Wheel of Wonder April 14, 2013

Hello, well its catching up time again!  Week before last on Wheel of Wonder we completed the Elemental Episodes with the fifth Element:  Spirit.  Or as we saw defined on the website gnosticteachings.org:  spirit: mid-13c., "animating or vital principle in man and animals."  In the belief systems of the five spiritual Elements (Air, Earth, Fire, Water, Spirit; sometimes called Ether). Spirit flows through everything, often when I think about the Pentagram, I think about it as the Fifth Point, it could also be represented by being of the place that is the center in the sacred circles some earth spiritualists call forth in ritual.  It was interesting to look at the online gnostic teachings available on this subject.  Gnosticism is of course Christian Mysticism, and some say relate to very powerful energies, so be aware and proceed with respect and caution if you should choose to investigate them.
The week that followed as I was running through my thoughts on what should be our next topic of discussion, eventually I decided to grab a deck of Celtic Tarot Cards, do an Alchemists spread and see what came up.  The overall message I found in that Tarot drawing involved many "swords" cards but almost all in relation to the signifier card of "The Sun." because of that significator, it was overall about as positive a message as you can get from 5 cards, three of which are swords.  The message I found was one of Humans becoming more aware of, or  perhaps, remembering the spiritual dimension of we Human Beings, and using that knowledge to create a better world.  That is the time this reading said we live in.  What a wonderful message!
This week is very important though, because this week is the week of the KAOS membership drive.  KAOS gives me a medium through which to share these neat Pagan, Indigenous, Sustainable, and New age ideas live on FM radio!  The only reason I can do that is because KAOS remains a non-commercial radio station, it doesn't matter if corporate media does not see Wheel of Wonder's message as important or profitable for there bottom line, because the people who listen to KAOS ("One of the top 10 non-commercial stations in the USA" according to Performer magazine, and The Princeton Review) donate actual money to support it.  There are not very many fully independent media outlets left in this country and I hope whether you enjoy listening to Wheel of Wonder, or just reading the blog, or if you are indeed one of the select and wonderful artists I play the music of, or one of the great thinkers I direct traffic to the websites of, that you will consider donating money to KAOS,  this week.
Blessed Be
---Radio Ray

Catching up on the Journey: Wheel of Wonder March 4, 2012

"Interconnectedness is not a value limited to Pagans--it's one that is found at the heart of every spiritual tradition I know of. Is there a spiritual teaching or sacred text anywhere that proclaims, "Let the little children starve while the rich amass more wealth, drive the lower middle classes from their homes and reward corruption?" It's the role of religion and spirituality to challenge people to think beyond themselves and their immediate prospects for gain, to remind us that we are all in this together and bear responsibility for one another and for the earth we stand on, and to speak the hard truths that politicians do not tell us."

----Starhawk, from her article in the Washington Post: An Economy of Interconnection (September 17, 2008)

Two weeks back, I spoke on Wheel of Wonder about the current state of the globalized economy, its overreaching power, sustainable alternatives, and how to build a different model for the economy that does not rely on exploit and overusing the people and natural resources of our Planet Earth. One of these is a Generative Economy: "The generative economy is built on a foundation of stakeholder ownership designed to generate and preserve real wealth—resources held and shared by our communities and the ecosystems we live in. These enterprises don’t have absentee ownership shares trading in a casino economy, but ownership held in human hands."

--- Marjorie Kelly, from "Can there be "Good" Corporations?" YES Magazine Issue 61, Spring 2012

Last week, on Wheel of Wonder we spoke of Theosophist ideas, or the principles of Ascension. Ascensionists believe the Human kind, and Mother Gaia (The Planet Earth) are on the verge of a Spiritual Ascension, one that can take us beyond the limitations of "Third Dimensional /Linear Existence" and closer to the source of all creation. This has to do in part with the shifting of vibrational frequencies and the idea that all matter is merely energy vibrating at a certain speed (much like string theory) and that we, as humans have the innate mental and spiritual capacity to shift our own state of energy and by so doing we can help shift the energetic state of not only our spirits, but the entire world. Part of this process is based in viewing the world and all humanity from a perspective of compassion and love. We used source work in part from Christopher Penczak's book Ascension Magick.

