Wheel of Wonder, January 19, 2025

 In the United States, there is, as opposed to its name. great political polarization at this time. I do hope other Americans remember the truth once told "Divided we Fall." This is a good time for the larger herd of humanitarians to pull together in the USA and work towards the future we desire. Sometimes it seems easy to feel predated upon as we're just coming out from under the energy of the Wolf Moon and may not be happy with what we see on the National stage (especially with tomorrow being inauguration day) Our destiny still lies within our own hands the map to the future is being designed in the present and balance and justice can begin to appear on the horizon like a bright sunbeam breaking through the thick clouds of winter. Many people find the strength and power to push through the rough weather in the ecstasy of nature. It has its own magic and when we tap into that feeling of awe and wonder for what the Earth Mother has given us, we have magic too. We are part of that magick and this knowledge can give us the extra power we need to find strength and balance and create positive change!

The Animists, much like the polytheists, have been aware of that strength of spirit for millennia. In this interconnected web of life we live in we are not one "good guy" against the many "bad guys" but an entire herd of heroes, heroines, and champions working together with all of our allies seen and unseen, spiritual and physical, working towards the greater good. Wolves howl up towards the moon, not so they can shout it down to earth, but so they can communicate with all the others also hunting for justice and equity then work together to achieve their goals! This howling, in its turn also stimulates the bravery of the herd of humanitarians to power forward through what appears to be a great darkness to re-emerge under the light of a brighter day.

Today on Wheel of Wonder the goal is to explore these possibilities and meanings through music, poetry and the songs and words of an awakened spirit. If you missed the original broadcast on KAOS community radio remember kaos community radio  can connect you to an archive of this episode. Blessed Be

The image of a Wolf/Coyote above is AI generated and was found on a free image search

Wheel of Wonder April 12 2020

"Reflecting on Animism"

"Animism encompasses the beliefs that all material phenomena have agency, that there exists no hard and fast distinction between the spiritual and physical (or material) world and that soul or spirit or sentience exists not only in humans, but also in other animals, plants, rocks, geographic features such as mountains or rivers or other entities of the natural environment: water sprites, vegetation deities, tree sprites..." (Wikipedia, because, why not?)

Another aspect of Animism lies in the idea that there is a divine intelligence at work in nature, and in the universe. When modern neo pagans speak of Mother Earth or Gaia it is often from a belief that the Earth spirit manifested is an entity one can feel, connect with and interact with. Interestingly, scientific discoveries about the interconnectedness of life cycles and biomes also attribute an amazing ability for nature to keep everything in balance as well, almost as if it were operating with a divine intelligence!  Hmmn.

Today on Wheel of Wonder the focus of the journey will be not on the christian holiday (surprised?), but on the interface, the interactions of the nature of Humans and the importance of plants to our lives, our mental and physical health, and our livelihoods. I don't know if quarantines where you are, designed to protect  you from the potentially savage intelligence of a mysterious virus, allow you to get outside and walk beneath o among the green, through the desert, or along the shore, but perhaps the musical mindflight of Wheel of Wonder will help you connect with nature from a place of safety and comfort.

As celt pagan artist Mickie Mueller observes in her intuitive description of the resonance  of the Ogham power Ngetal (Broom or Reed) "Shelter the Spirit with the power of Hearth and Home ,and allow harmony to shelter body and mind" (from "Voice of the Trees" Tarot companion book p.81, by Mueler)

The Coleus to the right is a photograph from plant Shaman Howard G. Charing. check out his blog here

Wheel of Wonder April 5 2020

This Sunday on Wheel of wonder we'll journey through the music of dreams, the dreaming, and stories of the sidhe. Dreams create their own realities. The dreaming is the place where some have said the Shamans go to heal and help their people. As Robert Moss says in the introduction to his book Dreaming True: How to dream your future and change your life for the better "In our dream travels, we not only enter other times, but other dimensions where we may encounter spiritual sources of insight and healing.  In big dreams, we may be open to a higher guidance we screen out in the midst of our hurriedor ego-driven agendas. The guidance may come from a dream messenger--an angelic being, a departed loved one, an animal guardian--or direct from the Source.  We might call this the Higher Self. I sometimes think of this spiritual source as the God we can talk to."
May the dream music help you find insight as well

The picture above is called Fairy Dream Symbol from the website dreamstop.com, and appears to have been created by Stephen Klein

Wheel of Wonder March 29, 2020

This week's Wheel of Wonder will be all music. It will be music that celebrates the spring equinox, living in balance and even rebirth (Alban Eiler, the Druids would call it) but it will be all music. I'm planning to work narration in as pre-recorded Wheel of Wonder episodes continue, so stay tuned!

