Mid Summer Solstice past

this season started full and fruitful and on schedule
and then everything changed.
we participated in the greening, the summer, early dawns, the endless cycle of blooming and tending
with no time to write about ritual
being so much in the present of each day.
And then everything changed.

Not everything-just us, our lives, our daily rituals,
replaced with the ritual of hospital trips,
the checking of vital signs,
coordination and advocacy and endless fruitless tests.

At one point I dreamed we were walking
and the leaves were turning and it was so beautiful,
but I wondered where summer had gone.
And now we can walk together once again
on our gentle Earth Mother,
we can walk together to offer prayers and gratitude
to our dear Bridget,
we can sit together like normal
in the new normal.
Notes from our solstice ritual:

everything on schedule, setting up and eating and cleaning.
as always people cancel and others show up
4 full families holding ritual
and additional ones before and after.
Kids and babies and snacks and water.
 

my often disaffected teenager tells me:
”I just know this is going to be a great ritual”

So much color and light.

Discussion of the nemeton before ritual,
the Order of Ritual especially shared for those folks who have never been here,
detailing the sacred space,
and detailed discussion after ritual
of the lore of the sacred center.

processing as family
across the land into the woods, over the moss to our center.





more than enough offerings
never enough gratitude
birds, crickets, stream & a plane. 
Listen.

standing on the Earth grounded
& then
standing on the Earth letting go.

gratitude of yogurt, then birch tea, then water
and more clean water.
 
endless handfuls of flower petals
rose petals heart shaped
love.
 
pinnacle and what is not the pinnacle
remove the false pinnacle.

flaming ball of chocolate.
siren call at some important time
dollar bill sacrifice.
”hear and answer us-give us a sign”
flame extinguished immediately
and then just as quickly re-alived.

our omens:

from our Ancestors: need
from the Spirits: Ing
from the Gods & Goddesses:year
for the Season: fee
Need-Ing the Yearly Fee-what we need, what we do, our annual harvesting, and what things cost

women by the fire at night
summer vacation begins

summer time hey hey hey hey
laughing in the summer time
loving in the summer time.