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I sometimes wonder if heterosexual predominance may may not be largely a matter of semantics.

When it comes to pronouns, it's way harder to talk about same-sex relations.

Then he climbed up on his shoulders, and he....

Which he is he?

If, back when, I'd had the shaping of English myself, there would today be multiple male (and female) pronouns, the better with which to avoid such ambiguity.

One wonders: just how would that work?

Instead of expensive over-the-counter products, we use hydrogen peroxide, witch hazel, calamine lotion, aloe vera gel, and both arnica cream and calendula cream.  We are ready for (almost) anything! Creams and ointments are often expensive to buy but can be made easily at home.  Here is an easy recipe to make your own curative cream.

Long days and sultry evenings make summer nights especially delightful. In addition to the fragrance of plants, the twinkling bioluminescence of fireflies creates a magical show of lights that dance through gardens and across meadows. Sometimes synchronizing their flashing displays, a firefly’s light can be yellow, green, or orange.

Also known as lightning bugs, two of them entering a house is a sign of good luck. They have also been considered lucky when it comes to attraction and romance. In Japanese folklore they often symbolized sexuality and the human soul. In a few areas of Japan, fireflies were believed to be the spirits of ancestors. In Mayan legend, lightning bugs served as a metaphor for the stars, while Aztec myth portrayed them as fire-throwing witches. According to Apache folklore, the original source of fire was a mythical campfire started by fireflies.

Like all things in nature, insects can be allies in magic. Through symbolism, energy, intention, and visualization we can call on their power and influence. For example, place a picture of a firefly on your altar to draw in its energy for ritual. In fact, the lightning bug can represent the element fire. Meditate with an image of a firefly when seeking illumination and inspiration. Representing hope, it can also help when guidance is needed.

For spells, include the firefly to remove negativity or any metaphorical darkness. As an activator, this bug can help get your energy moving to achieve goals or boost creative expression. Wear a piece of jewelry shaped like one to call on its energy. Or simply sit outside and watch fireflies; observation is a good way to tune into their energy.

I have fond childhood memories of catching and releasing them. If you handle them carefully, you can bring them indoors for a few hours to aid your meditation, spells, or rituals. Keep them in a jar with small holes punched in the lid and a moistened paper towel. Visualize them carrying your intention and willpower when you release them. Place the jar outside, remove the lid, and they’ll find their way out.

Fireflies are nocturnal beetles and members of the family Lampyridae. There are about two thousand species and each has its own light-flashing pattern. The light display is used to attract mates. It may also serve as a warning to predators that fireflies are not a tasty treat. While studying bioluminescence in 1887, French physiologist Raphael Dubois named the substance that creates the luminescence luciferinafter the light-bearing fallen angel, Lucifer.

Yes indeed, it was I in the mask and the paint last night; that's no secret. Everyone knows it.

But the god was there also.

Did you for a while forget that it was me, and see and hear only the god, even if just for only for a little?

You did, and that's the mystery, and the power: that if I do my work well, and you do your work well, then sometimes, for a little, the god will consent to cast his shadow over his priest, so that in this way he may speak, and dance, and sense.

And you too may see him then, and speak with him, and dance with him.

Why does he consent to do this? He does it because we are his people, and he loves us.

I am used to being busy (and as some may note, over reaching) having raised 5 children (under 5), High Priestessing a coven within my beloved Tradition, The assembly of the Sacred Wheel, a full time job, married 41 years (June 25th), and teaching multiple workshops and intensives throughout the year. I am not listing these things as a marker of what busy looks like for me, but hopefully as a barometer of why I (we) all need some time to look within.  

What I offer below is the result of my yearnings to retreat and what would inhabit this space outside of time, if it manifested as a true haven. You see, another large component of my retreat is the hunger for knowledge that can become wisdom. If you are familiar with the scene in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast where Belle is gifted the library by the beast- that is my haven. Books and time and reading and languishing in what I consume; sated and exhausted by my efforts.....

     It is the time of light, laughter, and joyful abandon. It is Litha! Let us celebrate with ruby-ripe strawberries and twinkling fireflies and achingly-pure blue skies reflected in chilly streams and sun-warmed ponds. I tend to get giddy this time of year; maybe it’s the child in me that hasn’t grown up yet, or perhaps the Kitchen Witch who is so excited by all of the fresh fruits and vegetables that summer brings, or maybe it’s just because I’m finally warm enough. Whatever the reason, they year’s turning at Litha always fills me with barely-contained excitement, though I don’t always get to act on it. My mind springs into action, suddenly there are so many things I want to do, and I can’t convince myself that I still have to balance all the fun things with work, which means working my way through my summer reading list while lounging by the lake is not a daily option. (Life isn’t perfect, after all.)

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has." 
~ Margaret Mead