Pilgrimage of the Great Wheel: Great Dismal Swamp

This weekend, I had the opportunity to visit the Great Dismal Swamp, which is a point on the Pilgrimage of the Great Wheel. This sacred journey is something that has come to me in the last couple of years - I am visiting all the points of a great wheel of ley lines that covers the southeast of the US to experience their power and to honor these sacred places. Check out that linked post for details.

The Great Dismal Swamp is a lonely expanse of wood and marsh and swamp, and an area rich with history. It's a wildlife refuge, and was once used as a hideout on the Underground Railroad during the US Civil War. Local legends are rich concerning this place. It's a wild place, an impenetrable wilderness, a liminal space where the touches of civilization and law were light. What this land was to pre-European peoples I do not know, but I do know that they lived here - it was a vast region, once. To my eyes, it is a fascinating place. What secrets are hidden in its tangled wood? What lurks beneath its black waters? What do the fearsome stings of the swarming insects protect?

For me, this visit was a continuation of a period of intensive underworld work. The guardians of the underworld have made themselves known to me. I have been doing a great deal of journeywork, shadow work - working with the dark, hidden places within and below. Reflective, visionary work. Quiet, powerful work.

I spent the weekend mostly at the nearby Merchant's Millpond, which is another kind of swamp....a still place of towering cypress and tupelo gum, an enchanted, watery forest. A place in which the veil between the world is as thin as spider silk. A place where I was honored to witness a vulture feed. Turkey vultures and black vultures had found a deer, possibly lost in Hurricane Matthew, on the hummock of a cypress. There were birds at the carcass, birds in the branches, and yet more vultures circling in the sky above.

Sacred transformer, death eagle, purifier - I honor your wisdom! Teach me to soar on the thermals of life, conserving energy until opportunity presents itself. Teach me to ingest refuse, that which no longer serves, and bring it back into the great cycle, to take on new life and power my wings.

Teach me the mysteries of death, that gentle release that frees the spirit to carry on its journey. Teach me to release what is tired and worn-out and unnecessary, making space for the needed and new. Teach me, sacred Vulture!

When I came to the Great Dismal Swamp, I startled a vulture by the side of the road. It flew so close to me that it took my breath away. I was crawling along in my truck with all the windows down and there was this enormous bird, feathers looking more brown than black, with a mottled texture. It flew in front of me for some time before drifting into the woods.

Later, a Great Blue Heron led me deeper into the swamp, flying above the canal as I drove behind on the road. On and on it flew, gracefully gliding over the black waters...I honor you, heron! Teach me the ways of the stalker, the patient hunter who stands in the shallows, silent as a shadow, who strikes swift as an arrow.

Heron led me to Drummond Lake, which was much larger than I supposed. I paused here, ate and drank, made offering to the land. This writing is what happened next.


The voice of Spirit comes to me as the land.
Today, it says, do not hurry
do not do.
Today, sit in the swamp wind and be.
Simply exist.
Be present with the holly and the honeysuckle
the fox grape, the sumac, and the corpse berry.
Soak up the last sun of autumn,
glowing golden timeless time,
like the turtle on driftwood silver and brown
let the tiny yellow moth draw you in
to the meadow, sere and dry
wooly marsh grass waving like flags in the breeze

Today the voice of Spirit beckons
come and be with me
Commune with me as this place
Mother grandmother swamp
Listen to your sisters the songbirds
Listen to your mother the waters burbling
Watch your brothers, the waves
Let the four winds cleanse you
and father sky lift you up.

Be.
Be as one with the land
Exist in this dying time,
last blazing of beauty
before winter's sleep

Today I honor the Great Mystery
that moves within all things.
Today, I am free.

- JN 10/30/16


This weekend was passed in the dark of the Moon. I paddled the waters, I walked the land, I bathed in
the sun, listened to the rain, drank in the starlight, was cleansed by the winds, and offered my songs to the land. Mother grandmother swamp, I honor you! Your waters fill my dreams and draw me deep, deep below, to the underworld, the land of the ancestors, the home of the fae, kingdom of the Horned One.

