Sunday There was a crispness that you could walk right into – and I did. The cold air caught in my throat and I swallowed winter. The ice glistened in a sunny day that couldn’t quite touch the chill. As I walked my ears were met with the tales chickadees tell one another in the…
Tag Archives: Hearken to Avalon
As we fall into autumn, mesmerized by the colorful leaves spinning in the breeze and sashaying their way to the ground, be watchful of nannies and witches, for this is their season too – trailside surprises that can delight, nourish and heal. There are some fruits and flowers in our New England woods and fields…
Heroes and villains are in the eyes of the beholder and the writer of the story. Guy of Gisbourne, notorious villain – right? Morgaine of Avalon, evil sorceress and half-sister to King Arthur – her legacy was lost in the mists – correct? Whose stories are written down and saved is determined by those in…
Why learn about hunting skills? I did not grow up in a household that hunted wildlife for food. The most I learned about killing an animal for my supper was having to look a lobster in the eyes, stating, “Although you may give your life up unwillingly, I thank you just the same,” and then…
Mmmmm! Wild Concord Grapes! Can you smell them? Their scent on the breeze, so alluring, indicates the shift in season, heralding in fall. I am clambering up an old spruce tree at a neighbor’s house, teetering on a wobbly branch, standing up on my tip toes, my arms reaching up into the vines. Fingertips like…
The Summer Solstice, June 21st, marks the longest day of the year. Additionally, this holiday celebrates the Sacred Marriage between the Goddess and God. The following invocation of the Summer Queen and Summer King was designed as part of a larger interfaith ceremony, comprised of many components from other faiths to create a rich celebratory…
If you watch the river long enough, you will see faces in the stone. Old faces. New faces. Faces that tell us of our past and faces that tell us of our future. Faces that tell us of possibilities. What do you see when you look beneath the surface? The river is constantly changing –…
I am forever scoping out my sites; my little special spots; seeing how the seasonal flora is progressing. This April I found a new spot while scouting for a wild edibles program. It’s a rich, moist, upland site and I was overjoyed to find signs of trout lily – a spring ephemeral. When I returned…
Spring is the promise of release; of cleansing; of birth waters bearing down on the valley, washing winter into the Atlantic, heralding new life and new beginnings. Early spring’s message can feel like a paradox. Warm sunny days followed by a snowstorm. Icy rain biting at raw skin followed by a warm breeze that can…
