Saying So Long!

When I first went to Jason with the idea for creating a “nature and environmentalism” blog project as part of the Pagan Newswire Collective, I had no idea just how successful No Unsacred Place would become. Over the past two years, as NUP has become the most popular blog project of the PNC, I’ve had the pleasure to work with some of my favorite writers and bloggers in the Pagan community, exploring the relationship between religion and science, spirituality and conservation, green living and green worship in as many different shades and shapes as there are trees in a forest. The journey has been life-changing for me, though not without its obstacles and difficulties.

But as in the natural world, sometimes we have to be willing to change and adapt to the new circumstances that we ourselves have created. We don’t just find our niche in the environment, we carve out of a new place for ourselves and in turn we change the world around us.

When NUP began, my life was very much up in the air — a new job (and then another one), a fiancé who eventually became a husband, and a whole new set of family relations as his kids officially became my stepkids (turning me into the worst nightmare of every childhood fan of fairy tales: the witchy stepmother). Let’s not even mention my Saturn Return, with its retrograde backing over me like a bus before having one final go at using me for a speedbump. I’m through that now, thank the gods, and life on the other side of Saturn Return has left me pressed more firmly to the sacred, mud-and-blood earth than ever before.

So life moves on. NUP continues to grow, and I find myself out in the mist-and-mystic Pacific Northwest, getting to know a whole new ocean and wild, grumbling mountains on the horizon. Now, I’m actually earning my daily bread through writing and other online media. My volunteer work has transformed as well. It’s much more hands-on now, as I tromp through the forests and meadows and urban green spaces of my new city, teaching school kids and families about the plants and animals they share the world with, introducing a whole new generation to the wonders of ecology and interconnection. (Most recently, Jeff and I have signed on to produce self-guided audio tours for many of the parks in the city, which will be available for free download from the city parks website!)

I admit, I’m a bit selfish about my volunteer work: I revel in the knowledge that my time and energy are valued, that my contributions are supported in a way that can make such a big difference to so many people, and that my involvement gives me a chance to work with so many knowledgeable and inspiring volunteers (as well as lifelong professionals) in my own local community who share my passion and my commitment. Plus, it’s great to be able to dig my hands into the dirt, breathe the fresh air, and step away from the computer screen.

So for those reasons (and a lot of others), I’m stepping away from my work with NUP and the PNC.

But no worries! No Unsacred Place is being left in very capable hands, as our very own Lupa steps into the role of blog administrator. Please give her a warm welcome!

Plus, I’m not ducking out of online life entirely. I’ll be around! You can always find me over on my blog, Meadowsweet & Myrrh, where I’ll be continuing my on-going exploration of natural polytheism and ecological theology, along with some occasional forays into the world of humming gears, singing steam and imaginative re-invention that is Steampunk Druidry.

You can also catch me co-hosting the weekly podcast Faith, Fern & Compass. Over on FF&C, we explore nature spirituality in the digital age with discussion of the latest news in environmentalism, conservation, green technology, art, culture, politics and interfaith eco-spirituality. (We’re well into our second season, with a couple of fantastic episodes coming up in the next few weeks, including an in-depth look at how geology and landscape inspired the psychic abilities of the ancient Oracle at Delphi, plus a Halloween/Samhain special just in time for the holiday festivities.)

For the network-savvy, I’m also occasionally on Twitter, Facebook and Google+.

Thank you so much to everyone who has made my work on No Unsacred Place such an honor and a pleasure over the past couple years. I hope you’ll come visit me at some of my other online haunts! Until then….