Sacred Well's Samhain (October 29th)
In life, Love; In death, Peace
Oh, dear loved ones, Rest in Peace
Traffic on the way up this time was horrendous, but with Earl for company in my car we managed well, and still showed up fifteen minutes early. Within the first few minutes so much stuff was happening. Apparently, one of my would-be teachers tried to send me packets of information for the beginning of my course, only my e-mail bounced it. They needed four elements for the beginning, and I volunteered.
Even as she pulled them at random from her hand, what do you think I got? West/Water.
I was bedecked with a candy skull and bones necklace gifted to me by one my sisters there. Then everyone was given the task of making tiny effigies people of those they've lost in their lives, with little paper figures and a stack of boxes of color pencils. I made one for both my little sister, Kimi, and one for Phoenix, which while making it, realized it's been about five years since that happened and how wonderful it was to be surrounded by people that night who wouldn't be thinking about him at me. A rare, sudden freedom.
Phoenix with his purple dress, combat boots, and eyeliner.
Kimi with her mop of blonde hair and a baby doll.
An extra, silly treat.
The making of the effigies was kind of lovely. Seeing how many people and how they chose to express what when you'd glance at someone to your side or ending up seeing them as you reached for newly needed colors. We pinned out little people above our hearts (as you can see in the candy necklace picture) and then we were pretty much ready to go.
We lined up like normal before the ritual room and went into it one at a time, being blessed by the Priestess and Priestess running it for the night, the elements first and then everyone else. We four in the middle did the bringing of the light, the four-way chant of the holiday, pausing for the rest of the opening and of the circle. It was beautiful. The Priestess walked around making a circle with gathered leave at our feet, talking about the winter and how the dead leaves fell to the ground to decay and enrich the earth, making the soul ready for new life.
Death as it the cause for great new life. They went about most of their formal beginning like normal, and when it was our turns, we each turned and invoked our elements toward the directions of those altars. We listened first as the Priestess talked about two African realms of the dead.
The first, or Sasha, was the land you went to where you were only half-dead, for your memories still lived in the minds of those around your life, who held on and talk about you. The second, the Zamani, the land of the truly dead, where you went when the last person who remembered your life as seen themselves died, when you passed into only passed on stories.
I have to admit I'm enthralled with how these two are constructed and will be spending some time in the coming while researching a bit about them.
We learned the above chant in the circle
In life, Love; In death, Peace
Oh, dear loved ones, Rest in Peace
And then while chanting it over and over, everyone was asked to, when they felt so called, walk across the circle, to the plate on my/West's altar to light a candle and place down your effigy’s to send your thoughts and reverences, missing and love, to the people who had gone beyond us. We also got to halfway through it start saying names during the chant, changing 'oh, dear loved ones' to incorporate the names of those we were thinking of, both those on paper and those not.
We had a small dance celebration after it, before Cakes and Ales, which this time was Apple-Pomegranate Sparkle Cider, since I wasn't in the mood for the wine that night, and then a tiny sweet-potatoes tart. We socialized a tiny bit during it and then we closed the circle for the night, doing the jobs each assigned to us.
There was a small feast and more talking afterwards, as well. I took down notes of things I didn't want to forget and talked to people who I hadn't gotten to see before it. It was nice to see the people who I'd seen over the weekend, but I was definitely a little ready for a break at the same time, too, since it was the beginning of my longish Samhain weekend.
It was a simple little ritual, but very nice.
Another brand new facet of the ever-changing face of Sacred Well.