Saturday, March 28, 2020

Past the Tipping Point- Vernal Equinox Part 3

there were so many omens pertaining to this time
this is the regenerative holiday.
We look to the East, the new day.
It is all unfamiliar. It is all new.
We have to go on.
Go on anyway.
It is the expanding time.
Let us breathe deeply with strength, good health and clear intent.

transformation
The morning of ritual we went to finally get the kid and a friend from college. 
A week before we feasted their whole crew, 
nice restaurant, appetizers to dessert, laughter and caution, joyfulness amid concern of the future.
Stopping at the store to shop first
wearing gloves, wiping our hands, keeping distance as possible.
Stocking up, being aware, going slow.
One mission of many accomplished. Breathing easier with him home. 
Closing the loop, gathering the circle
inward.
We were originally limiting the gathering
and then self-limiting. 
It was to be up to nine and then it was 3. Just us original grove members.
Me, Bryan and Elizabeth
social distanced, fragile and present.
It has been a long time that we have gathered together,
the years fly onward. 

We figured we would be at the close to the house firepit, 
safe & easy, 
but walking the land,
feeling the lifeforce energy of the center,
we decided to move to the five-circle fire.
Because of what we need we move on.
 It was grey and cool but not cold.
We talked for a long while,
grief and discomfort and letting go and opportunity.
Emotions washing over and through us
like the spray from the rushing stream
if you were in the right spot.
What is this time telling us?
I think it is all about right now. 
We no longer know what day or time it is,
but we know it is now. 
 Many birds call and fly overhead before and during ritual
Mourning doves echoing from the woods in each of the directions
Robins punctuating sacrifice
Wrens commenting
Starting at 6ish as planned though unplanned.
We are here to honor the Gods and the Not-Gods.
We are here to find balance.
We are here together at a reasonable distance around the fire,
by the rolling stream- our well of life
and our willow tree- our tree of life.


 
 
  this is nature
  sparking salt
garlic and ginger
 prayers for our good health and well being
prayers of protection
prayers of gratitude for being
here now
 What is missing in here is the image between these two pictures
of Elizabeth with both hands outstretched
walking toward the fire with sacrifice,
the past of pines in her left hand and the future of blossoms in her right.
Balanced.






  wormword final sacrifice

 Our Omens 
 from our Honored Dead, Ancestors, Those Who Know this Human Condition:
Gibor, the gift or giving or what gives or what we give or what and how we are gifted,
the giving and receiving relationship, the people who lived before as the givers

from the Spirits of Nature and Place, these rocks and birds, the stream and the budding trees, home: Sowelu, the Sun and the sun's regularity, sunshine and light, that great lifeforce
from beyond and above.

from the Gods and Goddesses, Shining Ones, Givers of Great Gifts:
Berkanu or Birch or Becoming or New Beginnings and Births!

for the Season of Spring and this Vernal Equinox:
Ehwaz or the Horse or Vehicle, how we get there, it is a partnership with another living force
 that you are cooperating with to get to where you are going to.
   we had our own cups for blessed though not shared waters
no communal feasting but gifting of ingredients to be cooked individually
love at a distance is still love 
We woke at 11:49pm to break our sticks.
Mine was non-traditional.

And then we were home.
This past week has been an increasing of the fog and the green.
As we mark time until this passes,
hopefully safe in our home washing our hands,
the season bounds forward. 








Sunday, March 22, 2020

Past the Tipping Point- Vernal Equinox Part 2

The sun shines today bright and cold,
rising due East as it should,
first deep orange and quickly paling to yellow and light
as it shoots up over the horizon into its daily arc across the sky.

We are in a world of uncertainty as we seek calm
sheltered in place.
We are fortunate here, though we know others are not so. 
How to circle the wagons for personal survival and also extend outward for survival of the whole?

The birds sing in the morning. They call to each other through the day.
Seemingly each hour the earth greens more.
Trees bud, the bulbs break through from their dormancy, perennials both wild and planted appear. 
We don't have to force this, we have to go with it. 
With all our truth, with all our love and with our human social distancing. 
Offering bacon grease to Mananan yesterday, 
pouring it directly into the cool waters that flow around the shrine we have set up for him, 
lingering for one more prayer of gratitude through vocal chant,
I turn around to see a fairly large garter snake behind me,
maybe listening, maybe looking, maybe waiting,
before slithering off. 

Hail to the snakes!
Hail to movement!
Hail to awareness and the present!

We balanced no egg,
we attempt joy in spite of fear,
the paradox of the beauty all around and the crisis raging is a difficult one to balance.
But life goes on whether we figure it out or not. 
Our oversized brain is not needed here and only
our kind heart. 
We know what is.
It is Spring. 

Friday, March 20, 2020

Past the Tipping Point- Vernal Equinox in a brave new world-Part 1

Betwixt and between.
Neither Winter nor Summer.
Neither day nor night.
Neither sunny nor dry.

Neither here nor there 
but everywhere.

We are to be righteously cautious of a virus which stops us from hugging and sharing. 
Wash your hands, stay inside, social distance and self-isolate. 
Be afraid.
We are doomed.

Or else it is an opportunity. 

Or both.

Either way, Spring is here.
Early for sure, but glorious as always.
Paying attention to the moment,
being present enough to know now is it.
All we can do is what we can.
All our sacrifice enough.
It is what it is. 

Breathe in blessing.
Breathe out fear.

Sunday, March 15, 2020

As always it was all so different then- Imbolc 2020

Not a week ago we saw the first robin,
now the land is full of them. 
Crocuses have been up for several days and we forced forsythia,
now with green shoots and drying yellow flowers.
Spring is coming and not afraid. 

All this turmoil 
and still the seasons cycle.
Maybe a bit earlier than before,
and more random and unusual and severe weather,
but cycling nonetheless. 

Being grounded in the Earth is our balance.
Everything closing in on itself rapidly
at this time that we start to expand outward.

Daily devotionals and counting blessings are good.
Dear Bridget give us your healing, your strength, your song and clarity of speech.
Allow our hearts to remain open even while our schools, events, gatherings of 50 or more people, government offices, libraries and everything else shut down.
Let us feel our interconnections without sharing direct contact.
Let us not be afraid even as we are all so distraught.
We never knew what tomorrow held,
be here now.

 I imagined that then all was still snow covered, 
but looking at the photos I see it was fairly dry and bare
except for the shady spots and the shoveled piles. 
Imagining the future currently seems almost impossible. 
Living in the present takes over.
But we don't really live that way.
We plan, we review, we build.
What now?
 I guess we are freed to dream. 
What else?

Create a new future. 
Why not?

Waking in the morning to bird song,
an antidote to the fear.
 notes and pics from Imbolc ritual


everyone running late
we are chill
Gentle Bridget
we are tired but ok
slow and easy

just being quiet
speaking your truth
 
a beautiful table of what we have 
loving and caring is all we got
so much powerful interactions
the extra water glass falling breaking the rim of the water jug
the upper caldron falling
slivers of wood and many helping hands
our reverent aromatics & white roses
stardle
hard cider

 

 








 


 
  fire reaching out, surrounding and consuming


 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 our omens




 
 
 more and more it's just about being present
Bridget is what its all about
-healing smithcraft bard-
gentle Goddess who cares.

 WASH YOUR HANDS!