Samhain 2008  (and the surrounding weeks)

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As is true of every festival (and every moment and place), each beginning is also an end
Or maybe everywhere and everywhen is a transition

Let's not get over-excited and assert that transitions and liminality are always transformative (except in the general and weak sense that every alive-thing is always transforming). It may be more interesting to think about the "part of one in the other" that David Turner writes about, or the mimetic "not me / not not me" that Rane Willerslev writes about (see my Animism book and it's companion website - well, not today, I'll update it soon to include something about Willerslev's book about Yukaghir hunters).

For now, here's the seasonal photos - which also present some of the places and activities of our recent days and changes.

pausing to greet the brook near the holy well

	bright winter fruit		warm winter wood ready to stack

In October, Adrian Harris was awarded his PhD at a fine ceremony in Winchester Cathedral.

My last PhD student in Winchester

	L to R: Adrian and Devon (who also graduated), ?, Chrissie, and Tina		Adrian and my esteemed co-supervisor, Liz Stuart (the Bishop)

In late October, Molly and I went to the USA. We met Doug in Chicago, Tom took us up to Circle Sanctuary, we greatly enjoyed the hospitality of Selena, Dennis and Shine, Joyce and Amber took us back to Chicago, Sandie joined us there, we did stuff at the American Academy of Religion (is two presentations enough?), and we left as the US finally elected someone who seems decent and sane ... The party atmosphere in Chicago as we left was wonderful: seems its ok to hope again.

Circle's maypole and our temporary home

Bridget's Spring bubbling up (the video clip is most impressive but too large to post)

Circle Sanctuary's memorials to the fallen - here, Pagan soldiers

Molly, Shine, Selena and Doug at Spirit Rock

sun shadows climb the hill

	R to L: Joyce, Doug, Molly, Selena and Shine at Circle's hill top shrine		the west gate and water

from the forest to the city:
we stayed at the Hilton in Chicago for the American Academy of Religion
and we celebrated Samhain there (thanks!)
(Obama moved in shortly after we left)

From the Sear's Tower (100+ floors up with a zoom lens) here's the Hilton and the preparations for Obama's celebration in the park by the lake

incipient emergent crowd for Obama's party ...
across the road, statues of Indians (presence or absence?)

The day after our return from Chicago, I joined in an excellent research workshop in Szeged, Hungary (thanks to Csongor and colleagues)

"workshopping" under Marion and I my direction (maybe)

Our visit ended with a short visit to Budapest

including the obligatory (for me) visit to the lucky horse's balls - well, they say its lucky to shine them
So, see how they shine ... isn't that the dog's bollocks?

23 November 2008