Wheel of Wonder Ostara 2020

During this time of  caution related to curtailing the spread of the Corvid-19, "Coronavirus" Wheel of Wonder will not be broadcast live on KAOS 89.3fm. KAOS functions out of The Evergreen State College, an institute of higher learning, where one can earn a Bachelors of Arts or Bachelors of Science degree, it also offers a couple of Masters degree tracks. But as with many colleges in America, it closed for a time until the threat of catching novel coronavirus passes. So, its time to revisit the old blog, dusty as the strings of my harp in the upstairs art studio, and connect with some of the people who may have followed this blog in the past or might decide to start reading it now if they have spare time on their hands. I'll be creating MP3s to send to KAOS so they can run pre-recorded Wheel of Wonder episodes.
Beyond all of that, it is still spring! I can sit in my little garden and watch the Tulips, Daffodils and Hyacinths come in to bloom. I can watch the bluebirds, chickadees, and squirrels build their nests, and find their mates. Crows and Seagulls voices still carry across the wind.

Nature has a way of balancing herself and with 7.5 Billion people on our Earth, we might just be witnessing part of her process. But we still are compassionate and caring people with a free will of our own, and we are at a crossroads, do we choose fear, or do we choose to care for each other through the challenges before us? Perhaps its a balance of both? We keep ourselves safe, with social distancing,very regular hand washing and exemplary courage and compassion for a time, as we work towards a world, even towards cohesive government policies that help us to take care of the sick and ill. Then, this too shall pass. Spring equinox is all about balance and the beginnings of a new life. Blessed Be.
----Radio Ray

The picture above is a place I like to call Fearn Duir in the foothills above the southern tip of the Salish Sea. Nature spirits and Salmon wisdom are found here.

Wheel of Wonder Imbolc 2018

Our ninth cycle around the Wheel of the Year!  I like Imbolc as a time of new beginnings and a time of confirming one's intentions. Every ending is a beginning though when turn with the cycles of the year. This year I intend to continue Wheel of Wonder. Since the inception of this show we've passed the great shift of 2012 (some say this brings us closer to the age of Aquarius) some say this is the time when we move closer to the Christ Consciousness (Consciousness of Compassion) because we Humans are evolving as a species. I think the work of the 21st Century is to learn how to survive and thrive cooperatively. We have reached astounding levels of technological and industrial mastery, that may have been the work of the 20th century, unfotunately it may have also ushered in the Anthropocene era, where we as Humans have more impact on the natural world than she can recover from through her normal cycle of death rebirth growth in nature.  Universal truth though: Climate change doesn't care about us, it is a result of our hubris.  Perhaps the great Mother does not need Human Beings, over millions of years she's had many children, we are just the latest generation. We need the great Mother and from a pedestrian, non-spiritual perspective, we need to learn how to live in tune with nature, even in an Anthropocene era. It is what keeps us alive. Money seems to be a tool for things, but if there is no food left to eat, or clean air and water left to drink and breathe? We cannot buy what doesn't exist! May our Inspired, Informed, Awareness bring us into a world of peace and health beginning this year. The great work of the 21st Century has begun!

Above are Imbolc inspired pictures: "Aquarian Awakening: The Perfection" and 'Santa Lucia'
re postings of pictures we've used before in this blog happy Candelmass!

Wheel of Wonder January 21 2018

Sometimes it seems we Humans are all part of an interconnected web of life, but as individuals we find ourselves in a false dichotomy where we believe we can't be both an individual and part of  a whole.  Perhaps then the true dichotomy is that we are all separate threads in a greater tapestry of life.
Most of us individually want a sense of personal autonomy, we've seen this reflected in the countrywide women's marches of the USA just yesterday, part of the motivation seems to have been Mr. Trump deciding to decrease funding to planned parenthood, under the mistaken idea that all they do in that organization is give women abortions.  Planned Parenthood actually is focused on family planning and educating women about their choice to be or not to be a Mother and how that can be facilitated.  The going idea seems to be, at least with the Trump administration that women aren't allowed to choose whether or not they become Mothers at any particular time, whether this is completly true or night is beside the point here. It comes across to the women of America, and their allies that the US Government is not respecting their personal autonomy. Though this may be less about the Government than about the influence of the Catholic Church, which has a long history of not respecting Women's personal autonomy. I do not gender identify as a woman so I can not speak much more about that and still feel that I'm being respectful to my friends, relations and sisters Pagan or otherwise and what they have and do go through as individuals of female identity.

