Saturday, May 30, 2015

Suddenly Summer

Maypole daffodil crown
finally written, coded and uploaded and coded again.
It's still the Magical Month of May but barely.
regular work gone irregular and twice as much.
The glitch of computers make this an old-style almost manual posting
without as much creative options which make this a loving art form for me.
We are always limited by our mediums, by our programs, by the center or left or right setting.
And it is good to be in the summertime,
when there is so much abundance and so much to do
even with the constraints of our humanity.


It is now Memorial Day weekend, early but still.
3 weeks exactly since our Beltaine Ritual.

It is completely summer.
Catskill Mountain summer, of potential frosts and layers of clothes for warmth in the shade.
But it is very dry.
Even with the blessing of a few nights of rain,
the ground is thirsty.

We take this long weekend to rest,
to walk the land a bit and garden a bit
but mainly to be languid.
We have earned this time off, this time of not doing,
even though there are still chores we finish slowly
in between naps.
thunderstorm clouds
Once again we prepared for many
and less, but enough, showed up. 3 of us and three others, having lost lists and reconfigured connections
those who were here were.
Magnolia and dandelions
Back then there was no canopy of dark leaves,
it was the blooming of the rest of the daffodils
and the magnolia
and before the columbine, irises and other purple flowers
in the garden now.
columbine
the cycling of flowers in their time fascinates me,
impossible to keep up with but only to fully immerse in,
I blink each week at the newness
as the garden changes colors.
peony
The Maypole is still up until the end of the month,
grateful that this year we had the strength to erect it ourselves.

Maypole and the SunMaypole crown
Maypole and budding trees

simple simple

we gather, eat fruit & spicy chocolate, drink water
and talk and talk as always.
With petals and flowers and pieces of ribbon in my pockets for sacrifice.
we process to to the gentle drumbeat and the bird calls
past the 5-circle fire pit across the brook
and through the just budding woods and fiddleheads
to the nemeton
and find our places on the earth.


  
 
worship

worship(photos by boy)
                                                              offering sacrifice

Druid

Druid's wife

Druid and son
 final sacrifice
Beltane final sacrifice
Beltane final sacrifice

Beltane final sacrificeBeltane final sacrifice

Beltane final sacrifice

Beltane final sacrifice

Beltane final sacrifice
       
Beltane final sacrificeBeltane final sacrifice
Beltane final sacrificeBeltane final sacrifice
 
(photos by me)  
  Beltane final sacrifice as if your breath is fireBeltane final sacrifice flames calling to the omensBeltane final sacrifice flames fill your eyes and rise            Beltane final sacrifice flames in the airBeltane final sacrifice flames reaching to the omens
Beltane final sacrifice flames through the eyes of the face

Beltane final sacrifice the fire rises

Beltane final sacrifice flames reading the fire
there aren’t too many words to say,
the fire was doing all the talking

                            pulling omens, giving thanks
reading omens

giving thanks

 Just enough to dance

around the Maypole, always

much silly laughter
us around the Maypole
 interwoven ladies dance guys watch 
goddesses finish the dance
danced Maypole

verticals
Our omens
From our Honored Dead:Mannaz – Man or Self
From the Spirits of Nature & Place: Laguz –the lake,
drawing up, drawing from
From the Gods & Goddesses:Elwaz-Attention, prayer
For the Season:Berkanu-NEW BEGINNINGS!

Beltane omens

looking up to the Maypole crown (photos by him)
now at 9pm it is not totally dark,
the moon grows larger and the night still lessens,
fruit grows on the trees and I keep my fingers crossed. 

peach blossoms