Welcome Mabon/Fall

Every culture has it's beliefs, rituals and traditions associated with the seasons.  The transition from summer into fall is no exception.  As I look around me I see baskets of summer flowers on my neighbors' porches being replaced by mums and pumpkins.  In more rural areas, the farmers have been busy bailing hay for the winter, and are beginning to gather the bounty from the summer harvest.  Apple picking, of course, is at it's height and abundance.

The Autumnal Equinox, or the holiday Mabon as it is known in Celtic and Pagan cultures, ushers in these seasonal changes and welcomes the second harvest.  This is the time of year when the sun shines equally on both hemispheres.  The days and nights are of equal length, but we begin to move from the light half of the year to the dark half.  The leaves turn, the birds migrate, and we start our cyclical descent into winter.

As I observe everything around me starting to wind down, Mabon, much more then the Thanksgiving holiday, feels like the most natural place in the year to pause and be grateful for all the blessings and experiences that I have had.  To re-view it all, in it's entirety on a cyclical but equal basis.  This year in particular my personal wheel of life truly has experienced it all.  A death, a (soon to be) birth, and a developing creative re-birth.  I'm thankful for it all these things.  They continue to shape and guide me to be the person I am, and have yet to become.

Enjoy your day ~

diane fergurson

Autumn Hay photo courtesy of Nellie Levine

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Happy Beltane

It's May 1st, Beltane - and I honestly cant think of a more glorious day to be taking the
time to write for the Mind Body Spirit Odyssey!  
In the Northeast we've had a brutal winter, and it's still quite cold in places.  

Today though, the four Bradford Pears that are in our back yard are in full bloom along 
with the daffodils and tulips.  And my little wren friend has returned and is
resting comfortably on my back porch.  
His way of gentle way of reminding me that the birdbaths need to be refilled.

The yearly, local plant sale in our town starts today and runs throughout the weekend.  
We plan to attend with our neighbors to purchase a new tree or bush to plant in a space 
that adjoins our properties.  
We're also hoping to select some heirloom vegetables and flowers for the garden.

I can't think of a nicer way to enjoy this blessing of a day!

Below is an excerpt from a post written about Beltane by Nellie Levine and 
published in our blog in 2009.  
Whatever you happen to be doing and wherever you may be, 
we hope you smile and enjoy your day!

It seems that everyone I talk to is impatient for warm and sunny days, tired of the cloud cover and chill air of the darker half of the year. I'm certainly ready to celebrate the green growth of spring! This desire to feel sun on our skin and soil beneath our fingernails makes Beltane - or May Day as it is generally practiced today - such a comfortable, accessible holiday. May Day is widely and openly celebrated through the British Isles, as well as in many places in the US. People dance around the May Pole, sit by bonfires, and gladly toss their winter worries away as they look ahead to brighter days. Dreams come back to life, as we draw upon the fertile energy of the day.

Traditionally, Beltane was celebrated by the Celts with much dancing, drinking, music, merriment, and romance. It was one of the two most important of their celebrations - celebrating the light half of the year. The name Beltane is believed to mean "fires of Bel" and honors the ancient sun god Beli, or Belanus. Druids looked after the Beltane fires, by which people and their livestock would pass, with the belief that they would be cleansing themselves of the illness or misfortunes they may have experienced through winter, and perhaps blessing them with good fortune for the months to come.

We can light our own bonfires, and we can honor any deity we like... We can make a May Pole or just make some music... what I think is important if we are to celebrate Beltane today is that essential message of taking a deep breath of fresh spring air, embracing the renewed life of warmer seasons, purifying ourselves of our past troubles, and looking with openness to the growth ahead.

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The Balance and Blessings of Autumn

I’m not sure what excites me about this time of year. On one hand, I feel a hesitative approach to fall, as the days grow colder and I know that soon I will need to order oil to heat the house, and (sigh) get the snow shovel out, and I almost wish I could slow the progress to the colder months of the year. But, on the other hand, my soul is stirred by the crispness of the air, the clearness of the sky, the urgency of the birds – I see more woodpeckers these days and hear more blue jays and crows in the trees. There is a wildness all about, as leaves begin to change their colors with sudden abandon, and are carried in circles by the wind, to the ground.

With the autumnal equinox (or Mabon, as many pagans call it), light begins to die, as the days become shorter and darkness grows. But with these shortening, cooling days, we are provided with sustenance and security. Pumpkins and apples, corn stalks and hay bales – these symbols of fall offer comfort, as do the rich fall hues of orange, gold, red, and brown, the delicious aromas of slowly baked and roasted foods, and the warmth of ovens and wood-fires. We are nourished with deep goodness, to face the dimming days, to accept and understand darker aspects of the natural cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth.

The autumnal equinox is a harvest holiday in pagan traditions, and as such, is a wonderful time to put on a feast featuring locally grown foods, expressive of thanks for the abundance we have been given. It is also a great time to allow balance in one’s life – as day and night are equal on this day, so might we find equilibrium within.

