Quick quiz: where in Europe have pre-Christian traditions survived?  I have long been aware of folk traditions that survived in the British Isles and in Scandinavian countries, but it wasn’t until Andras began talking about pagans in Lithuania that Eastern Europe even crossed my mind as another rich family of traditions.

This week, EarthSpirit has been able to bring Kulgrinda to New England for a series of concerts.  The group performs songs that may date back 5,000 years and that honor pagan holidays and traditional Lithuanian deities of the earth, fire, and thunder.  They also performed on traditional instruments (including the Lithuanian bagpipe you see above!).

We all sang together to close!

There are still two more concerts in Amherst and Brattleboro if you’d like to hear these spectacular performances.

What are the sources of inspiration for your personal practice?  Do you draw from the heritage of your bloodline or elsewhere?