Friday, December 21, 2012

Happy Winter Solstice

In all the different traditions and different faith celebrations of the winter season, I find that one thing connects them all.

Family.

It doesn't matter what religious group you belong to, everyone wants to get home for the holidays. I truly believe that family and friends are the most important part of the holidays.

No matter what your personal tradition is, I hope that you have a wonderful time celebrating. I hope you get to enjoy spending time with family and friends. Have a blessed winter solstice.

Oh, there's no place like home for the holidays, 

‘Cause no matter how far away you roam
If you want to be happy in a million ways
For the holidays, you can’t beat home, sweet home.
Vince Gill "Home For The Holidays"


Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Exciting Group-Solitary Druid Fellowship

One of my favorite blogs is Teo Bishop's "Bishop In the Grove." He is a wonderful writer and his posts always leave me thinking. For the past few months, Teo has been writing about creating a fellowship for solitary pagans.

So today I was really pleased to get an e-mail announcing the launch of the Solitary Druid Fellowship website. According to the site
The Solitary Druid Fellowship (SDF) is an extension of Ár nDraíocht Féin (ADF), an independent tradition of Neo-Pagan Druidism. It is organized to provide solitary Druids, as well as any solitary Pagan in the general public, with an opportunity to engage more deeply with their ritual practice, while at the same time forging spiritual bonds with other solitaries through the adoption of a shared liturgical form.(1)
I have spent some time looking around the site. Though there isn't a whole lot there right now, the articles that are up are very interesting. The site is well organized, clean, and easy to navigate. I think that it is an interesting idea that this site will be for information, not a replacement for groves or communities.

I love the idea of being able to share a common ritual with others, but still being able to worship on my own. I believe that this site is going to be a wonderful tool for many Pagans. I am looking forward to reading the Yule ritual and using it my practice.

Notes:
(1) Taken from the "What we are" page- http://www.solitarydruid.org/what-we-are/

Saturday, December 1, 2012

I'm a bit of a Grinch

As we head into the holiday season, I need to get something out in the open...

I'm a bit of a Grinch.

There are really about three things about the holiday season.
1) I enjoy getting presents. (Really, who doesn't?)
2) I like the once a year treats and foods.
3) I love spending time with family I don't get to see very often. 

But here's the thing...

I don't watch holiday specials. I don't enjoy listening Christmas music. I don't like the commercials that play over and over and sometimes don't change for years. I'm not a big fan of Christmas decorations. The Elf on the Shelf freaks me out.


And I get frustrated when people don't understand that I don't enjoy these things. It started long before I discovered I walk a pagan path.

I really wish people would let it be.

This time of the year should be more about spending time with family and friends then what present you are going to get them. We should be concerned about helping people all year round, not just in November and December. I believe children should behave because they are taught to do the right thing, not because Santa is watching. 

So I'm a bit of a Grinch. I'm not out to ruin your holiday, I may just have a different opinion than you. In any case, I hope everyone enjoy's their holiday season. I will just do it in my way.

"The threat of Christmas hung in the air, visible already in the fretful look of passersby as they readied themselves for the meaningless but necessary rites of false jovialities and ill-considered gifts." 
-Peter Dickinson