in memory of friends and family who have passed. saturday night:
outsiders altar was a bed of nails two birch logs a piece of green lace fabric rum candles in the skull holders and some halloween stickers. ancestors blessing was something that i can only remember part of. i was totally swept away. i don't want to die and the rest is a blur.

jack the pumpkin i carved after the rite. it worked very well. for the procession we had a good but slightly disorganized crowd.
they're coming to take us away ha ha



the other altars outside were beautiful. rain has threatened but it was a clear night.

   
Candles in the sand, Seaside Beach, NJ

Brigantia was the ancestor Goddess of the Brigantes, a coalition of tribes that once dwelt in Northern England. She was similar to the Greek Goddess Athene in that she was concerned primarily with the protection of the tribe through defensive warfare, protection of the hearth and home and ensuring fertility. She was also concerned with
the gaining of knowledge, especially that of bards and of handicrafts. (Athene was also a Goddess of wisdom, and was quite skilled with the loom). Like so many Goddesses, she was also associated with springs and rivers. The Romans, upon encountering Her, associated Her with Minerva. In modern times, Her image is associated with Britannia, the personification and patroness of the British Empire and appears on coins of the realm.

Copyright 2004 Dawn Black.

from http://www.sacredhearth.com/bos/gods/brigid

my belief comes from my heart, not a book, nor how much i have read, nor heard, even though reading and listening are two of my favourite pastimes. and saying "my heart" doesn't come close to what i really mean. i think it's something that is in my cells, my dna, if i look at my blood cells in a microscope can i see my religion in the slides? one of my complaints with grove stuff is that it is so literal--meaning the belief and expression of "gods" by our members. all the *cute* names and attributes and this symbolizes that, blah, blah.

my people came out of the time that some *academics* say didn't exist--when the social structure of humans changed from matrilineal to patrilineal. so if you say it couldnt have been real--I MUST NOT BE REAL--but, yet, here i am! *grin* seriously I was THERE, get over yourselves people. why should you care if my people worshipped their mothers.

kelts are the descendents of people who were MATRISTIC, traced their lineage through the mothers. aren't we druids following keltic themes and religious practices? kelts live in what is today modern europe. you do the math.

religion
c.1200, "state of life bound by monastic vows," also "conduct indicating a belief in a divine power," from Anglo-Fr. religiun (11c.), from O.Fr. religion "religious community," from L. religionem (nom. religio) "respect for what is sacred, reverence for the gods," in L.L. "monastic life" (5c.); according to Cicero, derived from relegare "go through again, read again," from re- "again" legere "read" (see lecture). However, popular etymology among the later ancients (and many modern writers) connects it with religare "to bind fast" (see rely), via notion of "place an obligation on," or "bond between humans and gods." Another possible origin is religiens "careful," opposite of negligens. Meaning "particular system of faith" is recorded from c.1300.

my people come from italy, from the middle east, from greece,
turkey, spain, egypt, ireland and the americas--
you can see them all in my face.

even though i am on the other side, i am the same strong woman
no matter which name you know me by. there are people who
claim that i do not exist and that my suffering is just a
delusion but it does not change the fact
that i still walk the earth.

anytime there is a woman following her own true path i am there.

our friend peg was one of these women.
not living her life by "the rules" must have caused her to suffer
in some ways but she wouldnt show you that face.

but i know, i know her spirit is here right now, she wanted to be a part
of this rite in particular and she wouldnt miss it...

"i am lugh of many talents...and you're not ha!"

the purpose of having "death follow you around" is to learn how to let go of your own grief -- when you comfort other people who are grieving you don't say "its ok" (because it isn't), you grieve with them. you can assuage your own pain that way instead of carrying that person's grief along with yours.

trying to imagine being a part of the universe is terrifying
when i think about my dad being dead and try to figure out where is he i have to stop and come back down to earth so that my heart will stop racing.

I do not like the word patron.
((patronize (1589) "to act as a patron towards," from patron (q.v.). Meaning "treat in a condescending way" is first attested 1797; sense of "give regular business to" is 1801.))

