Three days it takes, to transition a year. One to farewell; the death of the old year. One to welcome; the birth of the new year. One in between; belonging to no time, no place and no person. An entire day between the veils of the here and now, between breath and shadow, between spirit and space. A day to transition from the warm half to the cold half of the year. This is the day and the time of the ancestors, the deceased and the departed. The Final Harvest. Welcome to Samhain.

The Autumnal Equinox is a contemplation of the myth and mystery of one of the greatest trees in all of our celtic lore; the mystical, forbidden, revered, celebrated, guardian, chieftain, goddess, tree of the land of enchantment, prophetic, eternal, legendary namesake of the sacred Isle of Avalon, food of the fae… The Apple.

Lughnasadh is the festival of the God Lugh and his stepmother Tailtiu. A cross-quarter fire festival (halfway between the solstice and the equinox) this beautiful day is the peak of summer and is celebrated as the first of the three harvest festivals. It is a time to celebrate accomplishment, transformation, wisdom, strength and beauty. In this episode we make a traditional pilgrimage to a Clootie Well and learn of the wisdom that is offered by the blessed and sacred Hazel tree of knowledge.

Today the Sun is at its Zenith here in the northern hemisphere. This is the summer solstice - the longest day and shortest night of the year. This is the day of our glorious, life giving and life sustaining home star - our sun - of sun gods and sun goddesses alike, a day that honors the King of trees, and the world of bees, our beloved summer kin.

Peak Spring brings beautiful Beltane! Today, we will journey together to a sacred hawthorn grove and anoint ourselves with the most mystical and magical of waters - the Beltane morning dew. May the blessings of Spring be yours, today and all days.

On Sunday March 20, we honor the modern beginning of Spring, the vernal equinox, a celebration of divine and dynamic balance, of emerging dreams and of blossoming light. This Sunday, we celebrate the sacred trees and plants of Ash (Nion), Alder (Fearn), Gorse, Nettle and Hyssop. The energies are stirring.

Imbolc Blessings! Blessings of the emerging light be yours. Together, let's create an etheric altar requesting blessings from Brighid, the Goddess honored on this day while partnering with the sacred tree, Rowan (Witchwood), and sacred plant Heather (Fraoch), and beautiful Snowdrop, a messenger of hope.

The Winter Solstice. Together, let's take a slow walk through a sacred, mythical forest in the Celtic otherworld to connect with the beautiful trees that are celebrated and venerated at this time.

Welcome to Samhain, beloveds. Welcome to the ending and beginning of The Wheel Of The Year, the end of summer and the beginning of winter celebrated at this special threshold. At Samhain, the veil between the seen and unseen worlds is thinned. A time ruled by the gods and goddesses of the underworld, this is a sacred and holy festival. May the spirits of transformation and rebirth guide you as we descend into the liminal, let go of the past, honor our ancestors, and prepare for the inward turn of the wheel.

Welcome dear ones, dear hearts, welcome to the seventh festival - the Autumnal equinox. In this episode, I offer you a little respite from the world. A moment just for yourself where you can reflect upon and honor this most beautiful of festivals. This is the second of the three harvest festivals, preceded by Lughnasadh and followed by Samhain. This is the festival of the horn of plenty, the cornucopia, where we are invited to gather and connect and enjoy the fruits of our labor.

Welcome dear ones to the Sixth Festival of the year that is Lughnasadh - the first of the three harvest festivals and the festival of high summer heat. While the days are long and warm, while the flowers blossom and the trees bear their fruit, let’s unite in our deepest appreciation for all that we have on this resplendent, green, beautiful Earth and fill our hearts and our cups to the brim. May you and all you hold dear be blessed by the radiance of the Sun, the Season, of the Ancient Ones honored by this festival, Lugh and Tailtiu. I wish you a beautiful, sacred, and health-filled high summer festival of Lughnasadh!

Welcome, dear ones, welcome to the beloved, ancient fire festival of Beltane! This sun-fire festival is a full half-year turn of the wheel from Samhain when the ancestral veil is thinnest. I dedicate this Beltane podcast to celebrating on your own. There are so many ways to lovingly celebrate at this time and the Earth in all her ripening splendor is so very deserving of our attention! As part of my offering, and in service of this month of May, I offer you some rituals and pathways to connect with the flame of the Belfire, the sacred waters of the Beltane morning dew and the wildness within us all.

Blessings on this Spring Equinox, dear ones. For the Celtic wheel of the year, this celebration is sometimes referred to as Ostara. And in context for those that are listening from the future, we are currently experiencing a rather large tensing of the social fabric of our culture. As part of my offering into the cauldron of change and transformation we are experiencing, and in service of this Spring Equinox where the balance of light and dark is upon us, I offer you some pathways to your own inner resiliency via some visualizations and meditations.

May the blessings of Imbolc be upon you! I am utterly thrilled to be sharing this beautiful celebration with you. Imbolc is the beautiful festival and celebration of awakening, fertility, birthing, and beginning. It is the promise of renewal, of hidden potential, of the earth slowly awakening and of life-force stirring. I offer this episode as a way to explore the history and traditions of Imbolc and to connect with the fascinating, protective, loving, fierce, capable, and frankly incredible deity that is Brighid who is honored on this day. We will end with ritual, prayer and gentle meditation to honor this magical time of year.

Happy Solstice, Good Yule to you, and welcome to the first episode of Animisma - All Things In-Spirited! During this first season, we will follow The Celtic Wheel of the Year and this season is offered as a bridge towards reclaiming the beautiful indigenous wisdom of our Celtic ancestry. We launch this podcast on the 2019 Winter Solstice and the magnificent celebration of Yule, the 1st celebration of the year. Welcome to Animisma - All Things In-Spirited.