Category: Nature

• The Spirit of South Wind

  Yesterday, Grandfather South Wind blew strongly for much of the day. In the evening Jennie and I packed a picnic and headed for the lake. Jennie had noted that we would not have many more opportunities for our beloved picnics this year, so off we went. When we arrived at the lake the South Wind…

  Michael Watson PhD

  September 10, 2014

  Nature, Shamanism, Teaching

  autumn, South Wind, spirits

• In the Presence of Good People

  This evening our neighborhood gathered for our yearly picnic. The evening was cool, the sunset golden, and the mosquitoes held off til deep twilight. The lake was perfectly still, deep blue, and just slightly reflective of the fiery clouds that lay atop the mountains. Around 7:30 the full moon rose over the hill and rooftops,…

  Michael Watson PhD

  September 7, 2014

  First Nations, Nature, Social issues, Stories

  autumn, community, Fire, stories

• Downeast

  It’s been a cloudy, raw couple of days. Not even seven in the evening and we have dusk, portents of things to come. The tree outside our office window, an early adopter,  shows more red daily. Given the cranky day, I thought I’d take a moment and share something more about the Maine coast. Last…

  Michael Watson PhD

  August 22, 2014

  Nature, Sacred Lands, Stories

  arcadia, Landscape, Maine, seasons

• Summer Solstice

  Saturday marked the Summer Solstice, and we celebrated by inviting folks over to our home for ceremony and feasting. It was also Aboriginal Peoples’ Day in Canada, so there was a good deal of ceremony and feasting going on across the continent. It was a good day to gather, the weather proving delightful. Even the…

  Michael Watson PhD

  June 23, 2014

  First Nations, Nature, Shamanism

  Medicine Wheel, Shamanism, summer solstice