Mr. Groundhog can do what he likes, it ain't make no never mind to me.
February has been a pretty fine month so far, one of lovely candlelit pagany moments (although I discovered it is very very difficult to ground and center five minutes after you wake up) and drawing, drawing, drawing!
I've been trying to create a scaled-down version of my holiday celebrations, one I can do while travelling or when otherwise unable to set up a full altar and do the whole casting-the-circle thing. I've been thinking of them as travel-size rituals. Last year I designed a portable devotional altar to go along with it, and that's almost complete, but writing the rituals has been difficult. Nothing I've written has had even a jot of magic.
But this Candlemas, it clicked. It was just a ritual bath and a self-blessing, but it worked, it was a true re-dedication before my gods. For the rest of the day, whenever I caught a hint of the sandlewood perfume on my skin, I was made magical and blessed all over again.
I hope I will be able to write as successful an observance for Spring Equinox. (We'll see.)
The rest of the day was spent drawing little comics for Hourly Comic Day. It was both entertaining and challenging. I'm sure my first attempt at autobiographical comicking is a little on the dull and clumsy side, but I am hooked! I'm sure I'll be drawing little pictures again next year. (Here's my page, if you'd like to see my efforts for yourself!)
But what was perfect was the way the two events of the day complemented each other. My personal observance of the holiday doesn't include Brigid, but the holiday is hers, as well. All day long I was aware that with my creative activity I was partaking of her gifts. It was an ideal way to begin the spiritual year, and I hope its sympathetic magic will resonate within me all year long.
And isn't that the true purpose of being a pagan? To my way of thinking, each encounter with our gods should change us, immediately and gradually. That's the gift of it, regardless how you mark the turning of the wheel of the year. We are each of us the spell of ourselves.
I've been trying to create a scaled-down version of my holiday celebrations, one I can do while travelling or when otherwise unable to set up a full altar and do the whole casting-the-circle thing. I've been thinking of them as travel-size rituals. Last year I designed a portable devotional altar to go along with it, and that's almost complete, but writing the rituals has been difficult. Nothing I've written has had even a jot of magic.
But this Candlemas, it clicked. It was just a ritual bath and a self-blessing, but it worked, it was a true re-dedication before my gods. For the rest of the day, whenever I caught a hint of the sandlewood perfume on my skin, I was made magical and blessed all over again.
I hope I will be able to write as successful an observance for Spring Equinox. (We'll see.)
The rest of the day was spent drawing little comics for Hourly Comic Day. It was both entertaining and challenging. I'm sure my first attempt at autobiographical comicking is a little on the dull and clumsy side, but I am hooked! I'm sure I'll be drawing little pictures again next year. (Here's my page, if you'd like to see my efforts for yourself!)
But what was perfect was the way the two events of the day complemented each other. My personal observance of the holiday doesn't include Brigid, but the holiday is hers, as well. All day long I was aware that with my creative activity I was partaking of her gifts. It was an ideal way to begin the spiritual year, and I hope its sympathetic magic will resonate within me all year long.
And isn't that the true purpose of being a pagan? To my way of thinking, each encounter with our gods should change us, immediately and gradually. That's the gift of it, regardless how you mark the turning of the wheel of the year. We are each of us the spell of ourselves.