Picture above "The Dancing Muse" from Wiccan Together, a website that seems to have been taken out by a computer virus.
How has the desire for independence revealed itself in the past? Especially among the historic cultures I am co-opting nothing to talk about, as they are part of my ancestry. For many hundreds of years Ireland and Scotland fought hard to retain their independence from England. For cultures connected to the land they live on, this could be understood as a matter of autonomy and their rights to traditional lands, not so different a dynamic than rights to the body when you are that connected to the land. What pushes one to act? How far will people allow things to go before they say "enough is enough!" How far would you go to protect the land you call home? This is pertinent to the 21st century and is what we explored today on Wheel of Wonder. Profit seeking economies or person serving economies seems to be what this comes down to these days.  Long ago the Scots had their heroes affectionately known as William Wallace and "The Bruce" These days though, we have to be our own heroes as we learn the meaning of courage while still understanding the efficacy of firm non-violence, so as not to just depose one dictator for another. This is one of the largest challenges I think we face in this 21st century, this perhaps, anthropocene era.

Portrait above Robert the Bruce from the historic website Ancient Pages

Wheel of Wonder January 7 2018

As we prepare to take another Journey around the Sun, some of us cannot help but wonder  "Is this the year we learn to walk in balance? Balanced between masculine and feminine, balanced between human needs and natural systems?" Looking at the political movements across the global landscape is this the beginning of a time of balance between socialism and capitalism? Neither economic system seems capable of staying just and sustainable if let alone to go all the way to its ultimate expression, both outcomes would seem to be tyranny. For the health of humans and our home planet it seems we must remain vigilant and strong, yet open to some change. We seem to be in an Anthropocene era, which does not mean we have finally conquered nature, no, Mother Nature will remind us not to give way to hubris: flood, fire, freezing, forming hurricanes are still real possibilities to remind us we are not omnipotent, regardless of our scientific advances.

Perhaps this year will be another step towards transformation and balance. If we as Humans work together, empowered by that which has inspired us, informed through our new, and ongoing scientific discoveries and achieving awareness of each other's challenges through Compassion and Empathy truly amazing things can be done.

INSPIRED INFORMED AWARENESS is my wish for all in this new year

May light and hope guide us on our journeys, and blessed be.

A fine wheel of the year/interconnected world image from The Celtic Journey website

And a link to a wonderful video, related, but not quite the same composed/created by one Melody Sheep at this Link

Wheel of Wonder December 31, 2017

We've made it through the longest night, the wheel of the year turns and we head back into the light...
This is a time to harvest the fruits of your labors over the past year, speaking in terms of Pope Gregory's Calendar anyway.  The Celtic Calendar had the new year beginning at sunset on Samhain.
What have you learned over the past year? What seeds of community or self-improvement (or both, at the same time)have you placed in the care of Mother Earth and your place in this reality?  Or, the next one you intend to go to? All Humans have the will and skill to design their own destiny. As the Gregorian year ends and a new one begins I try to be like Janus, looking both forwards and backwards in time from the present to plan for the future.  What good works will we see completed this year, what works have met completion in the passing year? What works will you do? I hope to keep working on Wheel of Wonder, learn from the past, help and share with my fellow earth beings in the present, while planning for the future. It seems so very important for all of us to focus on conserving and sustaining our global ecosystem.  This is the lifeforce that supports our bodies, that keeps the Human species alive. May you have a fruitful and fulfilling 2018.  Blessed Be.

Wheel of Wonder Reboot December 24th 2017

Hello my friends and fellow travelers on the wheel of the year!  The Wheel of Wonder is still turning, I am still broadcasting out of KAOS (kaosradio.org) Sunday Mornings PST (7am - 10am for the time being).  I haven't posted for a year?!? WTF? I think the American texters say. Here's to holiday hopes and cheers that this will change in the coming up year.  It has been a busy and beautiful year! I worked many hours, every week, nearly every day, but the occupation kept me outside, in nature all the time.  Sometimes building new trails through state and national public lands with hand tools, large and small, sometimes walking among the Elk herds, or tending indigenous oak groves, sometimes preparing for and protecting people from the ravages of floods.  On occasion I would even do Naturalist Interpreter work ,or even educational outreach, about shellfish, shellfish harvesting, and the hidden and adaptive lifeforms thriving on these cold northern beaches.  And of course there was the National November Novel Writing Month Challenge (my third book). Thanks for listening to Wheel of Wonder and look for more posts here in the new year.

