The dark is so dark.
The days so short.
Sun moving quickly across the sky,
rising almost due South moving only to the Southwest
before dropping barely with any dusk
into the West.
And yet we know the light will return.
Generations of Ancestors
gone before
still living in our hearts,
in our DNA,
in our stories and spirit.
Grief and Fear may be overwhelming,
the unknown looming large,
the collapsing of boundaries, structures and supports
everywhere.
And yet we know the light will return.
The trees,
though they may get cut down for nonsense,
or burned through wildfire,
or succumb to diseases and changes
from the unpredictable climate,
still gather their energy and prepare for Spring.
The winds,
ever more fierce and destructive,
are just atmospheric reactions
clearing the way.
The sun and moon still follow their cycles,
regardless of the internet or the news cycles
or our despair or joy.
One foot in front of the other,
being present in the now,
dark or light,
we are here
together.
Some days it's cold
and there is beautiful snow.
Some days it's warm
with much needed rain.
Drought conditions continue
nonetheless.
Awareness of water consumption,
awareness of media consumption,
awareness of consumer consumption,
awareness of being consumed
is important.
Even with the struggles of the season
the active creative energy
flows.
Sharing, caring,
generosity, community
and love
are what brought us here in the first place.
Honoring our work,
our passions,
our truths,
our bodies,
our gifts,
our deficits,
our needs and wants,
and those of our loved ones
helps us to stay strong.
May we continue forward
together
through the dark,
through the challenges,
through the noise and distraction,
through the idiocracy,
through the environmental degradation,
through the anxiety and distress of this world
with our fortitude and joy
firmly rooted in the Earth.
May laughter be our armor.
May kindness be our seed and harvest.
May we remember
that the light will return
as we walk each other home.
Sometimes writing about ritual
especially after a powerful one is jumbled and hard.
Feelings and spirit don't always translate into words.
But here's some notes and pics
from our beautiful Samhain ritual
seemingly a lifetime ago
with some memories recalled now
Burn ban
Drought warning
Precious water
Dumb suppers for weeks
ever since the leaves
changed
and started to fall
a green heron overhead
West to East
fire dug into the Earth
in a rusted container
is the future drawing us towards it
or is the past pushing us forward?
boundaries and the squishy zone
forgetting our sacrifice for the Earth Mother
but remembered with Bridget
left a lot of burnable sacrifice
lovingly gathered during the previous season
inside
lots of delayed sacrifice
safety first
days of prep, a whole day of cleaning and cooking
and art making
self-connection as connection
to our beloved dead
lighting the fire of love
in the four directions
before people came
just us
together.
lighting the fire of love
in the East
the new day
even earlier on the clock now
lighting the fire of love
in the South
fluid emotions and lessons
of flowing
lighting the fire of love
in the West
place of endings and the setting sun
place of introspection
and withdrawing
lighting the fire of love
in the North
place of healing
and Winter
and the color purple
smoke and smoke and smoke
and when it became fire
quickly flaming
quickly doused
in the well
a bigger fire than planned
but totally in control
even though we prepared for weeks
I didn't really have anything for personal sacrifice to offer
though I had been feeding the spirits
with love
and care
everyday.
There is always something though,
songs from the heart
prayers from and for the souls of the dead and the living.
pay attention
be aware
there is fierceness and fury
within and without
and support everywhere
9 humans and two dogs and a host of Honored Dead
gathering as a group
not for show
or profit
but for love
Giving Giving Giving Giving
a perfectly complemented Pot Luck
of everything
all the sacrifice consumed
all the feast consumed
transitions and acceptance
let us be good ancestors
when it is our time
for our omens Bryan tossed all the runes
onto his rune-casting cloth,
it was a lot and a lot to take in
but these are times of a lot
Gibor- giving
Ewaz- the horse (and rider)
Laguz- the lake (that which we draw up from)
All bundled on top of each other
as if a bind rune
luck & communication
the circuit
right in the middle
it has a harvest cycle
and a destruction/reboot cycle
no influence at the top of the world tree
but at the bottom
it has a whole lot of nourishment & reciprocity
as an overall
the whole thing
is contractive to self
no influence from the East/the Giants
but lots from the West
protection & voice
Berkanu or Birth and Daguz or Day
in the West off the cloth
seen by some as a direct message
from our young Ancestor Starllie
now gone almost a year
to her Mom
for her sister who wasn't present
because that day
she turned 18
and went to vote.
Complexities that we can't always understand
but still we get to live through
we have to live through
we are empowered to live through.
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