Bringing olden ways to modern days,
For Wiccans,
Witches,
Pagans,
And all who honor a nature-based path.
This is Desert Magic with Crow Moon.
Merry Meet,
And welcome to another episode of Desert Magic.
Coming to you from the beautiful and magical desert of southern Arizona,
My name is Crow Moon,
And I'm your host.
On this episode of Desert Magic,
I'd like to share a few of my thoughts on magic in the desert.
With Wicca being a spirituality in which our path is unshakably tied to nature,
Particularly the Wheel of the Year,
I'm often asked how such is accomplished effectively in the desert.
The underlying question is more akin to,
How is it even possible for you to relate to or interpret the change in seasons in a place where it is always hot?
That's a fair question,
And my first response is that it is not always hot.
Believe it or not,
It does get cold here,
But not the kind of cold that comes with ice storms.
Nature-wise,
We essentially have everything that everyone else does,
The difference being in its appearance or presentation.
Beyond this,
However,
There is yet another underlying question being asked,
Which is,
Is it possible to truly see,
Sense,
And feel magic in the desert?
The answer to that question is a resounding yes.
I've published many talks on how we do,
Indeed,
Have all four seasons here,
And how one interacts with the Wheel of the Year in a desert environment,
So I won't be revisiting that today.
Instead,
This episode will be me sharing with you some of the magic that lives here in great abundance.
To set the stage for this,
I must mention that the number of people who were actually born and raised here is noticeably small in comparison to how many moved here from other places.
This came about for some as a result of transfers with their employment,
But a very large percentage of people who came here from somewhere else did so because,
For various reasons,
They chose to live here.
They came here by choice,
And I believe that this is one of the foundational reasons why this place is truly magical.
As such,
The vast majority of people here are welcoming and hospitable,
Creating a sense of community so contagious that it is felt quite undeniably wherever you go,
Be it in a quiet desert wash or alongside a busy city street,
And such spirit can only be described as a lightning rod for magic.
But when we are able to spend time in areas here that are less urban,
Another quite powerful layer of magic is revealed to us.
Seeing this is only part of the story or experience.
Perhaps the best way I can share this with you,
Especially through this medium,
Is by allowing you to hear,
Sense,
And feel it.
At dawn,
The sun begins its ascent to the height of its power for the day,
And as the sun begins to gently awaken the landscape,
A chorus of cooing morning doves can be heard.
Nature stares gently,
Not eager to awaken,
But ready,
And as the sun continues to rise,
There are gentle stirrings all around.
A few birds can be seen.
If you're in the right place at the right time,
You might catch a glimpse of a coyote a path that's either familiar or new to it.
Perhaps you see a group of javelinas on the prowl for food before they venture off into hiding to wait for sunset.
Then,
As the morning progresses,
You find yourself in search of a retreat,
For the temperature begins its steady and predictable daily climb.
The sound of birds singing becomes less and less prevalent as midday approaches.
You find shade under a mesquite tree,
And as you anchor in taking shelter from the sun,
There is a pronounced stillness all around you.
It is a stillness that comes as close to lifelessness as one can possibly imagine.
The cooling breeze you felt at the beginning of the day all but vanishes,
But if you are mindful,
If your observation is keen,
You will tune in to what is quite possibly the most powerful and moving feeling one can experience.
Just as the heat becomes truly oppressive,
You look around and see trees,
Prickly pear cactus and shrubs,
And if your mind is still,
You will then realize that these plants are all flourishing in one of the most inhospitable environments there is.
By observing this,
You begin to realize that the power of life force energy matches that of the sun,
And perhaps for a moment,
You might realize and appreciate the power that is also within you.
You needn't open your eyes to know when the sun is beginning to set,
Because all of your senses will respond to its daily descent.
Your body feels the temperature going down,
Degree by degree,
And very slowly,
The same sounds of nature you heard in the morning begin to return.
You notice the breeze once again,
And not long after that,
At its own pace,
The sun begins to set.
The morning doves coo once again,
This time to welcome twilight.
And just as darkness begins to settle in,
The often unseen aspect of the desert awakens.
Owls find familiar perches,
The javelinas emerge from hiding and begin their activities,
As do coyotes and various reptiles.
It is as if the night shift is now on duty.
And again,
Through practicing stillness and mindfulness,
You behold another striking component of the desert's magic,
The consistent and unaltered cycle of life.
Soon thereafter,
Your very heartbeat seems to attune to nature's rhythm.
And once this happens,
You will never again see all that is around you as ordinary or anything less than divine.
As the totality of such an experience embeds itself in you over time,
You will begin to observe the world quite differently than before.
You will realize the beauty of life.
Your respect for all forms of life will deepen.
You will realize that,
Just as the wheel of the year shows us,
Life is unending.
So,
Those of us who call this desert home aren't in any way deprived of fully experiencing the wheel of the year.
We might not feel the full effect of each season in the same way that others do,
But the essence of the great wheel's message is abundantly available to us.
Regardless of where we live,
The same message is there.
The only question is,
Will we listen to it?
Until next time,
The crow flies from me to thee,
To send the message,
Blessed Be.