((patron "a lord-master, a protector," c.1300, from O.Fr. patrun (12c.), from M.L. patronus "patron saint, bestower of a benefice, lord, master, model, pattern," from L. patronus "defender, protector, advocate," from pater (gen. patris) "father." Meaning "one who advances the cause" (of an artist, institution, etc.), usually by the person's wealth and power, is attested from 1377; "commonly a wretch who supports with insolence, and is paid with flattery" [Johnson]. Commercial sense of "regular customer" first recorded 1605.))

I do not like viewing the "gods" as being "of" something, like Apollo is the god OF the Sun, as opposed to being the sun, an image of the sun, the sun personified.
my god/dess is death, personified in baron la-croix and maman brigitte, rulers of the gede, who are represented as 'mourners"

"Gede names a family of raucous spirits who personify the ancestral dead and sexual regeneration. Their boss is the Baron (Bawon Samdi, or 'Baron Saturday'), married to Grand Brigitte, mother of the Gedes. Family members dress themselves in black and purple costumes reminiscent of Masonic garb, and surround themselves with graveyard imagery. They also favor sunglasses because the world above ground is too bright. Gede is a shameless trickster, a wise counselor, and a benevolent healer known to have special love for children. Devotions to Gede are carried out on Fridays and/or Mondays, and during the entire month of November, especially the Days of the Dead-All Saints (the 1st) and All Souls (the 2nd).




In my view, there seems to be a bias against the god/dess of vodou, in adf. to me, as far as I can tell (in the new orleans style vodou/hoodoo)there is a unique tradition which developed in this country and contains some trace elements of Celtic origin -- from the french--basque and breton--to acadian (being from the maritimes in canada) to cajun, and creole, namely Maman Brigitte, French for Brigit, who is one of the "patrons" (again that dreaded word!) of our grove.

"Brigitte, Mademoiselle Brigitte, Madame Brigitte, Grande Brigitte
A loa whose French-Celtic name evokes European associations of folklore and myth, "Grande" in Creole signifying "Grandmother." Maman Brigitte, as she is often called, is the female Guardian of Graves, a powerful magical Loa of cemeteries, and is said by some to be the wife of one of the Barons. Her sacred trees are the elm and the weeping willow. " (http://www.folkart.com/voodooshop/glossary.htm)

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I'm not sure I believe in "gods" anymore. I've become quite a skeptic. To me, "gods" are the concept of an inherent trait (IE: Athena represents wisdom) or a connection with the forces of Nature (IE: Apollo represents the Sun) rather than a person (IE: Athena is the Goddess of wisdom, Apollo is the God of the sun) which suggests ownership.

"To a follower of Voodoo, death means a rebirth on another level." (Owusu, Heike; Voodoo Rituals, a user's guide; Sterling Publishers; 2002; page 51)

Death is a force of Nature that can be seen as a "God" which influences the events of our lives. There are representations of death in every culture and the one I connect best with is Baron Samedi. Rather than the "Grim Reaper" figures of western mythology, Baron is a playful, raunchy

contempporary neo-paganism and witchecraft in the united states by helen a berger
preface XVII
"since becoming in volved with the neo-pagan community, I have become friends with a number of witches and neo-pagans ( i dislike the term neo-pagan!) but have not myself joined the religion. i tried to make it clear to every group i joined and each person i interviewed that i was a researcher, not a Witch."
faculty development fund at west chester university, pagan census, CUUPS, technology of the self (XIII)"most of their magical acts take the form of altering the self"

yule rite 2006

i didnt know what to expect when i offered to do the horizontal directions invocation.
marsha had written this "play" that was supposed to make the rite like an "american idol" (yuck) version of the battle of the oak and holly kings. so the invocations sort of over lapped by using the characters in the play. i played this character name "morris turtletaub"(eeeek!) which was done in my finest new york jewish accent. i will add the invocation to this essay later. it was quite funny and marsha was pleased at the way it turned out. the oak king was chuck, holly king was ed and jason played the dagda ( that part was kind of painful -- sorry j ). the "battle" was chuck and ed trading off horrible jokes with the crown going to the one who told the least awful joke. and holly won. the most fun part of the rite was hundreds of small pompoms being thrown at everyone and everything. the omen was done over bob's dead body,(not sure why he was playing a corpse...) and consisted of pompons, ogham sticks and cards and tarot cards. don't ask me what it turned out to be, if was impossible to figure out and hear what was going on.

yule the holiday

because so much of yule has been incorporated into christmas it's easy for me to feel comfortable (more and more) wishing people a "merry christmas" and being in stores and other places where there is an overabundance of "holiday cheer". the skeleton of yule, to me, has to do with the stars. for example, the three wise men, who saw a star rising in the east i believe were referring to the returning of the sun to its full power, as the sun does rise in the east.

the winter solstice always leaves me with a feeling of wonder -- i always see the dark night bright with stars. winter is better observed in the dark, because of the angle of the sun in relation to earth, which is very hard on the eyes. the stars are what i think about the most, how at this time of year they are very bright in a cold, black sky.

i think that is what people are trying to emulate when they light up their houses. a reflection of the night sky.

stars figure very much in the mythology of this season..

The skies outside were turning darker blue now, the light
was almost gone, the moon was clearer. The stars, she thought,
soon the stars will be there. The real stars , not ones on a chart.
I am tied up to all of that, tied up to the sky. Why couldn’t it
be true that our destiny is hooked up to the stars? Why can’t
astrology be true? Certain plants grow in February and other
ones in May. Different plants for different seasons. Why wouldn’t
the body know how to make different kinds of people to be born at
different times of year? It wouldn’t have to start out there in the cosmos.
It might be going on right here.
She began to see an imaginary sign in the sky, two fishes, swimming
like twins in the womb. A sign, she thought, my sign, up there with
the stars. Not stars in a book, not stars on a piece of paper, real stars
in the real sky, the cold and beautiful real sky, the real universe. Of course
I’m hooked up to everything. Of course everything in the universe
touches everything else.

{Ellen Gilchrist, The Annunciation, pages 276-7}

.
faeries are not nature spirits, but mythological creatures.
.
nature spirits and "the spirit of nature" are two differents things.
.
"The talking stick is an ancient Native American tool for listening to others and speaking your truth. The person holding the stick is the only one who speaks, while everyone else listens. The stick is passed from one individual to another until all who wish to speak have done so. Everyone’s viewpoint is heard and expressed, teaching listening skills and creating a climate for effective communication."
.
there are people in our grove who don't know how to give other people the time they need to speak. at the past dedicants meeting, one dedicant's samhain ritual writeup was interrupted *twice*. it is one thing to make a brief comment on something that was said, and another when the person interrupting continues on and on and on. i think it may be a good idea to have a discussion on how to have a polite discussion. the above bit about the talking stick might be a gentle way to SHUT PEOPLE UP when one person is talking.
.
and if passing the talking stick doesn't work, one can always hit the person interrupting with it.

you say i'm Weird, i say thats a complement...
The Anglo-Saxon word wyrd has about it a sense of haunting doom that is recaptured in Shakespeare’s three Weird Sisters. These are transformations into witches of the Norns of old Germanic myth, who (as described in the Old Norse “Wise Woman’s Prophecy,” Völuspó) dwell by Urth’s well, from which they water the roots of the World Ash. Shakespeare’s trio, on a “desert heath,” amid thunder, lightening, and rain, conjure from their witches’ cauldron prophecies that are heard as though from outside by Macbeth, yet are of deeds already maturing in his heart. In Old Norse the Norns’ three names are given as Urth, Verthandi, and Skuld: “Become, Becoming, and Shall Be,” Past, Present, and Future, which appear to be a late invention, however, inspired perhaps (twelfth century A.D.?) by the model of the Greek three Graces. For there seems to have been originally but one Norn: called Urth in Old Norse, in Old High German Wurd, and in Anglo-Saxon Wyrd. The word may be related to the German werden, “to become, to grow,” which would suggest a sense of inward inherent destiny. … Another association is with the Old High German wirt, wirtel, “spindle,” by which the idea is suggested of a spinning and weaving of destiny. The classical triad of the Moirai may have contributed to this image; namely of Clotho, the “Spinner,” who spins the life thread; Lachesis, “Disposer of Lots,” determining its length; and Atropos, “Inflexible,” who cuts it. And so the symbol of the spindle became significant of destiny, and the woven web, of life.


Weird is just another word for witch

O.E. wyrd "fate, destiny" (n.), lit. "that which comes," from P.Gmc. *wurthis (cf. O.S. wurd, O.H.G. wurt "fate," O.N. urðr "fate, one of the three Norns"), from PIE *wert- "to turn, wind," (cf. Ger. werden, O.E. weorðan "to become"), from base *wer- "to turn, bend" (see versus). For sense development from "turning" to "becoming," cf. phrase turn into "become." The modern sense of weird developed from M.E. use of weird sisters for the three fates or Norns (in Gmc. mythology), the goddesses who controlled human destiny. They were usually portrayed as odd or frightening in appearance, as in "Macbeth," which led to the adj. meaning "odd-looking, uncanny," first recorded 1815.

Hag
c.1225, shortening of O.E. hægtesse "witch, fury" (on assumption that -tesse was a suffix), from P.Gmc. *hagatusjon-, of unknown origin. Similar shortening derived Du. heks, Ger. Hexe "witch" from cognate M.Du. haghetisse, O.H.G. hagzusa. First element is probably cognate with O.E. haga "enclosure" (see hedge). O.N. had tunriða and O.H.G. zunritha, both lit. "hedge-rider," used of witches and ghosts. Or second element may be connected with Norw. tysja "fairy, crippled woman," Gaul. dusius "demon," Lith. dvasia "spirit," from PIE *dhewes- "to fly about, smoke, be scattered, vanish." One of the magic words for which there is no male form, suggesting its original meaning was close to "diviner, soothsayer," which were always female in northern European paganism, and hægtesse seem at one time to have meant "woman of prophetic and oracular powers" (Ælfric uses it to render the Gk. "pythoness," the source of the Delphic oracle), a figure greatly feared and respected. Later, the word was used of village wise women. Haga is also the haw- in hawthorn, which is a central plant in northern European pagan religion. There may be several layers of folk-etymology here. If the hægtesse was once a powerful supernatural woman (in Norse it is an alternate word for Norns, the three weird sisters, the equivalent of the Fates), it may have originally carried the hawthorn sense. Later, when the pagan magic was reduced to local scatterings, it might have had the sense of "hedge-rider," or "she who straddles the hedge," because the hedge was the boundary between the "civilized" world of the village and the wild world beyond. The hægtesse would have a foot in each reality. Even later, when it meant the local healer and root collector, living in the open and moving from village to village, it may have had the mildly pejorative sense of hedge- in M.E. (hedge-priest, etc.), suggesting an itinerant sleeping under bushes, perhaps. The same word could have contained all three senses before being reduced to its modern one.

the winter solstice
always leaves me with a feeling of wonder -- i always see the dark night bright with stars. winter is better observed in the dark, because of the angle of the sun in relation to earth, which is very hard on the eyes. the stars are what i think about the most, how at this time of year they are very bright in a cold, black sky.

i think that is what people are trying to emulate when they light up their houses. a reflection of the night sky.

stars figure very much in the mythology of this season....
to be cont

Samhain 2006

Day One:

For me this ritual started the previous week with all the preparation I had done. I had gotten a pumpkin for the Jack procession, which rotted on my kitchen counter and spent a tense twenty four hours not sure that I could get another one. Fortunately there is a nursery near where I work that still had some nice ones and because it was the actual day of Hallow's Eve, I got it for half price! So that turned out to be a blessing.

I also made a "costume" out of my dress from my sister's wedding. I sewed black sequins on it and hitched up the sides so that you could see the crinoline underneath. Plus I wore cat ears and white thigh high stockings and black paten leather shoes.

I created the outsiders altar. I think this year we have the most altars than in the past. Ancestors, Earth Mother, Gods and Goddesses, Outsiders, Brigit, Mananan, and for this particular rite, Dionysus, Apollo and Hermes. I used all these rusted pipes, and tools to make a god figure, ashes from my sacred fire, yellow caution tape, a raw clay statue of the Mother, a purple skull candle holder, Norma’s giant plastic pumpkin and my father's tool box. It looked damn good if you ask me. Jen’s ancestor's altar was pretty looking too. She had white and black lace cloths on the altar-top and lots of her father's firefighter things, a helmet and some badges, and pictures of him. All the altars were outside in the yard and it all looked so pretty with the candles lit and everything and a huge bright full moon. (Yum!)

The ritual started at about 8 pm. As usual, there was a pre-rite briefing. Norma was leading the rite, which was a reenactment of the birth-death-rebirth of Dionysus. Blue had come up with the idea. I don't like writing about rites (ha!) this way but I want to make sure I don't leave any part of it out.

All the parts were spoken behind masks that we all had made at the planning meeting the week before. I think the best invocation was when Blue invoked Dionysus, she was really nervous about it and so it was really emotional. She did a really great job of the whole thing, especially the play which was three Fates telling the story of Dionysus.
The second best one, was of course, mine. I am very proud of the things I contributed. For the outsiders blessing I sang a song about Hank Williams (Check this out Annie--I can't believe you never heard of Hank Williams--sorry!) by the Waterboys. I think he is an outsider in a good way. And good spirited to accept the blessing of water rather than whiskey. The omen was read in the well which had a mirror at the bottom of it and Norma ended the rite by pulling the mirror out of the water and making everyone look in it.

After the rite began the overnight vigil. We did the Jack Pumpkin Parade about 11.30 pm and then a poojah for Kali about 12.30 am. Then sometime around 2 am we had a séance. I never had been in one and I don't think I experienced anything from it but the format of one is neat. (Thank you.)

There was a fire going in a portable fireplace outside but it was still very cold out. I don't remember much of what happened after that until dawn when we dismantled all the altars.

Day Two:

Then sleep until 1 pm. Then we all (Norma, Ed, me, Marc, Jen, and Patty) got up to clean the kitchen, and prepare for the next ritual which started at 5.00 pm. The script was pretty much the same, just different people in all the parts.
I liked the outsiders blessing done by Annie. She talked about the Cretan priestess Ariadne and the story of the labyrinth--and when she went outside she had Norma hold the end of a thread and then wound it back up as she came back in. Very cool. I did the omen with four other people, and the invocation of Apollo and the Muses. After the ritual had ended, Patrick and Maggie burned a likeness of the Holly King they had made from yarn and then we ended the whole weekend by burning the masks everyone had made as an offering.

The end.

I'm not here for to do any business
I got nobody special to thank
I'm trynna find/a friend of mine
Has anybody here seen Hank?

He'll be sure to be wearing a stetson
He's as long and as thin as a plank
He's got a fistful of charm
and a gun beneath his arm
Has anybody here seen Hank ?

He ain't in the back of a limo
and he ain't back home in his bed
He ain't in jail and he ain't out on bail
He ain't getting out of his head

I don't care what he did with his women
I don't care what he did when he drank
I want to hear just one note
from that lonesome old throat

has anybody here
anybody here
has anybody here seen Hank

"I will begin with the Muses and Apollo. For it is through the Muses and Apollo that there are singers upon the earth and players upon the lyre; Happy is he whom the Muses love: sweet flows speech from his lips."

It was Apollo who taught Orpheus to play the lyre, and after his death the instrument was put by the MUSES among the stars

"And a third kind of possession and madness comes from the Muses. This takes hold upon a gentle and pure soul, arouses it and inspires it to songs and other poetry, and thus by adorning countless deeds of the ancients educates later generations. But he who without the divine madness comes to the doors of the Muses, confident that he will be a good poet by art, meets with no success, and the poetry of the sane man vanishes into nothingness before that of the inspired madmen." [Plato. Phaedrus 245a]

"We know enough to make up lies which are convincing, but we also have the skill, when we will, to speak the truth." [The Muses to Hesiod. Hesiod, Theogony 25]

Apollo stands for harmony, order and reason, Dionysus represents ecstacy and disorder.
The two sides of one coin--they are brothers, and in winter Apollo would leave the Delphic Oracle in the care of Dionysus. The muses are part of his retinue, therefore music, history, dreams, poetry, dance, all the arts belong to him.

Names of Apollo
Apollon Musagetes-Lord of the Muses
Apollon Ietros-ealer
Nomios(Wandering)Shepherd
Apollo Lycian (Lykegenes--born in Lycia)
Apollo Delphinius-Dolphin/Womb
Carneios-Ram
He is the grandson of Phoebe (Moon)
Apollo is both of the sun and moon, since our view of the moon is a reflection of the sun's light.

10/30/2006

Ten and one half months later.

How are you today Dad? Can't believe it been so long since you left. And it seems like yesterday. I wish I had started writing this earlier. But I was in shock--now I really understand what that means. At least once I started to wake up, I did, how people can let grief consume them. But that is the process I guess and I wish I could tell you how much I have learned this year. At least I know you are still able to teach me.

What I really would like to know is what you were thinking at that moment. You must have known something serious was wrong since you told Mom to call the police. Mom said that you had gotten up to take some tylenol, because when you woke her the bedrooms lights were on. I know she probably debated you about why you wanted to call EMS because I know thats how she is. She said the Dispatcher quickly got a sense of the seriousness of the situation when she asked how old you were, then she got off the phone quick. What I know now is that they can pretty much make a determination whether to send EMTs or Paramedics. I guess it was Paramedics that came. This is what I have learned so far from going to the EMT meetings. Did you know you were dying? That's what I'd really like to know, and I've been trying to figure it out.

(I've been to two of them so far and have a pager and "uniform" like I told you earlier. I went to the First Aid building twice this weekend when the pager went off but I missed them, the EMTs had already left. Then I went to stay there for a couple hours. They said thats the best way for me to have a chance to ride out on the ambulance, because Yardville is not so close, at least when youre trying to get there in a hurry! I think I figured out the quickest way to get there, I went on 195 and that saved me some time. It takes longer going through Allentown because of the low speed limit.)

I'm preparing myself for Samhain, I am going to come to the cemetery tomorrow and hang out for at least a little while, and bring you a lit pumpkin and corn bread, some drinks, incense and decorate with what flowers I have left in my home garden. And Saturday before I go to our Samhain Rite I am going to be there again for a while. I'll see you there. Love Jeanine.

10/18/2006

Hey Dad, guess what, I joined the First Aid Squad in Allentown, NJ. It was Uncle John who put the idea in my head when you were in the hospital mainly, he was really impressed with the way I handled the situation and comforted everyone. He said I should consider becoming a nurse but I think I do better in more emergent situations. Really! Plus the training is free whereas nursing school would be really expensive. I went tonight to my first meeting, where they explained to me what it would entail. I'll start going out on the ambulances and then start taking the EMT classes in January. Next week I will get a pager and jacket and jumpsuit. Sounds like it will be interesting anyhow. I'll keep you posted.
Love Jeanine

Below is a summary of the minimum requirements which must be met for completion of the ADF Dedicant Program:

1. Written discussions of the Dedicant's understanding of each of the following nine virtues: wisdom, piety, vision, courage, integrity, perseverance, hospitality, moderation and fertility. The Dedicant may also include other virtues, if desired, and compare them to these nine. (125 words min. each)

2. Short essays on each of the eight ADF High Days including a discussion of the meaning of each feast. (125 words min. each) Samhain, Lammas, Fall Equinox

3. Short book reviews on at least: 1 Indo-European studies title, 1 preferred ethnic study title and 1 modern Paganism title. These titles can be selected from the recommended reading list in the Dedicant Program manual or the ADF web site, or chosen by the student, with prior approval of the Preceptor. (325 word min. each)

4. A brief description, with photos if possible, of the Dedicant's home shrine and plans for future improvements. (150 words min.)

