A Journey through Dion Fortune’s Grave to the Spirit of Spider

I was reminded of a marker on my path by a lovely post by a friend this morning about the blessings of Spider. I have had quite an amazing journey with Spider over the years. Starting with a brown recluse spider bite many years ago when I was still with my first coven.

Autographing The Green Lovers: A Compilation of Plant Spirit Magic anthology, edited by Christopher Penczak, with my essay “My Journey with the Apple Tree.” If not for this journey, I would not have written this essay.

I had been fearful of Spiders for a very long time. As Ted Andrews always said, those animals we fear the most often have the most to teach us, and I wrote more about that in the forthcoming anthology, Ancestors of the Craft, a fundraising project for the Temple of Witchcraft.

Then, the Temple of Witchcraft pilgrimage to Glastonbury came in 2011, and we visited Dion Fortune’s grave. I made my offerings to her and took some of her grave dirt home.

You can read that story and about our visit to her grave in the newly released The Waters & Fires of Avalon by Christopher Penczak and the Temple of Witchcraft Community. In the book, I contributed an essay on my experience at her grave. The book is available on http://www.amazon.com.

When I arrived home from Glastonbury, I set the dirt, in its ziplock bag of course (fancy magickal tools those ziploc bags!). A few days later, I noticed a spider had crawled out and died in the bag. That was our beginning.

This is the altar from our Spirit’s Edge: A Seeker’s Salon Samhain ritual last year with The Morrighan and a journey to the Kingdom of Faery. In the center, you can see the token for Spider. If you missed it, we will be doing an updated version of that ritual and journey this year!

Since that gift from Dion Fortune and Spider, Dion Fortune has become my master teacher … and Spider has become my ally. I owe thanks to my teacher on this plane before graduating the mystery school, Christopher, who introduced me to the beauty and wisdom of Spider, and the further writings of Dion Fortune.

My class this May on the sabbat of Beltane – Stoking the Fires, and you can see the Spider image in the center here as well. This class is part of the ongoing Adopting the Pace of Nature: Embracing Seasons and Energies of the Year series at The Center for Mind, Body & Spirit.

Spider came to help me, to partner with me and to teach me how to build community, how to lead public ceremony and helped me find within the confidence to become a teacher.

I have a charm for Spider that I’ve had for several years, and for every class and ritual for Spirit’s Edge, and in my own practice, that token sits on the altar as a representation of Spirit and the Web of Life and the Universe.

A reminder of the blessings we receive from Spirit through all ways and all forms, if only we set aside our fears long enough to listen.

My first participation – and attendance! – in/at a handfasting! It was a handfasting our last night in Wales during the Temple of Witchcraft’s pilgrimage. Christopher Penczak led a beautiful ceremony, and I was honored to do a reading for the bride.

Blessed be,

Shea

Inspiring seekers to find their own shining gems of Spirit within, through teachings, healings and writings on the Edge – Spirit’s Edge. Come to the Edge, where Spirit dwells.

Links of Interest:

Spirit’s Edge: www.spiritsedge.org (will be back up soon after reconstruction!)

Blog – Thoughts on the Edge: Spirit’s Edge: The Witch’s Croft by Shea Morgan – https://sheamorgan.wordpress.com/

Spirit’s Edge: A Seeker’s Salon –http://www.facebook.com/groups/143014982512092/?fref=ts (also includes links to events and classes)

Martha Beck, Inc. – http://marthabeck.com/

don Miguel Ruiz – http://www.miguelruiz.com/

Michael Harner Foundation of Shamanic Studies – www.shamanism.org