And the darkest hour is just before the Dawn

We had made offerings and suppers for maybe a month before the holiday,

you could feel the disruption, the wyrrd and the uncertainty,
the thinning of the veil and the restlessness.

And now it is imperative every day to connect to love and the land just tor survival,
to support the breath rather than any fear.

There aren't too many pictures from that ritual cause the phone was full and it was important 

to be present.
And afterward we burned sacrifice in the five-circle fire-pit, too far to go to in the dark of ritual night, vivid and alive in the dusk of the next day.

 Once again the many to come became the few who did.

 Each of us worked to light the fire, each of us made offerings.

We were just here together praying.
Praying for the year past, for healing to come, for our hopes and dreams,
to ward off evil and fear, to support the waters and the water protectors,
to support each other and our selves, for the harvest and prayers for enough.

Not sure if sacrifice burned or did not, but I know it all smelled sweet.
Not sure if we spoke out loud or only in our hearts, but we had one voice.
The other worldly veil was strong and shadows full.

I can't remember what we ate, I can't remember what we talked about,
I can't remember much
but I do remember the caws of birds, the enveloping smoke
lingering in my hair and clothes for days, like a whisper of magic,
the brightness of the center, the draw of the light.

 Gratitude

Our Sacrifice

Our Omens 

From the Ancestors: Berkana -Beginnings, new or continued growth, birth and rebirth, renewal and becoming 

From the Spirits of Nature and Place: Ansuz or Os- the Voice, it relates to wind and inspiration, listen-it's telling us something

From the Gods & Goddesses: Raido-which we think of as communication but seems to be described more often as a journey or progression that is communication and the understanding at the conclusion of the journey

For the Season: Mannaz- the Self

So all those seemed strong and positive and we had hope.
But maybe we do not yet understand or see all that is actually happening
slowly, beneath the surface.

Our fire the next day, to close the doors, to say thanks once again, to make sure all was offered.

   

 

 

 

 

 rekindling resurgence sparks into the night
quickly returns to center

let your light shine from your heart into the darkness.

an interlude of musing in the middle of the season

 that was then. this is now. 

it is all apparently different, but we had already seen the signs, already felt the instability. 

love is all there is.

say it everyday and every evening,

like a mantra.

 all there is is love.

care for each other and for your self,

offer gratitude constantly and from the heart,

feel the blessings of this moment,

honor the waters and the water protectors.

Autumnal Equinox-part 2: it was there and then gone- the wyrd arrives

rapidly the winds come

and take the leaves
finally in full color
down.

the land is no longer green but yellow and brown and red
the sky is dramatic always
 either with the intensity of the blue or the light of the clouds

We gather sticks for winter.

  We weren't together at the actual time of the equinox but we each broke sticks then.

 A long week becoming free of pain
balancing re-balancing
coming home, letting go
chilling out. setting up.

She came first, with a much needed cooling sprinkling of a rainbow shower
 and then the clearing of the sky.

               
               

 Then she who has returned arrived which is always such a joy 

and then he did, a surprise gift of missed emails,
and then we snacked and drank and toasted and talked, 

women in the kitchen guys in the dining room,

while I assembled and gathered
back and forth.

Our meager harvest becomes enough.

Gently building the fire as conversational/ritual act.
the simplicity of breaking sticks
in the disappearing light of equinox evening.

                                       
                                        

 starting the fire with cedar

meditation silence
sound of fire

strong silence and inner fire
barefoot on the earth
letting/allowing/giving space for each
feel the space in between the crickets
the space in your spine
the fire in your belly

 naturally occurring

deeply moving
flash of fire like a sprite
our hazel nuts for the 3 gates
allowing our sacrifice to be enough

the strength within
the strong breath of fire
sweet smells of roasting garlic and honey
both local, both harvested with love.

prayers to the waters,
 to the clean waters that run free
to the clean waters that nourish all
to the balanced rainfall, to the snows to come
may there be enough and not too much or too fierce
may it always be so.

   ravens caw

 

our omens were five that Bryan later painted into bind runes:

from our Honored Dead: Tir -our sense of the people and justice and direction

from the Spirits of Nature and Place: Elhaz- our attention, our protection, our awareness

from the Gods & Goddesses: Eihwaz, theYew-the axial pull of apparent opposites
and what brings them together

for the Season: Nauthiz or Need and Mannaz or the Self (they came out together as one)

             

Our waters were clear and cold and refreshing and minty.

Our gratitude was everything.

Our feast was enough.