Iceless Imbolc part 2

so it is several weeks ago already, several weeks of wild weather, 

of wind and sleet of snow and immediate snow melt, of springlike temperatures followed by sub-zero temps followed by T-shirt weather. All in one week. 

it is hard to know the springtime as we haven't had the blanket of snow
the endless white, frozen landscape, moon-reflecting iced over earth.

It is now leap day of leap year.
An extra day in this revolving cycle of days, weeks, months, years.
This incredible time, this incredible life, how quickly it passes.

We no longer have an easy writing program for the blogs,
so formatting isn't creative
photos aren't watermarked or named or placed artistically
echoing the sense of the time as if the blog was an extension of the experience
the retelling itself a visual redo of the ritual.

It has been unseasonable and warm but windy and ominous.
Good to gather simply, just a few Susans, a Bryan and finally a teenager too. Drinking water and coffee and a few snacks, catching up on and reaffirming
life and the passage of time.

Sharing some photos and notes,
it is never the same as being here, even the recall brings back small moments,
but fleeting ones.
Maybe that is all that is needed anyway.

 our well of spheres of frozen bowls
in and of itself complete:
silence, light, fissure, reflection, metallic color, transparency

the boy had offerings for the well, suddenly participating with the sliding orb 

 sunny sacrifice

first flames

all the Bridgets

all the Goddesses Bridget
all the cauldron collection burning
catching the sweet scent of the garlic stalks and leaves.

 

 

 let this fire be a good fire

 

green smoke- all the greens
winter harvested greens
red apples surrounded by green smoke
magical endless smoke
permeating us all. 

sometimes we don't know what is happening
sometimes it just is

 

our omens were different, not so easily accessible

usually we read runes and sometimes the Ogham as secondary

 and often we receive the same or similar messages from season to season
but this time we read the Ogham and then Bryan pulled tarot cards.
In between another friend, not coming for the holiday, showed up,
so that would be a third oracle.

It was about letting go of fear and clearing your energies to move ahead with focus.
Seeing the blinding, the binding, as maybe a safety action,
to hold ourselves back from incorrect motion, to not be distracted,
the proper harnessing of energy

 

 

we bring our Bridget, all the Bridgets, into our hearth.
We share food and talk, folks who plan to be here and folks who don't,
little amounts of food become a feast.

Iceless Imbolc part 1

The weather is weird or just wyrrd,

but the days lengthen
and this season
 of floating in the lost and found
 continues.

Imbolc drift

Bridget is cool with the lack of weather or changing weather or our lack or our changing.

We do out best with what we have and offer gratitude and love.

This is a picture Bryan took in the days before our Imbolc ritual. 

It's a place holder until I have the time to share the rest of our holiday.

2016 Ritual Calendar

The warm cold winter of ice and rain or lots of snow or none and sunshine is upon us.

May this year be filled with cycles of joy and may the turning of the wheel be with gratitude.

       

Location is at our house and times are general- to be detailed more as we get to the holiday. We try to stick as close to the actual time of a solar event as possible, and cross quarters holidays are close to actual too. We are generally mindful of work/school schedules however and as always if you RSVP we will wait for you.

Yule turns the Year

all I remember is the hubbub of the season.

Star Wars, and shopping, and working too much,and illnesses and helping older friends

and busy schedules and warmish weather.

Strangely warm but sort of welcome anyway.

 a few friends and special guests arrived and snacked
and circled the fire outside.

He gathered and fed many armload of sticks (winter's kindling) to the fire.

She sang "Wouldn't It Be Loverly"

I offered his Yarzheit glass.

Teenagers were silent.

We were 9 people.

 omens in the yuletide-growing spearmint

from our Ancestors: Yera- the year or harvest, an entire year's cycle

from the Spirits of Nature and Place: Wunjo or Joy

from the Gods & Goddesses: Sowelu or the Sun, and the sun also represents the path

that the sun takes not only in a day, but in the year and the cycle

for the Season: Gibor or giving, sacrifice and gift and exchange

the day after ritual the weather turned cold,

it's been warm and wintery alternately.

We ride the cycles of the new weather together.

We are here from love-winter sneaks in. When all else fails try again from the beginning

It was a dark dark dark night, with strong winds but warm.
Very warm, beguilingly warm,strangely warm.
The new weird weather,
don't plan, don't guess, just be flexible.

These days we have had real cold but mostly not so,
warmish in the sun, warm for December,
but frosty and magical after the late dawn.
We wake in the dark and it is dark so early, so very dark,
even high beams don't seem to lighten the darkness.

Giving thanks for each day walking the earth.
Each day together quiet on the mountain 
as the world and media go crazy with rage.

Stay strong, we are here for the long-term.

So then was very long ago, and I remember snippets only,
except for family and the joy of gathering together.

Well, it was after-work on a Friday
and pulling it together from there is effort enough,
and we didn't know really who was to show up,
many reply, many cancel
last minute,
others we didn't know could make it do.

It's all good.

We totally could not get anything to light 
before people arrived
and the pizza I brought home got mostly devoured also 
before people arrived
but it was Friday, which is the start of my weekend,
and it was all ok.

Setting up for ritual in the darkest of dark
with winds taking out our candles again and again
and sacrifice geared towards fire consumption
but adding in some liquids just in case.

I remembered the summer's peach puree
(which lingered on feet and pants legs and skirts ends)
but forgot the summer's last berries
(languishing near frozen in our over-chilled refrigerator).

We were barefoot for ritual.
BAREFOOT FOR SAMHAIN.
Massaging my heels during pre-rit,
standing on the not-cold
earth for meditation,
clutching rocks with my toes,
giddy with warmth at summer's end.

A few arrived and then some more and we shared
a fermented root beer like liqueurs in small special glasses.

All the food out, because why not, 
and children always get to eat before ritual,
and we are all children,
children of our ancestors.

And while we waited for family who got lost,
women and girls gathered outside
with the candles and sweet popcorn,
talking among the generations.

And then she arrived, unexpected but hoped for
with a turtle for us to foster and tend to and love.
Giving home to more beings, sharing our home
with lots of folk, 
getting lost in the art and artifacts of this house.

Gentle guidance towards pre-ritual rant and explanation,
although time was late and we were ready
there was much to be said,
about the holiday, about ritual practice,
about our selves.

And though some had to leave early,
everyone was listening intently to Bryan
sharing the wisdom of the season,
weather laying on the grass or sitting in chairs on the deck
or off to the side or squatting on the ground.

I remember that the ritual was very moving and powerful,
that days later i was still talking about and feeling it.
I remember that with no hesitation our sacred fire was lit
and magically stayed blazing and bright and was not blown out
nor made dangerous by the strong winds.

I remember that,as often happens, food multiplies
and suddenly there were many full plates and leftovers too.

I remember that we are here to love and from love.

And that even in the darkness a light can shine from within.

 

 

  

Our Omens:

from the Ancestors we have Ingwaz, an expansive growing seed
from the Spirits we have Perthro, the lottery cup, chance, luck
from the Gods and Goddesses we have Fehu, fee- could be cash could be cost
for the Season we have Gibor, giver and giving, proper sharing and partnership

Thanks giving, giving thanks!