Sacred Rite, a delve into the first outdoor circle I cast many moons ago!

 Sacred Rite

Dead of darkest Night in silent Wood,

Heeding the calling that stirs in my blood!

Sacred space swept, circle cast clear,

Soon we start, soon You will be here!

Heart and Intent aligned as One,

Now this Rite truly has Begun!

With Badger, Owl, Fox and Hare,

This Sacred night we do now share!

Calling Dark Mother to claim mine by Right!

As Daughter of Moon and Child of the Night!

Horned One approaches, feel him near!

God and Goddess, You are Here!

Calling You Forth with all of my Might,

Witch, Lord and Lady joined on this Night!

Connection shared with all around,

Honouring You on this Sacred Ground!

Listen hard, hear wind in the trees,

Owl's hoot, wonder what She sees?

Movement seen from corner of eye,

What is it now that we do spy?

Distant Voices half heard in Mist,

You know what I mean, You get the gist!

Working together past and future are seen,

With sight sharply clear and oh so keen!

Deeper workings now to do,

Intent aligned, us and You!

Yet all too soon tis time to end,

Energy sent, others to mend!

Libations given, circle released,

This Rite has now totally Ceased!

Clear the area before we Go,

What has occured here, none will know!

Suzanne Read 10th November 2010

Greetings once more Seeker, welcome and thanks for returning!

I'm conscious that I seem to have been focussing the blog on ecological issues recently, with 2 of the last 3 posts being about our wish to live a more ecologically sound livestyle and animal rights, so todays poem and post are a return to more spiritual matters.

I found myself driving to work this morning with numerous rhymes firing around my head, a vision of a Rite in darkened woods late at night (somewhere we've been so many times, somewhere that calls to your soul), it felt as if I was being 'told' to write about past experiences and those yet to come, as if I was being called to try and share the heightened awareness, that deep connection and the tingle of excitement that comes from holding a Rite in the woods at night!

I recall the first time we were asked to carry out a Rite in the woods at night, this was the first Circle Casting done with the given techniques whilst training with a Family Group, previously we'd done our own Rites in our own Sacred Space (a loft conversion in the old house, that we'd decorated and made special by our focus and the energy we shared in making it) and out of doors in daylight, but being told we had to go out at night, alone into the woods to cast a circle (and just experience the feeling of being there, all alone in the night) was something that caused a little concern, how would we feel, were we to be safe, and what sort of connection would we be able to find!

I shall share here some of what ocurred, written at the time as a part of the reports I had to complete for the Families training, which was back almost 10 years ago, I hope it is of some interest and use to you!

"Dark Moon, and finally I felt ready to go out and do my first circle, after having not felt the time was quite right for the past two weeks I finally found it right to go on the Dark Moon, surely not a coincidence? The night was cold, low cloud, windy at the house when we left and not as dark as we’d have liked (due to all the light pollution from Manchester and the works the other side of the Canal). We both wrapped up warm, packed a few bits n pieces in my rucksack and at 930pm headed off to the park that borders the Ship Canal, deciding once we had got there to use two separate bits of the ‘Beach’ area, Lee in the lee, myself on the headland. When I got up there it was to notice just off the corner of the beach a wonderfully sheltered spot underneath a tree. I made my way down to it to find the tree was directly to north at the edge of my circle area, and the canal to West, again right at the edge of my Circle area, perfect correspondances and representations in themselves! The woods felt peaceful, purposeful and more ‘alive’ at night than they did during the day, though whether this was due to my own senses being heightened by the darkness or something else I am not as yet sure!

There was a branch of the tree descending right to the left (west) of the center of my circle, which made a handy place to put my rucksack and supplies whilst I set everything up. I started by sweeping the area free deosil of any impurities, visualising it cleaning the area, (as although it was out of doors and therefore I felt shouldn’t need cleansing it was obviously an area that kids had played in recently). I then placed my crystal ball to north, just in front of the tree, my feather and incense to the East, the lit lantern to the South, and my chalice to West. In the center were myself, my wand (found late last week, it was a small branch I took from a tree Lee showed me, that I took to try and identify the tree, which was Hawthorn, and measured surprisingly (though maybe I shouldn’t be surprised at anything coincidental anymore! Lol!) exactly an Elle! and a small cake to share later.