If you are interested in reading more about the autumnal equinox as a holiday, you may enjoy these books:

Autumn Equinox: The Enchantment of Mabon by Ellen Dugan

Mabon: Celebrating the Autumn Equinox by Kristin Madden

~ Nellie Levine


Nellie's beautiful image, Pumpkins and Red Mums, is available in her shop on Etsy.

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Going Vegan – Cheating a Little and No Regrets

In the past few months I’ve been in a couple of situations where it was difficult to stick to a vegan diet. The most difficult occasion was during a trip to Connecticut to attend my grandmother Josephine’s funeral. My family is Italian and I grew up in a pizza mecca. My small hometown of Wallingford boasts about two dozen pizza places and it’s just down the road from New Haven, home of the famous pizzerias Pepe’s, and Sally’s, among other great spots. It’s hard to avoid good pizza when eating out with my family, and this time the pizza was also like comfort food, given the circumstances. After some discussion, we headed to a place in my dad’s neighborhood – Carini’s. 

We ordered a few pies, one of which was a cheeseless. It’s not the first time we’ve had a cheeseless pizza when eating out. Last year during another trip to Connecticut (before I was going vegan), my cousin ordered a pizza with no cheese at Little Italy, another great restaurant in my hometown. Ordering a cheeseless pizza at a great pizzeria means you’re going to get a pie just as delicious as any that is gooey with melted cheese.

I shared the cheeseless at Carini’s with my husband, who has been admirably disciplined, except for one instance when there was absolutely nothing vegan on the menu. Whether he was tempted or not, I can’t say, because he fully enjoyed the pizza sans dairy with barely a glance at the others. I had one small slice of the regular pie and although it was absolutely delish, the one without cheese was excellent as well, and fully satisfying in itself. A good sauce, a good crust, and plenty of flavorful vegetables, made the pie great. 

It showed me something important about being vegan – to not try to replicate or substitute too much, rather to enjoy things as they are, if they’re better that way. In the case of traditional pizza: they are. A great cheeseless pie, whether from a pizzeria or made from scratch at home, tends to be better than pizza topped with non-dairy cheese. We have since ordered cheeseless pies here in Vermont, and though it’s harder to find a true New York style pizza this far north, there are a few great pizzerias in our general area and they’re happy to comply with the “no cheese” request, without batting an eye. 

I don’t regret having cheated a little. I’m following a plant-based diet largely for health reasons, and don’t feel a little bit of dairy on one or two occasions is going to set me back in any significant way. I also don’t regret going vegan… that gooey pizza tasted good, but honestly, after being dairy and meat free for several months, cheese simply seems very, very heavy now! And my dinners out at these great restaurants proved that going vegan does not have to mean settling for substitutes.

                                                                                                                           
~ Nellie Levine

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From the Going Vegan Series:
"Going Vegan - Embarking On A New Path For Better Health"
"Going Vegan - Discovering a Wonderful Variety of Delicious Foods"

Lughnasadh – Celebrating the Early Harvest

Millstone by Nellie Levine

As August approaches, the hay fields are tended. Around the corner from my house is a large field that at this time of year is dotted with newly collected hay bales. Cattails grow tall by the water, and black-eyed Susans, tiger lilies, and goldenrod paint the landscape in rich yellow and orange. It is the time of the early harvest – in European pagan tradition there are several harvest festivals, and Lughnasadh, which is celebrated on August 1^st, is the earliest.


 Although many of us do not live an agricultural life, it goes without saying that we still certainly appreciate the importance of the harvest in our lives. Whether or not we grow our own vegetables or bake our own bread, as we smell the sweet scent of apples, run our fingers through silky smooth grain, or drink summer’s sweet berry wine, we feel and connect to the land’s vitality. The spirit of growth and abundance is within us.

Traditionally, this was a time to harvest the first grains of the season, and to bake and share fresh bread. It was also a time to recognize our crafts and skills or begin to learn new ones, and in some areas, it was a time for old-fashioned job or hiring fairs. It was an acknowledgement of labor and the fruits of that labor. The god Lugh was honored, bonfires burned for three days, and deep in our ancestral past, a symbolic grain king would be sacrificed. 

Lughnasadh was also a time for harvesting as well as blessing many herbs that would be used throughout the year. Nine herbs were particularly sacred, and they included arnica, calendula, dill, lovage, mugwort, sage, tansy, valerian, and yarrow. These herbs were gathered by women before the sun rose, and were tied together into bundles, which were then decorated with wildflowers.

At the time, each of these herbs was believed to bring specific health, culinary, or magical benefits. A few examples:

·         Arnica – anti-inflammatory, protective against demons, an herb of Freya

·         Calendula – wound-healing, referred to as “sun bride” in the Middle Ages

·         Dill – aromatic, protective against evil spirits

·         Lovage – spicy, aphrodisiac

·         Mugwort – an important women’s herb

·         Sage – aphrodisiac, used for incense (smudging)

·         Tansy – aromatic, used for expelling worms

·         Valerian – used to calm the nerves and promote sleep, aphrodisiac

·         Yarrow – bitter, cleansing, called the “eyebrow of Venus”

Most of these herbs are still widely used – either as natural remedies, for spell crafting, or simply in cooking, and with the advantage of time and science, we have learned more of their proven benefits. Arnica is a particular favorite in my house, for sprained back muscles and bruises; and our kitchen would not be complete without sage and dill. Calendula is a wonderful, powerfully soothing ingredient in popular salves and balms today, and I know many people who keep valerian capsules or tea on hand, for nights when they have difficulty sleeping.

