Witches Lunch (October 30th)
I was totally running late for this, because yesterday morning I threw myself into a tizzy after a misunderstanding with my mother. Which left me, predictably, sitting next to my bills box making faces and feeling really low about myself. I was already an hour and half late, even if there wasn't a specific show-up time, and then I didn't want to get dressed up. My head was all in the wrong place, and then I realized I hadn't even gotten the right stuff for the evening Grove ritual yet, which also required dressing up.
So I dressed up. My normal long, four-color paneled fall skirt I use for Mabon and Samhain (and Ren Faire), two layers of gauzy black shirts, my Master's graduation obsidian necklace. And then ran away to try and find a skull. I found ones that hurt my head, as they were huge and covered with glitter at HEB. I found a tiny not so bad one in the end of decorations at a CVS. I had both in my car in case, and still hadn't found a mask. Masks seemed to be alluding me.
I drove across the city to where the Witches Lunch was, and got a little lost even though it was at the same place my Reiki Master training was. At least that helped with me knowing I was lost because I could remember it hadn't been that hard to find at all. But I arrived all safe and sound. I got to hug and kiss people. There was endless, amazing conversation. And the hostess made delicious food. The stuffed mushrooms and fresh humus were my favorite, but she'd worked up and laid out a massively huge spread.
There was a table to place pictures or mementos of your loved ones, which I'd brought one of my sister and I together at a long ago Christmas, from the Family photo's set in the hallway wall sets at home. Mostly this was a very dressed up but casual affair, which was ultimately amazingly nice. Hanging out, remembering old times, and people, talking about new experiences and things we'd love.
Everyone got two gifts: a small rubber ducky in costume (after the witch was taken, it was kind too hilariously cliché for me not to take the vampire, even if my head voice so didn't approve) and a little broom pen, like my one found earlier this season, except with the addition that it had words on it, too (so mote it be).
My last unexpected gift of the party happened during a conversation about making statues, when I was really confused about how to make them and the terms everyone was using. So there were examples and then there was the showing me this box of skulls recently done. And in some combination of amused, awed, and amazed at the ability to make all these things, I said, "Wow, I want one of those." And the hostess said, "What color?" Barely thinking about it, I hit back, "White. Like a normal one."
And she pulled another out from a different place. "Like this one?" I shrugged and laughed, saying yes. And then she thrust it into my hands saying, "Here, have it." And my jaw dropped. And my words fumbled into something like. "Seriously? No, seriously?" While she laughed and kept nodding, especially afterwards when I was petting it and not putting it down.
I've never really had anything seriously skull-like or skull-oriented. I own one skeleton decoration for Samhain time I didn't even put up this year. And I have the prayer beads and bracelet set, made of tiny wooden skulls from Korea. But suddenly RCG needed one, and then randomly the universe had provided. Both a large one for my ritual and a small one for the home altar (which is where the CVS tiny skull ended up at the very end of this night, which is still one write-up away.)
But I'm already a little love with it. So here's a parting picture of new things:
