Viewing posts for the category Dots on a Page
Midsummer is upon us, and that means that the crops are planted and growing, the sun is high, and I will be heading to my grove to celebrate in a Norse-focused ritual. As in years past, this ritual, and thus the accompanying song, will be focused on golden-haired Sif and her mighty husband and protector Thor. In our group's understanding, Sif is associated with agriculture and grain in particular, as her golden-hair references the fronds of the wheat plant, and Thor's role is to make sure that those trying to destroy said crops cannot succeed, even if it feels like the real reason has more to do with weeding and fencing.
It's time for another song, this one focused fairly simply on the natural world in this time of the year, although with hints of more spiritual matters behind them. This matches nicely with the land I walk on most frequently, which in this time of year has dandelion, violet, clover, and apple blossoms shining forth hoping for bees to come by or a lucky breeze to work its magic.
Our group is back to doing Greek-focused rites for spring equinox, which is great fun, because it means I get to honor Dionysos, the happy god of wine, fertility, and general frivolity. And while yes, that's because he loves us and wants us to be happy, I've always thought there was more to it than just joy: when you're embracing the chaos both in your mind and in the world, you learn and discover that which cannot be learned from the more staid academic sorts of learning.
Imbolg is and has been for many years my chance to renew my relationship with the only Celtic deity in my own regular pantheon, Brighid. It took me a while to get to know her, but her values appealed to me, especially in her inspiration aspect. And boy, did she come through this time: As I sat down to write, what came out was very different from the sort of thing I normally come up with, and in my view at least delightful.
Yule-tide always means to me, first and foremost, people gathering inside to stay safe from cold weather, feasting on the still-recent autumn harvest and sharing stories to pass the time. While Covid-19 has prevented large in-person gatherings, the idea of that winter feast is still very much possible within our own households. My focus on the fire in particular has to do with a project I've had going to ready a fireplace in my home for use - it needed a hearth to protect the floor, and some safety checks to ensure nothing would catch fire that wasn't supposed to.