The Season of Imbolg

Welcome to the Season of Imbolg! Imbolg (variously called Imbolc, Candelmas, Groundhog Day, Saint Brigit's Day) is actually on February 2, most years, but from the perspective of early spring, it seems to me it can run nearly to Spring Equinox (Ostara, Alban Eilir, Gŵyl Ganol y Gwanwyn ). One of the neo-pagan aspects of Imbolc, that I find most interesting, is renewing the vows of what you intend to do within the coming year.

This year, as Wheel of Wonder rolls on, I intend to try to post here more often and expand the repetoir of Interviews, and guests we can bring to you. This year will be a year to include modern Pagan thinkers, Authors, Spiritualists, and Healers. Perhaps you heard the Interview of a couple of weeks ago with Damh the Bard, musician, Druid, and host of Druidcast. This week (February 12, 2012) We'll be Interviewing Heather Dale (Pegasus Award winner 2011), and in the near future Celtic healer Gaishida Kheawok, founder of the British Druid Order Phillip Shallcrass, and hopefully, author Christopher Penczak (he offered to join us last year, perhaps this year we can bring that to fruition, Brigid willing).

So, check back regularly on this Blog, and I will try to do my part to continue to share Insights, ideas, music, and the occasional poem. Perhaps this year some more thought provoking content as well. Thanks and Happy turning of the seasons from Wheel of Wonder!

The Picture above "Moondove" is from Eblanna Raven's website, find out about the wise woman here

Wheel of Wonder January 15, 2012

Once I received a call in the air studio of KAOS while broadcasting a piece about Irish Traditional Witchcraft. Irish Traditional Witchcraft is a spiritual practice passed through certain lineages, those that practice it are known to feel strongly about protecting their family practices. They don't teach them publicly. Some feel there are a lot of good spiritual practices to be gleaned from what these traditionalists make public about their processes.

The question the caller put towards me on that day: " How do you define the difference between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation?" There was a bit of a debate going on in town about a public ritual at the time. This week I'm going to try to address this issue on Wheel of Wonder.

Many people these days are trying to find their true spirit paths, an experience of the divine that makes sense to them on a very personal level, some awakening or epiphany that cannot be found within the limitations of the faith or spiritpath they're raised in, or owe lineage to (perhaps people have always been experiencing this). Can a person's individual truth be limited to only what their race, ethnicity or social class have been taught all these years? Or is the world of Spirit much larger than that? Could perhaps, experience of the divine be beyond racial limitations?

With some insights from well written articles in Thorn Magazine (thornmagazine.com) and music from Pagan artists' expressions of what they feel is divine, we will approach this topic this week on Wheel of Wonder!

The picture "one view" to the right, can be found here

Wheel of Wonder Twelfth Night Post

Welcome to Wheel of Wonder midwinter blog. I write this in the middle of the Twelfth Night Celebrations. The original "12 days of Christmas" fall between the Winter Solstice and the beginning of the Roman New Year (about December 21 - January 1). Its the time of the Saturnalia, Alban Artuan, The Festivals of Lights, and Yule! Last week I shared the silversongs of solstice, and the response was great. Nearly 1/2 dozen phone calls (unusual for an early Sunday Morning). I had occasion to share information on observances of the Solstice and neo-pagan public rituals of the modern age! It also was an occasion for Poetry, inspired by the season.

as Math, son of Mathonwy
would hear it on the wind
so do I...

The snowy whoosh of winter
skis shooshing down their tracks
Thrilling the wind as they ride
smoothly down curvaceous hillsides

The Hare has turned ivory white
The pale Lynx follows
pounces fast
Icy, wintry jaws of death
clamp down

like the crusty snow, surrounding limbs
of the sacred, naked, oaken tree
a haze of frost paints needley fingers
of the silver-blue, and dark green trees

The fir tree has its winter coat too
and bobbles, bangles, and ribbons as well
dressed for its wake
after its final, deadly fall
And yes they celebrate that too

all this, I hear
I hear it on the wind

written by Ray, solstice 2011

I hope you enjoy the blog, and Wheel of Wonder. Now going into its third year!
The picture to the right was found on a great blog: celtic queens.blogspot.com

Wheel of Wonder December 11, 2011

This week we had a Lunar eclipse upon the Full Moon. The night began clear, white frost covered the rooftops glowing in a sparkling blue hue underneath the pale moonlight. Enchanting. Then a misty presence began to form in the night sky, it became cloudy. as the Lunar eclipse began, it looked as though the moon was ducking behind her ethereal vail, so far away in fact she seemed to disappear from sight. Then the misty clouds would move and there she drifted, one more portion of her surface hidden behind the penumbral shadow. I lay awake watching the shadow dance, feeling that energy and wondering..."Am I know present in a time when it would be good to work with one's shadowself?"

