Sunday, April 19, 2015

Vernal Equinox, Snowy Spring-Times change quickly

balanced egg
We had been seeing the melt, rejoicing at the land, walking into the woods and gathering much needed sticks, wearing less clothes, almost as if it was.
The spring is a prolonged heart racing moment of sudden and imperceptible complete change.

It is this time still cold and with the wood stove burning, but eating dinner late because it is light after 7.

Snow and ice still hard, but the stream begins to rush loud and the birds sing.
Spring.
And though we knew it to be passing, the grey clouds and snowfall prompted us all to go into blizzard mode that day and hunker down. Snowquinox.

One by one many folks cancelled or we told them to stay down the mountain and be safe, and just us, who live here, gathered.
Restless teenager, balancing adults.
we juggled early snow-related school dismissal bus pickup
9 miles away, delivery of oversized new mattress and removal of our 17yr-old-one on which the restless teenager was made and had slept in the middle so long ago,
working and rescheduling work,
cleaning for guests who would not arrive,
making food and gathering sticks.
I needed a nap.
And even with no other humans around we still sometimes seem rushed, forgetting things, casting about for what we can’t find or putting our attitudes at peace.
Peaceful like the falling snow, like knowing we have no where we have to go, like we are here now.
copper well in ice
2 weeks later we are in a whole nother world.
I sat in the sun today and there are only small patches of snow left. I could work in the garden. Crocuses bloom and others will soon. It is still cool at night but the days are bright and Spring has sprung. copper well melting ice
2 more weeks later and it is Spring. Daffodils bloom and trees bud. We want to be outside more than inside. Suddenly we are late to start seeds as we rake the garden and prune the roses.
Down the mountain it is almost too hot. Grateful for the slightly slower pace we get up here. But the sun feels strong and we try not to portent a very dry and hot summer.
I am still blinking at light and flowers.
As if to say what? Who are you?
Yet I look at these photos of snow and can’t even remember. Like looking at pictures of the restless teenager as a baby.
Time rolls on.
daffy 
The following are loads of photos from ritual, from set up to ending, from first snow to dark. 
 frozen yule boughs    centerfirst flame   protective well
We knew it would snow, so Bryan had covered over the cleared out fire pit with the large bowl we use as a well, the circle of ice from its center became like a clock of melting time over the weeks.         
well & ice      well and fire pit
set up
sacrifice
fire continues invisible fire     fire  slow burn
Though we had plenty of dry wood, reeds and sacrifice,
the fires were brief and intermittent,
not going out but hard to get going.
keeping the fire alive breath of fire fire fire wood gifted from the willow tree, shed from winter, gathered before snowfallwillow fire nest sweetgrass druidour sweetgrass   lighting the sweetgrass sweetgrass fire sweetgrass fire figure  snow, sweetgrass and smoke  smolder
not on fire breaking a stickbreaking a stick at exactly the time, our new tradition   stick broken still smoldering our breath togetherbundled up combining breath to ignite the flame dance of the fire sprite  burning bright   dancing flame almost fire catches  almost  burning burningSometimes we look at the pictures of the fire and there are really scary faces or really distinct profiles in the flame
or sometime clear figures dancing
or hands or creatures in flight.
They are full of so much imagery to be scryed that I have to include them all. more sweetgrass offering fire fire fire fire fire fire dragon  fire fireprayer final sacrifice final sacrifice final sacrifice final sacrifice final sacrifice  our omensOur Omens
from the ancestors: fehu or fee
from the spirits of nature & place: perth- luck or chance
from the gods & goddesses: daguz or day
for the season:nathuz or need from the ancestors
    from the spirits     from the Gods & Godesses & the season
behold, the waters of life.the waters of life
creating flamecreating flamefire so elusive even the reeds need the rush of air to burncreating flame sparks   flaming tip fire point burning centerfire grows fire grows fire grows fire glows smoldering center in the snow
snow dampens the fire again embers embers and sacrifice
Glowing ember of ritual fire.
Sacrifice not entirely consumed
but received nonetheless.
Gates closed, gratitude shared, teenager back inside.
I add the snowy pieces of pine boughs from Yule to the fire,
and then the whole frozen boughs themselves
and suddenly the fire rages.
Sparks fly into the bluing evening like quiet fireworks.
Standing together in the no longer cold nor darkness.after fire fire
after fire fire    after fire fire    after fire fire frozen bough, snow drops, fire  after fire fire       after fire fire  
     after fire fire after fire fire after fire fire ice, boughs, fire fire works  sparks  sparks after fire fire after fire fire after fire fire magic blaze! after fire fire after fire fire sparks   sparks danceafter fire fire fire being after fire fire  after fire fire   
heart of the fire after fire fire after fire fire after fire fire after fire fire  after fire fire after fire fire face emerges after fire fire   brilliance       fire dance  heart center            whole spirit IMG_3727