All Posts By

Debbie Philp

Jan 16
Love0

The Unloved

By Inspirational Talks
Presented January 12, 2025, at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Glens Falls in Queensbury, New York, the weekend after I received my basic venomous snake handling certification. The talk was inspired by rattlesnakes, snapping turtles, opossums, and love. I wasn’t here last Sunday. Instead, I was in Atlanta, putting snakes into bags, then into buckets. You may have just said…
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Dec 31
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Outrage Fatigue

By Blog, Spiritual Ecology
It’s New Year’s Eve and I’m done being outraged. 2024 has been hard on my physical, mental, and emotional health, and the U.S. election was a contributing factor, but not the only one. There were a whole lot of other humans doing things I wish they wouldn’t, or not doing things I wish they would, and, frankly, I’m tired. I…
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Dec 30
Love0

The Radical Non-Action of Saying No

By Blog, Spiritual Ecology
How do you review a year? If I was going to review 2024 as if it was a book, I think I would write “thumbs down,” “this plot is ridiculous,” “author jammed so much into this story that it doesn’t make sense,” or something like that. Yet, here I am, leafing through the pages of my planner and thinking, “How…
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Nov 02
Love0

Fog, Fear and Phantoms

By Inspirational Talks
Presented at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Glens Falls in Queensbury, New York, on October 27, 2024. This Halloween-themed talk was inspired by morning fog that rolled in while I was on my paddleboard. At summer’s end, I was out on the lake on my paddle board early one morning, when a thick fog rolled in. My vision was limited…
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Oct 22
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Autumn’s Glory Religious Wedding

By Handfastings, Interfaith and Nature-Based
The Bride and Groom were raised Catholic but were no longer practicing. They wanted a ceremony that would reflect their families’ beliefs while feeling special to them. The couple shared their personal vows during a first look and made somewhat customized “standard” vows within the included handfasting ceremony. Trees in autumn colors were a lovely backdrop in the outdoor venue.…
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Sep 25
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Equinox Handfasting

By A Magical Rite, Handfastings
A couple who practices earth-based spirituality chose the Autumn Equinox to tie the knot in a ceremony dedicated to balance and harmony in their relationship. The venue’s wall of windows made the woods beyond the backdrop for the ceremony, which included a unity candle ritual. It was a small gathering of less than fifty guests. The three handfasting cords were…
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Aug 20
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The Story of John Barleycorn

By Inspirational Talks
Presented at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Glens Falls in Queensbury, New York, on August 18, 2024. This Lughnasadh-themed talk follows the reading of "John Barleycorn Must Die" by Scottish poet Robert Burns, written in 1782. It is just one version of a folk song with English origins. You’ve probably figured out by now that the character, John Barleycorn, represents…
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Jun 12
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Yellow Birch

By Blog, Real Wilding
Behind my house, shading the deck and my sit spot, is a lovely yellow birch. For many years, it was just “a birch of some kind.” Deepening my connection with the land included getting to know the trees, and I set about discovering what kind of birch it is. The tree has bark which peels like the white, or paper,…
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May 06
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Small-Scale Rewilding: Benefits and Challenges to Restoring Habitat on Less Than an Acre

By Papers
While protecting large swaths of wildlife habitat is essential for conservation, those habitats are often intersected by urban and suburban areas. Small-scale rewilding projects on less than an acre of land, repeated throughout neighborhoods, are crucial for connecting habitats while providing benefits for wildlife and the humans who undertake them. This paper aims to make a case for rewilding in…
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