Imbolc, that Celtic holiday marking the very beginnings of the new life of spring, always seems to be among the more popular and awaited seasonal celebrations. Perhaps this is because we, especially here in New England, are more than ready for an end to winter by February whereas other seasonal celebrations usher in the itchy… Continue reading Being Our Seedling Selves for Imbolc
Author: Carolyn Lee Boyd
Carolyn Lee Boyd has been writing about the sacred in everyday life and the wisdom of being in community for over 40 years. She has published fiction, essays, and poetry about feminism, women’s spirituality, and art in print and online periodicals including Women Artists News, SageWoman, Feminism and Religion, Return to Mago, Matrifocus, The Beltane Papers, We’ Moon, and more. Her work is seasoned by her decades-long human services career in which she got to know the life stories of a diversity of extraordinary “ordinary” women. She would love for you to visit her at her website, www.goddessinateapot.com, where you can read and download some of her previously published work as well as a little music.
Walking into the Embrace of Night
Lately I have been absent from cyberspace due to changes in real life that have also given me the gift of walking in the nighttime. Every day, I walk a mile and a half just after dusk on a road that has few streetlights and ambles through wooded areas which, especially when the night sky… Continue reading Walking into the Embrace of Night
Celebrate Your Muses: Your Gateways to Inner Worlds
I have stared out my kitchen window several times a day for over 20 years and only yesterday did I notice that I have a woman emerging from the closest tree. From several different angles, a female figure is clearly stepping out of the tree’s gnarled bark. Now, do I believe that there is a… Continue reading Celebrate Your Muses: Your Gateways to Inner Worlds
The Summer Mysteries: The Sacred Art of Transformation
For many of us, these weeks in June are the beginning of a long summer vacation, not so much for us, but for the children in our lives. One thing I’ve noticed over the years is how much summer is a time for change and growth for children. There is something about having lots of… Continue reading The Summer Mysteries: The Sacred Art of Transformation
Welcome Summer with “Do It Your Way Tea Eggs”
This afternoon I was honored and delighted to be invited to a celebration of summer with some friends from China. Apparently, today is the first day of summer in China, or at least in their region. They served many delightful dishes including “tea eggs,” which is traditional for this celebration. I forgot to get the… Continue reading Welcome Summer with “Do It Your Way Tea Eggs”
Happy Birthday, With Love, Sedna
This week I am 51 years old. Last year on my birthday I began what I imagined would be a yearlong adventure gathering up those elements of my younger self that I had left behind but which I wanted back in my life. Much of my meandering took place in New York City, where I… Continue reading Happy Birthday, With Love, Sedna
African Women Making a Place of Their Own
Like lots of women, I imagine, I sometimes wish I could just leave all the aggravation of life behind and go start my own village someplace. Of course, American women have been doing that for decades with women’s lands, but we haven’t been the only ones. I recently came across two places in Africa to… Continue reading African Women Making a Place of Their Own
The Reunion of Demeter and Persephone: A Moment in Peeps
I strongly believe that spirituality should be joyful and even fun. As Madeleine L’Engle wrote, “joy is also a promise,” a promise of the inborn goodness of life, living beings, and the universe; a promise that joy is essential to who we are as human beings. In that spirit, every year I create a diorama retelling some… Continue reading The Reunion of Demeter and Persephone: A Moment in Peeps
Celebrate Imbolc with Snow Ice Cream
Imbolc, the Celtic holiday celebrating the first stirrings of spring, is almost upon us. One reason I love Imbolc is that it isn’t widely celebrated, so we can more easily make our own celebrations that are meaningful to us. Also, anything that promises spring is welcome in the middle of a New England winter. I… Continue reading Celebrate Imbolc with Snow Ice Cream
The Languages of Life
I recently took one of those tests which tells you which “intelligences” you possess, whether you are good at math, interacting with others, writing, music, or a host of other things. One, which had just been included but, the testmaker said, may or may not be an “intelligence,” was “nature.” To me, nature isn’t an… Continue reading The Languages of Life
