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Yemaya, Part 2: The Middle Passage ~ Aug 25, the Day of Healing
In Part 1 of this article, I explored the connection between seashells and the Yemana, the Yoruba Orisha known as the Mother of All. I shared rituals inspired by cowrie shells, murex shells in general, and in particular, the Venus Comb Murex. With Yemaya in mind, I designed those rituals to help women discover and…
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Yemaya, Part 1: Shell Rituals Inspired by the Yoruba Orisha
Science shows that all human life began in Africa. So it’s no surprise that on the west coast of Nigeria we find the orisha Yemaya, Goddess of the Seven Seas, known as the “Mother of All.” Yemaya is often shown with conch shells. She fills them with her comforting voice. She is also shown with…
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Lammas, the First Harvest Festival: Pay Debts? Forgive Debts?
In the Old World of my Celtic ancestors, August marked the beginning of the harvest season. Country fairs called people from the fields where they grew crops and from the open lands where they grazed herds. August heralded a time to acknowledge hard work and enjoy its rewards. Lughnasadh, Lammas, and the Highland Games The…
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A Valentine’s Day Ritual for One
My local gift shop, grocery store, pharmacy, and post office all sell greeting cards. Annual holidays transform the rotating racks according to the seasonal emblems – witches, turkeys, evergreen trees, hearts, and shamrocks. For Valentine’s Day there are options for a person’s husband, wife, son, son-in-law, grandson, daughter, daughter-in-law, granddaughter, brother, sister, mother, father,…
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A Summer Solstice Ritual Inspired by My Dying Husband
My husband died in the summer of 2022. He had Alzheimer’s. We had been married for 41 years. I cared for him at home until the end. Ours was what family and friends called a fairy tale marriage. Odd as it might sound at first, his dementia journey and my experience as his caregiver…
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Ritual: Winter Solstice Messages from the Trees
It’s mid-December. The trees are bare, the ground frozen. Daylight disappears around 4 pm. Here in the Northern Hemisphere, the Winter Solstice marks the longest night of the year. Festivities celebrate the promise that the Sun, with its life-giving warmth, is making its way back to us. With the season of snow, sleet and ice is…
