Witch of the Iron Wood
Today is the three year anniversary of my mother's death. Yesterday was the vernal equinox, and last night the snow began in earnest, falling down steadily all day today, inches and inches. Winter has decided to upstage Spring with a bold, jazz-hands-fueled dance number. I made it out of the house today, through the drifts... Continue Reading →
I describe one of my favorite runes, Othala, as being all the things that come up when one thinks of their home - it is a rune embodying the gifts of the ancestors, the immovable wealth that is our land, our inheritance, our history, and our bloodlines. As I love this rune, it makes sense... Continue Reading →
I keep an ancestor altar all year. It normally resides in my office and looks like this: Every day, I light a candle, light incense, and speak to my Beloved Dead. Once a week, I refresh the water offering, drum and speak the names of my lineage. During the month of October, the altar is... Continue Reading →
Reciprocity by Amoret BriarRose The Ancestors call. I pour the water, light the candles, sing the songs and suddenly legions are behind me, washing me forward on waves of blood memory. Image: Birth the Dream by Amoret
Today is the anniversary of my grandfather’s death. Clarence Schirmer was a big man, a police officer, and a lover of music who played many instruments by ear. I don't know much about him, as he died a little over a month after I was born. I believe that my musical nature is one of the... Continue Reading →
Today is the anniversary of my grandmother's death. Władysława Szaflarski (Lorraine, Lottie) had a dry wit, a talent for telling ghost stories and was one of the most spiritually powerful people I've ever met. Growing up, she was my best friend and the one adult that really "got" me. She taught me about safety and... Continue Reading →
I just started drumming as part of my larger weekend Ancestor work. Every day, I wake up and light a candle and incense, say hello to my Ancestors, and thank them for the gift of existence. Once a week, on Friday or Saturday, I refresh the water offering on the altar and say the names... Continue Reading →
I've been thinking a lot about my parents lately, and wondering: What if we all have to recover from childhood? To be clear: I am not discussing abuse situations in this post. I am curious about the experience of being a child - small, without agency, growing and changing and learning at a fast rate -... Continue Reading →
The gifts of the Ancestors are waiting for you - call them back. Raise what is dead.
Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this too, was a gift. ~Mary Oliver