I honor you, Great Medicine Wheel of Jomeokee! Great Guide, this pilgrimage I make in your honor. This land I walk to gain your wisdom, each step trodden by countless ancestors who have gone before me. Fill me with your medicine. Teach me, Great Guide. Lead me on...

Blessed be! Naho!

Ancestors

My maternal great-grandfather

The Pagan Experience - Wk 2- October 12: Ancestors. Who are your ancestors? How do you honor them? What will you leave as your legacy as you become the Ancestor?

My ancestors came to America looking for new opportunities. On my father's side of the family, I'm a second generation Italian-American. On my mother's side, a third generation German-American. From what I know of them, my ancestors were the salt of the earth. I don't know anything about my earlier ancestors, but I can only assume that they were artisans and farmers, princes and priestesses.

My paternal grandfather, born in 1900 (Papi), was a polymath - a machinist, electrician, mason, hunter, and dynamite gardener. He came here from our ancestral village, Bonefro, which is in the Abruzzi region of Italy (east of Rome). He was an inventor, perhaps what people now would call a Maker - our property was full of interesting little tools that he created and things he modified or improved. Because of him, our family homestead was immaculately landscaped and full of quirky modifications that weren't always pretty, but always worked well. My grandmother, born in 1906 (Nani), was a quiet woman, and many said that she was totally senile. I never believed it. My favorite memories of her are sitting with her out in the yard under the hemlock tree or cooking in the kitchen. She rarely spoke, but I always felt that we communicated just fine. By the time I was sentient, she had seen a lot of life. My opinion is that she was done talking about it.

Paternal family, early 1900's?

My maternal great-grandfather (Opa), also born in 1900, was a train engineer at one time. He told me stories of life on the rails in Yugoslavia. We were part of that group of Germans called Donauschwaben, which were settlers sent by the Austria-Hungarian Empire to live in the Balkans in the late 1700s. They were called boat people, or people of the Danube, because they migrated on boats down the Danube (Donau) River. He came to America when Serbian Nationalists incited the conflict that led to World War I. Over here, he did many things, among them working at the Yuengling beer factory. He was also a great cook - he taught me how to make blintzes, dumpling soup and other tasty things. Perhaps he learned to cook because my great-grandmother died young. I never got a chance to know her.

So these three people - my maternal great-grandfather and my paternal grandparents, they were a big force in my early life. All were born right around 1900, all migrated here from Europe due to turbulence of one shape or another. All lived through difficult times. All of them lived without electricity and running water for a portion of their lives. They taught me so many things, and I honor them by remembering their stories, practicing the skills they taught me and by having pride in our heritage.

Here are some things I learned from my ancestors:

1. A small glass of wine a day keeps the doctor away, as long as you eat an apple too. (Opa)
2. Everybody should know how to garden. (Papi, champion giant vegetable grower)
3. Always compliment the cook and make it sincere! (Nani, amazing cook)
4. Pasta and milk cool the mouth from hot peppers. (Nani and man, is there a good story here)
5. Dean Martin and all Italian crooners are the best kind of music. (Papi, who had homemade outdoor loudspeakers)
6. Take a walk every day. (Opa, who did so until he was 89)
7. The early bird gets the best treasures on the seashore. (Aunt Marge, champion beachcomber)
8. Wear just as much jewelry as you can fit on your body and don't listen to anyone who says no. (Aunt Marge, notorious Black Hills gold collector)
9. Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet. (Dad, who talked to *everyone* we met)
10. Everybody has a story, including the animals. (Dad, master storyteller)
11. Making is better than buying. (basically every relative of mine ever)
12. Family, la dolce vita and tradition are the most important things. (Nani, Papi & Aunt Marge)
13. The outdoors is a wondrous place to be enjoyed and lived WITH, not feared or dominated.
14. Have reverence and respect when you hunt, and only kill to eat. (Dad, aka the Deerslayer)
15. Don't waste anything, ever. Reduce, reuse, recycle. (again, every relative ever)

My colorful immigrant ancestors taught me many things about self-reliance, living with the land, and the importance of family, but they also taught me about America. They believed in the American Dream - this is a place where you can do anything, be anything. It takes hard work, but it can be done. I also feel grateful that they all believed that preserving culture and taking pride in heritage is important, but being part of this place is also important. 