The act of gathering herbs can be deeply calming, and creating your own herbal teas, tinctures, or powdered formulas can be truly satisfying. Also, incorporating herbs into ritual adds a distinct sense of the magical. Whether or not you can harvest your own herbs, you can purchase any of these from many good sources.

As August 1^st approaches, I have to admit I already feel the first inner stirrings of fall. Perhaps it is a connection to the land that surrounds my home – a being-in-tune-with the roots, the soil, and the cycle of things. But while summer is still here, I plan on celebrating it in fullness. Appreciating all that the land has gifted us with, enjoying the grains, fruits, and vegetables of the season, and allowing myself to be imbued with the heat and sun of these days. 

 ~ Nellie Levine

Note:   Please always research any herb or herbal product fully before using, especially for herbs taken internally. For example, arnica is a terrific ingredient in topical rubs for muscle soreness, but can be toxic when taken internally.

You can find out more about Nellie and her wonderful photography on Cargoh.

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Climbing

Today as we hiked I thought about the Center of the World and the connection between Earth and God. I thought of the poteau mitan, the spear, the sacred monoliths pointing to the sky. And I thought about what the mountain means to me and whether or not climbing it is in fact some sort of pilgrimage (I do apparently need to make it every week), or if that was attaching more significance to it than was warranted. Indeed, the mountain is holy to me, and indeed as I stood in a darkening wood, a rain-cloud filling the spaces between the trees, the luminescent shimmery green that glowed brighter in the grey light, I felt, "this is sacred." It was a knowing, a recognition, at least that much can be said.

I have thought so much about all of this before but more words have been put to it since yesterday, when I started reading (finally) Mircea Eliade's "The Sacred and the Profane: the Nature of Religion." It was one of three books I bought at a new used bookstore we stopped in yesterday. It's a great place. I thought I had a serious disorder - a seeming inability to be in a used bookstore and leave without buying. Well hey, I didn't buy the Hegel I wanted, or the gold copy of the Rig-Veda. Next time. What I did buy, besides "The Sacred and the Profane," was Karen Armstrong's "Holy War: The Crusades and Their Impact on Today's World" and "African Mythology" – a very old book by Geoffrey Parrinder. It had a few mentions of Shango and Olokun and Olorun, so I bought it.

Anyway, I began "The Sacred and the Profane" which is why I was thinking in such terms today.

A beautiful trail. What trail wouldn't I say was beautiful? Just as I found every red eft and brown toad lovable, I'd probably find every trail beautiful. It was quite steep, though with many flat sections at first. The woods were sweet and friendly. There was a waterfall to cross and some good scrambling toward the top. We sat and lunched on couscous at the summit. It was a nice place to be. The rain on the way down didn't bother us; it was refreshing and cool. I was way ahead of the others so I did much hiking alone. I was able to stop and look out and think and just be.

So God is obvious on mountains. Should I be worried that I don't find God so obvious in churches and temples? At least those contemporary ones I have been to. I remember seeing in an issue of National Geographic, this amazing church in Ethiopia constructed so many hundreds of feet up. One must climb with diligence to reach it. And there are others that are carved into the Earth, accessible by winding, descending passageways. Perhaps these places, celebrated with such seriousness and that require an undertaking of body and psyche. Perhaps then. And in their decoration, whether it be somber or joyful, muted or bright - again, celebrated. It is an act ... an act of giving, exchange, true worship and faith.

It may be a stretch to compare the mountain, or it may be a simple truth. It too has its challenge of body and psyche, and in it there is great joy. It is generally not easy. And, what we see from the mountain? What better view, than it all. I am so regularly amazed by the moss covered twenty foot high boulders, the tree roots that reach up from the ground and curl and loop and twist, the hundreds (thousands) of leaves shining and wet with rain, the deep smell of soil that makes one heady and hungry and humbled.

I have not yet seen a better place to find the holy than nature itself; I'm not dismissing the possibility. I just haven't found it.

 ~ Nellie Levine

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Reflections at Midsummer

Here in Vermont summer comes on rather suddenly, almost without introduction. Only two days ago we had to turn the heat back on in the house and there was an overnight frost warning. At least we didn’t have snow! I think this sense of suddenness is due to the fact that spring is such a tenuous season for us… we suddenly notice a swath of bright fresh green across mountains, and the appearance of flowers, while at the same time keeping our sweaters within reach and our winter blankets out. During the early days of summer we alternate between 80 degree days and 50 degree days, sometimes not feeling the warmth of a day until well into the afternoon. At what is known as “midsummer” we have just realized that yes, warmth and sunshine have returned to our lovely state. Even though winter has its beauty, it does tend to get long up here, and we are all grateful for the return of summer.


