Samhain 2013

Samhain is one of those festivals that I prefer to celebrate on the actual day (as opposed to the nearest weekend).  But I also love Halloween, and it's hard to do both.  For years I tried to celebrate Halloween and enjoy the children, and then Ritual afterwards, but it was just too much.

So this year, we hosted friends for Samhain on Saturday, and then we will celebrate Halloween on Thursday.  At the beginning of the month, we loaded the yard with pumpkin lights, as well as strings of purple and orange lights. We added skulls strewn about the yard, a broom parking lot, giant spiders, and ghouls in the trees.  We draped black crepe fabric over the porch rails and hung a funky "shroud fabric" in the trees.  On the door, we have a grape vine wreath painted black and decorated with skulls and shiny bats.

In the invitation for the Ritual, we asked people to come ready to talk about their ancestors and the ancestral energies they want to get in touch with.  We prepared the space, setting the altar in the east, where the grounding Earth energies would be their highest.  We covered the table with a black cloth, and set the altar with all black tools--Air was a blown-glass ball that is threaded with black on the inside; Fire was an oil lamp I had made with a vase full of black marbles and filled with lamp oil, with a wick up the center; Water was a black-stemmed wine glass filled with rain water; and Earth was a large, black fossil stone we had collected during a trip to the mountains. Two black taper candles stood near the center, and I scattered black stones about the altar for added Earth energies and some visual texture.  We placed a black wooden skull, and a black iron star as well.  The center held a glass and metal sculpture that creates a three-dimensional, many-pointed star.

We also made an ancestor altar, again with a black cloth.  I placed black taper candles--one for each participant (11 this evening)--in a half circle around the back edge of the altar.  Over the years we have collected many, many glass candle holders in various heights and sizes, so all the black tapers were of different heights.  In the center was a low glass skull candle holder and a single candle, which we lit before guests arrived.  I also placed a scrying mirror on the table.  As people came in, we placed ancestral memory items on the table, with items from the mother's side of the family on the left, and the father's side on the right.

We gathered and first simply met to talk about our experiences with ancestral energies.  We ate and drank--I had made mulled cider, taking care to include apple slices cut with the stars showing--and we chatted casually at first.  Once we were ready to start really focusing the conversation, we took a few moments to cast a protective circle, given the thinned veils and the potential to invite unwanted energies.

We took special care with the safety of the Circle for this Ritual, and I believe any writing about Samhain should include a nod to spiritual safety. Those who are vulnerable should take extra care, as one of our friends did, when she chose not to use the mirror that night.  For those like me who are not particularly open to these energies, choosing this time of year may help in finding what you seek.  But for those like my friend who is very open, scrying would be safest when the veils are not so thin. If you don't need the thin veils to be successful, the safer choice is to wait.  Remember, you should always feel in control of your own situation. For that matter, if you are practicing with others, you should never feel pressured to engage in a level you are not comfortable with.

We then spoke on our experiences learning about our families and ancestors.  Some spoke in general terms of their ethnic heritage, others spoke of family traditions, and others of family members lost.  Some chose not to speak, and this was honored, of course.  Then, when the timing was right, we called Quarters and lit the main altar.  Then we each in turn went to the ancestor altar and lit a black taper, and those who wanted to had a chance to experience the scrying mirror, a first for several in the group.

I later received news from several participants that they had their own individual experiences after leaving our home, and it occurred to me how much of a spiritual practice really is a solitary experience, even for those who Ritual in a group.  So we come together for structure, direction, motivation, and social contact, but in the end, the spiritual experience itself is very personal and individual.

By the end of the Ritual, we had many black candles glowing, and we knew each other better.  We have been working together for nearly a year, and I hope we are developing strong, intimate ties.

Blessed be!

Public service announcement

I have been thinking lately about the various things that tie our community together. We live in an amazing age, when distance is nearly inconsequential, and we can connect really anywhere. Don't worry, this is not yet another blogger going on about social networking. We're all on Facebook or we're not. Whatever. We get it.

