The Return of the Light

I have SADD. That is something that I have struggled with for years and years before it was ever defined by any medical practitioner. I know that I, for one, could have told them that lack of light makes me depressed. Three days of lack of light makes me so depressed I want to explode! So any form of light that I can get around at this time of year is excellent as far as I am concerned. Even the Christmas lights on the trees make my heart warm and my mind clear.

A few years ago I was dropping off something at a friend's home. Every house on the block except for his was light up and sparkling. I commented on how lovely the street looked and his bland reply was that because he is not Christian they don't do that. No acknowledgement of how pretty it is or of how nice the block looked, just a bland statement of religious preference.

Seriously, when it comes to lighting up the darkness, I don't see what religious preference has to do with anything. I am not Christian either, but I love to light up the darkness with Christmas Lights. I even put them on in the middle of summer when we are entertaining in our back yard! They are simply a thing of beauty. They don't have to mean anything about the birth of Jesus.

On the Pagan end of things, they actually indicate the celebration of Yule and the return of the light as the seasons change. After Winter Solstice, the sun becomes something we see more of in the sky. So why not celebrate that? You don't have to be Pagan to do it. Just appreciate the frickin light!

I know that I am probably more sensitive to this issue than most, what with that whole SADD and all. But even if I were not afflicted with that, I would still love the lights at this time of year. There is nothing that says "home" like the feeling that the darkness of life is being held at bay by a beautiful array of lights!

Blessed Be
Trent
http://www.youtube.com/trentdeerhorn
www.deerhornshamanic.com

The Sounds of Autumn

This morning while driving my Love to work, I heard, above the din of morning crush hour traffic and the stereo and rolled up windows, the sound of Canada Geese migrating. I immediately shut off the stereo and cracked open the window. I love that sound, which my Love could still not hear past the traffic noise, because it means that Autumn is here. In the Spring it is a welcome sound as well. But why do I love Autumn?

Well, mostly it is the colors. We got deprived of that last autumn. The leaves never had a chance to turn before it froze. This year our city is a myriad of gorgeous colors. I also like the smells of autumn. I know, it is the smell of rot. but it is so sweet. Then there is the sound of the geese. I love that.

When we lived in a downtown high rise along the river, it was not so special as we heard it day and night from spring to winter. But when you don't have that feeling of "For the love of God, could you all just shut up?!" in the middle of the day/middle of the night/middle of the morning/middle of the evening, then it is quite spectacular! I also like the fact that what is approaching is the Pagan New Year, Samhain. We are having a costume drum circle on the 30th of October to celebrate and I am getting so much stuff in my garage, thanks to a good electrician friend of mine, upgraded so that we have heat and better lighting. Now I just have to see about curtaining off the clutter stuff.

So anyway, the sound of the migrating geese was one that just fed my soul this morning. I hope you all get an opportunity to experience something today that will feed your soul.

Blessed Be
Trent
http://www.youtube.com/trentdeerhorn
www.deerhornshamanic.com

Winter Wonderland

I am happy to say that, as beautiful as this is, the winter wonderland just may be done for the season. You never really know, as March came in like a lamb and therefore could go out like a lion. But most of the snow in my yard is melted and I am getting that spring time itch to get out there and start digging in the dirt. So between that and the fact that our cat is incessantly howling to go outside, I have come to the conclusion that spring just might be here.

While experiencing that and the New Moon, I am just chomping at the bit to get going with a few projects. I have eaves troughs that need replacing and a fire pit area with raised garden beds to create. That includes the creation of a new flowerbed as well and the planting of a tree. I can hardly wait!

Today is St. Patrick's Day. Although I am completely into the Wee Folk and the Luck'o'the Irish, I am not into St. Patty himself, as he was the one responsible for killing and driving away the Pagans from Ireland. Just a minor Holy War in the history of the earth, but a brutal one at that. As though there is any such thing as a war that is Holy! So no, I don't celebrate that particular "saint", but I do like to wear green and actually look good in it. Considering that spring is just around the corner, I figure, "Why the heck not?!"

Blessed Be
Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com