MidSummer Season

There was the heat and then the smoke.
Rest and Ground.
 Then the much needed rain
intense at times as it was
brought back the cloud
of burnt particulate matter
that had been rasping 
our throats or eyes or heads
or spirit
(if we let it in)
after a day of once again remembering 
blue skies
and clear air.

Then tornado warnings,
then flooding,
though the land is still so dry,
and then cold.

So it goes
with weather now-
dangerously hot
or dry
or hazardous air quality
or other imbalance.
Giving thanks for it all,
love our atmosphere,
even compromised 
as we have made it
ever changing
nonetheless. 

 

MidSummertime
as pinnacle
is always pleasantly over the top
and then we start to descend
to the busy times of harvest
and endings
and transformation.

We drift and linger
in this languorous time,
endless dawn and dusk.

There's been a lot of clearing 
this season,
some good some hard
some tragic some liberating
all healing
in it's own way.
These long days
belie the speed of time
but the garden blooms
anyway.

Some random notes and pics from ritual:

solar prominence 

Wild Powerful Big Hot Fire
 not out of control
just huge
and expressive

Orange flower petals
for our beloved dead
flying up endlessly
on the heat thermals
30 feet or more
all around me
but
I was the only 
person not seeing it

focusing

listening

 the Solstices are an extended 
celebration of light
(or dark)
days set aside to the fullness
of cleaning and hosting
and making prep and food
simple summer slowness
and abundance 

setting up the house
the land
for MidSummer
is good for the soul
wildflowers fill the house
mostly white, some yellow
and the purples and oranges

we are going with ease
through the days
as best we can

 

just as I am done 
prepping before ritual
someone pulls into the parking lot,
it is Elizabeth!
Our Whole Grove!
Solstice toast with her mead. 

the full roundness of the airplane
continuing on and resonating
until Bryan was done
chiming the chimes
three times

 

sitting or laying on the Earth or sitting in chairs
or leaning against a tree
we were
11 humans and one very good dog

the fierceness of the flame
directionally displaying
but not dangerous
flow 

good fire/good smoke
consuming all sacrifice
tired but jubilant
peaceful

old citrus for the tree
coins for the well
duck fat paper towel for the fire

let this fire be a good fire

lots of dried flowers from the Beltaine Season 
as sacrifice for MidSummer's

the portal of presence
may we all find
our place
may we balance
night and day
work and play
grief and joy

feel the energy coming up 
from the Earth
and down from the sky
and moving within you

 

It seems appropriate that our MidSummer fire
was huge and bright and strong. 
May this season strengthen
our hearts, spirits, vision
and resolve.

 

Our Omens:

From Our Honored Dead: Raido- Communication, completed circuit, a ride and safe journey
From the Spirits of Nature & Place: Sowelu- the Sun!
From the Gods & Godesses: Hagalaz - Hail, disruption
For the Season:Eihwaz- the Yew, the spindle, the World Tree, connector of opposites and that which we revolve around

Stay safe, shine on, shit always happens, keep going

  

feast!

 

Beltanetide

     

This season now halfway to midSummer
is faster and more full each day.

Irises voluptuously luxuriate
brilliant in lavenders and rich blued purples
only the lips can see
and the eyes taste.
Today
the mock orange bloomed
and lilacs were full
on Mother's Day
as memory always wants them to.

Already the sun is strong enough to wilt the grass
even though before this week
there was days of overabundance
of rain.

Give thanks for the students and others
who raise their voices
and lift our hearts
and inspire action.

Give thanks for the birds
who sing at dawn
and the crickets and frogs
who sing at night.

Give thanks for our strength and our tears,
practiced repetition
inspired renewal
working in the garden.

Give thanks for community
dreams and vision
propelling forward and back
grounded.

Killing caterpillars is a constant activity
now
that we didn't think about then
but neither then
could we have imagined the daily unfolding
of this beautiful landscape.
Though we have lived it many years,
each May is a miracle. 

Give thanks for this land,
spongy moth caterpillars and all the larva included,
but especially for the flowers
and the gentle breeze of transformation.

Notes and pics and memory from ritual:

First is the welcoming set up ritual for the May
of flowers and ribbons
and eggs and holes and breaking
or not breaking
and erecting the Maypole
never danced except by the wind
and now overdue
to be taken down.

  

 

And so it began
working together as a family
simple and relaxed
until that day

apprehension and struggle
upheaval and holding space

 just sitting with tea
breathing in the clean air
smelling it, tasting it

 

 the phone rang
call back boundaries
in loving memory of a beautiful friend
and then the phone call
of stopping and changing

 

needing time for self
the calls and the accident
freaking out and rescue 

 

don't underestimate
the caring heart
the soothing voice
saying yes

 
the ungrounding
smokey fire of flowers

backwards memory time
milkshake and humor
comfort and home

last of the sweets

 

steady rain and dampness
puddles of water
the greyness
of the atmosphere
the brownness
of all the food.

 

The shattering calm,
& the calming shatter.

 

 

flexibility & balance

making what was
empty and letting go

 2 pillars in black
holding conscience
a heaviness
of prayer
 upside down of this last year
the quietness of release

 

Much of the spirit of the day
passed thru before ritual.
Kombucha tastings,
help yourself,
gathering solemnly
without welcoming hubbub
the apparent opposite of carefreeness
so often associated with Beltane

and yet ritual itself
was full and healing
and whole

torch flame straight line of light
affliction and sweetness
welcoming all
the directions

 

thrown off from intention
 unable to set intention
to just put one foot
in front of the other
and allow agility of focus.

 

A large dried rose head
for each
of the Kindreds
each with a little more

 getting more

of the good stuff

to give thanks 

fire of flowers
flowers & herbs
rice krispies
and chocolate matzah
it's ok to cry

 

ashes in the sky
high up
may we be protected

 

-singing not dancing-
the unwound Maypole
the open heart
trying to facilitate
whatever we can

processional
in the car in the rain
and stomping in place

purification
through adrenaline
gentle voice calming 

down
and smoke

 

recessional
with baskets
tired
spiraling back through smoke

how things fall in place
how we are around
how we interconnect
and hold each other

 evolving and growing
backwards and forwards

honoring the new green
the Spring expanding
the flowering

hard to see
to acknowledge
the daily blooming
when the blanket
of weather
or panic
occludes wonder.

drained of energy
of color
of festive frolic
we are present
gently
focused
in the smoke

grove ritual
missing the merry
family rituals
full of merry

campus protests/grove boundaries/dramas of others
counsel and guidance

our omens

what are the voices
of our ancestors
telling us?
the sounds of the wind
 and the winds of change

 

 Os/Ansuz - Odin's wisdom
communicating ecstasy
Os or mouth,
mouth is the chieftain of all speech

 

what are we harvesting now
from this time last year
what will we harvest next year?
 can we connect to the roots and seeds
and also the fruits and flowers,
can we accept
whatever we get.

how are the Gods
an upside down mirror
or a True Mirror®
of ourselves?
what does that show us of our humanity,
don't look away
at the others
we are all community.

 

Beltane time of abundant blooming
nature alive.

what are the gifts of this season
danced or not danced
given and received

suddenly all the trees
are leafed

 

when and how
did that happen
when I have been here
and watching
all these days?

 

overnight or from morning
till afternoon
the opening
expands