Music Ennobles All It Touches
When does one wave end and another begin? I have always felt let down after Pantheacon. That first day back at my fairly colorless job, no one to share the insights, highs, and shenanigans of the weekend, my friends scattered to the four winds yet again, is always hard. This year I took the rest … Continue reading Nine Waves
Yew. Deep peace of the Grove. Silence in the back of my head. Like the Druid’s tonsure, forbidden at Whitby. When the Wild Celtic Church was tamed, Rome had its way at last. Or did it? The Yews still stand in churchyards. Ancient, filled with silence. The deep peace of the grave is not … Continue reading Yew
I actually save time by walking to work, believe it or not. I do it by looking for the opportunities that can be found along the way. In permaculture, this is called the principle of stacking functions and it’s a way to save energy and make use of things that would otherwise be wasted. … Continue reading Walking is an Opportunity, Not a Chore
I spent the first day of summer on the mountain. I had planned to go up there by bus, as I generally do, but a good friend offered me a ride, and so the trip began with us in a grove of huge firs on the edge of the continent. Being carless can open up … Continue reading On the Mountain
This is how my bodhran came back from Ireland. Yes, we had a good time, and this would have happened eventually, but it is also going to be an adventure returning this instrument to playable condition. I asked around in Dublin as to bodhran repairs and was told that people generally replaced the drum. If … Continue reading Emergency Repairs
I’m looking for the stars in their eyes at the sight of tall masts and white sails. I’m looking for the woman I once was, eyes on the horizon, feet on the topgallant footropes and hands on rough canvas. She’s out there, I’m hoping that she will still be out there a century hence doing the … Continue reading Looking For The Stars In Their Eyes
I decided to change up my commute this morning. I left the house before first light, listening to that small, still voice that is easily drowned out by the roar of daily life. I stepped directly onto the bus, and got a quiet car on the BART. I got a good long look at the … Continue reading The Druidry of Time
Travelers don’t know where they’re going, Tourists don’t know where they’ve been.—Hostel Wall in Inverness I saw that quote on my first trip to Britain and Ireland, and it neatly sums up my approach to traveling. I plan, loosely, but leave as much wiggle room as possible. The world has a much better idea of … Continue reading Travelers Don’t Know Where They’re Going
I had an encounter with a red-tailed hawk recently. I was on my way to work, walking up the hill to the bus stop. It’s a nice way to start the day. I’m almost always completely alone among the quiet houses and have space to think and gather the peace of the neighborhood around me. … Continue reading Where Are Your Edges?
One day, it came into my mind and heart to go to the land of my ancestors… I made that first trip when I turned 50. Chance–or was it synchronicity–put my arrival the day of the Anderida Autumn Camp. I got off the plane and onto a train to Lewes, then cabbed it to Camp. … Continue reading A Year In Albion
