As most of you know, Samhain is the Celtic new year, and a time for introspection and planning as we await the sun god’s return. As I journey on the Path of the Old Ones and bask in the light of the same moon my spiritual ancestors did, I look to the future with hope and anticipation. In January I will begin a four-part series on the four aspects of the craft, also sometimes called the Fourfold Law: To Know, To Dare, To Will, and To Be Silent. This won’t be a traditional Wicca 101 class; there are many books out there that would do a better job at that than I could do. But instead, these classes will take at a fresh look at what it means to be Pagan/Wiccan/Druid in the USA in the 21st century. Because ours is a living and growing faith, it’s not the same religion it was in the beginning. We need to accept that, celebrate it, and then decide how we will remain true to the Craft as we know it in our modern age. What does To Know mean to us today? Written grimoire or flash drive? Learn chants in circle or download them from iTunes? And why do we still need to Be Silent, when there are more books on Wicca and Earth/Goddess mysteries than ever before? We’ll delve into these questions and many others as we re-examine today’s neo-Paganism, the growing eclectic movement and our struggle to keep our ties to the ancient ways. And yes, there may even be a book out there that touches on these same thoughts, but it doesn’t come with food, fellowship and fun like we do here 🙂

I hope you’ll join me, because I want this to be a meeting of the minds as well as a format for magickal education. If you are new to the Craft or just Craft-curious, we’d like to hear your perceptions of Paganism; your expectations, goals and your frustrations. And if you’ve been a granola-crunching, tree-hugging, Earth-loving follower of the God and Goddess so long you don’t remember what it feels like to be uncertain in your faith, we want to hear from you, too. You bring experience, confidence and insights to the table that will add depth and meaning to the discussions. The dates will be Saturdays in January. See you there.

Love and bright blessings,

Deirdre