It seems fitting then, to actually celebrate such a time as this, not just for the outward abundance of life that is all around us, but also to reflect on where we’ve been during the first half of the year. It is of benefit to recognize not just the blossoming that is everywhere, but the progress and growth we have made in our individual lives. 


In ancient China people saw summer as the most yang time of year, for its elements of heat, light, and dryness. At the time of the Summer Solstice, yang energy was at its peak and then diminished until the Winter Solstice. Yin was born at the Summer Solstice, and reached its peak at the Winter Solstice. This portrays a sense of balance that we can see clearly when thinking in terms of light and dark halves of the year, and this sense of balance was an important element in celebration.
The birth of yin was celebrated around the time of the Summer Solstice, and thus, it was a time for people to honor the feminine – yin is generally associated with the feminine, dark, and the earth. Many worshipped the goddess Li, and outside the walls of the Forbidden City the emperor led ceremonies at the Altar of the Earth.


How might we create a sense of balance for ourselves, or honor the feminine, at this time when yang is peaking? Yang is a very outward, external energy… We can honor the yin by going within in introspection. The yang of summer is very hot and fiery – we can counter it by doing things that bring coolness, perhaps taking a dip in a lake or simply standing in the water at the edge of the ocean. In China this is also a time of choosing to eat healthy and light – noodles become more popular than dumplings and actually sell out during the Xiazhi festival, celebrated during the Summer Solstice. 


I live near a beautiful little waterfall, accessible by a wooded path along a river. If the weather here is hot and sunny, I think the Solstice would be a perfect time to walk down to the falls – perhaps with a picnic of cold noodles and fresh juice, sit quietly in meditation, and then slide into the cool, yin waters of the pool beneath the falls. I hope that wherever you are, you too get a chance to honor the feminine, and find balance within yourself and the world around you, celebrating the natural rhythm of time’s passing and nature’s progress.
                                                                                          

~ Nellie Levine 

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Going Vegan - Discovering a Wonderful Variety of Delicious Foods

Well, it’s a month since my first post about going vegan, and I’ve settled into this new lifestyle change even more, so I thought I’d share some updates and another quick recipe! 

One of the most remarkable things I’ve noticed about following a plant-based diet is the variety in my family’s menu. There’s a fairly common misconception that because a vegan diet is restrictive in the sense it does not include any animal products, it must be boring and lack variety. And honestly, when my husband and I followed a macrobiotic diet many years ago, we were guilty of a lack of creativity and inspiration in our cooking. We ate a lot of brown rice, adzuki beans, steamed vegetables, and miso (not to mention lotus root and umeboshi plums!). In the years since, we’ve learned a lot about cooking and both of us have worked professionally in kitchens and bakeries. Our approach to this way of eating is as open and exciting as it was when we were focused on gourmet cooking until just a few months ago.

Before embarking on this new dietary path, our weekly dinner menu might consist of grilled salmon, turkey chili, tofu stir-fry, homemade pizza, and pasta with chicken sausage. We would stick to a certain repertoire for a few weeks, then switch it around, maybe opt for baked cod rather than salmon, turkey burgers instead of chili, and so on. In the past week we’ve enjoyed for dinner, multigrain noodles and vegetables with peanut sauce, Cuban black bean soup, falafel pitas, cauliflower and sweet potato curry, and a family-size vegan calzone. All of these dishes and the others we enjoy include good sources of protein, as well as the same fresh vegetables and whole grains we were already including in our diet – and most of them are also low in fat. So far, there is as much variety now, if not more, simply because we are having fun learning new recipes and ways of incorporating new ingredients – or ways of not incorporating things like butter and cheese. Also, the main ingredient in each of these dishes is not meat or dairy, so overall the dishes are much healthier.

What became obvious very quickly was just how many cuisines we can choose to cook from, that don’t require animal products at all. For example, we have always enjoyed Indian cuisine, and except for the inclusion of ghee, many of the recipes are ready-made for the vegan lifestyle. An Indian dish is almost always on our weekly menu now, often using the same recipes we had used before, only with slight alterations. There are Mexican dishes that can be made without cheese – or using a vegan cheese substitute, and our family was simply amazed by how “real” the tofu “ricotta” tasted in our calzone. Many of the Mediterranean or Middle Eastern dishes we had been making are also perfectly acceptable on a vegan diet – focusing on pasta or rice, olive oil, beans, fresh vegetables, and herbs and spices. We’ve even done an all-American sloppy Joe using tempeh. I admit, I was at first skeptical about this, but was impressed by the taste and texture of the tempeh filling. The sloppy Joes were also as much fun to eat as they were when we were kids!

