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My wife and I have made profound changes in our lives through green Paganism and simple, ecological living, which have resulted in unforeseen, yet very positive opportunities for peace, joy, laughter, and success. In fact, these opportunities have been so powerful, that I was stirred to share them with others, and not keep all these amazing discoveries to ourselves. We 'unplugged from the matrix' that is the cause of so much distraction and busyness in our lives and created a magickal Pagan homestead. I will share some of these discoveries of how, as a Pagan, you can simplify your life, while living more in sync with your purpose, nature and open up an incredible world of opportunity and possibility.

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The Quiet Time

In the little corner of the world where I exist, on the small 13 acre plot I call home, it is quiet. The hurly-burly of 'the shopping season' is far away from us, and that is something for which I'm very thankful. By-the-by, 'hurly-burly' is one of my favorite words picked up from reading Homer. At our place, this is not a time of holiday shopping, frenzied consumerism disguised as 'needing to stretch my money further'. Our families know that if we give any gifts at all that they were made by our hand. No, this is a time for something much different..

For me, this is the quiet time. The gardens are quietly resting, and revitalizing under a blanket of fresh compost. It's not lifeless for sure, but its a lot less active than in the summer. It's the same for me as well. I'm inside the home more, taking care of the remodeling, repairs and all the other things I wanted to put off so I could play in my gardens in the sun. My spiritual practice changes a little for the dark half of the year. The work outside, which is in veneration to the gods, specifically those of the natural world, that I might have a bountiful harvest is done.

Now the land around me goes to sleep; my life being a somewhat simple agrarian manner of living, without the modern equipment of large or corporate farms, so my work focuses on my home and the other buildings. It is still in veneration to my gods, but now the focus is more on those of the hearth and family. These are quieter, more introspective, not needing all the drama and flamboyance that naturally comes from such activities as life bursting from the ground, and vibrant displays of blossoms where ever you look.

No, that time is passed for this turn of the wheel, at least it has on this homestead. Now is a time to look inward just as we seek the comfort of the hearth, with it's warming fires and hearty meals. The autumnal snows begin to hush everything, and not even the sun dares interrupt to solace. I take the time to visit with the family i can, the appreciate all that I have because it is all that I need, and then I work in the quiet time.

In the U.S. this is also a time of thanks, celebrating the initial peace and harmony between pilgrims and natives*. My gratitude is eternal, not limited to one day a year, as I'm sure is the case with so many others, so I'm going to make the effort of not saving up that gratitude for one outburst on Facebook like I did this year. What about you? Despite the holiday shopping frenzy, especially in the U.S., what are you doing to stay grounded in the cycles of nature and the spinning of the wheel of the year at this time?

*I know the history, I know what happens next, but for a moment can we relax with the rhetoric?

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Peter is an American of British and German ancestry who lives in Missouri with his wife Mary, where he is (re)discovering his connections with nature and the Gods. When he's not tending to their homestead, which feeds his family and provides an expression of gratitude and work in veneration to the Gods, he writes for several blogs, and works as a freelance artist/graphic designer. Having many years of experience in various forms of occult systems, including Asatru, Celtic, and Dragon Hollow Wicca, and Witchcraft, Peter finally found what he had been looking for all his life in a blend of Traditional Witchcraft (the nameless art), Heathenry and personal gnosis/exploration (vision/mystic).

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