This week, in the Spirit of the Journey I'll focus on the idea of The Bardic Journey, or the Journey to enlightenment based in some part on Celtic ideas drawn from Druidry, and perhaps some interesting connections between these ideas and the legends and beliefs of other religious and spiritualist paradigms. Some source work this week will be from the book "Journey of the Bard" by Yvonne Owens (1997, Horned Owl Publishing, Victoria, Canada). As always and as with the last two weeks, we will also be hearing great New Age, Celtic, Indy and Eclectic "music of the spirit" as you have come to expect on Wheel Of Wonder. Check us out at kaosradio.org Sunday Morning (PST) and now, Playlists on spinatron.com (click the link to KAOS). Hope you'll join me for the Journey!

The Picture above was found in the Spiritual Awakening section of the website thegic.org

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 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.

Wheel of Wonder July 24 -31 2011

The Wheel Spins and so we've reached Lughnasadh and Lammas, The Time of the first harvest, although here in the Northwest we've had such a cold, wet Summer, just about all of our harvestable crops are running a bit behind! This reminds me of a presentation about climate change I had attended while pursuing my Masters in Environmental Science Degree. The presenter explained one of the likely results of Climate Change on the Northwest could be shorter, wetter Summers and earlier Autumns. I've been watching the trees. The trees always know what time of the year it is, and seem to stubbornly follow their usual yearly cycles at the appointed times regardless of we misguided Humans and our altering of the climate through pollution. So it was no surprise to me the other day when I saw my first advertised as "zero emissions" compact car in town and it was called the "Leaf." (put out by Nissan). Maybe, as the Druids would advocate, people can and are learning wisdom from the Trees.

But what about this obscure (to some) holiday called Lughnasadh, or Lammas? What's that about then? One thing that occurs in my experience (over and over again) is that this time of the first harvest is also the symbolic death of the Oak King, Some would call him John Barleycorn, the Green man turned Golden, or call this shift of seasons the rise of the Holly King. It is the time when the wisdom of the Paternal, the survivor, the thoughtful and insightful aspects of the male polarity of nature come into power, harsh yet wise, to help us through the winter. It is another one of those 'times in between" of ritual, and sacrifice, as referred to in song and legend and in the burning of the Wicker Man (strikingly not similar to the Hollywood movie of the same name).

We still can look forward to the great festivals of Mabon; the Autumn Harvest, and we can also still enjoy the hot, sunny days of the late summer. Last week on Wheel of Wonder I covered Lughnasadh well in song and thought and story. This week, while I'm out experiencing the long last days of Summer and perhaps some of the rituals that go with it, friend to Wheel of Wonder; Bridgit will be sitting in for me from 7am-10am, spinning Celtic Music for your listening pleasure. Still festive jigs and reels wot? I'll return next week to Wheel of Wonder. Happy Lughnasadh, Lammas, Vacation, or whatever you might call it. Thanks for listening to Wheel of Wonder, and following the blog!

Hot new tunes to check out;

Pipes of Pan (CD)

Australian Musicians Louisa John Krol, Wendy Rule, Adrienne Piggot, Dandelion Wine, and many more created this tape , produced in connection with P.A.N; The Pagan Awareness Network (International Not-for-Profit). Check out this Link

---Radio Ray

Wheel of Wonder April 24 to Beltane, 2011

Happy Beltane! Another multiple week blog, as home PCs can be quite expensive. Its great to be blogging again on this Beltane Eve! This is the second annual Beltane show on Wheel of Wonder. Wheel of Wonder landed in its first weekly timeslot on KAOS shortly after Beltane 2009. That particular episode was not a Beltane show though. It has been my pleasure to bring you many broadcasts since then. Whoever you are, wherever you are, you can still here Wheel of Wonder streaming online at kaosradio.org just adjust your listening time to whatever time occurs at the same moment that is 6am Sunday Morning Pacific Northwest (Seattle) time. Here's a helpful site for that: world clock meeting planner.
Beltane is a time for celebrations and new awakenings! It is the time of the great dance of life between the God and the Goddess; the male and female polarity within us all. The inimitable time of the year when one can feel Nature's energy of spring, most intensely.
We began speaking of new awakenings last week through the story of the character Ayve. Ayve is an individual who walks toward us out of fables untold, he was a person who felt an acute compassion, or love of nature, but lived on a planet where people blinded by greed misused his mother planets natural resources, and he hunted down these perpetrators with the intention of bringing them to justice. Well, Ayve lives on a planet where magic is afoot and it was after a time of learning from the realm of spirit that he met other who sought to protect nature too. He then soon learned that he was part of the whole and that more people sought to protect his world than those who sought to exploit it, it was after learning this that he truly gained great wisdom and worked with this majority to begin to change his world and every person on that planet's relationship to her. Ayve lives on and his story isn't finished yet, but it began with a personal awakening. New awakenings can be part of the experience of Beltane!
There are also many myths, legends, and Archetypes related to May day within the Earth Spiritualist perspective and with some help from the works of John Matthews, Michelle Skye and perhaps Robin Williamson, I will endeavor to share some of them with you this week, on Wheel of Wonder!

