New Beginnings

It's a while since I added anything to my blog. So much has happened and I'm not really the sort to keep up to date with a diary but we are gently slipping into such a beautiful autumn, with Autumn Equinox on the doorstep that it seemed a shame to miss the opportunity to record my thoughts.

Last July my beautiful daughter had her beautiful wedding and married a very lovely person who adores her. What more could a mum ask?


After that it felt a bit like...'job done' .... so I thought about what I want for myself now. Turns out I want to do more of my spiritual work which feels like coming home so I must have made the right decision.
I've been reading lots of books about mainly Celtic spirituality (from this island) and working with a friend of mine who also wants to do more spiritual work.
Isn't it interesting how, once you know where you are going, lots of things happen to help? People have been lending me books, suggesting I go to workshops that they just happened to have heard about, asking me for readings etc.

Autumn is a good time to detox. Like the trees, let go of the things that are done with and let them gently fall away and be used to feed the ground that nurtures you. I came across a lovely description in a book by Glennie Kindred ('Earth Wisdom', Hay House, ISBN 978 1 84850 480 6) "The active Earth dragon withdraws and takes the fire into the dark inner realms, providing strength, courage and wisdom from within."
As I journey along my spiritual path I am aware that one thing I need to learn is how to bless rather than criticise. I will be reading (and practising) 'The Gentle  Art of Blessing' (Pierre Pradervand, Cygnus, ISBN 0 9549326 0 9) which will help me with that.

I will also be advertising my Tarot reading sessions and I'll keep practising my psychic readings. All in all a very pleasant Autumn beckons.

Making Presents

It's that time of year when I think of the presents I'm going to make for the winter solstice celebrations.
The idea is often a bit scary for some of my friends but I take great pleasure in thinking up new ways to send thanks / greetings / love to my friends and family.
I have had quite a few ideas this year (little first aid bags with Arnica, plasters, Rescue Remedy in / lanterns made of beautiful hand died paper ) but settled on rosemary and garlic infused olive oil for my friends, I've been saving bottles for a few weeks and have them all lined up in my kitchen ready to be filled, and cinnamon and orange flavoured shortbread biscuits for family. I trialed the idea last week and made star shaped biscuits and brushed them with a copper or gold edible sheen. They looked and tasted very nice so I will be busy making those about a week before the celebrations.
Last week I spent a day with my sister and daughter making rich aromatic mince meat. This is an annual activity that the women look forward to. We enjoyed a delicious home made soup and bread which my sister made and then put on some wonderful wassailing in the background and got to work adding the ingredients to our large bowls. The mix has to stand for 12 hours and then cook on a low heat for 3 so we took our mixtures to our own home and cooked them there.
We will make the first batch of mince pies on 1st December and eat them watching a Christmassy film or maybe tell some stories round the fire.
Wassail

Pimms and Strawberries on the lawn

We celebrated the Solstice with Pimms and Strawberries on the lawn. It was a beautiful day and many old friends came to support and gossip.

Ruth, the hostess, kept an eye out for everyone's comfort and people relaxed and enjoyed the abundance that was there to share.

Later on that day when the guests had gone, Ruth and I went for a walk on the beach and thought about where we have got to and how things have moved on.

It was a lovely day and we have much to be thankful for.

Happy Solstice.

SUMMER SOLSTICE AND MIDSUMMER DAY

(21st June & 24th June)

In farming communities the summer was a time of hard work and toil to reap the benefits of the growing season. Long hours of work would be needed to weed and hoe all the crops. The sheep would have been sheared and the women would be busy spinning the wool. In England, after sundown, large bonfires would be lit on Midsummer Eve, which would provide light to the revellers and ward off evil spirits. Similar to the traditions at Beltaine people often jumped through the fires for good luck. In addition to these fires, the streets were lined with lanterns, and the people carried their own little lanterns as they wandered from one bonfire to another. Lighting the bonfires was known as ‘setting the watch’ while the wandering bands were called a ‘marching watch’. Often Morris dancers and other traditional players joined them.

The summer solstice is the high point of the sun when he is at his strongest, but it is also the day when he begins to weaken. Once again the year has turned and the great wheel goes on. The Druids would worship in their oak groves and the Old Ones would meet at the ancient monument at Avebury, in Wiltshire, the great sun temple of old.

At dawn the sun can be greeted from a hill facing east. Now the best of the summer will follow and we ask that the sun will bless the crops and give us a good harvest.

Summer Solstice was another excuse to deck the halls (although mainly over the front doors) with boughs of greenery. Five plants were thought to have special magical properties on this night: rue, roses, St. John’s wort, vervain and trefoil.

This was an important time for the faery folk who especially liked to go a riddling. Remember to wear your jacket inside out if you venture out on this fine summer night. If you get lost seek out one of the ‘ley lines’, the old straight tracks, until you get home. This will keep you safe, as will crossing a stream of living (running) water.


