The Celts believed there was another dividing line that all people could straddle, if only they stretched themselves out a bit. And that’s the divide between the world and the otherworld. -Steve Rabery, In The House of Memory I was lying in a tiny berth in a cabin supposedly made for three grown people, but really could hardly accommodate one.…
In the Northern Hemisphere, February 01 is Imbolc or the Feast of St.Brigid/Brigid’s Day. Imbolc, in the Celtic calendar, marks the beginning of spring (which, I understand, is a little bit laughable coming from a Canadian currently sitting in the midst of the polar vortex). The day rests halfway between the autumnal and spring equinoxes, just as the summer festival…
Dear Cubbie, Dodger, & Rex, Today I turn 40 years old. To you, that sounds ancient I know. But trust me, once you turn 40 it won’t sound or feel old at all. In many ways, it will feel like life has just only begun. For now, I’m thrilled to be your middle-aged auntie who loves zip-lining down old Welsh…
I was able to spend some time on Bardsey Island/Ynys Enlli on the tip of the Llyn Peninsula, Wales. Known as the Island of 20,000 Saints, it is fabled to be one of the resting places of the elusive Holy Grail. Three pilgrimages to this island are equivalent to one pilgrimage to Rome. Apparently I’m one third of the way!…
I walked a portion of the North Wales Coastal Pilgrimage Trail today — Aber Falls. . An old area of Britain, with ruins littering the landscape. Some of these archeological wonders are around 4000 years old, some date back to Roman times, others to the medieval era, and few from around the time of the Enlightenment. These paths have been…
As you read this, I’m trekking about the ancient lands of northeast Wales. I’ve arrived just in time to celebrate Lammas or Lughnasad on August 01. Lugh is the Celtic Sun god and August is his sacred month often celebrated in lively Fire Festivals. As I come to understand more the connections between Christianity and paganism, the more I…
I have a bad habit (one among many). Whenever there is conflict, I need to run. Any disturbance in the Force is a reason to flee — a true Jedi I am not. If there’s something someone else has done that has hurt me or bothered me, I’ll often ignore it for the sake of keeping the stasis (calling it…
For those of you who don’t know, I’m headed off to Wales, UK, in just two short weeks. Ever since I was a child, I’ve wanted to visit this land of Merlin and Arthur, of castles and coracles, of monasteries and pilgrimages, of paganism and Christianity. My last name is Thomas (rather Welsh, wouldn’t you say?) and, if the…
Evangelicalism taught me how to pray using my own words; agnosticism taught me to pray using community; paganism taught me to pray in and through nature; and Lutheranism taught me how to pray using a liturgy. So many traditions all woven together to form a rather spectacular tapestry within me. And even with all of these colourful prayer rugs hooked…
In the busyness of this day grant me a stillness of seeing, O God. In the conflicting voices of my heart grant me a calmness of hearing. Let my seeing and hearing my words and my actions be rooted in a silent certainty of your presence. Let my passions for life and the longings for justice that stir within me…