Easter can be complicated. For those who have questions and doubts about the theology we were taught, and the historical impact of expressions of Christianity… For those of us who search for the beauty and profound meaning in the life, death and presence of Jesus, Easter can bring up a lot of cognitive dissonance….

Theology around the cross is often one of the first things to be questioned on a faith shift journey. Here are a few faith-shifting alternative interpretations of the cross and death of Jesus.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent and the run up to Easter. I contemplate the ritual of using Ash to signify a turning towards love and away from harm, to remind us that all life is sacred and to foster the quality of humility in our lives.

Saint David is the patron saint of Wales and celebrated on the 1st March, who encouraged his followers to do the ‘little’ things. Contemplate on the words he shared before he died.

Not all who wander are lost is a famous line written by the famous novelist Tolkien. I find it a help poem to draw on when considering a shift in faith or faith shift. It may look like we are lost to those who have not been there, but it is in fact a wander of discovery…

Imbolc is marked on the 1st February and in the Celtic world signified the start of Spring. It is also the day we remember Brigid, both Goddess and Saint.

Drawing wisdom from wintering trees. At the same time they loose their leaves to prepare for winter, they produced the buds for Spring. These buds are suspended in time, waiting for the right conditions to grow…

Contemplating love and finding peace within helps me face the world’s troubles and my own, with more love than fear, more hope than despair, with more understanding than judgement. Advent is an opportunity to centre this belief once again.

Reclaiming my connection to Samhain and All Saints, my Celtic and Christian heritage.

Why I mark the Autumn Equinox and some questions for reflection at this turning point of the year.

When meditating on the Easter story, I remember experiencing a deep sense of Jesus’ solidarity with the marginalised and oppressed; those experiencing inhumane and dehumanising treatment.

I didn’t grew up knowing about the Celtic Wheel of the Year and Pagan festivals. When I joined a Christian church at 19, I learnt anything pagan was to be feared. My journey of questioning, re-thinking and re-imagining my Christian faith and spirituality allowed me to explore them and consider why my ancestors marked and celebrated them for 1000’s of years.

Sometimes in life I can feel like a small boat being tossed about in a stormy ocean, thoughts and feelings threaten to overwhelm me like towering waves coming from all angles.

I felt like this recently and was drawn to the sea.

The more I learn about plants, the more it’s liking seeing a good friend when they appear in season.

This week I have been drawn towards plantain (Plantago Lanceolata), the narrow leaf plant rather than the broad leaf (Plantago Major). Its properties and uses through the ages fascinate me, knowledge my ancestors would have once passed down. Re-discovering this knowledge has become a connection to my past, to the land, to myself (both body and soul) and has become part of my daily contemplative practice.

Jesus took the disciples through a huge faith ‘sift’ that came to a head at Easter.…

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, the six weeks leading up to Easter Sunday, a central festival in the Christian calendar celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ after his crucifixion.