The Wild Hunt (https://wildhunt.org/author/sheri/page/2)
Sheri Barker has been a solitary practitioner for nearly forty years. Her relationships with magic, elemental energies, spirits, and her ancestors are the foundation of her daily life. They enrich her work as a witch, writer, homesteader, wildlife enthusiast, gardener, and human being. She is a columnist at The Wild Hunt (https://wildhunt.org) and also publishes perspective essays on her blog at https://www.onthebearpath.com. Sheri lives in an ancient river valley in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, immersed in nature, spirits, and realms beyond this one. Oh, and books...there are always books, words, and creative activities to be explored!
Sunshine invited me to have lunch with her at the soup kitchen, which had become a central part of her daily life. Some people there had become like family to her, although she had to hide her spiritual identity while she was among them. Like many Witches and Pagans, she is adept at giving neutral responses to the abundance of Christian greetings and commentary that are frequently offered in American communities.
Almost all of my education as a Witch has come from reading books. Honestly, that could have been enough. But the more I experience, the more certain I am that there is more depth of magic, spirit, and mystery to be explored. But how could I access the secrets that I know are out there when I do not trust many of the people I know who hold them?
Over the last few months, I have been exploring definitions of what makes a hard winter. How do I define that experience? Sometimes I stayed awake at night, turning thoughts in my head, worrying at this topic like a child poking a loose tooth with her tongue.
Looking at the footage of his run, he seemed to be chasing for fun instead of hunger, trotting with his head held high instead of moving low and fast. I wondered if he had, perhaps, already eaten. I wondered if foxes sometimes hunt for play.
Brigid’s influence here is far-reaching, as is the gentle determination of her spirit. I believe that it is her nature to be more pleased by action than by words or acts of worship, and across the many forms she takes or names she holds, she is aware and approving of the renewal of interest in what some consider a simpler life.