Has spring arrived in your neck of the woods yet? Here, the daffodils are in full bloom and the buds are bursting on the trees. Spring holds the promise of renewal and rebirth, of transformation and new beginnings. And with that promise comes a sense of connection to the world around us, and to the […]
As the wheel of the year turns, we celebrate Samhain, also known as Halloween, a time to honor our ancestors and embrace a new season. Autumn is quickly yielding to winter’s freeze, and the season offers us a time to honor our ancestors and those who have passed before us. But autumn also offers us […]
This is the fourth and final post in my series on the four elements. Previous posts covered earth, water, and fire. A single kingfisher’s feather floats to the ground. A hawk circles, its sharp eye searching the ground below for prey. The smoke of incense dances toward the sky. A foggy morning gives way to […]
This post is the third in a series about the four elements. Previous posts explored the symbolism behind the elements of earth and water. Perhaps no element is as contradictory as fire. It provides the warmth necessary to heat our homes and prepare our food, yet it is capable of tremendous destruction. It is associated […]
In the first post of this series, we discussed the nurturing qualities of the earth element. In today’s post, we’re talking about water. Water, governed by the moon and the goddess Venus, is generally associated with emotions, love, and spirituality. People who are water signs can be moody and emotional, but also sensitive, generous, and […]
(This article is part one of a four-part series exploring the four elements–earth, water, fire, and air–and their common associations with plants and herbs, gemstones, colors, emotions, and the cardinal directions.) In many Western, nature-based spiritual paths, there are four elements–earth, water, fire, and air–with the fifth (the top point of the pentacle) being spirit. […]
Today the Wiccan community celebrates Imbolc. Though we’re still in the midst of winter, with the potential for Nor’easters and cold days ahead, and though Punxsutawney Phil hasn’t emerged to peek at his shadow yet, we can still catch a glimpse of spring. The cold days teach us to be grateful for the warm ones. […]