I relaxed and spent some time just getting in touch with the surroundings, then taking my spare water I marked the boundary of the circle I was casting. I stood relaxed for a moment or two, and asked the Mother and Dark Father to witness my rite. I was relaxed, aware of every movement around me, the tree’s creaking gently in the wind, and felt somewhat connected to my surroundings.

I started at North, and with my wand traced the outline of my circle widdershins, chanting the Chalm of Making (Druidic, spoken in Welsh / Gaelic and has a rhyme that builds power for myself ‘Amal Nathras, Uthas Bethod, Dochyell Gyenveh’ – ok, I know it’s a bit theatrical, but it seemed to work for me!) I walked the circle edge chanting stronger with each repetition, a total of three times around, as this is what felt comfortable to me.

Next I stood facing North, and invited the Elementals, ‘To those who reside in the North, come forth and witness my Rite, lend me your presence and power’, backing this up with the suggested visualisation, and seeing the tree above and to the North of me in it’s stark beauty. I felt the cold and sure ground beneath me, and a sense of timeless ageless surety, firm, grounding, relentless, stability.

Then I moved to West, and invited the Elementals, ‘To those who reside in the West, come forth and witness my Rite, lend me your presence and power’, again visualising as suggested, and looking to the dark and still waters of the canal to my West. I felt fluidity, emotions coursing through me, a sense of being able to flow and change shape as required by experience and situation.

Next South, ‘To those who reside in the South, come forth and witness my Rite, lend me your presence and power’, Visualising the Sun as I stood facing that way, and conscious of the flickering candle light. I felt warmth, the feeling of protection one gets when in a Father’s arms, the warm glow of friendship and also more, the passion of uncontrollable lust, the heat of the furnace.

Finally East, ‘To those who reside in the East, come forth and witness my Rite, lend me your presence and power’, visualising the wind on my face as I looked to the East, which although it was a windy night wasn’t noticeable inside my circle! I could hear the trees being moved by the wind, creaking and branches squeaking as they rubbed together, but it was not something I could physically feel within the circle itself! I felt a cool moist breeze, the sense of a crisp morning in the mountains, inspiration and intuition, but also ordered thoughts, logic.

Then I stood in the center of my circle, eyes shut and visualised the circle coming above and around me, and my heart glowing as the diamond at it’s center, this felt true and good, as though it was more than any other circle I had done before!

After this I sat for a while on the tree branch, facing East, closed my eyes and meditated, in my eyes at first I could see purple / blue spots, but then I became aware of flickering to my right, and began to sense more of my surroundings, it was as though I could ‘see’ with my eyes shut! I stayed there for a few minutes, and then heard the metal gate at the edge of the woods bang violently, so opened my eyes and looked that way for a few minutes. It was soon after this I saw a light shine upon the grass, it appeared to come from the headland to my North, and was shining downwards onto the grass, though on telling Lee of this he says he didn’t hear the gate bang at all, and that he shone his light in the direction I saw the flash, though as he was below me and the land after rising up to a lip from where he was then fell away towards me, I am pretty sure the light source wasn’t him, as it would have had to shine through solid ground or be reflected 180 degrees for it to appear as I saw it! After I was fairly certain that I was still alone I sat on the floor in the middle of the circle, facing West, and closed my eyes to meditate once more. This time I seemed to float off somewhere else, time seemed to stand still and I have no visual clues to where I was, except it felt different, fuzzy, confusing and almost misty. When I opened my eyes and looked to the South (my left) it was to see mist surrounding the tops of the trees, and seemingly thick in between the branches, but to the West, North and East there was no hint of mist at all! It was almost a shock, it certainly surprised me, and Lee agreed it was strange too! Later when we left I noticed there was no mist anywhere else but around these trees.

After this I blessed the cake and water, ate a little and left an offering to the Old Ones, thanked the Guardians for their presence, ‘To those who reside in the East / South / West / North, stay if you will, depart if you must, thankyou for your protection this dark night’. I then took my wand and walked the Circle boundary deosil, saying ‘This circle is open, but unbroken!’

After this we both met up again, and walked home. Reflecting on the whole experience, it was more powerful and had more connection than I have felt before, and there were some parts that certainly made me feel and think more than I had before. Negatives, well, the area we were in was a little too bright for my liking, we are going to have to look further afield to find somewhere darker, and I think more preparation would be certainly useful next time!

In total we were out for 2 hours, it was 1130pm when we got home, yet it had felt like no more than a few minutes since we had left, time I know runs differently within Circle, and this night was certainly no exception! It was cold out, but neither of us felt it, both being extremely warm when we got home!"