The penumbral eclipse, for those who follow the craft of Moon Magic is considered a strong time for craftwork. It is seen by some as a time when the sun and the moon are in perfect union. Some choose this time to work with the dark goddess, while others choose to work with the Sidhe, the Shining ones and Fairy Magic. As one watches the lunar eclipse through the lens of envisioning the threefold Goddess, one sees her go through all three of her phases from rebirth through renewal, to finally, feminine strength. Joining with the shadow of the masculine as the sun plays its part.

This week on Wheel of Wonder, we'll journey through the theme of Moon Music and the story of Pan and Artemis, ending in the ritual of the full moonlight dance. All this through independent music and sourcework of pagan writers, craftworkers, commentators on line, and in print. Enjoy the soundscape, this week on Wheel of Wonder!

The picture to the right is from Starry Skies.com

Wheel of Wonder December 2011

As the year is drawing to a close, I am already resolving to post more often on the Wheel of Wonder site. As the moon and the seasons change, so is Wheel of Wonder changing. Honestly the whole world is changing, look at the occupy movement and the surprisingly recent recognition in the UK of Druidism being a recognized religion, instead of a cultural celebration, as I understand it used to be. Times like these it seems the world is out of balance, but change is afoot. In the near future of Wheel of Wonder I'll not only be covering the interesting perspectives of Bards and Earth Spiritualists, but the rather New age, but still important, ascension ideas as well. I will also try to bring you info about the economic and cultural progressives ever more common in this twenty-first century world.
I feel concepts like Geomancy, multiple dimensions, and energy work are worthwhile topics for Wheel of Wonder too! Don't worry, I'll still bring you great independent music from Bards and Earth Spiritualists, share legends and stories, and interviews with artists, but now, Interviews with writers, spiritual thinkers and environmentalists as well. This truly is a time of wonder. Thank you for taking some of your time to join me on this journey!

Wheel of Wonder October 15,2011

This week on Wheel of Wonder its the Fall Membership drive for KAOS!
KAOS is the great community radio station that has enabled me to bring you Wheel of Wonder since 2009! If you like what I'm trying to do with this Pagan/New Age/Environmental outreach radio show. Please pledge money to keep the wheels turning.
The whole world is turning, I like to think, into a better more spiritual place. People are waking up and getting fed up with the status quo of Corporate Consumption, Religious Persecution, and Environmental Degradation. Independent voices, songs and stories, like you can find on this community radio station are helping to move this process of global growth along. I hope you'll support these efforts. I also hope all of these wonderful artists whether they be from America, Australia, Canada, northern Europe, or the UK,will help in these efforts to share this good message and give a greater voice to their songs and philosophies with their own donations too!
I was looking over this blog and website again before deciding what to post. Wheel of Wonder has evolved and I have also changed in the past few years. It will soon be time to reflect that in this blog. It will still be about Music, Spirituality, pagan and progressive, and wonderful independent music, but I'm beginning to see there is more poetry and philosophy to share. So it will be changing . This time though, for this membership drive, I'm going to take it back to its roots as expressed in the introduction.
This Sunday I will be sharing stories and songs in musical form throughout the whole episode. Once again you can hear Fiontullach, SJ Tucker, and yes of course Damh too, on this episode of Wheel of Wonder! Please tune in and help keep the discs turning and the message continuing on its journey this membership drive week on Wheel of Wonder!

The fine Celtic Design above and to the right was found on the website: Coolchaser

Wheel of Wonder October 2, 2011

Greetings again! Thanks for your patience in waiting for my posts. At Home PC's are expensive! According to the language of nature in this part of the world, the wheel has turned and we've moved into Autumn again. The time of the Oak king is "Past and Passing" (as the Tarot readers would say). But he'll return. The Holly Lord is preparing to take the crown. Of course I'm speaking of the Dynamic, Active energy of Nature, the "Male" polarity if you will.
I've just recently come across a fine meditative/Cyclical approach to engaging the Green Man from the perspective of the honorable Druid/ Author John Matthews. Its about change and "the song of the Green Man, and how Humans engage this aspect of Nature. We''ll share some of that with you this Week on Wheel of Wonder.
And, in the spirit of change, and the past and passing aspects of this civilization we humans live in, I will also share with you some essays of activists from a book I recently found in my local Peace and Justice Library. What are the next generation of Adults and Young Adults doing to put an end to Tyranny in the 21st Century? Especially, what Non-Violent actions are they taking in the face of violence from "The Old Order?" These are Hopeful essays.
Of Course, we will also be hearing lots of great Folk Rock, Rock,New Age, and Pagan Music just as you would expect from Wheel of Wonder! The Wheel starts a'turning at 7Am PST this Sunday Morning on KAOS Olympia 89.3 fm. Streaming at kaosradio.org I hope you'll join me for the Journey.

The Picture of the Autumn Green Man/Druid (see the symbol behind?) was found on this site. Artist unknown to me.