Imbolc
We had Imbolc at the grove tonight. I plan to actually write something more extensive and post it for part of my DP requirement, but I'm tired right now so I brief summary will have to suffice.
We held the ritual outside because we are all insane. Renee knitted me a scarf, which I had requested after waiting for the bus in wind that could rip the skin right off your face, and she had finished it before the ritual started so not only was my face not cold it was actually sweating a little. My feet were a whole other matter, the circulation in my feet is not all that great as it is and the longer we were standing out there the worse it got. I actually had to go inside before the ritual was over, I didn't want to do that but my feet were in pain; however we were at the point where everyone was being dismissed and things had completely wrapped up about five minutes later if that, so I guess I don't have to feel all that bad.
It was a nice ritual. Steph put the whole thing together and, a few hitches aside, it turned out really well. I will say I couldn't get much into the spirit of the holiday personally, it being geared toward a pantheon and a deity that are not my own (and which are pretty far away from what my usual comfort zone is) and the general themes of the holiday being foreign to my life (things like childbirth and "women's mysteries" as Will explained things). But while I may have felt nothing going on for myself, I could clearly see the devotion so many of the people around me felt for Brigid and that made things interesting for me.
One thing I did experience toward the beginning was a very clear image in my head of three gods standing around me, when I could feel their presences very well before I was distracted by the cold. Those three were Hermes, Dionysos and Aphrodite. Interesting.
After the ritual was nice too, though I wish that all the food didn't have potatoes in it (since I think potatoes taste like shit). Nancy and Chris came up from Virginia, I had met them when I went to see Isaac Bonewits' lecture last month and I was real glad to see them again. Plus I got to talking with Mike a little more, I definitely have to hang out with this man more often. He has offered to teach me how to fire a gun, fight with a sword and kill people with a stick. I really like this guy. ;-)
I realized while the ritual was going on that in exactly a month (and probably less than that really, since this is February) I'm going to be dedicating myself to Hermes. Boy that time sure did fly by fast, huh? And I don't even have all the things I wanted to have written out done yet, I guess I have my project for the next few weeks.
Glad I now have a job too so I'll have the money to be able to do all the things Hermes wants me to do for him, like get a tattoo and change my name. Speaking of which, I'll be going into work tomorrow to help them finish up this particular job because I need all the cash I can get right now.
We held the ritual outside because we are all insane. Renee knitted me a scarf, which I had requested after waiting for the bus in wind that could rip the skin right off your face, and she had finished it before the ritual started so not only was my face not cold it was actually sweating a little. My feet were a whole other matter, the circulation in my feet is not all that great as it is and the longer we were standing out there the worse it got. I actually had to go inside before the ritual was over, I didn't want to do that but my feet were in pain; however we were at the point where everyone was being dismissed and things had completely wrapped up about five minutes later if that, so I guess I don't have to feel all that bad.
It was a nice ritual. Steph put the whole thing together and, a few hitches aside, it turned out really well. I will say I couldn't get much into the spirit of the holiday personally, it being geared toward a pantheon and a deity that are not my own (and which are pretty far away from what my usual comfort zone is) and the general themes of the holiday being foreign to my life (things like childbirth and "women's mysteries" as Will explained things). But while I may have felt nothing going on for myself, I could clearly see the devotion so many of the people around me felt for Brigid and that made things interesting for me.
One thing I did experience toward the beginning was a very clear image in my head of three gods standing around me, when I could feel their presences very well before I was distracted by the cold. Those three were Hermes, Dionysos and Aphrodite. Interesting.
After the ritual was nice too, though I wish that all the food didn't have potatoes in it (since I think potatoes taste like shit). Nancy and Chris came up from Virginia, I had met them when I went to see Isaac Bonewits' lecture last month and I was real glad to see them again. Plus I got to talking with Mike a little more, I definitely have to hang out with this man more often. He has offered to teach me how to fire a gun, fight with a sword and kill people with a stick. I really like this guy. ;-)
I realized while the ritual was going on that in exactly a month (and probably less than that really, since this is February) I'm going to be dedicating myself to Hermes. Boy that time sure did fly by fast, huh? And I don't even have all the things I wanted to have written out done yet, I guess I have my project for the next few weeks.
Glad I now have a job too so I'll have the money to be able to do all the things Hermes wants me to do for him, like get a tattoo and change my name. Speaking of which, I'll be going into work tomorrow to help them finish up this particular job because I need all the cash I can get right now.