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Firepit Update Letters
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March 20, 2004
Dear Friends and Family -
Welcome to Spring!!! Happy Ostara!!!
I don’t know about you, but winter has never been my favorite season. I feel the cold right down to my bones, and spend the darkest months of the year craving heat and light. By Ostara, my longing bursts forth into a surge of new energy as I eagerly cherish each new sign of spring.
In spite of the persistent snow showers we’ve been having all week, the signs of spring are here for eyes that seek them. As an early riser, I’m grateful for the sun that rises as I do my morning meditation. It’s a beautiful gift to close my eyes in darkness, and open them to a brilliant sunrise. The daffodils and tulips have started to push themselves through the matted leaves of autumn, and although we’ve just gotten another nine inches of snow, I know that they’re still there, waiting patiently for the inevitable warmth of the sun. I know how they feel!
As the wheel turns, it’s time for another update to the Firepit. I would have had the new material ready earlier, but two weeks ago my computer crashed. I’ve spent endless hours getting my system restored and functional again. I managed to lose very little, but one loss I regret is the loss of most of my address book. My “update” list is no more. Obviously, if you’re getting this letter, I still have your address, but I’ve lost many people who had specifically asked for updates.
My solution to this dilemma is to create a Yahoo group so that I can keep you updated without having to worry about such things as lost data. From this point on, I will be posting my update letters there, where you can fetch them at your leisure. Of course, this means you’ll have to sign up if you still want to hear from me, but it’s a simple enough thing to do. Please take a moment to pop over and add your name to the list... it would really mean a lot to me to know that you still want to hear from me!
So what’s new at the Firepit? I’ve added several new items for your reading pleasure. In time for Ostara, I’ve added “The First Springtime”, which is a Freefolk story written by Thermal. I’m honored to have his permission to share it with you. I’ve also added an “Ostara Invocation” to the Prayers section. (The original version of this can still be found in the Ostara Ordination Ceremony) Happy Spring!
The Anecdotes section sees two new additions. “Drawing Down the Moon” was written for an online full moon ritual, but it’s based on an actual experience of connection with my Lady of the Moon. “Snake Watchers” is a re-telling of my experience last Samhain, when several snakes were nesting in the bushes by the Firepit, watching me set up for ritual. I first told of these unusual snakes at the last update, but this is an expanded version written for Wiccan author Laura Wildman for an upcoming book project of hers.
Speaking of writing projects, I’ve added the transcript of an interview I did for a researcher in August, 2002. Mr. Williams is a sociologist doing his PhD research project on Witches and Pagans in the 21st century. The interview took place over the course of a week, and after recently reviewing it, I felt that the scope of questions and my responses were of sufficient interest to add to the Firepit. It’s a large file however, so I have internal navigation links throughout to make it easier to jump to individual sections or questions if you prefer to not read the whole thing in one sitting.
For fun, I’ve added a humor piece I came across recently called “Dogma: Thoughts from Swami Beyondananda”. I think it was Mark Twain who said “When something is funny, search it carefully for a hidden truth.” That's certainly true of this piece. To the “Fun” photo album, I’ve added a photo that was taken of my aura using the Kirlian photography technique. I deliberately worked with my energy before the photo was taken, and it’s interesting to see it show up on film. Very cool.
In the “meditation & magick” section, I’ve added a “mirror shield” spell. I know, I know... I don’t add spells often. This one is my answer to those who feel like they need to perform a binding on someone who’s being a jerk. I think this is a better alternative.
Lastly, I’ve also added a new page that lists the workshops that I’ve developed and plan to present for the upcoming festival season. I plan on presenting at the Beltane-Akasha festival hosted by the Mid-Atlantic Pagan Alliance at the end of April, as well as the Sirius Rising festival hosted by Brushwood in mid-July. Hopefully I’ll see many of you there!
Thanks again for all of your support. Please take a moment to sign up at the new Firepit forum so we can stay in touch. Bright Spring Blessings to you all!
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