And while I love so very much the connections I have with individuals, I have been thinking specifically about the connections we have to the community as a whole. The sense that we are a culture of our own. I have been thinking about things like music and drumming and street festivals. How word of mouth is still word of mouth, in spite of all the internet options to talk and discuss, I still find many of my connections in traditional ways. So here is something I have found that helps me feel connected to a larger community. In case you're interested...

Spiral Rhythm has a new CD out called Rise Up, available on iTunes. I love Spiral Rhythm for making me feel like I'm connected to something bigger. Their songs soothe me and bring me right to a spiritual place. Some are drum-driven chants that roll through your blood and get you right in synch with the energy in the air. Others are more melodic and gentle. What I particularly love is the vocabulary of paganism that let's you feel at home and included in our somewhat private language. To me they have songs to match the seasons--their song "Bringing Change," to me sounds like a song perfect for the Yule season. And "Twilight Wood" feels like a Mabon song. Other songs, like "The Faith Inside," are just great sing-along tunes that can get you through difficult times. The whole album -- indeed, for me, the whole existence of Spiral Rhythm -- reinforces my beliefs and helps me feel connected. Listening to them reminds me I don't have to make my spiritual path alone.

Oh, and one more thing--even though I said this wouldn't be about Facebook, if you ARE on Facebook you should check out Moms on Brooms. She is awesome and for me has the right blend of spirituality and playfulness for a public page, with a mix of pop culture icons and truly spiritual offerings.

Ok. That is my public service announcement for today. Carry on...

Mabon

You may remember that it was a year ago that I began this recommitment to the Craft. A friend and I -- she had been similarly disconnected from her own practice -- had a ritual in the yard, expressing our gratitude for all we had accomplished in the light times, honoring the change toward the dark times. This year I made a similar plan, and invited the usual crew.   I had planned to have a fire outside, and therefore had no altar set up. Unfortunately we had another night of rain. This is probably the rainiest year in a very long time in North Carolina, and as I prepared for this ritual, I read over this very blog. A surprising number of our rituals this year have been affected by rain. And sure enough, Mabon would be no different.

 So we moved it all inside, and prepared the fireplace for a fire.I had timed us so we would be at the height of the ritual at 7:15, when the sun set. We gathered briefly, and then formed the Circle in the room, leaving the space by the hearth open. We called Quarters simply, and I adapted the words of the Spiral Rhythm song, "Bringing Change," to highlight the Wheel's turn. Once the Quarters were called, we lit the fire.

I had prepared the space with paper and pens for everyone, and once the Quarters were called, we sat and wrote out a list of what we had each accomplished in recent months. A harvesting of sorts--the intentional and careful assessment of all we had done. We then took turns burning our lists in the fire, sending our gratitude and accomplishments into the spirit worlds, and building on those energies to continue blessing us.

I had placed a cauldron on the hearth with rubbing alcohol in it, and I lit a blue flame to represent the moon's light. We talked about our experiences and our personal lists while both the sun's fire and the moon's fire burned.

As we enter the dark times, I thought the animal oracle cards would add to the ritual. So we each pulled a card from the deck and were instructed to learn more about the animal in the coming weeks. 

I pulled Goose, which comes to us to navigate difficult times. At the time of the ritual, I had no idea what that meant. But Goose also brings a focus to our marital relationships. I had assumed this was the message for me because my marriage has been amazing lately. I made sure to honor that in my ritual as well. It is a couple weeks later as I write this, and I have been laid off from my job. Or at least given notice of the lay-off in a few months. And my husband has been remarkably supportive. In ways I wouldn't have even thought to ask for. The Goose energies are very much here with us--navigating difficult experiences together.

The rest of the ritual passed with the closing of the Circle and a light feast. As is the case with good friends who gather for ritual, we then talked for a long time. I love the feeling of talking late in to the evening with people you love and with whom you have an intimate, spiritual connection. Our household is preparing for Halloween and Samhain. I look forward to discovering what the Universe has in mind for our Samhain ritual...