Classics in Spirituality is a regular feature of Cobblestone’s programming. This program is scheduled on first and second Mondays of each month (unless the first is a holiday) at 11 a.m. to noon. This year the series continues to be presented via Zoom; please contact us at CobblestoneSpringsRC@gmail.com to receive the Zoom link. Videos of most past programs (since fall 2020) are posted on our Vimeo channel.

Program Description:

Samhain: A Time of Reflection with Karen Marsh

Pagans celebrate the festival of Samhain November 1st as the third and final harvest celebration of their year. This time falls in the middle of the “dark” season, between the Summer Solstice and the Winter Solstice, when the days are getting shorter and the nights are growing longer. Karen will discuss the meaning of Samhain and how Pagans use this time to reflect and connect with their ancestors of blood and of spirit (including spirits of the land) as the year winds down and all things turn toward rest and rejuvenation.

A little more detail from Karen Marsh:

Why do we celebrate Samhain around Nov. 1?  It’ in the middle of the “dark” season, which actually begins the day after Summer Solstice and runs until Winter Solstice – but darkness happens gradually & we don’t become fully aware of it until around the beginning of November when the leaves have turned, it’s getting dark earlier, & is colder.  During the spring and summer, our agrarian ancestors were too busy plowing, planting, tending, growing & harvesting – and celebrating various life passages (births, courting, weddings, etc.) to spend much time indoors.  Now that we’re done with the harvesting, it’s getting too cold to do much outdoors, & we have to accept the reality that the green time is gone & adapt accordingly.  When colder and darker times came, our ancestors moved their activities (and their energies) indoors, which is associated with nesting, going inwards, contemplation, hearth/home, family, etc.

Presenter: Karen Marsh is a practicing Druid and Unitarian Universalist who has been involved with pagan groups in North Carolina and New York for many years.  She recently completed a 3-year term as a Board Member with Binghamton CUUPs (Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans) to focus more fully on bringing Druid practices and teachings to the NY Southern Tier.  In 2019 she founded the Maple Labyrinth Seed Group in the Binghamton area and joyfully leads her small (but mighty) band on many wonderful Druid adventures

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