Turning of the Wheel

I keep starting to write this blog about the season changing, but then the temperature drops and it starts snowing again. I think at this point it is safe to say that spring is on the way, and we New England residents are making our way out of hibernation.

Looking back at our fall and winter, we were happy to celebrate Samhain, Yule/Krampusnacht, and more recently Imbolg (we woke the trees, or at least we were the alarm clock and they hit “snooze”). Sadly, we said goodbye to Laurelin’s resident canine sprite, Liam, who passed away at the age of twelve.

Now the coiled, waiting energy of the winter months is giving way to expanding light. Externally, we brave muddy roads for Town Meeting. We gather up for community events (hello the third year of the amazing Bethel University). The AirBnB camping season has started (our guest came prepared for “spring” in Vermont and had a good time). We leaned into some seriously cold winds at Laurelin’s Spring Equinox to make sure the wheel of the year turned.

The theme for our Equinox ritual was balance: finding the point between silent consideration and voice, between preparation and movement, honoring our ability to make decisions and pursue our dreams while acknowledging the ever-present and vital forces beyond our control.

As we move further into the light, we hope more voices will join us as we co-create Laurelin’s wheel this year. We have already started. The core themes and ritual for Lughnasadh 2016 (“The Journey Home”) are taking shape. We are in the middle of a 5-week Astrology class. We have our monthly brunches. What other ideas will grow?