Wheel of Wonder October 25, 2015

As the bright flame of the Celtic year and all of its experiences begins to light the dimming year, more like coals than bonfires now, I begin to see the connection between the events of the beginning of the year and the experiences I'm having now.  Cause and effect , interconnectedness, the tapestry of living, these things surround me as I look back on the passing year and look ahead on the year yet to come.  Its in this spirit of connection that I find the awe and wonder of being one with all , yet singular unto myself as well.  As I prepare for my Samhain ritual and experience, I see the cyclical nature of this dance around the sun we call a chronological year.  I appreciated the sabbat of Samhain last year and the experiences it brought me, I will do the same this year, but this time I'll observe the Sabbat differently, with a different group of people, this is the harvest of my experiences , I've sown new seeds and now I'll reap the benefits of doing so.

  For some the world holds deeper magic now than last year at this time, and for others, they've found new groups of people they have things in common with, and that's what inspires their love of living.  Perhaps even, others have had loved ones they know die , and in that way leave their lives between last Autumn and this one.  Sometimes that can enrich one's love of life as well; a reminder that this incarnation is a fleeting moment in the course of time, one to make the most of as we head into another year.  The Celtic new year begins at sunset on the 31st of October on the Roman calendar, so happy impending new year, may it bring you a bountiful abundance of amazing experiences and blessed be!

 The picture above is entitled Mabon and is by Jason Harrison, The one below is from the "Witches of the Craft" Website

Wheel of Wonder October 4, 2015

The Wheel in which I find the most Wonder is the Celtic Wheel of the Year.  Staying in tune with the cycles of the seasons and all their different energies helps many people, myself included find a sense of meaning and movement in their lives.  Thinking about the way we feel as so many people sharing this yearly dance around the sun, how does our energy feel at different times of the year?  Do we love bicycling on a brisk spring day?  Do we feel that we are more in tune with a sacred, life-giving Earth as we plant our flowers and tend our gardens, helping in the hand of creation as we watch food and flowers grow?  During the bright Summer days do we feel more awake and active, enjoying the outdoors and all the activities we can pursue outside, or do we prefer those cozy nights by the fireplace or in our warm and welcoming homes while our friends and family come to visit?  Perhaps you have a preference for skiing through the silent snow, or the crunch of colorful leaves under your feet and the invigorating chill of an autumn hike?  Perhaps you like all of these!  All these experiences lead us ultimately to CONNECTION, either with the earth or other people.  With an open awareness of the realms of spirit and mind it seems like one can feel their inherent life energy moving from the outgoing to the inward turning as they fully experience their life in the changing of the seasons.  To me, all of these moments we engage in our lives are contained within the change of energy and the change of  seasons represented by the Wheel of the Year, especially when I complete the equation with the many holidays of the neo-pagan calendar designed to celebrate solstices, equinoxes, and  those cross quarter days between the change of seasons.

Wheel of Wonder is broadcast across the airwaves from a 4 year university, or state college here in the northwest corner of North America. Every complete sun cycle, or about the start of the new academic year here, I run Wheel of Wonder's foundational episode "the Celtic Wheel of the Year."  This was my weekend to bring these ideas forward to the listeners choosing to live their lives in this way, and to new listeners interested in hearing how other people can think about the cycles of the year in this way.  This weekend was also for those seekers and scholars who might be  interested in understanding the truth behind the pagan point of view. The change of seasons affects all of us where we live.  Some may dread the coming of winter with its ice and snow, some may dread the heat and drought of summer sunshine.  Being deeply in tune, mentally and spiritually, with the change of the seasons, not separate from them, can make these transitions easier. Many people could benefit from understanding how modern earth spiritualists and indigenous faiths have understood these changes we humans have experienced from time immemorial.  Ultimately, we are all, every one of us, people of this earth, living together in this amazing dance around our sun!

I also wish to offer a HUGE thank-you to all those who started or renewed their memberships with KAOS during last week's pledge drive!  Its only through that support that KAOS can justify continuing to offer the sort of free-form, non-commercial radio that allows shows like Wheel of Wonder to stay on the air.  Thanks again!
------Radio Ray