Re-reading it again now it surprises me at how far I have come on from this point, the dark woods at night now hold no fear for me, be they familiar ones I am working or unfamiliar ones that I do not yet know, the connection I now feel has no need of Tools, nor for complex Rites, everything has been pared back to the absolute minimum I need, nothing within and without the circle tend to surprise me any longer, its not that I have become jaded, but more I can feel my connection and know when I am safe!

I may well choose in the future to share some of the other writing from some of the Rites we have done, possibly the first Full Moon Rite we did with that Family, although certain of the Family Rites that we attended I cannot post about, they are 'sub rosa', oathbound and cannot be discussed except with those that were present and only then if we are alone!

I hope you found the poem inspiring, and the writing of some interest! Return soon for more of my musings and some more poor attempts at poetry!
Dark Dreams
Suzanne

Bonfire Night?

 Remember, remember

The Fifth of November,

The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,

I know of no reason

Why the Gunpowder Treason

Should ever be forgot.

Welcome once again Seeker to my rambling writings! Yesterday was Bonfire Night in the Uk, aka Guy Fawkes Night, an alleged celebration of the failed Gunpowder Treason Plot, which now we celebrate with fireworks and by burning an effigy of one of the conspirators, Guy Fawkes. Hmm, lets see, lots of folks at the end of the Old Celtic Year gathering around bonefires, eating together, having a drink or two and burning effigies? Sounds a bit Pagan to me! Lol!

Now Samhain has come and gone,

And the New Year has begun,

Time to light the Sacred Fire,

Burn the Old upon the Pyre!

As Im sure most Pagans will agree, the Lore that we possess points to Samhain being a time of year that was often celebrated with fires, feasts and drinking aswell as the more sombre aspects of honouring our Beloved Dead, yet with the advent of christianity and the subsumation of Samhain into the christian calendar as All Hallows Eve (Halloween), the older celebrations seem to have stayed with us in slightly altered forms! Trick or Treating, dressing up in costumes, bonfire night, burning an effigy, all these have possible roots in the older Pagan traditions, whether accademia acknowledge it or not!

Hence the fact that although Bonfire Night itself is not Pagan in nature, the forms that are followed do smack of Pagan Rites to me, so I will always take the chance to mark an occassion such as this with a bonfire, good food to eat and time spent with friends out of doors, hence the reason that most of yesterday was spent at the allotment, building the bonfire and the wood pile ready for tonight's festivities! Others there may think they are only there to have a good time, but to me they are inadvertantly honouring the Old Ones with their burning effigies, fireworks and food and drink! Many thanks to all you unsuspecting folks who do not follow the Old Ones, you're actions are seen and heard by those to whom it matters, and of course gratefully appreciated!

For ourselves yesterday we spent time fetching and carrying the trimmings and debris of a years work at the allotments to the communal bonfire spot, building the bonfire and enjoying the companionship of the other plotholders who turned up to help (its always the same few who will put themselves out to do so, have you ever noticed that?) For myself as I was fetching and carrying I was doing a walking meditation, communing with the spirits of the place and talking to the Old Ones, with several Damh the Bard songs running through my mind as I went. My words seemed to fit the melodies and come in rhyme, something I frequently find possible when in the right frame of mind, for Lee he was 'symbolically sweeping the plot clear' cleansing it with a large besom (dragging large branches from the trees along the ground), so it seems each of us in our own private way found something within the mundane to link us to our Crooked Paths!

Once the fire was built it was time to come home and prepare for the evenings 'fun', or is that the Nights Rite? Its become something of a tradtion for me to prepare a Pumpkin Chilli at either Samhain or Bonfire Night, and take it along to either a Rite (at Samhain) or to the Bonfire / BBQ party, and this year was no exception! As we were away in Glastonbury for Samhain it was obviously to be made for Bonfire Night this year, so a large bacth of Pumpkin and Apple Chilli was made, all from ingredients we'd grown, onions, pumpkins, apples, cabbage, chillies, peppers, tomatoes, carrots, beans, garlic, celery seeds and bay leaves all organically grown by ourselves and turned through some culinary magic into a large pan of Sweet Pumpkin and Apple Chilli, transported carefully in a Slow Cooker to the allotment cabin along with a large rice cooker full of plain rice!