For the first few weeks we did do a lot of simple substituting, and it’s great that there are now some fantastic products that make this easy and delicious (and they are not all soy-based). If we had previously made pasta with chicken sausage, for example, we could easily replace the sausage with a flavorful, meatless seitan variety. The cost is a bit higher, and for those who really love meat – i.e. the particular greasiness of meat, perhaps the seitan isn’t an exact duplicate, but for me (never a big sausage lover), the seitan is almost too much like meat. We have made pizzas using a vegan cheese substitute and although they are not entirely like the best New York style they are darn good, especially when loaded up with fresh or roasted veggies (think perhaps, California style). 

I hope that if you are considering a vegan diet, you will be reassured that it can be a truly bountiful way of eating – and I mean that in the best, most beautiful way – eating vegan truly is an enjoyment of nature’s bounty! 

~ Nellie Levine

Vegan Sloppy Joes with Tempeh

8 oz or 1 package tempeh, cut into cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil or water
1 onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
1 cup cooked or canned white or black beans
15 oz or 1 can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4-1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
4 large buns, lightly toasted

Steam tempeh in a saucepan filled with about 2 inches of water - not enough to cover the tempeh. The tempeh is ready when you notice a strong nutty aroma, approximately ten minutes. Drain the tempeh, and mash coarsely in the pan with a spoon or potato ricer.

In a large saute pan, heat oil (or water) over medium heat, and saute onion. Key to a good flavor is letting the onion brown. Add pepper, jalapeno, tempeh, and beans, and saute for a few minutes. Stir to prevent sticking. Add chili and chipotle powder, salt, Worcestershire sauce, and tomato sauce. After adding sauce, simmer for a few minutes. Finish by turning up the heat a little and stirring rapidly to thicken sauce.

Serve on toasted buns, either as sandwiches or open face.

Shown served with http://piratebrands.com/products/tings/original">Original Tings (or as my family calls them - Cheesy Poofs; they are in fact dairy-free and vegan, but with a great cheesy flavor) by Pirate Brands, sweet gherkins, and a glass of almond milk. Very kid-friendly!

* This recipe is adapted from the Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

Resources: 

http://www.fieldroast.com Field Roast Grain Meat Co. – delicious sausage-like seitan. Never having been a huge fan of sausage, I actually find these products almost too meat-like! These are flavorful and high quality. Soy free.
 

http://www.daiyafoods.com Daiya cheeses are our first choice for vegan cheese, for their flavor and meltability. They come in two varieties – cheddar and mozzarella. We are now seeing these in our local major supermarket! Soy free.

Almond milk is my personal favorite alternative to dairy milk (in fact, I’ve been drinking it for years and prefer it to cow’s milk). It tastes great in tea. The chocolate is delicious. http://silksoymilk.com  Silk and http://almondbreeze.com/Almond Breeze are both good brands and widely available. Soy free.

http://www.turtlemountain.com/ So Delicious makes coffee creamers with coconut milk that are quite good – we have not found a substitute for half & half that we really love, but so far these are our favorite. Available in major supermarkets. Soy free.

http://www.mimiccreme.com Mimiccreme is another brand that makes coffee creamers, but from nuts. Mimiccreme is heavier and creamier than So Delicious. Soy free.

http://www.earthbalancenatural.com/ Earth Balance, available in major supermarkets, is a brand of vegan margarine that is a great choice as a butter replacement.

Soy and almond milk can be used as a replacement for cow’s milk in many recipes. Other choices that we have not used include rice and hemp milk. Also, many of these brands make other products that are definitely worth checking out. 

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Other articles in this series:
Going Vegan – Embarking On a New Path for Better Health

Winter's Song

Silence surrounds. The shadows of trees fall across the snow, hands that 
neither beckon nor abandon, but allow communion, embracing heart and 
soul with Winter’s spirit.
 
My prayers float away from me on this chill air. On these moon-filled 
icy nights there is no concealment. Whispers roar like waves on the 
ocean, and the mind opens into a vast landscape for night’s secrets.
 
I drink in this spell. Like honey on the tongue, the cold is coaxing. I 
lean back and feel the breath of angels on my face.
 
I do not imagine sunflowers or conjure June skies. I do not escape into 
wanderings through Summer’s bright images. Winter has its place in my 
heart, brings me a centering stillness I could not live without.
 
I do what I did when I was a child; wrap myself up in wool, make a quiet 
trail into the trees, and greet the moon who watches our dreams like a 
grandmother. I sit until I can’t anymore, until I begin to notice the 
cold. Usually, my teeth don’t chatter, my fingers don’t turn numb, as I 
feel peace.
 
In such cold, tears freeze before they form and fears melt away. As my 
heart calls out, for wars, poverty, for the inhuman acts mankind has 
birthed out of someplace I cannot even imagine, a song reaches into me 
that soothes and guides, calms, and brings peace.
 
It is a song that Nature sings, a gift from the Earth for when we need 
to hear, need to believe and find faith. It speaks strongly, and I have 
become the stark stillness of Winter, and I become the knowing. The 
truth lies in the silver snow of night, that all will be okay, all will 
be okay.
 

