The Spiral Dance with Hawthorne

Blessed Betane  This week, we celebrate Beltane! Beltane is happening on Friday, the first of May! It's a festival of Fertility and Love as we welcome the flowering of Nature's Return. In our mythology Beltane represents the Mating of the Goddess and the God. It's The Original White Wedding!  So, we'll talk in more detail about the meaning and significance of May Day from our earliest history. Plu...

In honor of April Fools Day, our theme this week is: The Trickster and Fool. We'll take a look at the history of April Fools Day, as well as the Role that the Fool and the Trickster play in Earth-Based religious practices. We'll here from Joseph Campbell and his thoughts on the Trickster mythology. Also, a quick look at the Fool Archetype in literature and myth. Be well. Do good. Enjoy the show!

This week on The Spiral Dance we celebrate Eostara; The Spring Equinox Astronomically, the Equinox occurs on Fri, Mar 20th at 10:46 AM We'll be talking about the history of Spring Equinox - the role that it has played in cultures down the ages: So, we'll talk about the Norse Goddess Eoster. Is she a bonefide Goddess, or just a fiction created by one author?  Does it matter, really? Plus ya can't t...

This week here on The Spiral Dance, we celebrate The Earth.   After we Give Thanks to the Earth, we're going to look at Earth Magick; specifically the Element of Earth - what that's meant since ancient times and what it means in ceremonial magick today. And we'll look at the tradtions of Gnomes, the Fay and Lay Lines. And since we're celebrating The Earth, we'll celebrate the Earth Mother and spec...

Welcome to our celebration of Imbolc.   We're at the midpoint between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox.  Perfectly natural to want to jump up and down and start acting like Spring is Here! Folly, pure folly! Watch out if the weather is fine on Imbolc - you might find yourself shoveling the driveway on Eostara! But before that, let's take some time to honor the Goddess Brigid, the Triple...

This week here on The Spiral Dance, we're talking about the Philosopher's Stone.   Just what IS the Philosopher's Stone?  Where does it come from? Is it even a Stone? This question has been bothering people for generations. Some people just give up and say it's just a lot of poetic rhetoric. Others say, "No, look! I've done it! I've got it right here!" Some say it's all Devilry, others say it's al...

The Night is cold and Oh so long, for the lady has grown old and the god has long since died But I learn there is reason for Hope, for there is newly born a child. The Lord of the Sun has returned Oh, Powers of Air, I seek the newborn child. Is he within your realm? The powers of Air answer: Follow the Star to the Hidden cave Oh Powers of Fire, I seek the newborn child. Is he within your realm? Th...

Secrets and Lies!. This week, let's take a look at Pagan Ethics. I promise, we'll HARM NONE!. A good place to start is to examine just what do we mean by Ethics in the first place. When did we start thinking about Ethics? What does it mean for us personally, or as a society, or, really, what does it mean for us a satient beings? Is the consideration Ethics soley a condition of being human?  The ac...

This week here on The Spiral Dance, we celebrate Samhain.   "Now is the Night of November Eve, as the Samhain rites begin. Spirits step from the World Beyond, this night when the Veil is thin. Coming through the Land of Shadows, awakening from the World of Dreams, joining hands with the Children of Midnight as the Moonlight Lantern gleams. Drifting in the Wind of Evening, Chanting words in an anci...

This week here on The Spiral Dance, let's create Magick through Masking.   We all wear masks, although the extent to which we layer ourselves or are aware of them varies greatly. Masks are a familiar and vivid element in many folk and traditional pageants, ceremonies, rituals and festivals, and are often of an ancient origin.   One reason for wearing a mask is to pretend to be someone or something...