Puck. How now, spirit! whither wander you?
Fairy. Over hill over dale,
Through bush, through briar,
Over park, over pale,
Through flood, through fire,
I do wander every where,
Swifter than the moonës sphere:
And I serve the Fairy Queen,
To dew her orbs upon the green.
The cowslips tall her pensioners be,
In their gold coats spots you see:
Those be rubies, fairy favours:
In those freckles live their savours.
I must go seek some dewdrops here,
And hang a pearl in every cowslip’s ear.
Farewell, thou lob of spirits: I’ll be gone-
Our queen and all her elves come here anon.

‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’

from ‘The Complete Works of Shakespeare’ Cambridge University Press

This is the time of year to be out of doors, enjoying the sunshine (if it’s not a cold summer), the time for barbecues and beach parties. My friend Ruth celebrates this time of year by inviting friends round to a garden party. They have a beautiful garden and bring the food that she has prepared and the contributions from friends onto outdoor tables. Each year the guests try to outdo each other with sumptuous puddings and sweets. She prepares a Pimms cocktail in a large glass bowl and a fruit cocktail for those who don’t want alcohol. The tables overflow with strawberries and cream, salads and fresh fruit. The children all meet up and play together in the sunshine and as Ruth is lucky enough to live near a beach they can enjoy the beauty of a walk by the sea and give thanks for the energy and warmth of the sun and the power and life force of the water.

BELTAINE

(May eve – 30th April)

Beltaine is the glorious season of rich growth when scarcity gives way to plenty and it is time to celebrate Mother Earth in all her gifts. May Day is the call to awaken. It is one of the great celebrations in Europe, celebrated from Ireland to Russia. Finally the winter is over and the cattle are sent to their summer pastures. In times past bonfires would smoulder and the cattle would be cleansed of ticks by being driven through a thick medicinal smoke of burning herbs. Since Beltaine got its name from its bonfires it is the perfect time to have one.

The month of May was always a time of relief in agricultural communities when it was possible to feel the warmth in the air. Young people were allowed out all night to hunt through the woods and coppices for the first branches of flowering hawthorn, and bring them back to decorate their homes. They would also collect the green of the sycamore tree, the wood traditionally used to make love spoons.

Here we go gathering knots of may,
Knots of may, knots of may,
Here we go gathering knots of may,
On a cold and frosty morning

As the month of May suggests it is the time to bring out the Maypole and join in the traditional dancing around it with ribbons. There is no real evidence that Maypole dancing was a Pagan or Celtic tradition. The Maypole dancing that we know today was brought to England by John Ruskin, a Victorian who ran a Teacher Training College. He had seen the dancing around a pole with ribbons in Italy, brought it back to England, and taught it to his teachers who then went out and taught it to school children. There may well have been May Day dances around a tree that had been decorated with the May branches. These may have been included with the May Day civic dances that were around in the 15th and 16th Centuries but the Puritans frowned on such happy behaviour, linking it with Pagan activities, and tried to put a stop to it. (You may like to find out more about the dances from the website www.kickback.btinternet.co.uk )

Be that as it may, for many the maypole dance is still the symbol of this season, weaving and celebrating the sexuality of male and female together. For others the white maypole lifted high above the ground is the symbol of the white mare of Rhiannon/Aphrodite/Venus who rode onto the land from the ocean to teach us about the sacredness of love between two people. For others it is the weaving of summer warmth and good growth, fertilising the sun power from above with the nourishing earth power below. According to Marian Green in her book ‘A Calendar of Festivals’ dancing around the maypole represents the tidal patterns of energy being sent down from the sun and the unwinding shows how the power is returned to the sky in a cyclic and unending pattern.

Other rites at this time may include the jumping of the water. A narrow part of a stream can be used to jump over and give thanks for water and hope that there will be enough to feed the land and crops for the growing months. Some may like to jump the cauldron with another person for whom they wish to give thanks. Children love this ritual and jump with family, friends and loved ones, even favourite teddies have been included.

May Day rites also include the Holly and Oak Lords battling for the hand of the maiden who, after her mating, would become the Mother and bring forth the following spring. After this fight, when he is beaten, the Holly Lord retires with his hounds to the Wild Wood to rest until he is recalled at Samhaine. This would take place on May eve. In Cornwall they still tell of the various battles between dark and light, good and evil with Robin Hood, St George and the dragon, or St Michael. Some still have the crowning of the May Queen, a modern version of Maid Marian, the ancient White Lady who could change herself into a deer to hide in the forest, who brought healing water from the secret springs and who cared for all the wild creatures and the forest.

Trees have long been the centre of our celebrations. At this time it is good to decorate the May Tree representing the tree of life. Hang ribbons, flowers and eggshells saved from Eostar on the tree. You may have stayed up all night on May eve making things to decorate your tree (and yourself). Include lots of singing, games and dancing to welcome the summer. Also on May Day those who wanted to look after their skin would be out before sunrise, seeking a patch of dew to bathe their face and eyes.

