Scott Chisholm Lamont, RN.

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)O( Green Man

Lost.

My brother Kyle is a composer and the founding artistic director of the Land’s End Chamber Ensemble in Calgary, Alberta. A few years ago, he wrote a piece called “Lost”, a truly wrenching musical experience. Listening to it leaves you feeling like someone has reached out of the speakers, hauled your heart out of your chest, and stomped it to small pieces on the floor in front you. I've experienced that feeling again today, ten-fold.

Albert Webb, High Priest of Wicca, Shaman, Wise Elder, Master Gardener, Teacher, Mentor, Old Soul, Engineer, Father, Husband, Lover, Child of the God and Goddess, has passed from this realm. He departed his home Friday to go on a retreat in the Gila Mountains, and never arrived. He likely died that night, but I don’t know. We were called last night to say he was missing and requesting prayers. The call I was dreading came this morning.

Here is the official announcement from the Covenant of the Goddess (slightly edited) as released today:

It is with great sorrow we write to announce the passing today of Albert N. Webb, a great person and COG Second Officer. He was a founding member of Chamisa Local Council, and been a great moving force in the growth of Wicca in New Mexico. Albert was noted for the power of his laughter and his keen perceptions about life and magick.

He and Sylvia were leaders of Circle of the Winter Moon Coven, and teachers of Wicca in the Western Eclectic Tradition.

Albert was traveling to visit Loba & Jesse Wolf Hardin’s Earthen Spirituality Project and Sweet Medicine Women's Center when his truck became stuck in high water in a river. When he didn't arrive on time, a search was started, but hampered by darkness. He was found this morning upriver from where his truck stalled, apparently trying to go for help. ESP is remote and the only connection to the area has been by e-mail via satellite, so the details are still not known

All of us here at CLC are greatly saddened by his passage. We know all those who knew Albert will be also.

Albert is one of the best friends I have ever had, and I’ve valued his time and teaching more than I think I could ever say. He and Syl offered up their home for us to retreat to when we adopted Micaela. He helped us move to California when I started grad school, including a 1200 mile trip in a cantankerous old 26 foot U-Haul. Albert attracted more hummingbirds to his garden each summer than I even knew existed. We were married in their garden, with him and Syl officiating. One of my favourite pictures of him in the world is that of him kilted, sword in hand, laying the foundation of the circle in which we tied the knot. He modeled for me what it was to be a priest.

I’ve just realized that as I recount this, I’m going backwards in time. I don’t want to – I want to go forward, with him, with things that we’d discussed and planned, like him teaching Micaela to ski next Thanksgiving. But I can’t. He is making a journey I cannot join. All I can do is send my love with him.

I’m going to miss that tough old gnome, the solid way his body felt when I hugged him, the depth of his knowledge, the way his eyes glinted when he smiled. He is gone from us, and it's not fucking fair. It's just not fucking fair at all.

I’m going to bed, and I’m going to hold my wife close. I suggest you all do the same, with whomever you care about, and do it now. You just have no idea when it will be the last time, and the people you care about are all that really matters. Crap like papers for grad school, the job, the BS politics in the various capitols, well, it's all just crap.

* updated Jan 28 - internal links added *

I have posted a small memorial, including a photo, on both my family and spiritual home pages. I will be building a more fitting memorial page for Albert, and will add the link here when it is up. I know that others are doing the same.