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Photo by Silas Baisch on Unsplash I started learning to negotiate the ocean when I could barely walk. Every summer, my parents rented a cottage for our family on the South Jersey shore for two weeks. We stayed in a little town called Avalon, which is also the name of a magical, mystical island in …

Imbolc, observed around February 1, is a time of new beginnings and initiation. Here in the US, we are undergoing a huge, painful initiation, living under a newly empowered oligarchy that is intent on destroying our democracy, the rule of law, and the institutions of civil society. It is easy to feel that we are …

Moreton Bay Fig Tree, Balboa Park, San Diego, CA   “Hatred and bitterness can never cure the disease of fear; only love can do that. Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illumines it.” —Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “Antidotes for Fear” from his book Strength …

Samhain is the gateway to the darkest three months of the year, in the physical world and the world of spirit. Between now and Winter Solstice, we notice and feel the days shorten and the nights lengthen. If we follow the rhythm of the seasons, we hunker down, stay warm, spend more time indoors. If …

Brigid’s cross, traditional symbol of Brigid and Imbolc Every year at sunset on January 31, the eve of Imbolc (celebrated on Feb. 1), I light a candle and put out a red cloth for the goddess Brigid to bless. (For more about the tradition of the Brat Bride, go here.) This year, my wife and …