Many weddings would take place at this time of year, the young couples pledging themselves for ‘a year and a day’. To seal their bond they would leap over a bonfire hand in hand. We have chosen this time to write a letter to someone we love or care about, to tell her or him how much s/he is appreciated. It may be someone you have been married to for some time and you wish to renew your vows or express things that you don’t often say, or it may be a daughter, son, parent or friend. It could even be someone you would like to know better. We have great fun with our letter writing, which we feel is something of a dying art. We use lovely bright coloured pens and illustrate the letters with drawings or pressed flowers. My daughter is especially fond of the scented pens that are available now. If we don’t get round to writing we try to say something special in a ‘phone call or when we see the person but a letter is very special so it is always worth making the effort.

Spend time out of doors, have picnics, play outdoor games, throw a ball round, play hoop and ball (throw a hoop and someone else try to throw a ball through it when it is in the air); all target games are good like archery for example. At this time of year, as at the others, it is an opportunity to let go of unwanted things in our lives. One way we have marked the season (as yet I’ve not done this with children but I don’t see why one shouldn’t) is to light a bonfire and ask the people who will attend to wear or bring something that represents a part of her or himself that s/he wishes to be rid of. They would then at an appropriate moment throw it on the fire, give thanks for the lesson it has taught them and then ask for a blessing on all that they wish for the summer months to come.

For the May Day is the great day
Sung along the old great track
And those who ancient lines did ley
Will heed this song that calls them back

Ian Anderson

EOSTAR & THE VERNAL EQUINOX

(21st – 22nd March)
Primroses and violets stay with us from Imbolc and purple lupines line the mountains in the deserts of California. In the flowering seed sleeps the knowledge and promise of maturity. If the snow has gone we can see the fields greening and soon it will be time for the blackthorn to blossom and the delicate pinks and whites of the orchard blossoms to line our pathways. It is time to celebrate the equality of light and dark. In times gone by, as soon as the soil began to warm up and be workable the seed corn and barley would have been sown by hand. Among it would be the special ears of corn saved as the corn doll, symbol of the corn god sacrificed at harvest-tide.

This is the Vernal Equinox, and the season of spring reaches its apex, halfway through its journey from Imbolc to Beltaine. The Great Mother Goddess, who has returned to her virgin aspect at Imbolc, welcomes the young sun god’s embraces and conceives a child. The child will be born nine months from now, at the next Winter Solstice. (The old folk name for the Vernal Equinox is ‘Lady Day’).

With the lunar aspect of the Goddess we remember the descent of the Goddess into the Underworld for three days, the time when the moon is dark and hidden from our view. We can then celebrate the next full moon (the Eostar) when the Goddess returns from her sojourn into the Land of Death. For some this is the time to celebrate the Hand-fasting, a sacred marriage between Goddess and God, the ultimate Great Rite although the British custom is to transfer this to Beltaine, when the climate is more suited to outdoor celebrations! Though I have placed the telling of the Descent stories in Samhaine they also belong here with the ascent back to the Upper World at spring.

Easter was taken from the name of a Teutonic lunar Goddess, Eostre (from whom we also get the name of the female hormone, oestrogen). Eostar falls on the Vernal Equinox full moon. For some people there is confusion about dates at this time of year. Eostar is a lunar holiday, honouring a lunar Goddess, at the Vernal Full Moon. Eostar is reserved for the nearest festival. In our family we are not so specific and celebrate this season whenever we feel like enjoying some spring activities.

In her book ‘The Spiral Dance’ Starhawk talks of a basket of story eggs – each painted egg is taken out of the basket and a story is told. One of the eggs is painted half black and half gold to represent the balance of the equinox. In Ceisiwr Serith’s book ‘The Pagan Family’ he suggests the fun of an egg fight. Each person chooses an egg. Two people then face the small ends of their eggs towards each other. One of them hits the other’s egg with her own. When one person’s cracks, he turns his around and has another chance with the other side. (He does not say whether this is with raw eggs or hard-boiled!)

For several years my daughter and I (and any friends who had dropped in at the time) would take our bell sticks and go for a walk out along the wooded paths and as we went we would bang the ground with our sticks calling, “Wake up earth! Wake up earth!” and skip around to wake all the sleeping nature. It is a long time since we have felt able to pick the wild flowers that blossom at this time so we content ourselves with a wonderful spring walk and leave the flowers for others to enjoy. If we want to deck our home with primroses and violets and early daffodils we have to grow them ourselves.

We focus now on new life and the return of hope after a long winter and find ways to celebrate the emerging life. Following the cleaning of the home at Imbolc we like to invite friends round to batik eggs. This is a wonderful activity that we have done for several years. I was taught the traditional Ukrainian egg batik method from a friend, Helen, in Bedford nearly twenty years ago and for the last five years I have gathered together my friends, decorated eggs and shared food and gossip (the noble and much maligned art of news sharing).