 ~ nellie levine 

 "The Rabbit House" is by photographer Jude McConkey and is available through her Etsy Shop.
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Winter Solstice: A Time for Light, Release and Transformation

There is a striking thread that runs through many of the winter holidays, whether celebrated in Jewish, Christian, pagan, or other traditions – that of light, the return of light, and an embrace of light, both within and without. The Winter Solstice is a major holiday for pagans, but can be enjoyed by anyone without stepping on the toes of other faiths. It is the shortest day of the year, the day when the sun shines the least – in ancient times it was literally called “sun standing still day.” After the solstice the days begin to get longer, our time under the sun increasing little by little.

Even if we don’t see a reason to celebrate this as a religious or spiritual event we can see how it might have significance psychologically. For a good example of our reliance on light, I need only look back a couple of weeks to when a big windstorm knocked out power for thousands of people in my area – including me and my family. Reading by candlelight had a certain homey appeal, but there was an awkwardness to brushing teeth or simply walking up the steep narrow stairs in the old farmhouse, by candle. Schedules and routines change – bedtimes tend to be earlier, the dark greeted differently when we have no control over it. If we can be so affected by a diminishment of light, imagine the ancients, who truly set their lives by the light of the sun.

Perhaps of greater meaning to us now is the symbolism of light, especially in a season of growing darkness. I believe many of us are in great need of this renewing return of light – enough events have been taking place in our culture that have thrown some of us into the dark. The loss of a job and one’s income, family members in the military or simply news of war, ugly politics and the threat of individual rights narrowing, personal anxieties and fears… Concurrent with days growing ever shorter (not to mention an increase in cold temps, keeping us indoors even more), our moods may be suffering. Through holidays such as Hanukkah, Christmas, and the pagan Yule, we have the invitation to accept and celebrate this return of light, and on the solstice we see the literal return of that light.

Also occurring on the solstice this year, will be a full lunar eclipse. In itself this is a relatively rare event, and one that astronomers are taking note of. Astrologers are also taking note of it, because the belief is that eclipses and solstices affect change… taking place as they will together, this combined event is expected to bring even bigger changes, on social as well as individual levels.

Major shifts are possible (some would say likely), and the general advice is to approach the day of this solstice with an openness to good things and joy, and from a place of acceptance and calm. If transformation is going to take place, embrace it and make it what you would like it to be – or at least to the extent that you can.

I am still a little on the fence about what I believe with regard to astrology. I tend to think who we are and become is not so governed by where the planets were when we were born, but I find myself making simple assumptions based on astrology more often than I’d like and have recognized some uncanny truths when doing deeper reading into it. I do find it exciting to think that a full moon eclipse on a winter solstice might usher in big change, new direction, and inner transformation, while also helping us release old fears or habits; hopefully all good of course! Experts are saying to check your natal charts for planets that fall between 27 and 1 degree in any sign, for those areas will be affected. I plan on going home tonight and pulling out my chart, to see just which houses might start experiencing some influence on Tuesday. I am just slightly nervous, knowing I have quite a few that fall in those degrees. I will also probably emphasize a practice of mindfulness on Tuesday, and perhaps do some simple meditation on opening to more love, joy, and yes, light.

~ nellie levine

photo, "Through Frosted Glass" is by Jude McConkey.  It's available in her Etsy Shop.

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Among the Bones ~ A Season for Ancestor Reverence

 I collect bones... Skulls and fingers and teeth from smiling jaws, I dig up, brush off, and polish smooth. Many now I have, piled high around me. I know their faces, their voices, can see their walk and hear their laughter. Inside me they breathe again. I am their blood, their skin, their sighs. These bones are the spirits of my ancestors, and among them I find truth in and of my past.

Inside this dwelling of bones, my spirit can locate its history. It delves and dives, and searches through what these bones really are:  names and faces, and words written on faded paper in old-fashioned writing.

I have come to know those who have come before, as if I am indeed holding them in my hand, solid and smooth.

Once I visited a graveyard in the most perfect little spot I can imagine. It sat in the yard of a very old clapboard church that had been built by some of those ancestors. It was quiet beneath a bright blue Spring sky.

It was during a trip to Virginia, along the border between states. A few nights earlier my older brother and I had shared the same dream, three hundred miles north, as the moon was rising higher into the night. My brother and I have this connection, and since that dream, always call the other after having anymore like it, in which someone close to us has passed away.

We took a train with my father south to Winchester, Virginia, to attend my grandfather's funeral. I was a kid, and didn't much like the looks of my Grandfather Lee in his casket. His face had fallen from a recent stroke, and I remember thinking he had been stronger. The sight was startling, and my brother and I silently swapped looks, sitting on a bench several feet away.

Lee wasn't buried in that small graveyard in the perfect spot. He was buried in a city cemetery, though also a very, very old one. It has a massive stone entranceway, and is even well known for some of its residents. Some of the bones I've dug up were buried there, in the earliest graves, away from their folks across the state line, back in the perfect spot.

The perfect spot was up on a hill… Being a kid, I was becoming restless with the trip to my grandfather's town. Staying in a motel with its concrete floors and brown plaid bedspreads, trekking around the historic little city of apple blossoms and presidential past, my spirit had gone dormant. But up on this hill, on a beautiful sunny day - the kind of day in which I always imagine the South now - I gathered my first bones.