Wheel of Wonder April 10, 2011

This week on Wheel of Wonder is the week for the Spring Membership drive for KAOS independent , publicly accessible Radio. It appears the federal(US) funding for such stations as these is being pulled, so its very important that people who like and listen to independent voices like the ones I bring to the airwaves call during the pledge breaks this week or go online to kaosradio.org to offer financial support to this not for profit radio station.
If you call or contact KAOS during Wheel of Wonder (ph# 360 867 KAOS, or if you prefer: 360-867-5267) 8am-9am Pacific Standard Time USA to pledge, the management of the radio station will know that there are pagans and progressive expansive thinkers out there who enjoy hearing the music and philosophies of the modern earth spiritualists, Bards and Musicians like we play and share on Wheel of Wonder. So please connect and support at whatever level you can, even if its just a good comment about the show. That's how we build community!
I know, I know, sounds like a commercial, but it isn't. Membership support is what a small not for profit community radio station runs on in the USA. No Corporate salaries or commercial time for sale here.
This week I'll be here working on sharing information on the artists I play and their spiritual paths, as I understand them, not only is that interesting, but if their songs inspire you, or speak the truth to your heart/head you might be one step closer to understanding your spiritual truth, you may know what to investigate on your own, and their may very well be a link to it right here in the sidebar! Other times one just has to know what one would be losing to appreciate it better. I can't podcast, I might be the only one or one of very few people in the world running a Pagan information and music show on the FM frequency! Hope to keep it running too. Thanks for tuning into Wheel of Wonder throughout the past few years, I hope to hear from you this week. Bright Blessings!
The picture of The Green Man is a CG by Pete O' Malley. Check it out , and his other art to here

Wheel of Wonder March 13, 2011

Sunday's Wheel of Wonder occurred on the date closest to the first ever broadcast of the show on the Olympia Airwaves. The first ever broadcast of Wheel of Wonder was on March 18th, 2009, as a "Rookie Radio" installment. So I chose this episode to be a "2nd year Anniversary Special ," went right back to the roots and re-created a Celtic Wheel of the Year show. I followed through song, information, and ideology the meaning of Samhain, Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lughnasadh (lammas) and back around to Mabon. I will hope to see posts and opinions around it soon.

The key purpose, the string of meaning through observing these ancient Holidays, beyond the harvest and fun, seems to be in living in closer awareness to the natural flow and energetic cycles of the Earth Mother. I am idealistic enough to believe this could very well be one recognizable path towards living in better relationship with the land and each other.

I think agrarian, indigenous, and environmentalist people know this, even if it does not fit their faith path to consider themselves "Pagan" or "Shamanic." That is the appeal of learning about ancient belief and perhaps even new age, ways of thinking.

I hope you have been enjoying Wheel of Wonder over the past few years, and the information I've tried to make available on this blog. The picture above and to the right is from my Garden.

Wheel of Wonder February 27, 2011

A Bard I once met would tell me "if a story's worth telling, its worth telling more than once!" and isn't that at the heart of the oral tradition anyway? I say, if its new music that fits into the Wheel of Wonder radio show's genre, it should be played there. So it is this week on Wheel of Wonder. Once again, like the virtual Troubadour, I've ventured out, sought the songs, and brought them back to share with all ye listeners. Songs inspired by the Mythic Cycles of Ireland. Together, this week by the LCD lights of your chosen radio or Internet device we'll visit through word and song Mythic Ireland and the Evils of Balor, the Heroics of Lugh, the Tragedy of the Children of Lir, and the sorrowful life of the beautiful Diedre. We'll be reminded of the miraculous birth of ChuChulain, and the transition of time between the Milesians and the Fianna. We will also hear of Finn McCool and of the son of he and Sadbh; Oisin.

