Published in Pollinate Magazine·Dec 19, 2022Member-onlySing that the Trees May Prosper: The Orchard Wassailing TraditionThis holiday season let’s sing and toast to the trees — As a young person, at winter holiday season, my siblings and I went caroling. We were great vocalists and there were six of us. We caroled around the extended neighborhoods, walking special distances to favored relatives’ houses, together with neighborhood friends. People loved to see us coming. We sang as…Prosperity 20226 min readProsperity 20226 min read
Published in Pollinate Magazine·Nov 21, 2022Member-onlyOwls of the Death GoddessNovember is here and so are the great horned owls — In Ancient European Goddess cosmology, it was the Owl Goddess who came for you when you died. On Her wings or nestled in Her womb belly, She escorted you back to Source. At the transitional moment of what we call death, one returned to Her, the Mother of All, the…Death 20226 min readDeath 20226 min read
Published in Pollinate Magazine·Oct 24, 2022Member-onlyForgiveness, Perfectionism and White SupremacyCould they be related? — Forgiveness and Accountability Forgiveness is a hot topic these days. Most people encourage us to forgive those who have hurt us in some way. We are are told that not forgiving only hurts us, that we should “take the high road” or “turn the other cheek” for our own well-being. “It’s not about…Forgiveness 20227 min readForgiveness 20227 min read
Published in ILLUMINATION·Sep 28, 2022Member-onlyBecause My Aunt Hid From Her Purpose In Life, The Bats Wouldn’t Let Her BeBats and bat medicine in spiritual lineages — My Aunt Caroline was terrified of bats and yet they hounded and haunted her all of her life. She would call our house saying there was a bat in her room. My brother was sent over. …Philosophy6 min readPhilosophy6 min read
Published in The Memoirist·Sep 24, 2022Member-onlyWith Blood on Her Knees: My Grandmother’s Pilgrimage to St. AnneMiracles, Faith and Healing — My grandmother believed my father’s life was saved by a trip to a basilica in Beaupré, Canada — a pilgrimage to St. Anne, mother of Mary, grandmother of Jesus. She was Italian and a devout Catholic. She had heard of this place of miracles through the Catholic grapevine. At the…The Memoirist8 min readThe Memoirist8 min read
Published in Pollinate Magazine·Sep 19, 2022Member-onlyWorking with the Spiritual Dimensions of WaterBecoming intimate with the water where you live — One can learn much about the physical and spiritual health an ecosystem by looking at the local water. Water is sensitive to and retains information it gathers. As a medicine person or spirit worker of your local place, getting to know and learning to listen to your local waters are…Nature 20225 min readNature 20225 min read
Published in ILLUMINATION·Sep 3, 2022Member-onlyA Girl’s Guide to the Patriarchy or Some Fairy Tales I’ve KnownHidden messaging in popular stories — This is the story of my enduring conflict with fairy tales. The perpetual “ouch” I felt when I read them, tried to embrace them, heard them repeated. I know. I know. They are not to be taken literally; rather, they are tales to be interpreted. Yes. Yes. We each have…Feminist11 min readFeminist11 min read
Aug 23, 2022Member-onlyFigs Glorious Figs: Inverted Flowers Pollinated by WaspsFor some people, the “to die for” fruit — When I first moved into the current house I live in, in Northern California, I was delighted by the magnificent, large, with long reaching branches, fig tree in the back yard. It’s huge, five pronged, leaves and downright prolificness was a thing to behold. I grew up in New Hampshire…Food5 min readFood5 min read
Published in Pollinate Magazine·Aug 22, 2022Member-onlyTemples and Priestesses of EcstasyMary Magdalene, Jesus, and sacred sexuality in the ancient world — While researching Isis and Mary Magdalene for a novel I was writing, my research led me to Tom Kenyon and Judi Sion’s book, The Magdalene Manuscript. The first part of the book is a series of channeled dialogues by Mary Magdalene who details her role as a priestess of Isis…Sex And Erotica9 min readSex And Erotica9 min read
Published in ILLUMINATION·Aug 20, 2022Member-onlyWorking with a Power AncestorWho is your “go-to” ancestor? — Most spiritual practitioners have or will develop what I call a “power ancestor.” This is the ancestor you go to when you need help, advice and guidance. The first one you think of. The one you know you can trust 100%. Once this power ancestor is identified, the work you…Spirituality5 min readSpirituality5 min read
