Tag Archive | Preacher

Starting Your Own Spiritual Group/Business

Jun18
Wolfwitch by Springwolf 2012

The Challenges Of Being The Leader

The Challenges Of Being A Minister, Healer, Teacher & Spiritual Leader

On the  June 17th edition of The Ænigma Project, Paul Cagle, Sushi and I discussed the issues and insights behind starting your own Paranormal or Spiritual group.

If you missed the show, you can listen to previous shows on the Tenacity Radio Archives for the The Ænigma Project (look for date and topic). Or visit the The Ænigma Project blog for links to iTunes, Stitcher and more ways you can listen to past shows.

Here I want to share some articles and information we discussed during the show, along with some helpful links and suggestions.

This recommended reading explains the challenges and the benefits behind the role of Leadership. It can outline the pitfalls, help you to determine if you have the knowledge and skill to take on the role of leader, especially in the area of Spirituality.

But I’ve also included some practical information on the business side to help you get started in creating your small spiritual business.

Continue reading →

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The Challenges We Face In Life

Jun10
Challenges

Facing Challenges
Photo by Anne Marie Kalus

Why Does “God” Test Us?

Recently in a forum of Metaphysical Ministers this question was posted.

“Does anyone in our group believe that God tests us, or tests the strength of our faith?”
Rev.R.M.

The question isn’t an uncommon one. Nor is it one that is accepted on blind faith by Ministers. There are many answers and perspectives of course, because we all have a different way of looking at spiritual belief and practice. A Christian may say “Yes, God may test your faith and devotion of service to his teachings by placing challenges upon your path”. Unitarians might say “No, God doesn’t set up challenges to test our faith. But we set up problems in our lives to learn lessons”.

The wonderful Metaphysical Ministers within this group have similar perspectives to my first response. But when asked this question I have two perspectives to reply to this. Continue reading →

The Cycle of Life And Death

May17
© 2012 Springwolf Wolf Ghost

From Spirit to Incarnation

Preordained vs Free Will and Choice

Today I read a lovely article by a colleague which talks about life and death and the importance of living life.

“Responsive Reading – Living and Dying:
Every person has an appointed time to live and a time to die. Our time upon the earth is but a moment in the span of eternity. Death is not to be regarded with fear but as something good when it comes in due season.”
by Robert Dorris President/Minister at Unitarian Community, Inc.

I like this perspective. And while I agree that everything happens in it’s time and space, I’ve always had a hard time with the “preordained” concept. And it can be hard to reconcile those two ideas. I believe in reincarnation. And that concept doesn’t fit with the preordained perspective. But I also believe everything in it’s right time and space. So how do you fit those two things together? Continue reading →

The History Of Ostara – The ‘Spring Equinox’

Mar19

newday-wolfThe Vernal Equinox – The Festival of Ēostre
By Springwolf, D.D., Ph.D.  🐾

The Spring Equinox festival is based in Germanic Paganism. Ēostre or Ostara (Northumbrian Old English: Ēostre; West Saxon Old English: Ēastre; Old High German: *Ôstara) is a goddess in Germanic paganism who, by way of the Germanic month bears her name.

As a pagan holiday Ostara is one of the more confusing and convoluted festivals in terms of its history. It’s claimed by German neo-Pagans, Norse, Saxon and Celt. Celts admit that holiday is not one of their original observances and therefore it’s accepted to be part of a reconstruction of old Celtic ways.

There is speculation that this holiday owes its roots to the Romans who took their holiday into the invasion of Ireland and even spread into Germanic cultures. However, this does not play out when one reviews Celtic or Germanic mythology and history. Continue reading →

Why Pagan’s Don’t Celebrate St. Paddy’s Day

Mar17
Tribal Wolf

The Tribal Wolf

The Genocide of St. Patrick

To begin this story let me start with a little Public Service Announcement (PSA). This year, 2014, I learned that the Irish do not care much for we Americans and Canadians calling their national holiday St. Patty’s Day. But probably isn’t what you think. Which is what I thought; it’s Patrick, not Patty. Nope that’s not it. Well not entirely.

I discovered a PSA had been posted in the Dublin Airport correcting a misconception for those of us in the Americas. It’s not Patty, it’s Paddy. Seems Patty is short for Patricia and of course, Patrick was a male priest. The proper shortening of the male variation is Paddy. And St. Paddy’s Day is perfectly acceptable. So now we know.

Now on to our tale of Pagans and Paddy. First,  we must start with some of the early inhabitants of Ireland. What little is known of these people come from Irish songs and poetry, oral legends and Roman writings. The Celtic lands of Ireland, Scotland and Wales were populated primarily by individual or regional Clans. Small communities that were close knit and survived on nature through farming and hunting. Continue reading →

The Blue Bottle Trees

Mar2

bluebottletree2Warding Off Evil Spirits

Oral traditions are very important, especially in society today. We are over run and inundated with TV, computers, smart phones and tablets that provide us with an inconceivable number of videos, movies and other types of entertainment. Because of this modern technology, our old stories are being lost and forgotten.