Perhaps with some history from The Book of Conquests and certainly new music Classical, Celtic and even edgy Metal from Robert Lamb, Anuna, and Cruachan (watch for new Artist Links to appear soon in the list on this blog). So feel free to build a fire in your fireplace, picture yourself around a campfire and think of the radio waves as smoke carrying the medium of knowledge when you tune in today to Wheel of Wonder.

The Painting to the right is called "Ossian awakening the spirits on the banks of the Lora with the sound of his Harp"painted in 1801 by French Romanticist Francois Gerard. The character Ossian is a Scottish variation of Oisin, son of Finn McCool. There is some discussion as to whether Ossian is based in History or Scottish imagination. Either way, I like this work of Classic Art.

Wheel of Wonder January 30, 2011

Welcome to the Imbolc installment of Wheel of Wonder! This week I'l of course be speaking of Imbolc; the first festival of the returning light. Not only light like the light of the returning Sun King, but also Brigit's light. The Sacred flame of Bridgit, fire of wisdom, creativity and inspiration. The 10th century Cormac’s Glossary describes Bridgit as the daughter of the Daghda, the “Great God” of the Tuatha de Danaan. He calls her a “woman of wisdom…a goddess whom poets adored, because her protection was very great and very famous." Since the discipline of poetry, filidhect, was interwoven with seership, Brigid was seen as the great inspiration behind divination and prophecy, the source of oracles. (source: "Chalice Centre for Celtic and western magical traditions" Mara Freeman;chalicecentre.net)

Additionaly, this week we'll have a live, pre-recorded interview with Kellianna Chanter, singer, and priestess. She'll talk about ancient stories and the modern Pagan Path, as well as share some explanation of her take on Imbolc and the meaning behind some of her songs.

Also, in relation to the celebration of light I'll try to fit in a bit of information on a new and interesting belief system in the craft of Spirit growth the Lightworkers movement. I hope you find the time to tune in this week for Wheel of Wonder!

The Image to the right is a very popular design by Wendy Andrew, see more of her art at this site

December 19, 2010

Merry Silver Solstice from Wheel of Wonder! This week's broadcast is the one closest to Midwinter's Eve in the Northern Hemisphere, so you can expect a Yule program!

Whether its called Alban Arthuan, Yule, or the deep midwinter, it is also known as the Winter Solstice. The shortest day of the year when all seems darkest, but as in many different cultures , on the very darkest night the Sun is reborn as the baby sun king! Bringer of light and hope! Even while the land seems to lie sleeping and in the Northern Hemisphere, the brow of the Goddess has turned pale as frost and sometimes the wind is deathly cold. Light is returning. But Winter has a quiet beauty to it also and brings many people together around the fire or into our homes, as we celebrate the Holidays.

On this week's Wheel of Wonder, we'll talk about the beliefs of solstice recognized by the Druids and Pagans, and perhaps others as well, as I take us on a journey of Celtic, Holiday Music. Music that carries the beauty of the cerulean winter sky, the calm silence of the falling snow, and the festivity of the Troubadour.

This week we will also check in again with Jane Valencia, Bard and Healer, as our live holiday guest. Jane will speak with us about Healing Harp, Medicine Animal and Medicine Plant lore, and perhaps even Home Schooling one's children to include an understanding of Earth's Sacred Nature in their educational upbringing. Hear Hope and Joy this week on Wheel of Wonder!

The beautiful picture above is from the Crystalinks the science and metaphysics Website, artist unknown.

Wheel of Wonder December 12, 2010

This week on Wheel of Wonder its "Into the Starry Morn." Its a time of moonlight, starlight and early morning frost. These dark days of Washington winter one can wake up in the dark, even when its a normal morning wake-up time, go about one's day and come home when its dark again(about 4:30pm)!

Its the time of cold wind, Crows and the long , rainy, or starry night. How would the Ancients see such times? Would their views make sense to us, inform us now? This week we'll speak of Air Spirits, The symbolic powers of the birds, and awe of the starry night. What beings may dwell in them? You can also look forward to hearing Folk Music, Celtic Music, Appalachian Music, Bardic Stories, yes, Holiday Music and even New Age ambiant sound. Good for a cold Sunday morning. Please join me this week on Wheel of Wonder!