Tall grass scratched my legs and the wetness of dew got between my toes, as I looked out at faded names on old stone markers. Then I did not know these names, and only a vague feeling crept up that they belonged to me. Like strangers I had once known, but had since departed from, they curled their fingers and spoke to me, to come, to seek.

A spell cast by the dead, my dead, and I follow backwards. I am a mirror, and like a mirror's mirror, I keep going in further, deeper, the image smaller but still as strong.

The ancestors have found me in dreams. They have whispered their names to me, brought me religion, made my heart nostalgic for places I've never been.

They have enriched my soul with memories of land and music, love and oppression. They have given me a history that begins hundreds of years before my conception; heritage.

Soon it will be Halloween – and appropriately, All Soul’s Day – and one of the traditions my family has practiced at this time of year is a simple ritual of ancestor reverence. My husband and I will create an altar – we’ll lay out a cloth, place upon it photos, favorite heirlooms, written names, prayers, words and poems, and we will light candles. It is a quiet, reflective way to celebrate an otherwise exuberant holiday, a date for remembering, honoring, and giving thanks. Celebrated beside the ancestors whose origins are known, will be our unknown ancestors. My husband will light candles to the ancestors of his adoptive family, those he knows, and as significantly will offer his heart to those who remain mostly unknown, part of a past kept secret from him.

But outside this holiday, throughout the year and throughout my ages, I have held my ancestors in reverence. I do not have an easy explanation for this, except perhaps, that I have simply been listening. I believe that the ancestors wish to guide us, wish us to know of them, and understand them.

I have often been surprised by the messages I have received from ancestors. They have shared with me tales I would not have expected to own, have blessed me with spiritual insight, and have brought me visions of religious beauty. I know too, that they had their place in my childhood. They stood as testament that death is not an end, in a time when many in my family were dying.

I can list the times when something significant happened to me on an ancestor's birthdate, a connection between me and them that has become manifest in a gold ring, a hummingbird in hand, or a packet of genealogy in the mail. It would be a long list that would at least intrigue a skeptic.

But it is their simple presence that awes and comforts, that pushes and inspires, and always in my life, opens my sky to more mystery.

~ Nellie Levine

http://northernskystudio.com

http://fionnmara.com

The image used to illustrate this essay is a photo I took recently in St. Albans, VT. Unfortunately, I don’t have any pics of the graveyard described in the piece. However, there is a small pic here http://www.historichampshire.org/cems/shiloh.htm (my great-great-great grandfather Jeremiah Reid was one of the first residents of this cemetery). Also, my maiden name is Brill, and from the list in this graveyard, my family names also include Anderson, LaFollette, McKee, McKeever, Reid / Ried, and Spaid.

Among the Bones was originally published in a slightly different form, in SageWoman Magazine

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Messages from Nature

Yesterday, a great blue heron lifted off from the middle of the road as my husband and I turned a corner and came upon it. Because the trees on that stretch of road create a canopy – with a steep hill on one side and a deep gully on the other – and because the heron’s wing span was so large, it could only follow the course of the road, until we all came out from the trees. It was exhilarating, even in such simplicity, to watch the beautiful bird follow the same course we were on, and then quietly fly on its way.

We have been seeing much wildlife lately. At the end of a recent walk, coming out of the woods we saw two deer grazing serenely in a field. They took notice of us, and gazed at us until we were in line with them, passing them on the road. On a recent morning walk a coyote stepped out from the woods onto the road, and upon seeing me, immediately turned and ran back into the trees. Crows have lighted on the tops of trees as I walked beneath… Blue Jays have lit the sky with their song – not always seen, but always heard. Beavers and woodchucks have been busy creating dams or searching woodpiles. Bullfrogs have uttered their bass notes.

I used to believe that each time an animal or bird crossed my path in some unusual, special way, it meant something more. What would the message of the heron have been? Or the two deer watching silently and with gentle trust? Or the coyote, in his skittish manner, darting back to cover? These days, their significance is a little different. I don’t necessarily see a specific message… it is no longer a divination, but the significance is just as great. I see this beautiful, constant interaction between beings – beings of the sky, the earth, the water, and us. We may seem to be outside their natural world, but we are truly a part of it. We are no more separate from them, than we are from our own families. At times, we might even follow the same path.

Recognizing this significance – that I am, indeed, a true part of Nature; a more instinctive awareness that goes beyond a philosophical understanding of being one with nature – brings a unique sense of self-respect, as well as love, affection, and compassion. Should we not be as gentle to ourselves as we would to any of those birds or animals we might encounter? The message I now receive, put very simply, is to treat myself kindly. To me, especially at this point in my life, that is a more important message than any I have ever perceived before from these encounters. And, I would hazard to guess, it is far more divine, in its infinite wisdom.

~ Nellie Levine 

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Taking in Light: The Summer Solstice

The summer solstice occurs on the longest day of the year (June 21 this year), and festivities and rituals tend to center around the meaning of the sun, light, abundance, and passion in our lives. Its origins go back many centuries, the date being celebrated mostly in European countries, but today is celebrated by people worldwide.