To drink we took a few bottles of our first couple of batches of homebrew, Elderflower Wine and Bored Bean wine, another plotholder inspired us to resume our brewing (we both did it a long time ago, but got out of the habit many years ago) after bringing some fabulous rhubarb rose wine to the August BBQ at the plot, we've already tried the Elderflower (its brilliant), but yesterday was our first taste of the Bored Bean Wine, a batch that was made and cleared in almost unbelievable time!

So, tunring up at the plot for 530pm, with the fire due to be lit at 6pm, we set up the BBQ, and waited to see who would turn up, not only other plotholders and their families, but also a few friends we'd invited along, as always! The weather forecast was for torrential rain from early afternoon until 10pm, which fortunately was wrong, the rain started at 2pm, but stopped (possibly with a little help ;) ) at 4pm, and the evening was dry, the wind abated and the temperature was mild. We lit the fire about 6pm, as lots of the plotholders arrived, bringing food and drink with them! The fire took fairly quickly, which was quite strange considering how wet the wood was after 3 days of heavy rain, and we soon had flames shooting over 25' into the air, with sparks flying much higher, above the trees on the plot!

Now, as you've probably guessed, although Bonfire Night is a non religious tradition, Lee and I had planned to weave in a little of the Older reasons for the celebrations at this time of year, so weaving in a little magic into an inpromptu Rite was just what we felt needed! Lee and I surreptitiously and individually walked around the fire a few times, I had a phrase from a Damh the Bard song going round my mind,

Lady spin your Circle bright,

Weave Your web of Dark and Light,

Earth, Air, Fire, Water,

Bind us now as One!

Our intent was to welcome in the New Year whilst saying goodbye to the old, making the Bonfire Party a bit more meaningful for us both. The energy present was relaxed, focussed on having a good time, so rather than attempt to interfere with it, we played our part, shielding our working from others intent and quietly spent a short time communing with the Old Ones for a few moments before bidding them stay and partake of the celebration, or go if they must. Nothing formal, nothing that anyone else could sense or see, but something with enough meaning to us both and to honour the Old Ones, the feeling we got was that it was welcomed, even amongst all the inadvertant attention that they were receiving.

After that it was time to eat, drink (cakes and ale perhaps?) and make merry! My Pumpkin and Apple Chilli went down a storm, everyone who tasted it loved it! The Elderflower wine was also praised by all who tried it, and the Bored Bean Wine tasted, its not bad, definitely drinkable, but highly alcoholic and needs some time to mature before it will reach its full potential!

Last years Bonfire BBQ was a fantastic success, loads of folks turned up and a great night was had, this years was also a great success, not quite as many folks, but plenty of good food, plenty to drink and a lovely chilled out atmosphere, a good time was had by all!

So, what better a way to usher in the New Celtic Year than with a celebratory Bonfire, a feast, a few drinks, good company and an impromptu Rite?

Today is a day we've been looking forwards to all week, having H, Andrew and Bear over for a meal and a chat about where our Paths are taking us and whether we will be forming / reforming a Working Group together. I've got food to cook (all homemade, Tomato soup followed by Turkey Rissotto - with leftover Pumpkin Chilli for those who want some - followed by Pumpkin Pie and Cheese n Biscuits, again with homebrew wine and cider to drink!) and we need to have a trip to a local homebrew shop for some more bottles, as we've about 11 gallons of wine and mead on the go that need sorting, some are ready for bottling, others merely need racking off, so a busy day awaits, with an interesting evening to look forwards to! I shall update the Blog tomorrow with my thoughts and what happened, on the last day of my hols before returning to work on Monday!

Thanks for reading Seeker, hope you're Bonfire Night was everything it was meant to be for you!

Dark Dreams
Suzanne

Shopping in Glastonbury, a few extra purchases, and the chance of a new Working Group!

Welcome back Seeker, I hope you are still enjoying the Tale of our trip to Glastonbury over the Samhain weekend! Previously we've covered the reasons for the blog's existance, our first impressions of Glastonbury, the hints and suggestions we've been given by the Lady (which we will heed, messages such as these are not to be ignored lightly), the synchronicity of meeting up with a former HPS and the Goddess Hall Samhain Rite, this brings us up to the Monday morning, the dawn of our last day at Glastonbury.

After a hearty breakfast (cereal and fruit juice plus a full english breakfast and toast) courtesy of our hosts at Hill View Farm BnB, we packed the MINI in glorious sunshine, (perhaps the weather was a sign that the Goddess was happy at the honour paid her the night before?) and set off back for our last visit to Glastonbury, calling first at Wilkins Farm for some of his famous Farmhouse Cider!

