ancestors altar with candles and small memoribilia
7 Feb 2017

Creating Ceremony, Reclaiming Traditions

by | posted in: Apprenticeship, Ceremony |

Since joining the Wildwood Path as an apprentice, I look forward to each month’s emailed overview as much as I looked forward to opening my Christmas stocking as a child. This month’s invitation beckons: Join us as we build our relationships with the mysterious worlds: the ancestors, the fire, our own grief, and our capacity for transformation. The lengthening nights as we approach winter solstice make me want to stay home from work, cozy up to a fire, read, knit, … Read More

snowy den with tracks leading up to it
3 Feb 2017

Tracking for the Joy of it

by | posted in: Apprenticeship, Tracking |

From the perspective of an apprentice: I know basically nothing about tracking. I don’t have any guidebooks, I usually forget to bring a ruler along with me, and my smartphone doesn’t work (except as a camera) in the woods. So I’m not gaining knowledge very quickly. But I LOVE going out after a snow and following all of the paths as they loop around the fields and woods, speculating on the identity and motivations of the animal and the timing of … Read More

drawing of fire
27 Jan 2017

One Match Challenge

by | posted in: Apprenticeship, Fire |

Saturday was gray, damp, and cool. It had rained the day before, and the leaves mulching the forest floor still held water in their cupped bodies. I was on an aimless walk in the woods, walking one way to check on the level of water in the stream, cutting back to look for oyster mushrooms on an old maple. As I made my way over to a small cluster of cedars, a piece of birch bark presented itself to me. … Read More
5 Jan 2017

Why The Wildwood Path?

by | posted in: Apprenticeship |

In a world where rivers run orange with toxic waste and many of us walk the streets under threat of violence, why spend time and money learning how to light fires and walk silently in the forest? Why devote nine weekends to stepping outside of time and delving deeply into nature? Why The Wildwood Path? In a world where most of us were taught to prioritize individual achievement over community support, it’s hard to understand the magic of living in … Read More

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