“Like the winter solstice, the summer festival lasted a full twelve days. The people took in the fullness of the light and the power of the fire and enhanced their experience with the solstice fire, with fire-walking, with burning brooms and torches, and by rolling wheels of fire down the mountains and hills.”( p.10 Witchcraft Medicine; by Muller-Ebeling, Ratsch, and Storl)

“… took in the fullness of the light …” If there is one thing I am doing to mark this solstice time, it is taking in that light, opening to the warmth and brightness that summer offers, and allowing recent darkness to slip away and fade.

Some of you may know what I have been going through the past several months. An injury and long recovery interrupted the flow of my life, changed the day to day normal of everything, and had me looking within with a sharper eye than perhaps I truly deserved. In some ways my spirituality grew and became richer, but I also found myself, at times, standing in a place of fear.

I live in a state that is beautiful year-round – each season has its own unique beauty, and I tend to not prefer one season over the other. This year, I have especially needed the sun of the summer season. I have given myself the opportunity to experience its healing energy, for body and spirit.

This is a time of heightened worries for many. I don’t know how many people I have spoken to (friends, family, and a few strangers as well), who have shared similar experiences to mine – whether their place of fear grew out of a health crisis, or through financial difficulties, career challenges, or relationship issues. They too have been struggling with new found but undesired emotions, patterns of negative thinking, or in some cases, deep depression. Meeting others who understand, who have been there or are currently there, has provided a broader opening to light.

Taking in that fullness of light, that our long-ago ancestors had the wisdom to do, means not only enjoying the sun on one’s face, listening to the songbirds of summer, feeling the grass underfoot, or catching a delightful scent of flowers as we walk past… it is also a celebration of that connectedness to others – wherever we all are in our personal journey. It is the true embracing of all that is good – love, joy, beauty, the divine – as well as an acknowledgement and acceptance of those darker days, so that we might move forward, continue to grow, and ultimately, find peace and lasting fulfillment.

With this summer solstice, as I breathe in the light and enjoy the beauties of the season, I wish for all others, healing, happiness, and many, many blessings.  

~ Nellie Levine

http://multabasia.com/

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Mind Body Spirit Odyssey Book Review: A Witch's Halloween

A Witch's Halloween: A Complete Guide to the Magick, Incantations, Recipes, Spells, & Lore

By Gerina Dunwich

Provenance Press

You know there is much more to Halloween than jack ‘o lanterns grinning from windows, plastic bats hanging from rafters, and sticky spray-on spider webs crossing front porches. Halloween is also, of course, more than going trick-or-treating, bobbing for apples in the neighbor’s back yard, or attending a costume party. All of these elements of Halloween can be great fun, but there is meaning behind each one of them, and getting a glimpse into the origins of the holiday as well as the significance of the symbols, can be enlightening, and can enrich Halloween celebrations.

Halloween is probably the holiday with the most obvious pagan past. Gerina Dunwich is a High Priestess of the Old Religion and has authored many books on paganism, so her approach to Halloween is particularly instructive, informative, and insightful. She teaches first about the origin of the holiday, and in doing so, dispels common myths about paganism (or neo-paganism), Wicca, and other earth-based religions. For example, she quickly addresses the persistent belief that the devil has a place in paganism – in fact, paganism does not recognize such a concept. Although the devil is a popular costume at Halloween, it has only been a symbol of the holiday since the advent of Christianity. She explains how established country practices were misunderstood and manipulated, and ultimately, persecuted or banned, and when they could not be, they were altered to fit into the practices of a growing religious movement. Halloween truly comes alive when considering the background information that Dunwich provides. As a holiday, it has a rich history, and has been known by many names that have reflected its development over the years, and within various countries.

In addition to exploring the origins of Halloween, A Witch’s Halloween details fascinating superstitions, recipes, poems, rituals, myths, stories, games, spells, and beliefs, as they have been practiced throughout centuries. There are many that are worth incorporating into a modern celebration of the holiday, and there are also a few that might cause you to raise your eyebrows in surprise!

Tarot has a place in this book, of course. Divination is a fun pastime at Halloween, and for many people it is a meaningful element of their celebrations. Dunwich also explains how tarot might be used for meditation rituals that fit well with the holiday.

The book is written mostly from a witch’s point of view. Readers who already follow a related spiritual path will likely get the most out of the book, but it is certainly quite accessible to those who do not. It is a charming read that will enhance your understanding of this popular holiday.

a recipe from the book:

Samhain Cider

• 2 quarts apple cider
• 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 cup apricot brandy

1. In a large pot, combine the apple cider, confectioner's sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger. Simmer slowly on low heat for about 15 minutes. Take care that the cider does not boil. Add the apricot brandy and then serve the cider while it is still warm. Refrigerate any leftover cider. Serves 8.

As of this posting, A Witch’s Halloween is on sale at Amazon!

~ Nellie Levine 
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Thank you to Nellie Levine for sharing this with us!

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