Spring Clean

At this time of year many people like to give their house a spring clean, especially when the sun lights up all the dusty corners.

I am often asked to clear homes of unwanted spiritual presences and so I put on my white clothes, take my bells and incense and tootle off to see what I can find lurking in the dust.

I treat the spirit beings I find in the same way as I treat my living clients. I listen to their story, find out what is keeping them bound to the place they seem to have become stuck and then help them on their way. It is interesting work and not at all scary as some people seem to think. Mostly the stories I pick up are rather sad but in the end it is OK.

Some people like to just clear their homes and make them feel clean and peaceful so I don't have to try to find any lost souls. The Spring Equinox is an excellent time to do this.

There have been some interesting cases in the past. Most presences will have been drawn by someone living but it is more often by compassion than anything sinister.

In one house I visited there was a young girl who had been the maid to a rather unpleasant master. She had been beaten and half her face was bruised and she had difficulty seeing out of one eye. She told me that she loved the sound of the bells from the church next door but the master would never allow her to go to church. I asked her why she was still there and she said that she still had work to do. I told her that she could watch what I was doing, as I went through my usual routine, and then I told her I would wash up and, when that was done, it would be finished and she was free to go. As I cleaned the room she told me a bit of her story and then left happily to join the rest of her family who were waiting for her.

While she had been there she had cried a lot and the present owners of the house mentioned that they had terrible damp in the house all down one side of the property. I never found out if the damp cleared up after my visit but I did hear that their daughter, who had never brought her friends into the house since they had moved there, brought two friends in that evening.

One home had a very sad little boy who had severe learning difficulties and had been locked in the room. Both the parents were doctors and, it would seem, had difficulty coping with the fact that their son wasn't perfect. Once I had cleared the room (which was difficult as the presence had some trouble communicating) the whole house felt lighter. I went round to each of the rooms in the house and cleared them. Later that week the owner's mother paid a visit and, without knowing what her daughter had had done, mentioned that the room seemed lighter.

House clearing is simple and very peaceful. If there is something/someone that the owner thinks is present then I just sit quietly in whichever room seems to be the most disturbed. Eventually I will pick up a story and the description of the person. I let them know that it is OK to leave and if it is acceptable then I clear the room. If it's not then I try to find out what will help. I clear the room by visualising a clear, light space then ring several bells, starting with a low singing bowl and ending with a very small, high pitched bell. If there is a presence in the room I put salt on the floor around the edges of the room, leaving a gap by the window. I then lead the presence out of the window into the light.

Imbolc

February 2nd

At Imbolc, the Goddess returns, and the Earth rejoices as the might of winter loosens its grip on the land. In many areas white snowdrops can be seen nodding their bright heads above the melting snow and the brightly coloured crocuses lift their heads as Persephone steps on the frozen earth again after her long work underground. Life awakens as new lambs are born in sheltered pastures and Mother Nature is renewed, as she becomes the Maiden of Spring.

The Celtic name for this celebration is ‘Oimelc’, literally ‘ewes’ milk’, which would have been a vital part of the family’s nourishment at this starved time of year. It is also known as The Feast of Brigit, Candlemas and Groundhog’s day. For thousands of years, 40 days after the Winter Solstice has been a special festival sacred to women and at this time we celebrate the festival of the White Goddess Brigid, a celebration involving the women of the household (men joining in later). Before the advent of the written calendar, people relied on nature’s own calendar to show them when the Goddess had come back. In the northern hemisphere, spring arrives with the thaw. According to Paddy Slade in her book ‘Natural Magic’, in olden times farmers used to take their trousers off and sit on the ground at Imbolc to find out if it was warm enough to plough.

Together we have found different ways to celebrate the coming of spring and the thawing of the land. We made some beautiful white robes, my daughter’s was silver like the glittering snow, and we lit a large white candle to put in the centre of the table at meal times. We have taken a bowl of snow and lit a candle in the middle allowing the snow around it to gradually melt to represent the thaw; a table full of snowdrops, crocus and other available flowers (we prefer to use potted rather than cut flowers where possible); a meal served in a cauldron or a cauldron of water in the centre of the table. At the mealtime we ask each person what commitment they are going to make to the coming year. We try not to prepare for this part and see what spontaneous ideas come up. It is good to have something to work on as the year unfolds and it is also very important to work on loving yourself enough to help yourself stay committed. (We make a point of not allowing anyone to use this as an excuse to criticize her or himself if they can’t finish what they set out to achieve!) You may like to give out small candles to your friends and family to represent their hopes and wishes as spring gives us hope for the year, and, if you make candles, this is a good time of year to do so; they can then be blessed and, if you make enough, can last you for the whole year.

One of the nicest folk-customs still practiced in many countries is to place a lighted candle in every window of the house, beginning at sundown on Imbolc eve (February 1st), allowing them to continue burning until sunrise. Make sure they are safe and won’t catch the curtains or tip over, as sadly, the number of house fires has risen due to more people using candles for decoration with little thought or respect for the power of fire. What a wonderful sight to see so many windows lit up on such a dreary night.

