MidSummer (from the other side)

Just now on this Interdependence Day burning the last of the sage offering unused at ritual and now clearing the whole house, each of the directions, circling each of the rooms, 

the central staircase from attic to basement, each of the doorways, the perimeter of the house, the walkway, the circle, the self and back to the hearth.

MidSummer is this streaming heat

 and sweat and tears and energy and events and schedules and friends and family.

Unlike Equinox, there is little balance, just extended time, dream or a-wakened.

The quiet moments are filled with birdsong. 

The busy moments are filled with everything else.

The garden is now a riot of color. 

Each day new flowers bloom. It is glorious. 

And busy. 

We ran headlong into MidSummer,

from end of school, to our anniversaries, to high season of work.

Even with days off, the catastrophes of computers

delayed or held hostage actual set up,

vacuuming in the heat, racing to the store, giving up with pizza.

It's summer.

Many folks who haven't been here might have shown up,

but just her, our regional Druid, charming and shining like the sun, made it.

And all the long time grove family,

though we did not hear from one, he-who-is-always-here-at-the-solstices and who was missed, though remembered with love.

And just at the start of our procession, they showed up too. 

I knew they would.
Teenager, Bryan, me and 3 other grove women, her and them.

Its always good to go into the woods,

silently over the moss, and past memories grown up.

Lots of flowers, petals, oils, food, beer, sage, garlic,
old magic newspapers, stuff in pockets

Whole prayers out loud, quiet and silent.

Now it a month past MidSummer, 

I can see the imperceptible loss of daylight.
Drought and raging thunderstorms define this high summertime.
There are no pictures of all our sacrifice, nor can I remember much.
Trying to really be here and present, to pray whole and holy grounded on the earth.
Prayers for peace and gentleness always.
Gratitude for love, the simple joys of love.

 

Our Omens:

from our Ancestors: Elhaz or Protection, the Elk Sedge. Drawing on natural powers or allowing previously suppressed powers to surface, luck in the hunt, success through strong and rewarded effort
from the Spirits of Nature and Place: Eihwaz or the Ewe Tree or Death's Hook or also identified with Yggdrasil (the World Tree). The Axis symbol of eternal life, links between the worlds, the space and the force that links opposites and the energy between them
from the Gods & Goddesses: Kenaz or the Torch. The ability to shape and craft and to light the way.
For the Season: Gibor/Gebo or Giving.
Let's shine our light of loving energy as our protective power of giving.

Magic is in the here and now, in each petal, in the bird calls and the clouds, in the shining eyes and kind hearts of each of us, in the faint trickle or loud rush of the stream. How we come together, making meals from nothing or from all the same food, or from what we forgot to get or to offer or to share;
how time passes both quickly and incrementally, kids growing large but just the same in spirit, memories overlapping dreams overlapping the present;
how we live and love each day is all there is.

the Gods & the not-Gods: Lughnasad Ritual

much work and schedule and timing and stuff and energy

So I get home in time to just start and unwind a bit
from the day, the week, the season
and then he arrives and Bryan is making coffee
and we put out all the snacks as food
and she arrives
though by the good fortune of the spirits of awareness
leaves soon after
and we gather and eat and catch up and then she arrives
and we talk more.

Teenager opting out and relaxing in our room with the cats after two weeks of work and obligation.

Stories of life and family and then of Lugh and his family
the interconnections of us all and the retelling of stories and stories of stories.

We are as always days before engaged 
in conscious and unconscious ritual and ritual prep,
the thoughts of the holiday as worship,
the planning of time as rite and ceremony.

Sometimes one forgets, especially in the hubbub
and the daily grind and the electronic devices
and the commitments,
the need for organized special reverence and gratitude.

But the body and spirit don’t forget.

beer offering through the woods for the woods
very centered meditation
feeling in the body, the earth, the water, the air

lumpy milk Earth Mother offering
Bryan welcoming the directions and I see
ripening elderberries in the West
and call out healing to go alongside conflict in the North.

the last of our cherries for Bridget,
a whole loaf of bread flung in slices for the outdwellers.
Smoldering sweetgrass.

beer for the gates and for Mananan
small flickering flame then steady and strong
but not scary

  our apples for our Kindred
a glowing cauldron soup of fruit and broth and prayers
and gratitude

all kinds of gratitude for gifts of harvest
prayers for good harvest
honoring family

giving all our sacrifice,
chocolates, beer, sage, flowers, fruit
even our thank you offerings-
when honoring gratitude for harvest 
put everything in there was a single glowing cloud overhead

Bryan shuffled the omens 

 So first Bryan drew virtue cards and then runes.

From the Ancestors: the virtue card was Hospitality and the rune was Isa or ice. Made me think of a hostess offering a chilled beverage on a hot day.

From the Spirits of Nature & Place: the virtue card was Vision and the rune was the one for horse or the relationship between horse or vehicle & rider. Like what you see when you are in tune with yourself and nature or like if you were up on a horse how you could see a bit farther.  

From the Gods & Goddesses: the virtue card was Perseverance and the rune was Wunjo or JOY!


For the Season: the virtue card was Wisdom and the rune was Ansuz or the voice.

So yeah it’s all good.

offering thanks with our blessed waters.
so grateful and moved.
released by the closing meditation into our bodies.
bird calls throughout.

finding our way back
through the disorienting less wooded woods
making dinner out of side dishes and snacks
and talking long into the dark.