Beltane Big Sun ☼
Beltane welcomes the season of the ☼ big sun ☼ here in Scotland and together with Samhain - its opposite in the seasonal wheel of the year - marks one of the two most significant junctures in the annual solar cycle. As a cross-quarter day, Beltane occurs at the...
Spring Equinox, The Cailleach and our Way Back People
Already, we arrive at another of our markers in the solar cycle - the Spring Quarter Day that is the Vernal Equinox. Whilst researching Scottish folklore I find precious little that refers directly to this particular juncture. In K W Grant's Myth, Tradition and Story...
Imbolc and the creative cycle
It's easy to understand why in Scotland prior to 1600 CE the New Year wasn't celebrated until the end of March. The cold, short days and long, black nights of the Yuletide months are not practically conducive to energetic movement and lively social interaction. I have...
Sharing some favourites of 2018 with you : Audiobooks
Bedtime stories: I am a huge fan and the way I like them is in my ears, courtesy of technology. In contrast with my declining use of technology elsewhere this past year, I've been embracing the art of the audiobook in a big way. It's not new to me, but...
The Samhain Threshold
Samhain, Samhuinn, Hallowe'en ... it's a major threshold in the solar cycle and has long been witnessed in this land I call home. My ancestors were a pastoral people and lived with a more direct connection to the natural cycle than our modern lives...
I wrote this on the beach for you (and me)
Today I am sitting at the beach. The sun is shining brightly in an almost cloudless blue sky, the sea breeze is keeping us cool and the tide is heading out, pulling the water back towards the Isle of Arran, a long body of land in shadow front of us. Some kids are...
Life Book 2018 Blog Hop and Give Away
Yes, it's been absolutely ages since I last wrote here in this space - I've been super occupied by selling my house and moving to a completely new area and an everything-except-the-external-walls renovation project! The dust hasn't quite settled, but it...
Winter Solstice Mandala Ritual
Your Winter Solstice Mandala Ritual Guide Winter Solstice is a magical time. It's when I'm happiest to be still and cosy in the shortest dark day after a brisk walk up in the woods on top of our local hill. Celebrating with a circle of loved ones is also...
Five Days of Mandala Magic Registration Re-opens Due to High Demand
The Five Days of Mandala Magic is so much fun! It's high-energy, though - with thousands of people taking part, I'm pretty much on my keyboard day and night, answering questions and replying to feedback. This time around I've had so many people requesting access to...
Alhambra Inspiration Giveaway
Why a giveaway from the Alhambra? Some places touch the body, some the soul and some the spirit. The province of Granada in Spain touched all three in me this summer - and especially the jewel of the city of Granada, the Alhambra - that mishmash of architecture,...
A Stage of Targets
Target is the fifth stage of the Great Round of Mandala, and in Mandala Magic we study it during May. It's nearly July and here I am finally posting my entries. It seems that this year I just can't catch up with myself when it comes to recording my work. Oh my! In...
This stage of Beginning
It's all going on here - albeit at a comfortable pace! Lots of action on the domestic front as we implement this new phase of family life without a teenager ever-present. Evenings and weekends spent clearing out, cleaning up and redecorating. It's been a long time...