Imbolc

Hopefully, if you're reading this blog in real time, you were able to enjoy a peaceful and inspirational Imbolc! 

Saturday afternoon, I set up a white altar in the living room of our house.  I am blessed with a large living room, perfect for ritual and for entertaining.  My personal altar is a small wooden table (and by small, I mean slightly larger than a footstool) that I assembled myself, and which I set on top of other tables or outside, as the occasion requires.  But when entertaining other practitioners, I use a fold-up card table that is made mostly of wood. So today, I centered it on the eastern wall to make room for people to be able to relax and talk before and after the actual ritual, with a corner facing the hearth, making the table extend into the room in a diamond shape.

I set a white cloth on it, and then an overlay of white and silver, with shiny beads.  This adds a little sparkle and dresses up the altar stuff, and although it's not made of natural fibers, I enjoy a little indulgence of princess-ness every now and then. 

For Air, I used a glass ball--a Christmas ornament with a glass hook blown into it, so I set the hook inside a small glass candle holder, allowing the ball to set up on the table some.  I used a white pillar candle, set in a raised, white, stone pillar candle holder for Fire.  Water was a clear bowl as well as a crystal snowflake--it is winter, after all, even in North Carolina.  And Earth was clear quartz crystals set in a white plate.  The center of the altar held my goddess and god statues, which just happen to be white (goddess) and glass (god), along with two white pillars, set low on the table.  The very center of the table held white roses.

For additional light I used a glass, lotus shaped holder with a white taper candle.  I am also blessed with an upcoming renovation to my living room, so I didn't hesitate to place a hook in the ceiling above the table and hang a small glass lantern down over the center of the table, with a tea light inside.  This added a fantasy element to the altar, which I enjoy.

I then wrapped the bottom of the table in white string lights (like Christmas lights) and overlaid a silver organza fabric that completely hid the lights, except for the cord, which  I discreetly ran out against the wall and into an extension cord that had a switch, so they were plugged in, but not on.

It's true, you can do magic anywhere.  You can ritual anywhere, with no tools, just what is in your heart.  But especially when entertaining other practitioners, I love to set a beautiful altar to bring the magic of creativity into our Rite and to set a rich mood.

I had set a bowl off to the side--a very large ceramic bowl on a small table--into which I poured water and chamomile and lavender bath salts.  Prior to Ritual, people washed their hands and dried them on the white cloth provided. 

My husband then smudged the group as we ringed the altar.

Participants brought items to the altar for blessing by Brigid, and I had prepared small jars of lavender and chamomile bath salts for each person to take home.  (As is the magical way, I didn't actually know how many were coming, but had exactly the right number of jars.  I love Witchcraft.)

We cast circle in my favorite way, which is to take hands, starting with one person's left hand into the other's right, and go simply, one at a time, around the circle.  Once all hands are held, a simple, "In our friendship, this Circle is cast."

We called the quarters, the goddess and the god, each participant using their own words and drawing on their own practices.

And then total chaos ensued.  No lie.  This was a rare ritual where the energies of the house simply wouldn't settle down. The new kittens knocked things over, thunder paws rang throughout the house.  And then--and this was the best part--I heard the sound of Eddie T. Wonderdawg, my beautiful but ill-behaved rescue dog, eating directly from the bowl of potato chips.  First there was the single-chip crunch.  I hoped that would sate him, but no.  He went back for more.  Of course, everyone broke into giggles as I left circle to put the bowl up.

Returning to circle (I have such patient friends), I said a few words about Brigid, and we sought her inspiration.  (Thunder paws off to the left).  I invited participants to speak at will.  (Thunder paws and a loud yowl off to the right.)  Almost all participants spoke, the energy still flying chaotically around the room, and then one participant spoke, deeply, earnestly, of her pains of the past and her hope for the future, and suddenly, it was quiet.  The thunder paws stopped, Eddie was calm, the candle light stood still (finally).  The room settled, and it felt like Ritual should.

Once all had spoken, I read much of the creation story as written by Silver RavenWolf.  She is a controversial writer, I know, but when it comes to the creation story, she tells a beautiful tale of a love and passion.  At the end of the excerpt, when we basically come to realize that Love is the Bond, I flipped the string lights on, brightening the space and making a final plea for Brigid's blessings.

We closed circle, and continued to socialize for quite some time.

This was an interesting Ritual for me, given the chaotic energies in the room.  I am reminded that we can't control everything, and that in the end, it all works out all right.  We have a number of people in our group who have practiced together for many years, and we have some newcomers as well.  This ritual reminded me of setting our altar on fire a few years back, and I was glad nothing quite so dramatic happened here. 

We also talked a bit about the palpable sense that things are getting better these days.  We are all hopeful and feeling positive about the future and our financial safety.  I'm hoping this continues, as we are all worn out from events of past years.  Perhaps that's the best cleansing.  Shaking off the despair of recent events, and being ready to face the future with hope again.