Wheel of Wonder January 29, 2017

From The Goddess and The Greenman(goddessandgreenman.co.uk):


Imbolc is traditionally the great festival and honouring of Brigid (Brighid, Bride, Brigit), so loved as a pagan Goddess that her worship was woven into the Christian church as St Bridget. She is a Goddess of healing, poetry and smithcraft. She is a Goddess of Fire, of the Sun and of the Hearth. She brings fertility to the land and its people and is closely connected to midwives and new-born babies. She is the Triple Goddess, but at Imbolc she is in her Maiden aspect.


Imbolc, it is the promise of renewal, of hidden potential, of earth awakening and life-force stirring. Here is hope. We welcome the growth of the returning light and witness Life's insatiable appetite for rebirth. It is time to let go of the past and to look to the future, clearing out the old, making both outer and inner space for new beginnings.

Beautiful picture above from the Druids of the Order of Aspen. (May be an OBOD seed group?)  Imbolc reminds us that the desire to burn away the cold and depression of winter and of disappointments is always just under the surface and ready to burst like new life that triumphs over the slow death of a cynical viewpoint on the world.  Connecting with the spirit of Imbolc helps us to become more than a pale shadow of our former selves.  Instead, we can be an embodiment of all our best aspects of courage, character and inspiration, we can become an active participant in our world.
Happy Imbolc! (February 2)


 

Wheel of Wonder January 22, 2017

I don't actually know if its actually "The Trump Era" in the United States, but many people in this country are disturbed by what they think the newly inaugurated President will do.  Well, in the sense of US History, we've been in situations were unjust laws and viewpoints have been held by people in powerful political positions.  These "eras" cast long cold shadows over many people's viewpoints, and in some cases a instilled a fear in them that action would be taken against them just because of  their personal identity or genetic ethnicity.  The people who faced these fears stood up to them, organized against them and made some advances towards a more ethical and just society.  It seems that President Trump has inspired people into these sort of actions once again, though as Americans, we don't actually know what he is really going to do while he is in office.

To me it looks like a classic scenario of people forgetting they had a shadow side, a "darker side" and oppressing and ignoring it.  A Millionaire TV celebrity and a cabinet of White Millionaire/Billionaires now holding positions in government.  America, behold your shadow!  Ignoring and choosing not to learn from what your shadowside tells you, rather than making it disappear, will eventually make it impossible to ignore, at that point it could potentially become a dominant factor in your life, or perhaps the life of your country?  Our shadowsides seem to embody all that is flawed in our characters, but like a trickster tale, they are there to remind us what is wrong or ineffective in our lives and culture.  Pagans and Spiritualists who spend time , usually during the dark time of the year between Samhain and Imbolc, doing shadow work honestly engage their darker natures and the spirits, gods, goddesses, and personas that reflect it.  The trick then , as I understand it, is not to give in and become your shadow completely, but honestly consider and analyze what it is trying to tell you, so you can learn and improve your life.  Do you sometimes feel selfish or greedy?  Perhaps your shadowside is trying to tell you that you have not been taking care of your needs, monetary, material, and emotional well enough and you should give these more thought and plan actions that will help you to get these needs met?  If you don't, quite possibly your concern about these things will begin to consume your time and adversely effect your work, your lifestylle, and your relationships. 
This would be the shadowside "Taking Over" to insist it must be heard, wereas had one engaged these aspects, in an attempt to understand them and learn from them in the first place, they could be managed better and not become obsessions or social ills manifesting in one's life.  As with death and rebirth, Winter and Spring, hope and growth waits beyond the shadows, but first we must journey through them.  Many of these challenges we as a people can face together.  Take heart in that brighter day joining us from the future and blessed be!

This picture found at Pinterest, copyright free as of 1/22/2017, by all available information.

Wheel of Wonder, January 1 2017

Following last post:  I did indeed spend a great deal of time engaging nature, and the hills and forests I call home through the month of December.  Back for the New Year (according to the Gregorian Calendar).

Those of you who listen to Wheel of Wonder, or follow the blog and live in America may well be concerned about the results of our last Presidential election.  Honestly, some outside of America may be concerned too.  The problems that anger Americans in this country full of fiercely independent minded people are addressed well in this YouTube video and no this is not the new President of the USA, but it is the message that's important and still pertinent, even after the results of our last election.

