Almost three years ago, I was sitting in the guest room at my mom's house on Imbolc (February 2nd), having just gotten off the phone with a friend--a former boss, truth be told, but someone I view as a friend and mentor--and was trying to think of what direction I wanted to take my business. Was I a blogger who also offered photography services? Was I a photographer who kept a hiking blog? Erica (check her out here!) suggested that for my website I come up with an email capture of sorts; something I can offer that makes me unique. A list of favorite trails? A guide to camping with kids? Tips for photographing children on the trail?
What I came up with, was to make a guide for "Hiking the Wheel of the Year." I was trying to deepen my relationship with the changing of the seasons, and there are so many guides to hiking with kids I felt I had nothing new to offer--but I could potentially offer an intentional way of connecting while in nature. There is not a lot of pagan-based literature with raising children in mind, and I wanted something that other pagan parents may find useful--but was not exclusive to pagan families.
And so, I started working on a guide, to intentional hiking with the changing seasons. As anyone who has been following me for awhile may know, later that same day, was the day my mom lost her fight with cancer. It derailed everything in my life, and I turned more towards the natural flow of the seasons as part of my own healing.
I knew I wanted to start this with Yule--with the return of the sun, with the beginning of a new solar cycle. This project has taken a backseat for the last few years as my family went through changes, but I don't want to wait another year.
I plan to expand this, to add additional activities, meditations, and conversation starters. Maybe even an online community at some point. I want a resource for parents and caregivers of young children to have a faith-based calendar that focuses on the earth rather than on deities, but one that can be used by secular families and those of all other faiths as well.
Feel free to save the below image, or--finally--subscribe to my email list to not only receive this as a PDF, but to receive these guides for the remaining 7 sabbats that mark the turning of the wheel of the year!
