from Beltane thru Solstice- Summertime chapter 1

As always this time from Beltane thru Solstice is beyond busy and has flown by.

Late frosts and early heat then a month plus of no rain. The summer pressed close, temperatures rose high and the garden had been dry, now recent rains have made everything humid.

The flowers have been plentiful and finally the vegetables grow. We are eating local harvests and staying up late with the long days.

Here's some notes from the last rituals, sorry it took a while

Lughnasa Ritual will be here on Sunday 8/1/10.

Enjoy

Beltane
from notes dated 5/2/10

up before the dawn- whirlwind house cleaning - clearing opening to the fresh air.

gathering first flowers, getting rid of dead ones.

all in time.

setting up the maypole: picked up the covering stone to an ant nest filling the hole. Making offerings from the kitchen filling the hole and then filling the hole with the pole. The ribbons were still on it, mostly, and I steadied it while Bryan brought rocks, large rocks from our walls to stabilized it. Took more of them than I thought it should but we got it steady.

Amber arrived when we were finished bringing cookies and her harp. Always lovely to see friends not seen in a while.

Then Elizabeth arrived, tired and transformed carrying coffee and pie and her banjo and wood.

I went to the fire pit and realized that with bright noon light and 90 degree summer heat

we would need to slow down.

We rested in the shade and opened cyser and ate cookies and Middle Eastern sweets.

Getting out napkins we saw a large snake in the pantry. I screamed.

We had been seeing snakes everywhere.

Then the instruments came out.

the jumping electric monkey harp, the magic banjo, the big guitar, the kazoos.
the strings and the sweets, the sadness and the joy, the muse and the music.

then Carrie and her daughter showed up, all the way up here to the boonies blowing dandelions.

the boy was hot and bored in the hammock.

the sounds of the instruments and those from the basket and Carrie gently reading.

Staying on schedule off schedule.

the fires in the heat with small amounts of fuel.

Children and focus.

talking about ritual order and feeding the kids.

do we have sacrifice other than ourselves?

5 minute break.

Braya and Tasha and Dylan arrive. like magic. like clockwork.

on schedule off schedule.

happy birthday on the kazoos and then hats and water and an instrument and begin

on time off time.

The youngest banging the gong 3 times to begin - so soft and gentle

We are here to honor the Gods, Gods that give meaning to life.

the pomp of procession, joyous noise to the circle

finding Elizabeth quietly playing the banjo by the entrance.

We marched around the fire circles to the banjo tune, several times round stopping in the east.

Calling the directions, Elizabeth lights each fire

then as we light the center Michael & his son arrive. Each in its own time.

our meditation stopping at our arms our hands and our hearts and not going into our heads

walking around into and through the directional fires to get rid of winter as Carrie lead us in song.

Honor the inner fire.

the Gates, the Well, the Tree, the Fire

Let all our fires be good fires.

Almost the fires were out, just smoldering

Mama Mama Mama Mama!

The outsiders' cheese moved me around the circle closer to the offerings and sacrifices.

For our Kindred something that burns- a cauldron of sticks and handful of sage

the fire from nothing for our seasonal offerings- flowering dogwood, old herbs and flowers, scrambled grasses for each in time - even the littlest had her turn.

staying hydrated and cool in the headyness of the summer.

the pulling of omens is hard to explain what it really means

4 children, 4 omens to pull even if they didn't understand their role or why.

the 13 year old pulled the rune for the Honored Dead: Nathuz- the need fire, what we need

the 4 year old pulled the rune for the spirits of nature & place, the fairys, our animals: Uruz-

the primordial ox, taurus, here and now

the 9 1/2 year old best friend pulls the rune for the Gods & Godesses:Tir- the spiritual warrior, the direction up, balance & truth

the 9 1/2 year old boy pulls the rune for the season: Ingwaz, active life principle, doing, being, loving

A final omen of the Ogham, Bryan pulls the Furze- the East & Bees & maybe the wheel.

the fumbling of the waters, the blessing and taking in of that blessing- no longer iced or enough but good and refreshing.

Nicci and her family just in time for that blessing, the sharing of the waters.

in time out of time.

thanks and noise and not enough grounding but all is good.

12 minutes or 22 minutes and eating or not but the maypole finally.

We all dance our own way