The dark half of the year is often viewed by Earth spiritualists as the time to honestly look at, and acknowledge our shadow selves.  To understand and learn what our self-generated, darker selves really represent.  It is advised by those who engage in shadow work that we listen to our darker selves and learn what negative traits we should be aware of , before through our ignorance, they grow into a controlling force that harms our peaceful co-existence.  America, behold your shadow!
This process of awakening is not about just the pain and fear we must work our way through and learn from, it is about taking action to keep the shadow self from continuing to control our lives.  If we can learn from our darker halves, whether they be consumer, misogynist, colonial, or insensitive, acknowledge their existence, without embracing them as our identities, just another tool for learning who we are, then we can respectfully distance ourselves from these shadow aspects before they overtake our better selves and realities.  If we refuse to acknowledge them, their power will grow, until we are consumed by them.  Learn from your shadow, but don't let it control you.  My advice is that we all consistently put forward our best effort to find our better Angels, to be as good to the Earth and other people as we are capable of being.  Many current world leaders seem to be leading us the wrong direction, their views perhaps unduly biased by fear, power envy and greed.  these are shadows we must acknowledge, but they don't have become the spirits that define us.  We all can think, we all can plan and organize, we don't need our governments to do it for us.  What kind of world do you want to experience in the course of your lifetime?  What kind of a world do you want to leave for those who remain when you are gone?

Today is the beginning of a new year on many calendars.  What kind of year do you want this to be?  We are here, now, we are planting the seeds for future beliefs.

I found this winter solstice tree image on a kids educational site about the solstice.

Wheel of Wonder November 6, 2016

Everyone has a place they call home, and even as they travel many can feel it calling them back again.  Some will change their place of living, or seek out their ancestral lands, move there.  Most will still feel the call of the place where they defined themselves as people, its part of their identity.  I think all places have a unique energy , a unique sort of song, that I think, is the voice of the Spirit of place.  Perhaps that is what, in part inspires poetry and song.  Yet there is still another level to the experience when we feel connected to that special place, because it is beautiful, because it is part of our life, it occurs when we step into stewardship, the honoring of that special place.  Then we are required to be brave and all of our actions should be considered in terms of the impact we have on that place, and how other people feel about that place, how they are inspired to protect it.  I think this is another step towards the deep Magick of being in relationship with spirits of place.  That loving, yet incessant calling that brings us back home into a good relationship with nature, and through that compassion, helps our spirits to evolve and grow.  Conscious evolution is one of the greatest benefits of living on this earth.  Enjoy the forests, rivers, trees, sunrises and sunsets of the place you call home.  Walk in beauty, live in joy, listen for the song of the spirits.

 Earth my Body
Water my Blood
Air my Breath and
Fire my Spirit

I am born of the Elements

Wheel of Wonder Samhain 2016

Ah yess.....hello again friends!  My naturalist work, as you'll see listed in my profile, has kept me out and about, often in the wilderness, and away from the computer for any reason besides interpretive research and development.  Now as we head into the dark time of the year, I look forward to adding to and updating this venue as the wheel of the seasons turns.  Most people understand Samhain is the name of the original Celtic holiday modern Halloween is descended from.  The costumes are similar to the mumming and guising traditions of people dressing as the sidhe, the spirits of the dead and often other faerie folks both seelie and unseelie (nice and not nice) in order to collect tributes and offerings in order to receive blessings or protections from the spirits of the fay.  Further, food was often collected so you could invite the spirits of your ancestors to a Samhain feast if they were lost or suffering and to pay tribute to them for all the good things they brought to your family during their years of living.
Mummers would sing songs, tell stories. show parlor tricks, or share prose as they traveled door to door to collect the tributes.  Wouldn't it be nice to have "Trick or Treaters" come to your door on Halloween night and share something with you besides a "Trick or Treat?"  I certainly don't feel deeply moved to give offerings for my protection or to honor fictitious superheroes or disney characters!  Chances are if you have kids familiar with consumer culture you've already made offerings of money to the creators of these fictions.

Samhain is believed to be one of those times of the year when the veil, the separation between this world and the world of the spirits is thinner than is normal and a fine night for divining the future and connecting with the spirits of one's ancestry and of the past.  This Samhain it is a night of the new moon, if one does new moon rituals, it may be easier to ask for help in achieving something through ceremony and magic!  But don't get lost in the underworld or faerieland.  Shamans and Druids may see Samhain as a night were it is easy to travel between this world and the otherworld, all or at least most should be sure to ground and center before attempting contact with the spirit world.  It is a thrilling night for people who hold these belief systems close to their heart and spirit. Some will say it is the best night to confront your shadowself , hear its beliefs and understand it and how it can help you through your challenges in life, leaving you free through the coming new year to benefit from the wisdom of darkness, without allowing your darker side to overtake or overrule your better nature.
May your beliefs lead you to wisdom and may your truth burn its way through the fog of confusion, continuing to light the along your journey.  Blessed be.

First picture from elfwood. Second picture Samhain by midnightstouch both from DeviantArt