Author/Storyteller Kathryn Tucker Windham and storytellers like her, have became concerned over the loss of our old stories. Thankfully they are setting these stories down on paper in a series of books that are worth reading. (You can find the Jeffery series by Kathryn Tucker Windham on Amazon).

One of my favorite stories comes from old Appalachian folklore tale called, The Blue Bottle Tree and The Witch’s Heart.

The legend goes like this:
If you place blue bottles in a crape myrtle tree they will help you ward off evil. Evil spirits are very curious. The blue bottles are so attractive that the evil spirits are drawn into them. Once inside they become confused and get trapped. Some variations of this wives tale, continue by adding the destruction of the evil within the bottle. Much like a Native American dream catcher; when the sun rises in the morning it’s warmth and bright light destroys the evil that was trapped inside (or within the web of the catcher) so that it can never do harm to anyone again. Continue reading →

The Story Of The Blue Bottle Tree & The Witch’s Heart

Mar2
Blue Bottle Tree

Blue Bottles In A
Crape Myrtle Tree

An Oral Tradition From The South

Here in the southern United States, we have a great many stories and legends relating to ghosts and spirits. I’ve read many account from story tellers suggesting the south has more ghost stories than any other place in the U.S. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but it certainly makes one take a second thought about the claim. After all, some of the first big conflicts in this country began in the south. From the invasion of the first white Europeans with Native Americans, to the Civil War and on into modern times with the fight for Civil Rights.

Southern Appalachia is widely known for its oral traditions and story telling. In fact the International Storytelling Center is located in the small historical town of Jonesborough Tennessee (my home town). If you have an opportunity for a visit to the oldest town in Tennessee, I suggest going during the first full weekend in October when the Center holds the National Storytelling Festival. It’s a big and wonderful event that draws storytellers and people from around the globe.  One of my favorite stories comes from this festival. The Blue Bottle Tree.

There are many stories about blue bottle trees. Perhaps because this is the first one I ever heard makes this one my favorite. Or possibly because the main character in the story share’s my last name. This isn’t an exact version of the story I heard. But it’s the one I tell today. I hope you like it. Continue reading →

What Matters Most…

Feb20

CompassionDo You Reflect What You Believe?

Those who slap you on the back and laugh with you may be fair weather friends.

Those who hold your hand and cry with you are where true friendship lies.

And if you’re lucky, you’ll find the people who will share your life with you, through the laughs and through the tears no matter when and where you are.

What matters most, is that you’re one of those friends to those in your life.

I spoke with a friend today who was down and almost in tears. Turns out a friend of his, a young boy with cancer, lost his battle with the disease and my friend was notified today.

My friend…we’ll call him Anthony to protect everyone’s privacy..had meet the young boy; we’ll call him Steven, at a racing event. Anthony as it happens is a race car driver. Steven was a big fan of dirt racing and for some time he wanted to meet his home town hero; Anthony. Continue reading →

The History of Imbolg

Feb1
Paganism

Imbolg – Celebration of the Maiden Goddess

The Festival of Lights & Brighid
By Springwolf, D.D., Ph.D.  🐾

Known as Imbolg or Imbolc. The Old Irish gaeilge  i mbolg translates to “in the belly”. Linguistic historians say this refers to the pregnancy of ewes and links the festival to fertility. As gaeilge progressed and evolved, Imbolg eventually becomes Imbolc. Thus the holiday is known by these two names. So either is correct.

Because the feis or festival is associated as the first spring holiday, it is linked to the returning of the sun, along with longer and warmer days. As such, it becomes known as Imbolc: the Festival of Lights.

In Celtic ceremony, Imbolg falls between the Winter solstice and the Spring equinox on February 1st or 2nd in the Northern Hemisphere and August 1st in the Southern Hemisphere. Continue reading →

The Importance Of Mind/Body/Spirit Thinking

Jan30

crystalwolfHow To Develop Your Spiritual Consciousness Connection

Every animal on this planet has an inner instinct or insight. We’ve heard stories about Elephants grabbing people and running for high ground as a tsunami approaches all in danger. For centuries, scientists have said to watch animals for predictions of bad weather.

According to the USGS in an article entitled “Animals & Earthquake Prediction“:
The earliest reference we have to unusual animal behavior prior to a significant earthquake is from Greece in 373 BC.  Rats, weasels, snakes, and centipedes reportedly left their homes and headed for safety several days before a destructive earthquake.  Anecdotal evidence abounds of animals, fish, birds, reptiles, and insects exhibiting strange behavior anywhere from weeks to seconds before an earthquake.  However, consistent and reliable behavior prior to seismic events, and a mechanism explaining how it could work, still eludes us.

As human beings we are part of that animal kingdom with an inner ability to sense the unseen subtle changes in energy around us. But many have lost or turned away from these natural instincts. They have degraded those who do believe in these inner instincts, ridiculed those who are in-tune with these abilities and vilify those who try to explain and teach others to connect to and talk to their natural intuition on a daily basis. Continue reading →