Category Archives: Nature Based
Samhain – Enter the Dark with a Map, a Community Fire, and Animal Guides
The Wheel of the Year turns, plunging us deeper into the dark half of the year. It’s Halloween. Samhain. The ground is fertile for growing fears. Between the worlds of the living and the dead, the border blurs. Connecting with … Continue reading
Creative Wedding Rituals: Pandas, Moths, Flours
Selecting the members of the wedding party can be so stressful, some couples don’t choose anyone. No maid of honor. No best man. After serving more than 150 couples as their wedding officiant, I’ve seen what this kind of stress … Continue reading
Fire and Water, Sun and Moon, Achievement and the Need for Rest – Episode 19
This year’s Summer Solstice has come and gone. But our entry into the dark half of the year has just begun. My European ancestors divided the year into two seasons, summer and winter. The Summer Solstice was known as Midsummer. … Continue reading
Beltane, Fairies, the Hawthorn, and the Goddess Bloddeuwedd – Episode 18
Fairies, flowers, fertility, a Maypole, and a hawthorn tree. They all weave their way into the Celtic festival of Beltane and other seasonal festivals so common in the Old World. On episode 18 of the Ritual Recipes podcast, I talk … Continue reading
Episode 17: Spring Equinox – Ready to Break the Bonds of Winter?
The Vernal Equinox arrived last week. The Sun has entered the sign of Aries. Spring is here. Depending on where you live, it might still feel like winter. That’s how it is was here, until today. Soon, with a fierce … Continue reading
Episode 12 – Winter Solstice Ritual and the Infinity Symbol
The Winter Solstice is the longest night. What does this cosmic event have to do with gifts and candles, pigs and wine, freedom and fear, self-discipline, resolutions…weddings, handfastings, and the infinity symbol? A lot! Solstices and Equinoxes A little background … Continue reading
Episode 11 – Animal Totems as Spirit Guides to the Underworld
I learned a valuable lesson the day a skunk crossed my path. It was about animals as totems and the magical medicine they offer. Seeing animals as spirit guides was at the heart of a public ritual I created for … Continue reading
Episode 9 – Magical Soup Ritual to Heal the Earth
It’s September. The harvest season continues. If we could make a symbolic soup to heal the Earth, what ingredients should we include? What ingredients does Mother Earth have for you? I explored all that and more in a special harvest … Continue reading
Mother Earth & the Corn King – The Harvest Story
The first harvest of the season, that of corn and grain, tells the story of Mother Earth and the Corn King. Whatever your “field” of work, this is the season that highlights sweat equity, prosperity, sacrifice, and community. My ancestors … Continue reading