Some, are those with whom I've had personal interactions, and others were just those who inspired me deeply.
I hope you'll join me in honoring them, even if you hold them in your heart, even if only for just the time you read the blog post.
Thank you in advance, and may you always be remembered through time.
The First Forget-Me-Not of the Season is Patricia Monaghan
A little about her:
Born- February 15, 1946
Irish-American
She "was a poet, a writer, a spiritual activist, and an influential figure in the contemporary women's spirituality movement. Monaghan wrote over 20 books on a range of topics including Goddess spirituality, earth spirituality, Celtic mythology, the landscape of Ireland, and techniques of meditation. In 1979, she published the first encyclopedia of female divinities, a book which has remained steadily in print since then and was republished in 2009 in a two volume set as The Encyclopedia of Goddesses and Heroines. She was a mentor to many scholars and writers including biologist Cristina Eisenberg, poet Annie Finch, theologian Charlene Spretnak, and anthropologist Dawn Work-MaKinne, and was the founding member of the Association for the Study of Women and Mythology,which brought together artists, scholars, and researchers of women-centered mythology and Goddess spirituality for the first time in a national academic organization." ~ you can read more here (Wikipedia)
Two of my favorite books are "The Red-haired Girl from the Bog" and "Seasons of the Witch". I had the honor and pleasure of knowing Patricia online, and corresponding with her throughout the years via social media. Because I squeed like a fan-girl over her works, she took pity on me and gave me permission to publish a few of her poems on my blog. This semester, I'm taking a course entitled, "American Women Writers". In this class, we each have to select a poem (either from the book or any other source) and read it out loud to the class. I've already obtained permission to read Patti's poem that I will share below.
She was genuinely sweet, kind and beautiful inside and out. Her spirit and zest for life shone through in all her photos and her works. Patricia died on November 11 of last year after a battle with cancer. This will be the first Samhain we have without her in the world. And, I am sad, but blessed to have interacted with such a beautiful soul.
Here is her poem. It comes from the book, "Seasons of the Witch":
A Vision of Hunger in Flesh
The owl flies low tonight. The hare leaps high.
There are nights when life ordains a chase,
nights like this, when nothing fears to die.
There is no sound, no bird or rabbit cry
to mark the moment they begin the race.
The owl flies low tonight. The hare leaps high.
Across the snowy fields like man and bride
they dance toward their intentional embrace.
There are nights when nothing fears to die.
And as the owl descends in on slow glide,
we lay on hands like priests dispensing grace.
The owl flies low tonight. The hare leaps high.
Watching from the house, we're sanctified
by need. Communion shows its primal face
on nights like this, when nothing fears to die.
The dance of life and death makes us allies
as hunger raises us beyond disgrace.
The owl flew low tonight. The hare knew why.
There are nights when nothing fears to die.
Here is a link to a lovely memorial article for her. I highly recommend it.
http://womenandmyth.org/2012/11/28/remembering-patricia-monaghan/
May she be blessed in the next and all the worlds she visits, as we know she will bless them there.
She is loved.
She is remembered.