The Wilkins farm is located about half way between Hill View Farm and Glastonbury, down a dead end road, on the side of a hill, with fantastic views over the Somerset Levels. On arrival at the farm, at 1030am we parked up and went through into the Cider Barn.........

... To be greeted with the most wonderful cider apple smell, a warm smiling face and the choice of lots of these barrels of freshly made cider to taste! After being asked which we'd like to try, electing for the dry we were presented with a half pint mug each, and once that was finished were offered the chance to try all the other types aswell, all for free!! Now Im not one who normally drinks in a morning, nor do I drink and drive, so after the half pint I didnt try any more, and Lee was happy with the dry, so we bought a 5 litre container for ourselves, another for Pat and Colin (as a thankyou for looking after Bella - the dog - whilst we were away) and merrily continued on our way to Glastonbury!

Front of Lee's Top!

Back of Lee's top!

After arriving the first order of business was to go straight to the Goddess and Greenman, for Lee to get his Hoodie, a lovely mossy green thick hoodie, with a stag on the front and a greenman on the back, and lots of lovely celtic knotwork, not cheap but definitely gorgeous and worth every penny!

We'd already splurged on a few items, this lovely gargoyle incense holder..........

....... this gorgeous Stone Circle Oil Burner...........

..... this Maiden, Mother, Crone Chalice (a snip from Lilith), a new hemp bag and purse for me, a new hemp pouch for Lee, a Goddess Wheel (printed card that allows you to see the Goddess of each Sabbat at the time of the Sabbat, very nicely done artwork), some earrings for me, and a few books (you just cant not buy at least one book from a pagan bookshop, especially when faced with the choices in Glastonbury!)

Even though we had already spent enough, we decided to take a last walk around, we'd both been looking at the bronze Hare Statues all weekend, something just said that we needed at least 2 in the house (you cant just have just 1 hare, it would get lonely!), so after looking at the medium size in Goddess and GreenMan we went looking elsewhere, until we stumbled upon the same statues at a lot cheaper price in Man, Myth and Magick!

The ones we'd been looking at were by Harriet Grey, and this one was the first that spoke to us, she is Moondaisy, and of course there had to be a second hare to keep her company..........

........... Buttercup was the next one to catch our eye, and on seeing the prices we decided it was time for us to bring them home! The shop assistant was great, pointing out another Hare in the same range.........

.. whose name is Bluebell, we werent going to buy all three, but after asking whether there was a discount for the 3, and getting a very good deal, we decided to take them all! They are now nicely arranged at home in the lounge, and have already been complimented by several of our friends!

Ok, this post is a little less metaphysical and a lot more mundane, recounting the pagan shopping we did in Glastonbury, but as any Pagan who has the chance will tell you, its nice to be surrounded by lovely pagan orientated things in your home! Most folks who visit us here fall into one of 2 camps when they come into the lounge (with the attendant candles, 3 skulls, large Whicker Man framed drawing (by myself), greenmen, scrying mirror (handmade and given to me by a student I once had), oil burners, medieval type wooden furniture, dragons (lots of lovely dragonspell dragons) and 6 x 4' shelves of herbs in matching jars), they either feel totally at home, or are very nervous, 1 big butch black taxi driver who called once almost ran screaming from the house! lol!

Anyhows, I digress, on returning home to be greeted by a manically happy dog (Bella had missed us a bit) we gave Pat and Colin their cider and invited them for a meal on Tuesday night, then got online to invite H and Andrew and Bear along for a meal and a chat about putting together a new working group.

The four of us gelled so well when we first met and worked so well together as a part of the Circle of the Moon teaching Coven, that although we had to step away (as our focus was moving away from that of the CotM), we've always felt a good connection with them both, and with the message that H and ourselves were given whilst at Glastonbury, it seems now may be the time for us to talk about it and hopefully find a ways to move forwards!

I have a feeling that perhaps the new group will be less hierarchical, with us all on an even footing rather than having a HP / HPS, but that is something we will have to talk about on Saturday when they are coming for a meal! I have some ideas, and know they will too, so it will be a time of listening to one another, finding a way forwards and setting out some of what we'd like to acchieve.

Personally I know that Lee and I would want the group to be balanced, honouring both the Goddess and God, grounded and equally light and dark focussed, with shared responsibilities, perhaps if it happens we will then look to take in others, perhaps even to do some teaching between the four of us, but probably less formally rigid and hierarchical than most other groups, only time and intent will tell!

