Communicating With Deity: All the Small Things

Last updated on: March 1, 2020 at 12:37 am by D.C. McBride

Communicating With Deity: All the Small Things 2020-03-01T00:37:48+00:00 D.C. McBride

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Stovetop altar to Brighid, January 2015.

(Nature’s Sacred Journey welcomes DC McBride to our growing batch of writers. This is what he has to say about himself: Unitarian-Universalist since 2009, Dan McBride is a practicing Devotional Polytheist, a member of Ár nDraíocht Féin: A Druid Fellowship, and the Coordinating Officer of UUCB-CUUPS. His spiritual interests are in Neo-Pagan religions and Irish folklore and mythology, as well as in inter- and intra-religious dialog. Outside of the grove, he enjoys technology, hiking, camping, skiing, history, photography, and adventuring with his wife. A fifth-generation downstate New Yorker, Dan traces his roots back to the Italian region of Calabria and County Waterford in Ireland. He currently resides near the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango rivers in Binghamton, NY, where he makes his living as a technology professional.)

Last December I completed my Masters in Computer Science after four long years of work alongside my white-collar day job. I was relieved, and was looking forward to spending more time connecting with Deity in general, with my Gods in particular, and possibly even joining ADF and starting work on its’ Dedicant Path. But with school now packed away, my wife and I decided to take the first opportunity we could to travel to our usual vacation spot: my family’s second home in Vermont.

“The Vermont house”, as its known amongst my clan, is more than just a vacation cottage. It was my father’s primary residence during his bachelor years, and has since been been the scene of many happy childhood memories as well as two generations of bacchanals. Being a good Brigidine Pagan, of particular importance to me is the stone fireplace that serves as its primary source of heat. Having been constructed out of the quartz stones excavated during the building’s construction, it is a giant energetic battery and amplifier that has spent almost forty years absorbing some of the best energies my family can produce. My father’s hearth is a very sacred place for me, and the idea of curling up in front of it sounded like the perfect way to spend several days’ well-deserved rest.

The author at his family hearth in Southern Vermont

And so my wife and I found ourselves spending a brutally cold January evening in front of our beloved hearth. The fire was roaring in the fireplace as my wife slept soundly on the couch. I sat facing the crackling fire, preparing for an “Introduction to Earth-Centered Religions” class that I would soon begin teaching at my UU Congregation.

As I worked, my thoughts turned to the student I had recently taken on. This was my first “official student”, a strong-willed Buffalo native named Ava who had been contacted by Brighid and a second as-yet-unidentified Deity. Having no experience in Paganism or with Devotional Polytheism, Ava had been directed to me by a mutual friend that felt that I could give them the guidance they needed. Contemplating Ava’s situation, I took a break from my lesson planning and looked up to the fire.

“Brighid, is Ava one of yours?”

The fire responded with a resounding pop!

I took that to mean a yes. [1]

Unverified Personal Gnosis

Previous Post

February 18, 2016

UU Pagans As Leaders

Next Post

February 24, 2016 The Power of Prayer

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Current Events CUUPS Press Release Interfaith liturgy Media Review podcast Religious Education Seasonal Reflection Spiritual Practice Summary Uncategorized

Select a Month July 2026 June 2026 April 2026 January 2026 December 2025 October 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 February 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz