Autumn greetings in this most magnificent “indian summer” that we are being blessed with. I hope that you are all getting the chance to enjoy the warmth, clarity and beauty of it all?!

Before any more time elapses, I thought that I had better metaphorically put pen to paper and ask who would like to join us for Samhain celebrations? We will be meeting on Sunday the 31st October. It would be perfect if the weather could be as we are enjoying it now, as we plan to hold our ritual in Coed Elernion, a Woodland Trust owned property in Clynnog Fawr, (really more on the outskirts of Trevor) where we have found some lovely atmospheric locations among the trees. We will be gathering, either at 1.30.pm at our home in Dyffryn Nantlle, or else you can go straight to the entrance to the wood for 2 o’clock. (And don’t forget that the clocks are going back that weekend!)

We will be doing something connected to the/our ancestors. Also some deeply introspective work in darkness and simulated burial. It will be a more profound ritual this year, with the emphasis on healing and connection through the earth and our past. We will probably return to our home in Dyffryn Nantlle for our celebratory meal, bonfire and entertainment as darkness overtakes us and the evening begins.

As always, if anyone would like to contribute an activity or reading during ritual, you are greatly welcome to do so… just let me know roughly what you intend to do some time beforehand so that I can co-ordinate and weave everything into a cohesive whole. Similarly, if anyone would like to bring songs, music, readings, poetry, stories, etc for the evening, please do so!

Please do let me know if you are intending to come, as I need to assemble certain items for the ritual, and I need to know just how many I shall be catering for. Also, if you are coming and wish me to send directions as to exactly where we are meeting, let me know. And of course, please bring some edible contributions for the “feast”!

I will probably be sending out another email and posting more on the website a bit nearer the time with any other specific requirements… I’ll just see how it goes!

In the meantime, enjoy this glorious weather and your harvest!

Blessings of endings and completion to you all!

This Beltaine saw 30 people descending on Nebo. We arrived at Lunch time, and started the day’s activities by making a labyrinth – each of us had brought a kilo of cooked rise. After our creation took shape, we walked the labyrinth, accompanied by some very enthusiastic drumming – with the aim of tying a ribbon onto a pole in the middle. Then being lead out by the next person coming into the labyrinth – a lovely act of balance, and a very powerful thing!

Beltaine Labyrinth

After this the group was divided into men and women, each group with a set of tasks to perform to lead into the main ritual.

The main part of the ritual consisted of us coming back from our separate preparations and starting the main part of the ritual. The quarters were opened and Caryl lead us into the spirit of the day. The pattern being that men were on the outer ring of the circle, the ladies on the inner ring. The men then went outside of this circle to perform their feats of masculine prowess and general noisiness. Upon returning the the circle, the ladies suddenly burst into angelic waves of singing and turned round and presented the menfolk with flowers – that was unexpected for us guys, and completely de-fused the outpouring of masculine action and stomping that had gone before! Then one of the other activities was that we each came forward to the May King and May Queen (who each had their parts of the ritual to read also) and be presented with a pebble from a basket – presented by the May King to the ladies and the May Queen to the menfolk. This was followed by more readings and the circle being closed.

We then went inside to dry out and enjoy a lovely feast that everyone had contributed to.

Then Caryl lead us through a mummer’s play for the time of beltaine with some very colourful characters indeed; the winter dragon, pan, jack the green, st george -a very diverse collection. All acted out with masterful drama and superb props… despite hardly being able to move as we were all crammed into Caryl’s kitchen at this point!

After this came a little more food, and a little wine also. Singing and generally having a good time. Then as dusk approached, we went outside to light the Beltaine fires that the men had built previously. Those who felt adventurous jumped over the fires of course! More singing followed and then the evening started to wind down with people chatting, discussing and generally coming together as a community after a great celebration – a magic way to end a lovely day!

Beltaine Fires

Happy Beltaine to all/Calan Mai Hapus i Bawb!!!

Videos of some of the day’s events are available here: http://druidicdawn.org/node/1971 – membership of Druidic Dawn is required as these aren’t really public.

We gathered for noon and opened the ritual at Christine’s Tree. It was still sunny then! As I stood leaning against the craggy bark, it came to me that the tree is always there for us… doesn’t matter when we come, or how we are feeling, it stands firm, offering us shelter, protection, wood and essence, wisdom and strength. I came away in awe and admiration…. praying that I can grow to be more like the tree… steadfast, dependable…. always there for my friends…. indeed, for anyone who wants/needs me. It was a remarkably humbling experience.

Christine had made some absolutely delicious vegetable soup for lunch, and while we ate, we discussed the various ideas that we had all brought to contribute to the ritual. It never ceases to amaze me that people find such an infinate variety of ways to express and celebrate the same topic or theme. And this Equinox was certaily no exception! Rather than try to orchestrate a “ritual”, we decided to write down all the various activities on pieces of paper, put them all together in a bowl, and select one at a time. Because it was by now so very wet, and because most of the activities could not have been performed in the rain, even if we had been willing to do so, we stayed inside. Christine and Merfyn are in the process of transforming their large “back room” into a very comfortable living space, with lots of room for all manner of ritual activities, and, perhaps best of all, a large wood-burning stove that throws off a glorious amount of heat!!!

Our activities were numerous and varied, starting with egg painting and decorating… some to keep and take home…. others of the hard-boiled variety to “roll” outside later. Alison led us in some dancing, working through the life-cycle of a seed, from plant to flowering, seed-forming and back to “death” and rebirth as another plant… and Merfyn’s “bee” was possitively hysterical!!!  (This was relatively simple but remarkably profound!)  We also brought the whole idea of “balance” into our lives as Holger encouraged us to each attempt to find our balance on a small seasaw, reflecting the equinoxs’ focus of balance between equal light and darkness (and a lot of other things besides, if one thinks about it!) Christine led us all in some mirror gazing, which was deeply and surprisingly revealing as we keenly observed our own faces and the hidden secrets deep within our own eyes…. incredibly moving! Holger helped us to re-enact the old welsh custom of the maid servant returning her wax candle to her mistress and being given a wooden replica in it’s place. This portrays the time when the household could rise and go to bed by daylight, without the need for lighting a candle, etc.. Dafydd brought the wherewithall to plant seeds (in this case, Earthwalker sunflowers)  Merfyn did actually write “wine and cake” twice on the papers that went into the bowl, but he was foiled as they were the last two papers to be drawn out anyway! Ah! ha! But we did enjoy Carraway Seed Cake and Gorse Wine before playing a game around the fire (which Merfyn introduced us to) and which involved a lot of winking!

Later, we walked back to Christine’s Tree. ( Having a wild episode of rolling our decorated boiled eggs down one of Christine’s very steep slopes on the way! This tradition in Christianity symbolises the rolling away of the stone from the mouth of Christs’ tomb after His death at Easter, but actually belongs to much older beliefs and represents the turning wheel of the year) In the gently pattering rain and the failing light, we all closed the ritual together, and returned through the dripping shadows to the warm and inviting cottage where we thoroughly enjoyed an excellent feast of food!

It was a hugely enjoyable day for all of us, and the whole concept of bringing activities and democratically sharing the execution and organisation of the whole day worked really well! It is certainly an approach that I shall repeat in the future!