5. An essay focusing on the Dedicants understanding of the meaning of the "Two Powers" meditation or other form of 'grounding and centering', as used in meditation and ritual. This account should include impressions and insights that the Dedicant gained from practical experience. (300 word min)

6. An essay or journal covering the Dedicant's personal experience of building mental discipline, through the use of meditation, trance, or other systematic techniques on a regular basis. The experiences in the essay or journal should cover at least a five months period. (800 words min.)

7. An account of the Dedicant's efforts to work with nature, honor the Earth, and understand the impacts and effects of the Dedicant's lifestyle choices on the environment and/or the local ecosystem and how she or he could make a difference to the environment on a local level. (500 word min)

8. A brief account of each High Day ritual attended or performed by the Dedicant in a twelve month period. High Days attended/performed might be celebrated with a local grove, privately, or with another Neopagan group. At least 4 of the rituals attended/performed during the training period must be ADF-style. Lammas, Fall Equinox, Samhain, yule(100 words min. each)

9. ONE essay describing the Dedicants understanding of and relationship to EACH of the Three Kindred: the Spirits of Nature, the Ancestors and the Gods. (300 words min. for each Kindred and 1000 words total)

10. A brief account of the efforts of the Dedicant to develop and explore a personal (or Grove-centered) spiritual practice, drawn from a specific culture or combination of cultures. (600 words min.)

11. The text of the Dedicant's Oath Rite and a self-evaluation of the Dedicant's performance of the rite. (500 word min.)

wind blows away
fire burns away
water washes away
earth turns into new growth
spirit makes it whole

Originally written on December 13, 2003
I have always like Halloween or Samhain best. I think it one of the most ancient and universal holidays because it is celebrating the ancestors. I've heard that pre-humans had as their first ritual the burying of their dead and began putting flowers on the graves. I have a connection to my own earliest relations back before nations existed. I think its not much understood the way we live now because as a supposed "developed country" we do everything to ward off death and aging. Also, I think it's possible most people don't seem to think of their ancestors as having an influence on their daily lives except in memory, as would be in places where death is more visible and there has been a strong tradition of ancestor worship. One thing I have always recognised is that the mythologies we have about life, for example the Greek myths or Keltic, which in particular where Samhain comes from, are stories about human ancestors who may have lived at one time but have left their names and stories for us to make our way easier through life.

What Lammas means to me accompanied by "In Memory of Elisabeth Reed"

I always have wanted to be a farmer and seeing as part of my livelihood depends on the harvest it's quite an important part of my life. Most people don't have a sense of this living in suburbs and cities, where the food supply is hunted and gathered in the supermarket. In the north there is a short period of time where one would have been, in former times, been working against the clock to preserve and store the food that would keep one alive during the winter. That worthy of celebration; our ancestors were rejoicing that, at this time, they have managed to outsmart death one more year.

I don't have any particular attachment to a ceremony marking the Lammas season. Most of my personal worship is done according to the moon cycles. But the harvest signifies to me the time when the plants themselves begin to prepare for the impending winter. Since I have worked mainly with herbs, I have had the privilege to watch my plants change as the year changes. Right about this time is when everything is coming into fullness, and seeding for the next year. The change of temperature makes the plants more hardy, darker in colouring and it is the time when they really speak to me.

A Lughnasadh Rite -- August 5, 2006

This ritual came right after being fired from my job. So I needed it and I also felt that I wasn't up to it. But about a half hour before I had to leave I got really into the idea. It was a scorching hot day, not very good weather for wearing jeans and heavy boots, so I dressed in a white camisole and slip with a black nightie over it....and a pair of thick black paten leather shoes i wore to my sister's wedding.


It was grove members Annie, and Patty who came up with the idea of doing a ritual around punk music and culture....and at first I wasn't into the whole punk music thing but I think this turned out to be the most fun rite I've been to in a while. I think for me the best parts were Chuck's impersonation of Lugh, he had this kind of Dee Snyder energy. And the firefighter guy in the cammies who gave the directions invocation.

I had volunteered to help Norma in the kitchen. But I kept going back and forth btw the kitchen and the rite.
So my memory of it is kind of sketchy. The omen, I think, was done with interpreting various songs..? I remember Norma bringing out bags of popcorn at the end which everyone threw all over each other. not sure what the significance of that was but it was funny.