As far as my own legacy, well...I'm a little bit young to discuss that in depth. I hope to leave this Earth in a little better shape than I found it in. I hope to have improved the lives of many more people before I depart this plane. I hope that people fondly remember me and say "she believed in me and encouraged me when no one else did". I hope to leave behind a great work, a body of writing and art and poetry and music that makes you think and laugh and cry and then take a long walk to think about it. Above all, I hope I make my beloved ancestors proud.

Thirteen Days of Samhain: Day 10

On the tenth day of Samhain, the Goddess gave to me:

Ten ancestors calling

As the veil thins, the other world draws nearer and nearer to ours. Our beloved dead prowl the borders, awaiting communion with the living.

Working with our ancestors can be a powerful healing, for them as well as for us. Remember, honor, and heal. It is a blessing to all, and it strengthens our spiritual support team.

Don't have biological ancestors you want to work with? No problem! You can connect with ancestors from your far past. You could also work with spiritual teachers or other non-biological relations to whom you feel close. 

Ancestral Clearing

Harvesting and eating fresh produce makes me think of my biological family. Both sides of my family were great gardeners, lovers of flowers and backyard picnics. Today I made cucumber and carrot pickles. I was fascinated by the vibrant colors and smells of the chopped veggies and so proud that they were homegrown. It took me right back to summertime at my grandparents' house. We would sit on the back patio and eat dinner together on seemingly endless summer evenings.

A connection to the land and enjoying good food are ancestral patterns that I am perfectly happy to carry on. Others, however…not so much. Shamanic practices can help with healing ancestral patterns.

Ancestral clearing is based on the idea that the experiences, emotions and issues our ancestors experienced are present in our DNA and energetic field. That means that we inherit physical traits and characteristics, but also emotional and behavioral traits or even disorders not linked directly to genes. The theory is that we can partner with shamanic practitioners or channels, who will help us contact our ancestors to work through and release these issues, as well as healing our relationship with ancestors that we knew when they were alive. This work can also be done on one's own, by experienced practitioners.

Shamans tend to travel to the realm of the dead, or some other meeting place, to contact ancestors. Many shamans partner with their ancestors in all of their path working, so ancestral clearing is in my opinion a necessary step in building a healthy relationship. Some shamanic practitioners also guide groups of people through journeys of their own to do this work.

Channels will contact ancestors directly, and sometimes even have ancestors speak or move with the channel's body. They will do the same type of guided process that a shaman does, in healing and making peace with ancestors. In some cases, the channel will cut energetic cords tying you to your ancestors.

Another approach was taught to me by a wonderful African priestess - the Table of Light, which heals and clears ancestral trauma. Here is how to build your own Table of Light:

1. Designate an altar or small table to this effort; be sure that it is physically clean.
2. Drape the space with a light colored cloth. (white, yellow, pink or other colors associated with healing and light in your tradition)
3. Add beautiful, healing objects to the space, like quartz crystals, fresh flowers, etc.
4. Add as many candles as will fit in the space safely.
5. Place a glass or bowl of fresh water on the altar.
6. Write down the names of as many ancestors as you know on a piece of paper. If you know the name of one person, but not their spouse, use their familial title, like Grandmother XXX or what have you. Be sure that you list only deceased relatives. Place the paper on your altar.
7. Each day for seven days (or use a powerful number in your spiritual system; I think the intent is to show dedication over a period of sustained effort), refresh the water, light the candles, call each ancestor's name three times, and offer prayers of healing. We are holding them in the light and allowing them the opportunity to heal. Reiki or other energy healing is appropriate here as well.

