Reflections on the Wheel of the Year and Its Beautiful Journey

I have lived in a city of over 3 million, and I have have lived in the country on 30 acres of woodland. In my life, I have seen the wheel of the year in many climates, in many sized towns and in many states.  When I was young I took the things I watched for granted.  Of course, I never dreamed I would start moving to larger and larger cities until finally ending up in Denver!  Now I am back, not far from where I started.  

As I read the section on the High Holy Days and how they began as agrarian days, yet celebrated in cities such as Rome, I couldn't help but think on my life.  I began with a country family, half of whom farmed and still do today. I didn't fully embrace the pagan life until later. Of course, I had no way of knowing that what I believed was something that people used to practice as their religion and that many still do.  I was extremely isolated and often thought I was just strange.  I kept all of this secret until college, even going so far as to be the "good little Christian girl" complete with my own Bible and all the books I was "supposed" to have to make my Christian studies better. I didn't believe what all I read or heard in church, but I was there.  Here in the South, that is all that matters.

Now I am happily, and openly, pagan. What a difference! I admit I generally just use that word when explaining to people, simply because around here no matter what word you use, people will ask "you mean Wiccan, right?" and I can explain the differences if they are interested.  Otherwise, the responses are much worse. For some reason, in my town the term Druid freaks people out even more than pagan. Of course, it doesn't matter what people call me. I know the truth of my path and that is all that matters.

I have spent my whole life focused on the turning wheel. Even as a child, I could tell you whatever you wanted to know about the seasonal changes and when they happened.  Now I have lived in a variety of places, from the Deep South to the Rocky Mountains.  I have learned how different it can be. Yet no matter where I live, no matter the climate, there are clear changes with each season.  I came to enjoy the special touches that happened in each place. For years I have decorated my house to match the seasons and bring the joy of the turning wheel into my home. It has become a part of my practice of honoring the changes around me.

Now that I am living once again where I originally started, I can look back on the beauty of each place I lived when I think on the Holy Days. I truly think this will enhance my studies and reflections as I work on that part of the requirements.  So many people only have one perspective of the seasonal changes.  Thanks to my wanderlust, I have been privileged to see it in many ways.