across a country, Across the world. One is the fire of renewal, The days are visibly longer, The fish stir in the stream, The Sun rises sooner. One is the fire of thanks, The bountiful harvest, Waving like believers in the fields, Basking in the Sun. In one world, life begins, Coming into being, Fire lit in the greater hearth, Water in the well. In another world, life abides, Grain flowing in the field,... Read more
Let the Waters Fall A Prayer for California Rise from the ocean, Rise from the sea, Rise from the rivers, Rise water into the sky. Gather the waters that rise from the ocean, Gather the waters that rise from the sea, Gather the waters that rise from the rivers, Gather the clouds to hold the bounty of waters. Let the waters fall, to extinguish the fires. Let the waters fall, to end the destruction. Let the waters fall, to end... Read more
Looking Back, Looking ‘Round Many people take the end of the civil calendar as a time to look back over the past twelve months. This takes a very linear view of the passage of time. Myself, I prefer to look at the past four seasons to look around, and not just to look back. There is no question that we move forward in our understanding of time. The serial succession of days follows from one to another in... Read more
Keep the Lights On In the Northern Hemisphere, the days are already getting longer, slowly, minute by minute. While the holiday lights are still up, I think it would be prudent to keep the lights on for a while longer. Imbolc may be long enough, but maybe the Equinox would be better. During the Vietnam War, families would leave Christmas trees and holiday lights up until their family members in service would come home. It was a time to extend... Read more
I write today to my friends and compatriots who are disappointed, dismayed, or despairing about the results of the recent American election. For those who voted, we did what we could: one person, one vote. We voted with hope and with expectations. We have been fortunate in recent years to live and express ourselves and to practice more openly than ever before. Now, the future seems uncertain. We must now turn to our friends, families, and Kindreds for strength and... Read more
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