This is the time of year to look for new beginnings. Sometimes it is hard to believe that warmth and light will ever come again! Go for walks and feel the season turning and see who can be the one to get the first sightings of snowdrops. Make sure all your Winter Solstice decorations are put away before Brigit comes. This is the time of year for giving thanks for all that we have had and seeing what we can give away. Invite your friends round for a pot-luck dinner, take something to a charity shop, make some craft things to put in a present drawer, give to charity or make a commitment to sponsor someone or something, get involved in a community project or spring clean your house and learn from the disciplines of Feng Shui how to best use the energies in your home space.

January

When the Yule decorations come down the house looks a bit bare so I have put up a selection of snowflakes that I have collected over the years. One year Ruth and I made some paper snowflakes and hung them up in the window. Real snow started to fall the next day, gently drifting down behind our paper ones as we looked out of the window. It was quite magical.

At the Winter Solstice I hang my lovely suns to celebrate it's return. This will be replaced by a moon at Summer Solstice to represent the waning of the year. The sun in the picture is the glass one. I also have one made of tissue paper stuck on wood and the whole picture dyed in yellows. It is very beautiful and was made by a friend, Rae, who made it out of the paper sun she was given when she stayed with us over the Winter Solstice. We all got our little paper or wooden suns and she decided to make hers into a work of art and give it back to us the next year.

The sparkling ball you can see in the second picture was made by another friend who had the carved wooden ball in his collection of oddments (he has many). He was doodling one evening, painting the ball with some glitter sticks and decided that it was an ideal present for me. I liked it so much that I put it up last year and can't bear to put it away, so in the arrangement it stays, all year round. It does have a rather seasonless quality as it looks lovely with whatever arrangement I put in the grate.

It has been cold for the past few weeks and my cooking has become more and more comforting (lots of porridge and mashed potatoes, not together of course). This morning I made some apricot slices to have with steaming mugs of coffee or chocolate.

I used 12 ozs of dried, chopped apricots, the rind of a lime and a small amount of water (I started with 4 tablespoons).

I heated up the apricots, lime and water, adding more water if necessary, until they were soft.

I then melted 5ozs butter, added 6ozs wheat free flour, 2 ozs ground almonds, 6ozs oats and some honey and maple syrup to taste. I mixed these ingrediants together and then put half the amount into a square baking dish, pushing it down. I then spread the apricot mixture over that layer and added the rest of the oat mixture on top. Cook in the oven, gas 6 (or just over medium what ever you are using) and you have a very nice sweet nibble that will serve as a sweet or snack.

Hope you enjoyed your winter festivities. I'm off to enjoy another apricot slice.

A Merry Solstice Tide

I have always only invited women friends to my Winter Solstice celebration. This is my particular decision and it has worked very well so far. We follow certain traditions that have grown over the years. We each bring a small present for everyone who comes and take it in turn to give them out. This can take a long time and is most enjoyable. The presents are small and simple and beautifully wrapped. While we are waiting for everyone to arrive we make a pile of the presents under the tree and a very attractive pile it is. By the time we have given and opened the presents it is time to eat. We always have a wonderful cheese board full of delicious cheeses and a bunch of grapes, savoury biscuits, a bowl of mixed dry roast vegetables that are like crisps but much tastier, and a hot chestnut and vegetable stew. We also have mulled wine and mulled apple juice or spiced berry juice. It is a wonderful feast. We share Tarot readings and listen to or join in some carol singing. We put fresh mistletoe up in place of the old and each person is given a small piece to take home.

Some ideas for things that can be bought for Solstice presents are night-lights, small candles, candle holders, tree ornaments, brooches, earrings, sweets, photographs, cakes, lanterns and any small seasonal thing that doesn't cost much. We encourage people to make their own and most people think of simple, beautiful things to make.

WINTER SOLSTICE

(21st or 22nd December)

As the nights grow longer and the air colder the atmosphere in our homes changes, we are less inclined to go out and we try to keep ourselves cosy with light, heat and warm, comforting food. The birth of a child has always been celebrated at this time of year, whether it was the return of the sun, the Star Child of Promise, Jesus, Dionysus, Attis, Mithras, all have been welcomed, celebrated and delighted in, giving us a real reason to rejoice.

Perhaps in earlier times, people would have been less sure than we are today that the sun would return, that the days would begin to get longer and the winter not cover the world with its frozen mantle. They might have put their effort into chants and spells to call back the sun until, by a few minutes a day, the nights would begin to shorten and the people could rejoice and the best of the stored foods be brought out, bonfires lit on the hilltops, decorations of greenery festoon the homes and gifts for the children be given and received. There were round dances, called 'carols', special songs and wild fragrance of holly, ivy and mistletoe to enrich this darker time. We love the heady smell of pine whenever we have a green tree in the house at this time of year.

