Autumn Stones

One of the many wonderful things about the Wiccan/Pagan path is the ability to sense the inherent energy of the ecology. It is interesting to feel the shift in the flow of life energy as I walked ten miles on the NCR trail today. It was very quiet today. Unlike the height of summer, I heard only a few birds and the sounds of insects were sparse and slow. Most of the trees have shed their leaves. A handful have foliage of deep red that is rapidly turning brown. The path was full of dry leaves that rustled in the brisk wind. Though the trees looked dead, I knew that was not so. I could feel the quiet, subdued energy of the trees and knew that they were slumbering but not deceased.

The sun does not rise as high in the sky at this time of year. We are well past Mabon (autumnal equinox) and Samhain has come and gone. We are nearly to winter now. The path was cast in shadow for most of my ten-mile hike. It seemed highly appropriate that it should be so. We are in the darkest quarter of the year (Samhain through Imbolc). But without the darkness, how can we appreciate the light?


Since the foliage has thinned, I was able to take some pictures of a few very pretty rock formations. I like the big stones. Most of them seem to be platforms for other kinds of life -- moss, lichens, and even small trees. Rocks are often underrated.

NCR Trail

The NCR trail used to be a railroad line once upon a time and now it is a hiking/biking trail that goes from Timonium (MD) to York (PA). It very pretty in autumn now that the leaves are turning from green to amber and the sky is bright blue instead of hazy white. When I look to the sky, it's really obvious that the solstice is long past. At high noon, the sun looked like it was at a 45 degree position above the horizon instead of being directly overhead.

One of my favorite spots in the trail is where there is a huge rock formation in which small trees manage to somehow grow directly out of the rocks. The surfaces always dribble pure, clear water seemingly year round.

I also took a picture of the oddity I call the "levitating log". When you see it, you'll understand why.