I am in Northern California, soaking up the tree magic as fast as I possibly can. I'm lounging at Milk and Honey, contemplating spending too much money on fairy dust or books or jewelry. I'm shopping at stores that sell rotisserie chicken that was pastured and happy. I get to spend time IN REAL LIFE with a dear coven member. And I got to go to a reclaiming ritual for Yule. (All of which I am doing barefoot, btw.)
The evening began with dancing and mingling. When we walked up to the giant hall, the sounds of drumming and laughing spilled out from the door, and a cloud of warmth and happy magic embraced us as we walked in. Sprout immediately started dancing, stomping his feet with the drumming and shrieking in delight. He was one of only two toddlers that I could see in the room, the other being a small girl who was also delighted with everything but who fit much more nicely and quietly in a baby carrier. There was a table as we walked in with books and cds written by Starhawk for sale. Some of the proceeds for the sales went to programs and classes that Starhawk started up. The ceiling was criss-crossed with strings of lights, and there was a mirror ball that got turned on during the spiral dance (cue Sprout shrieking about bubbles and trying to chase bits of light). The altar (at one end of the hall) was a bunch of long tables put together, with a huge jumble of eclectic decorations to represent Air, Fire, Earth, Water, and Center. There were colors and lights and evergreen everywhere.
The lights were dimmed, and a woman began to tell the story of Yule to two fairies who were skipping around (Sprout was totally enthralled and talking and pointing). We were taught a couple songs and then the ritual started. There was grounding and meditation that I mostly missed because I was trying to keep Sprout quiet, but it involved the tree visualization. Then everyone walked in a large circle, slowly, while chanting. More songs and stories were told, and the four elements invoked by people specially dressed as the elements--red for fire, white with feathers for air, earth colors for earth, and blues for water. Then the man we call Pan jumped in to invoke the center of all things. He was playful and dancing and running about through most of the ritual, and paid special attention to Sprout whenever he could. Towards the end of the ritual, the drumming was started up again and we did a spiral dance, long lines of people circling each other and spinning into the middle of the great spiral and then back out again to face those coming the opposite direction. We sang this song:
We are the rising sun
We are the change
We are the ones we are waiting for
and we are, dawning...
We are the rising sun..
It was beautiful, and inspirational. I attended a large coven gathering for a sabbat once before, where the theme seemed to be Pagan Pride FOREVER, but this reclaiming was about loving the earth, welcoming back the sun, honoring the spirits of nature and learning to live with them in harmony. It was about being a force for change, and love. I actually felt the power and energy raised by the circle of smiling people.
The circle was opened with a sweet farewell to the elements, and then more drumming! Sprout loved it, and danced until he was quite exhausted. Pan danced with him, and then we all had a merry chase trying to keep him off the stage that was behind the altar. And then we had to keep him from tearing the altar apart to play with it.
I stood in line after buying a couple books, including the beautiful The Last Wild Witch, and Starhawk exhaustedly signed my books for me. I am eager to look up the reclaiming chapter in Phoenix and try to find that same spirit. It is still my intention to find a deeper spiritual connection with the desert, and accept all of my mother Earth, whatever climate she hosts.
(this is also now posted on my new blog: Pagan in the Desert)
The lights were dimmed, and a woman began to tell the story of Yule to two fairies who were skipping around (Sprout was totally enthralled and talking and pointing). We were taught a couple songs and then the ritual started. There was grounding and meditation that I mostly missed because I was trying to keep Sprout quiet, but it involved the tree visualization. Then everyone walked in a large circle, slowly, while chanting. More songs and stories were told, and the four elements invoked by people specially dressed as the elements--red for fire, white with feathers for air, earth colors for earth, and blues for water. Then the man we call Pan jumped in to invoke the center of all things. He was playful and dancing and running about through most of the ritual, and paid special attention to Sprout whenever he could. Towards the end of the ritual, the drumming was started up again and we did a spiral dance, long lines of people circling each other and spinning into the middle of the great spiral and then back out again to face those coming the opposite direction. We sang this song:
We are the rising sun
We are the change
We are the ones we are waiting for
and we are, dawning...
We are the rising sun..
It was beautiful, and inspirational. I attended a large coven gathering for a sabbat once before, where the theme seemed to be Pagan Pride FOREVER, but this reclaiming was about loving the earth, welcoming back the sun, honoring the spirits of nature and learning to live with them in harmony. It was about being a force for change, and love. I actually felt the power and energy raised by the circle of smiling people.
The circle was opened with a sweet farewell to the elements, and then more drumming! Sprout loved it, and danced until he was quite exhausted. Pan danced with him, and then we all had a merry chase trying to keep him off the stage that was behind the altar. And then we had to keep him from tearing the altar apart to play with it.
I stood in line after buying a couple books, including the beautiful The Last Wild Witch, and Starhawk exhaustedly signed my books for me. I am eager to look up the reclaiming chapter in Phoenix and try to find that same spirit. It is still my intention to find a deeper spiritual connection with the desert, and accept all of my mother Earth, whatever climate she hosts.
(this is also now posted on my new blog: Pagan in the Desert)
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