Now make you merry, gentlemen,
Let nothing you dismay,
Cold winter now is set to flight
The sun returns today,
To keep us all from dark and cold
He has not gone away,

O, tidings of comfort and joy,
comfort and joy,
O, tidings of comfort and joy!

Now make you merry, ladies,
The dark is on the run,
For blessed light does now return
And so begins our fun,
Lets drink a cup of friendship here,
And then another one!

O, tidings …

Now make you merry, children,
A star returns this night,
For the dear Child of Promise
Gives us his gentle light,
To keep us all from dark and cold
There're presents warm and bright,

O, tidings …

Now to the Sun sing praises,
All you within this place,
And like a loving company
Each other now embrace,
The happy time of longer days
Is drawing on apace,

O, tidings …
(With thanks to Norman Isles)

In Starhawk’s book ‘The Spiral Dance’ she tells of the tradition to meet at the beach just before sunset on the eve of Winter Solstice. You can imagine the thrill of the wonderful atmosphere that must be built up as they build a fire and chant to gather their courage before jumping into a chilled ocean for cleansing. She tells of the all night vigil that follows, which leads to the meeting at dawn and the climb to the city’s hills and the chanting and drumming until the sun comes up (or until the mist grows light). The children have their own ritual in which they decorate round cookies to represent the sun. They receive gifts, tell stories and each child receives a red floating candle that they can light and let burn until morning.

Let us be inspired at this time of year to rejoice at the return of the sun and maybe our rejoicing will become our rituals that we look forward to when all else is dark. Winter Solstice is the time to gather together and celebrate; to be joyful and give thanks for all that is to come. This is the time to give and receive presents, to cook wonderful meals from the generous harvest and to be witness to the miracle of birth, new life and the constant turning of the seasonal cycle.

SAMHAINE

(Pronounced Sow-in)
(31st October)

Samhaine, or Halloween, marks the beginning and the end of the year when Mother Earth rests to gather her strength for the turning tides of nature, affirming rebirth in the midst of darkness. As the leaves begin to fall, and the nights are long, this is the time to gather together to hear the old stories. The Celts called it Samhaine, which means 'summer's end', according to their ancient two-fold division of the year, when summer ran from Beltaine to Samhaine and winter ran from Samhaine to Beltaine.

Samhaine was the time of the slaughter, and preservation in salt, of livestock for winter meat and for the selection of the fittest animals for future breeding. Some suggest an earlier explanation of Samhaine that refers to a time when the Shamans would enter the Realms of the Dead at the first frosts, to conduct the souls of the recently departed to their place of rest, and to bring back knowledge and enlightenment. Many of our myths reflect this image and are good to tell at this time of year when the nights draw in.

To those who celebrate this time, Samhaine is one of the four High Holidays, Greater Sabbats, or cross-quarter days. Because it is the most important holiday of the year, it is sometimes called 'THE Great Sabbat.' With such an important holiday, some people often hold two distinct celebrations. For some Samhaine is a time for one of the more serious rituals and children are not always invited, but adaptations can be made and children can be made welcome. Since my daughter has been old enough we have celebrated Samhaine with children.

Bobbing for apples is one activity popular at this time of year. This may well represent the remnants of a Pagan 'baptism' rite called a 'seining', according to some. The water-filled tub is a latter-day Cauldron of Regeneration, into which the novice's head is immersed. The custom of dressing in costume and 'trick-or-treating', not just by children, is of Celtic origin with survivals particularly strong in Scotland. In ancient times, roving bands would sing seasonal carols from house to house, making the tradition very similar to Yuletide wassailing.

In ancient time Samhaine was believed to be a time when the veil was thin between the world of the living and the world of the dead. The dead are our friends and family, our ancestors who gave us life. We call them our ‘beloved dead’. Death is a natural part of life and one of the gifts of the Goddess.

Samhaine is a time to look back over the year and count our blessings, the time to get out our photographs and put them in albums or on a wall display, the time to ask ‘what have we done for the garden?' 'What have we learned that helped us or made us happy?' This is the time when we clean our house from top to bottom to prepare for and welcome the ancestors. It might be good to visit the family graves and do some brass rubbings.

At this time of year we like to mark the festival with a gathering of friends around a fire - outdoors if weather permits. Here are some of the ideas I have used successfully: We sometimes use two candles to mark the passing of the year, a black one for the old year and white for the new. A simple way is to light the black candle and let it burn away completely. While this happens we write on pieces of paper anything that we do not want to take forward into the New Year with us; for example any negative thoughts or beliefs we might have, or anything we might have done that we wished we could do differently. We don't tell anyone what these are. We then throw them on the fire and let them burn. One of us will read something appropriate about the turning of the year or we will tell a seasonal story. When the candle has burned down we light the white candle and write on pieces of paper things that we want to take forward into the New Year. We keep these pieces of paper and take them home with us. Then it is time to eat together and share seasonal food and drink, for example apple and honey cakes, oatcakes and cider. Plenty of vegetables in a stew can be enjoyed and fruit salad to celebrate the harvest. One year our friend, Rae, asked us each to make a weaving of our experiences through the year. Those of us who remembered brought back a beautiful representation of our year and shared them with the group. They were far too beautiful to burn so they have been kept as a happy reminder of our Samhaine gathering.

