out of the darkness, light

it is warm for this last day of the year. the ground is soft and the roses are leafing. Still no snow since Samhain.

Even though it is not normal weather or even environmentally good, I am ok with this false spring.

On the Midwinter Solstice I was sitting in the almost rain, totally quiet and waiting for the Sun to set. Watching and reading the fire, again made early to be strong in the rain.

  

it rained so hard at one point I figured we could always be inside and see the fire, but magically it eased up

plenty of free flowing water, feeling the solidness of earth, enjoying the simple gathering of friends.

the craziness of the holidays always threaten to eclipse Yule, yet somehow we manage a bit of silence and meditation.

the fire burned as night fell

a few came to worship- Kevin, Michael and the 3 of us.  Everyone was so peaceful. Not chilled or cold, we marveled at the warmth. Temperatures that make you laugh. We stood or sat on or around the new deck.  A whole new life, a more solid foundation, conscious stance.

We gathered with intent and settled in place, in our places comfortable on this Earth Mother.

I remember Bryan disappearing into the dark mist with the outsiders offering, and then his reappearance. I remember the flaming oils – a separate flame that rose above the fire edged with black acrid smoke. I remember the purple blue flash. I remember not having personal sacrifice other than my words. We each offered our words as prayers and thanks.

I remember the final sacrifice of armloads of dried mint- I thought it would be a large tall whoosh of fire but it was just extremely bright. Out of the darkness, light. That flame stayed in the North close to the to the edge of the fire pit next to our old old Yule tree that has stood as our vertical in these flames for many years.

Bryan cast runes on a casting cloth- I remember the Spiritual Warrior frozen in the ice; the sun and the year were hidden in the dwarves; the B and X- Birkanu- beginnings  and Gibor- giving- were on the line between the Gods and our world(Asgard and Midgard). And in the time between end of ritual and taking pictures and after dinner some runes were taken by fairies or other spirits and lost to us.

  

Our omens from Bryan’s notes:

Tiwaz was alone in Niflheim, the land of Ice or Mist, In Muspelheim, the South or realm of Fire, was a hidden day or Daguz. 

Asgard, the land of the Aesir or Gods, penetrated into the middle realm with Giving and Beginning, and had at its center face up Perth -the Chance Cup or Luck- and hidden Laguz or Lake and Mannuz, Man or Self.

Hel is the realm of instinct or habit and the other worlds of the dead and the runes that were visible there was Kenaz-the torch(which can enlighten or burn) and Ansuz or Os the voice- enlighten or burn with speech or song. There were also three hidden runes. 

And the Midgard itself, our realm, was crowded: the runes were clustered in a North-center-South axis. In the north were 3 hidden runes: Fehu or Fee, Wunjo or Joy, and Isa or Ice. In the center was Odul or sacred enclosure, Hagal or Hail or Disruption or Reordering, and Elwaz the Elksedge or Attention. In the South, hidden was Nauthiz or Need and Ing. Ing is about fertility and expansion, doing and being but need is about what we need and knowing what you need.

Happy to take in those blessings, happy to say thanks to all

Happy to go inside and eat together, happy to stand in sweaters in the dark by the dying fire and look at stars

Happy 2012