Whatever method you choose, ancestor work is powerful. I remember having an aha moment when that same African priestess said to me - who do you think answers your prayers or requests for help? It is not always the Divine, or an angel - it is your ancestors! Heal them. Release unneeded patterns. Partner with them, and you will be all the stronger for it.

Healing the Generations

This past week I spent time with an amazing community. One of the biggest things I worked with was healing the generations, everyone from our ancestors to our future generations. As we work together to create a new and positive spiritual community*, we need to include people of all ages, from wee ones to young ones, to young adults, parents, non-parents and most importantly, our elders. Today, I'm going to focus on ancestors and elders.

One of the biggest tragedies of our disconnected, constantly busy and rootless society is that we've lost connection to our anchors. Many of us no longer have an intact thread of heritage, spiritual tradition or eldership in our lives.

I believe this is having many negative impacts on all of us, especially the elders. We have a whole industry devoted to caring for senior citizens, which on the face of it, seems like a good thing. The reality is far different - disconnected from the broader community, deprived of purpose, with no responsibilities and nothing to do, our elders deteriorate much more quickly than they would otherwise. The rest of us are deprived of their calm presence, loving support and wisdom.

Meanwhile, with our generations disconnected, traditional roles are forgotten. There is a big difference between a person who is aware of the sacred role of an elder and someone who is merely old. Some of our elders are desperately clinging to youth as a way to hold on to value in this youth-obsessed culture. Others have no conception of how to give unconditional love and support. Younger people do not know how to honor and support elders. Traditional knowledge, customs and culture are shrinking every year. What I learned this week is that there are people who are working to regenerate a healthy elder culture.

Several elders spoke about honored elderhood as a role that is earned, and one that is reciprocal. One must be committed to serving the community, have some wisdom to share, and someone to share it with. Meanwhile, younger people need to include and honor these elders. We spoke much of coming to elders, addressing them by an honorific, offering gifts of service or goods and only THEN asking for something in return.

What would it look like if Pagan Pride Festivals, Pagan-themed retreats and conferences included circles of elders from all traditions? I think it would be fantastic. Imagine the storytelling, exchange of ideas/best practices, and support that would happen!

In the area of ancestors, my eyes were opened this week. I personally never thought about the effect that one's ancestral traumas has upon us in the living world. Perhaps our ancestors experienced racial injustice, or perhaps they perpetuated it. Perhaps they lived through a war, or the Great Depression. Perhaps there is a legacy of abuse in the family. It never occurred to me that we could do healing work around that. Turns out we can.

I was lucky enough to spend time with a priestess from an African tradition who is dedicated to the ancestral realm. She was very generous and shared a lot of information about how we can heal past trauma and build relationships with ancestors. We can begin with a table of light, to heal trauma. After we have worked through that process, we can construct an ancestor altar. Every day that we change the water, light candles, place fresh flowers or offerings of food upon the altar, we strengthen the cord of our connection to our ancestors. Once we have shown our commitment, we can open a conversation. Later, when a good relationship is built up, we can ask them questions through divinatory methods.

Working with ancestors can be a powerful part of our spiritual support system. This priestess I met said at one point, "who do you think responds to your request when you ask for angelic support? It's not always some random entity - IT'S YOUR ANCESTORS!" This thought had never occurred to me. The idea of working with angels has never appealed to me, surely in part because of the Christian concept of angels itself. But reaching out to my ancestors and asking them to join my spiritual team? That I can do!

As always, the Gods give me what I need when I need it. I have already begun the process of healing ancestral trauma this year. I have constructed a family tree and begun to reach out to extended family. I'm attempting to rebuild my family ties. I've gotten a quote for engraving my father's name on to our family headstone. I'm planning a trip to my birthplace. All this was already in process. Now I have the next piece of information, the next steps to take.

Connection. Continuity. A sense of rootedness. Healthy roles and community participation for all members of our community. Passing on sacred wisdom, customs and values. Mentorship and support. These are the things that healing our generations can give us. Who's with me?


*Here I'm referring to the broad umbrella of Contemporary Paganism.