AUTUMNAL EQUINOX

(22nd – 23rd September)

Now the days turn colder and we feel as though we need to build a warm nest and curl up in it even though we are not hibernating animals. The Autumnal Equinox is a time of balance when the days will begin to lose their power to the dominion of the night. We give thanks for the harvest and say goodbye to the strength of the sun. From now on the days will get shorter and preparations need to be made for the coming winter.

The harvest of the hedgerows is ready for picking; crab apple, blackberries (until the end of September), elderberries and rowan, rose hips, nuts, plums and sloes. What a good opportunity to gather the wild harvest and make preserves and potions for the months to come. A favourite of ours is sloe gin, and for the children the first blackberry pie is always a real treat.

Autumn can be a time for clearing out again, although in our house it tends to be a time for collecting dried leaves, conkers and nuts to make things and decorate the house with! One year we stayed with a Jewish friend of ours who told us of the wonders of mushroom picking. It is always good to use the seasons to help us clear the clutter that accumulates so easily – a neglected drawer or cupboard, unfinished projects and things that we will never complete. Let the season help you to be part of the great pattern, joining those who farm the land as we prepare for winter with an ordered and wholesome living space.

The birds are not forgotten either. Seeds can be collected to feed them through the barren months when food in the wild is hard to find.

This is a time for balancing games, for gatherings that remind us of the natural balance and interdependence of male and female. Autumn is also a time of gathering, not just the bounty of the countryside but of our own achievements.

In the other gardens
And all up the vale,
From the autumn bonfires
See the smoke trail!

Pleasant summer over
And all the summer flowers,
The red fire blazes,
the grey smoke towers.

Sing a song of seasons!
Something bright in all,
Flowers in the summer
Fires in the fall!

‘Autumn Fires’ by Robert Louis Stevenson

2012

I got together with some friends this week to meditate for Transition Stroud. We are concerned about what is happening in the world and particularly aware that many prophesies have suggested that 2012 is a time of great change and unrest. We are calling the group a Dream Group, a sort of Grandmother's lodge, and will meet every week to hold the dream for the Transition movement.
The feeling we all got was that we need to let go and listen to the Earth.
While looking on the website for thoughts about 2012 I came across this, which seems to support what we are feeling. It was posted by Maria Kamaka Naakai Ts’ilsoose Yraceburu.

"This year I began translating our prophecies. Yesterday one was confirmed that is occurring NOW. What I need to share with all of you is that the Prophecy Keepers want you to know WE SPEND TOO MUCH TIME FOCUSED ON 2012. What will happen in 2012 is the ENDING OF WHAT BEGIN IN 1993 when we entered the Time of No Time… the “time in Earth Mother’s womb.” The Intersection of Time and Space when humanity’s consciousness would/has begun to open.
The Elders are concerned that once again we are not present for what is our task at hand. We are focused in the future, on something that will not take place unless we are focused on NOW.
Papa Reynolds Kamakawiwoole said two years ago, “The women walk first.” This out of the blue was a confirmation of what an Omaha Grandmother said many years before - “Women must find their spirituality first and then bring the men.”

Grandmother Vickie Downey of the Tewa said “What Mother Earth has to do to heal herself, we can help her and we can help ourselves. Think about her and ask for assistance for her, because whatever she goes through we go through.”
So many ask, what can we do? To this I say, do ritual and keep yourself aligned with Mother. She will tell you what to do. Give offering. Close your eyes and listen. Open your eyes and the next step is there. Take action. Then repeat the procedure… again and again. But stay NOW. Stop worrying about what is happening in 2012. 2012 is the ENDING OF THE GERMINATION PERIOD, not the beginning. The Grandmothers gather and the Star Rites of Initiation begin 12/08…. THIS YEAR. Ritual, always ritual. This is the way of the mother. And the Mother is who we are guardians for. Guardians of life for the future in the Now.

Remember… as you watch the Olympics… pray… because something is about to happen, and what was thought to be true, will be exposed as non reality. My family will gather in New Mexico to hold space and do ritual. The Hopi will be involved in their annual Snake Dance. All over the world the Prophecy keepers know that truth begins 8/8/08 and culminates in knowing by the Dragon Moon of 8/30. Fear is an illusion. Clarity comes from ritual and provides direction. And in all of this Earth First in all our decisions. Prophecy states, “War ends when the Mothers of Earth say No More.”

to read more
http://lightstoneacademy.com/2008/07/10/2012-whats-it-really-about/

Lammas Garden

Even though my garden is very small it is wonderful at this time of year. I even have enough growing in it to make some Winter Solstice presents. The lavender has blossomed and is attracting a few bees, which is comforting. I will make some little lavender bottles again this year.

