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Firepit Update Letters
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June 19, 2003
The summer solstice is almost upon us, although it’s a bit hard to tell here. It’s been a cool, damp spring for the most part, and although the weeds in my herb garden love the weather, it would also appreciate a bit of sun now and then. Like so many of us, I suppose. We need all kinds of weather to keep us healthy.
I’ve had a busy spring in so many ways, and yet I’ve found time to add a few new items for discussion at the Firepit. As a matter of further housekeeping, I’ve finally added a complete, no-frills
table of contents. It can be found on the main page in the left pane, immediate below the “perpetual flame” animation. The firepit now has over 260 pages, which can make it tough to find a specific topic. Therefore, I’ve added two new sections to keep things easy to find.
The first is titled “Commentary”. This is where I’ll now place articles and topics that address themes that may expand beyond the strict limits of spirituality. Two new articles got put into this new “commentary” category this update. “Don’t Feed the Trolls” talks about how to handle being provoked by a fundamentalist. “Who’s Wiccan” explores a bit of the current debate over the terms “Witch” and “Wiccan”, and who’s who. If you like that, you can follow the concepts over to the Philosophy section, where I’ve added a more in-depth exploration of the topic titled “Defining Wicca”.
The second new section is called “Anecdotes”. We all have our personal stories of experiences both happy and sad, exciting, amazing, or amusing. These are the tales that we drag out and pass around the fire. Once in awhile, one gets written down, and this is the chapter where I’ll add them. On this update, “The Fairy of Blarney” made it to the written word, so I offer it to you. It tells of my first meeting with a genuine fairy in Ireland.
The current popularity of shows that combine Wicca with spectacular demon-slaying has given rise to some peculiar ideas about demons. I’ve added a brief article exploring the concept and put it in the Theory section. On a related note, I also have a brief bit of advice for dealing with ghosts for the first time. That piece went into the Practice section.
I’ve written up a description of my daily morning meditation. I hope it inspires your own practice. I’ve also added an epic poem called “Camp Mohawk”, which explores my introduction to the wild places at a day camp when I was five years old. I fell in love with the land and dreamed about it for years after, until happily, five years later, I moved across the street. In the Prayers section, I’ve added a contemplative piece called “Evening Prayer”. Finally, for the Humor section, I finally got a copy of the famous “Chocolate Ritual”. I witnessed this ritual performed at PSG in the early ‘90's, and have always hoped to catch it again in time to join in the fun! Yum, Yum! (I hear the Goddess takes away all calories consumed during this worship... remember, Wicca has no concept of sin!)
So enjoy the latest additions to the Firepit! I hope you can find time to be outside enjoying the season. Happy Litha!
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