Completely drained
Last night was our Beltane ritual at the church, led by yours truly. And now I barely have the energy to move.
It's been a long week to begin with, and last night was like an over-filled balloon popping. Lots of energy was raised, lots of fun and laughter, and a little bawdiness.
I think the ritual went well, or as well as an open ritual with nearly 70 people attending (some who have never attended a Pagan ritual) could go. I kind of confused people by having the quarters called across the circle. This is standard practice outdoors or whenever we have a really large group, but not everyone can remember this. I should have planted people "in the know" at the quarters (we don't do designated people to call) so it would have run more smoothly. There was also a problem with people not reading ahead and reading the wrong bits in the wrong places. But few people said anything, so there's a chance most didn't notice.
We did have some problems with a few of the children. One gentleman with a couple of youngsters showed up before ritual and asked, "Where do we put the kids?". He seemed a little upset when we said that they sit in on the ritual, and that we don't have childcare provided. His daughter repeatedly got in my way and tried to mess with the altar and kept asking, "Dad, when do we have fun and games?". He didn't try to stop her and I wonder what he had told her on the way to the church.
The Maypole was the same rowdy fun as always. We don't have a pretty choreographed dance of ribbons. For us, it's a full-contact sport. Small children who are sticklers for the rules insist you go under their ribbon at the appropriate times, even if it means dropping to all fours and crawling under the 2 1/2 feet available. Adults intent on being crowned May King and May Queen (even though there is no crown, ceremony; in fact, I'm the only one who gives out prizes of any sort) refuse to let go of their ribbons for any reason. And the ancient Maypole (ok, it's only 12 years old) bobs and sways and threatens to topple at any moment.
The music was wonderful, provided by a member of the church who plays flute and hammered dulcimer, accompanied by all sorts of drums and rattles operated by individuals of various talents.
And the energy was put to good use. At least I hope so. Others do little or nothing with the accumulated energy built in the ritual. I make people do something constructive. We take some of it into ourselves to take home and keep motivated in achieving our goals. And we release some of it into the world to accomplish a greater good. It is unbelievably amazing to be in the center of the circle when all that energy is released. It's like when your ears pop, only it's your whole being. Well, for me anyway.
And the potluck was rather tasty, although I didn't eat too much. I made Potato and Dandelion Green Au Gratin.
Potato and Dandelion Green Au Gratin
6-8 red potatoes, scrubbed and sliced thinly
2 medium sized onions, chopped
2 cloves chopped garlic (more or less, depending on how much you like garlic)
2 cups chopped dandelion greens (freshly picked and washed)
1 1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup heavy cream
1-2 cups cheese (I used Muenster, a sharp provolone or a good cheddar would work well, too)
Italian seasoning (fresh parsley would be good as well, I used what I had on hand)
salt and pepper
Butter a casserole dish and cover the bottom with 2 layers of potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix onions, greens, and garlic together and cover potatoes. Add another couple of layers of potatoes. Salt and pepper again. Mix yogurt and cream together in bowl, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning to taste (I also think Mrs. Dash would work wonderfully here, as would parmesan or asiago cheese). Pour mixture over potatoes, gently shaking dish to get mixture into crevices. Cover with layer of cheese. Bake in preheated oven at 375 degrees Farenheit for 30-45 minutes, or until potatoes can be easily sliced and cheese is brown and bubbly.
This should also work well in a crock pot, which I should have thought of before making it yesterday.
Well, I need to get going. I have to find the energy to get some stuff done around here. I should have saved some of the energy from last night for housework, instead of using it all on traditional Beltane activities. ;-)
It's been a long week to begin with, and last night was like an over-filled balloon popping. Lots of energy was raised, lots of fun and laughter, and a little bawdiness.
I think the ritual went well, or as well as an open ritual with nearly 70 people attending (some who have never attended a Pagan ritual) could go. I kind of confused people by having the quarters called across the circle. This is standard practice outdoors or whenever we have a really large group, but not everyone can remember this. I should have planted people "in the know" at the quarters (we don't do designated people to call) so it would have run more smoothly. There was also a problem with people not reading ahead and reading the wrong bits in the wrong places. But few people said anything, so there's a chance most didn't notice.
We did have some problems with a few of the children. One gentleman with a couple of youngsters showed up before ritual and asked, "Where do we put the kids?". He seemed a little upset when we said that they sit in on the ritual, and that we don't have childcare provided. His daughter repeatedly got in my way and tried to mess with the altar and kept asking, "Dad, when do we have fun and games?". He didn't try to stop her and I wonder what he had told her on the way to the church.
The Maypole was the same rowdy fun as always. We don't have a pretty choreographed dance of ribbons. For us, it's a full-contact sport. Small children who are sticklers for the rules insist you go under their ribbon at the appropriate times, even if it means dropping to all fours and crawling under the 2 1/2 feet available. Adults intent on being crowned May King and May Queen (even though there is no crown, ceremony; in fact, I'm the only one who gives out prizes of any sort) refuse to let go of their ribbons for any reason. And the ancient Maypole (ok, it's only 12 years old) bobs and sways and threatens to topple at any moment.
The music was wonderful, provided by a member of the church who plays flute and hammered dulcimer, accompanied by all sorts of drums and rattles operated by individuals of various talents.
And the energy was put to good use. At least I hope so. Others do little or nothing with the accumulated energy built in the ritual. I make people do something constructive. We take some of it into ourselves to take home and keep motivated in achieving our goals. And we release some of it into the world to accomplish a greater good. It is unbelievably amazing to be in the center of the circle when all that energy is released. It's like when your ears pop, only it's your whole being. Well, for me anyway.
And the potluck was rather tasty, although I didn't eat too much. I made Potato and Dandelion Green Au Gratin.
Potato and Dandelion Green Au Gratin
6-8 red potatoes, scrubbed and sliced thinly
2 medium sized onions, chopped
2 cloves chopped garlic (more or less, depending on how much you like garlic)
2 cups chopped dandelion greens (freshly picked and washed)
1 1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup heavy cream
1-2 cups cheese (I used Muenster, a sharp provolone or a good cheddar would work well, too)
Italian seasoning (fresh parsley would be good as well, I used what I had on hand)
salt and pepper
Butter a casserole dish and cover the bottom with 2 layers of potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix onions, greens, and garlic together and cover potatoes. Add another couple of layers of potatoes. Salt and pepper again. Mix yogurt and cream together in bowl, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning to taste (I also think Mrs. Dash would work wonderfully here, as would parmesan or asiago cheese). Pour mixture over potatoes, gently shaking dish to get mixture into crevices. Cover with layer of cheese. Bake in preheated oven at 375 degrees Farenheit for 30-45 minutes, or until potatoes can be easily sliced and cheese is brown and bubbly.
This should also work well in a crock pot, which I should have thought of before making it yesterday.
Well, I need to get going. I have to find the energy to get some stuff done around here. I should have saved some of the energy from last night for housework, instead of using it all on traditional Beltane activities. ;-)