I have also been making a most delicious and fragrant spice for my friends for winter. I often find I come up with ideas for Winter Solstice presents when everything is so abundant. Not that I grow my own spices. You can just about see some fennel growing in the garden but not enough to make these lovely curry spices.

The recipe is one I got from a friend many years ago.

Add a generous tablespoon of seeds from Cardamom pods, Sesame seeds, Cumin, Coriander, Cloves, Black Peppercorns, Allspice and Aniseed. Mix all the wonderful spices together and spread on a baking sheet. Cook in an oven on medium heat for half an hour and then keep in an airtight jar. I find it improves on keeping which is why I have made mine so early this year. I will keep it in large pots and then decorate some small yoghurt jars and put it in those for presents some time in November or December.

Where are the Butterflies?

Today, while walking, my brother noticed how beautiful and luscious the budlia is this year. He also missed the butterflies. Where are they? I looked at one website that says we should be worried. http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/article/9/52/attenborough_announces_survival_zones.html

I'm worried about the bees as well. Not sure whether it's mobile phones or killer viruses but I know that when I go for a walk I hear traffic rather than bird song and humming bees. Should we be worried? Yes, I think so.

Here's an idea or two. Walk rather than drive whenever you can. Use your mobile phone sparingly. Plant a wild life space in your garden. Eat more chocolate..... (well, mabe not the last one)

LAMMAS

One of my favourite times of year is LAMMAS or LUGHNASAD (Pronounced Lunassa)
(1st – 2nd August)

Lammas is the feast and celebration of the fruits and harvest of the life force. We greet Lammas with a mixture of sadness and thanksgiving as we celebrate the harvest of our work through the year and we recognise the solemnity of the death of John Barleycorn, the Lord of the Sun who, having given us his strength, is now cut down.

August would have been a time of harvesting barley oats and wheat. Lammas derives its name from the Old English “Hlafmas” or “loaf-mass” or in Scotland, Lughnasad, the Feast of the Celtic Sun God, Lugh who was the spirit of the growing corn. In Britain this was a time when as many people as possible were brought from their normal work and children from their schools to help with the harvesting. Today the holiday remains as Bank Holiday Monday. The last sheaf of corn would be woven into a Corn Dolly. This would be kept at home on the hearth or alter until next spring when the seeds would be sown again. The harvest season was, and to some extent still is, the most critical of the year.

This was also the traditional time of year for craft festivals. The medieval guilds would create elaborate displays of their wares, decorating their shops and themselves in bright colours and ribbons, marching in parades, and performing strange, ceremonial plays and dances for the entranced onlookers.

Lammas is also the feast of the first fruits. Depending on when the ‘first fruits’ are for you, celebrate this season with gathering them in.

As we don’t have a garden with our own crops to harvest my daughter and I often chose this time of year to go to ‘Pick-Your-Own’ farms and gather lots of luscious fruit and vegetables to eat raw, cook or preserve. We try out different recipes for bread and once made a large wheat sheaf shaped loaf for our local Unitarian group (a religious group which draws inspiration from many faiths). As both of us are allergic to wheat, coming up with good, wheat free recipes is not always easy but we have discovered some that make the results edible!

The sun is high, the days are long and hot (if we’re lucky in England), the wheat is golden and ready to be cut and we sit within our harvest reflecting on all that we have done and all that has grown as a result. It is a good time to reflect on what is good in our lives and celebrate those things. It is a good time to invite friends round and share wonderful, seasonal meals with all the glorious vegetables and fruits that are available at this time of year.

With the development of modern farming methods it is hard to imagine the reapers in the field, all in a line under a warm sky but maybe we can look at the rhythm in our lives and enjoy the natural cycle that produces such a harvest.



O three men they did come down from Kent
To plough for wheat and rye
And they made a vow and a solemn vow
John Barleycorn should die

O they ploughed in the furrow deep
Till the clods lay o’er his head
And these three men were rejoicing then
John Barleycorn was dead

They left him there for a week or so
And a shower of rain did fall
John Barleycorn sprung up again
And he proved them liars all

Then they hired men with sickles
To cut him off at the knee
And the worst of all they served Barleycorn
They served him barbarously

Then they hired men with pitchforks
To pitch him onto the load
And the worst of all they served Barleycorn
They bound him down with cord

Then they hired men with thrashels
To beat him high and low
They came smick-smack on poor Jack’s back
Till the flesh bled every blow

O the next they put him in the maltin’ kiln
Thinking to dry his bones
And the worst of all they served barleycorn
They crushed him between two stones

Then they put him into the mashing tub
Thinking to scald his tail
And the next thing they called Barleycorn
They called him home-brewed ale

So come put your wine into glasses
Your cider in tin-cans
But young Barleycorn in the old brown jug
For he proves the strongest man.