The Wild Hunt (https://wildhunt.org/tag/addiction)
As painful as Joe Pepitone’s story is to read, it can be a meaningful learning experience for the wider Pagan community – especially for those of us who serve in the clergy or other leadership roles.
Four years on from the loss of her daughter, Sheri Barker is starting to celebrate the holiday season again.
In a special Imbolc piece, guest columnist Sheri Barker shares her story of grief after the passing of her daughter and her return to the comfort of the goddess Brigid.
For those who participate in one or more festivals during the warm weather, it’s an opportunity to let down some personal guards and be temporarily freed from the pressures of the overculture. Festivals are often the only way for many Pagans, Heathens and Polytheists to worship in groups, learn from respected authors and elders, and compare notes with co-religionists. Within these spaces, they can recharge their spiritual batteries and become inspired to deepen religious practice. Joy and revelry are also not at all uncommon. As such, festivals represent a mixed blessing for would-be participants who struggle with a substance abuse problems, or those wishing to continue a recovery process without backsliding.