Today we will be busy at the allotment, preparing for the Bonfire and BBQ, then tomorrow we've some bottles to fetch and some homebrew to sort out, before we will be preparing the house and meal for H, Andrew and Bear's visit, so I'm not sure if I will get much of a chance to update the blog tomorrow, but I will post an update of what occurred at the meal on Saturday night sometime on Sunday! Wish us luck dear Seeker, hopefully this could be the start of something new and something worthwhile for the four of us!

Thanks for reading!
Dark Dreams
Suzanne

Goddess Hall Samhain Rite Samhain 2010 - a personal experience

Greetings once again Seeker, welcome back to the Tale and our recent journey along the Crooked Path.

As I left you yesterday we had just left H and her husband in Glastonbury, after deciding that we would journey together to the Goddess Hall for the Open Samhain Rite that evening, so we'll take up the Tale from that point!

We decided we'd go and eat (again at the Lamb Inn), then pop back to the BnB to get changed and ready for the Rite, now normally when we practice by ourselves we dont use many tools (my Stang and my knife are the only tool I usually dont work without, I know tools are only that, they are not required to allow the practitioner to be effective, but sometimes a tool or two can be helpful), sometimes we use our cauldron, usually we will use incense, occassionally we'll use a few other things, but generally we will work in a non formal manner, using whatever is to hand and speaking directly from the heart without any formal script (although we have used formal rites ourselves and with various groups that we've belonged to), and although we do have ritual robes we dont generally use them (unless at a group rite where it is neccessary), so finding ourselves facing the prospect of going to a formal open Samhain Rite, with no formal dress and without our stangs was something of a problem (especially if like me you suffer occassionally with a low self esteem and dont like to stand out too far from the crowd, for the wrong reason of course! I have no problem with being an individual, nor of standing out when its on my terms, you cant really mind when you are a 5'13" woman with a fairly busty and powerful figure, lol!)

I know the Lady wont mind how you are attired, nor how you look, She is more bothered about your intent and what is in your heart, but I have to say I did feel a bit self conscious about turning up to the Goddess Hall in jeans, trainers, a thin top and a thick wooly jumper, especially as there was to be many Pagans of the local community attending in their full ritual wear! But there was nothing for it, and although those of us not in ritual garb were the exception, there were a few of us, so we didnt stand out like the sore thumbs I had worried about! Lol!

We set off in plenty of time from the BnB, being treated on the way with an Owl flying alongside the car, a Fox crossing the road and pausing to watch us pass and a Hare cross the road, all within a half mile fo the BnB! Travelling along the main road past numerous small villages we saw pumpkin after pumpkin and a fair few kids out trick n treating, something we always like to see when we spend Samhain at home (we normally decorate the house and garden and have a huge pot ot sweeties to give out!)

We arrived at the Goddess Hall just after 7pm, spying H in the queue ahead of us, and being joined by Robin from the Goddess Temple who said hello, making us feel very welcome (Thanks My Lady for that kind thought!). Outside the Hall was a burning Cauldron and a pile of wood for us to add to the cauldron, to release that which we needed by adding to the fire, I cast 'pain' (sciatica, nerve damage, knee and ankle problems) and 'excuses' into the fire, then as the doors opened we all trooped inside, divesting coats and shoes in the entrance lobby before entering the Hall itself.

The hall is a new space for the Goddess Temple, used for Ritual, workshops and as a general meeting place when there are too many attendees to fit comfortably into the main Goddess Temple, it is in the process of being refurbished in some ways, but also in the process of being decorated to do the Goddess the same honour that She is given in the main Goddess Temple. Although the space is new, the decorations for Samhain were excellent, and some of the more permanent fixtures (such as the Goddess pictures for each fo the 8 Goddesses of the 8 directions / sabbats) were already well in place. The site although new had an interesting energy, one that already possessed power, and the space soon filled up as almost 200 assorted Pagans entered the room (the majority being women, although there were a few men present, something Lee was glad about, he connects strongly with both the Lady and Lord, but has issues with anything being too Goddess focussed, preferring things to be balanced, as normally do I)  finding seating (around the outside of the room for those who would find sitting on cushions a bit more problematic) or a cushion in the room. H joined the 2 of us, near the center of the room, and everyone settled down to chat until the Rite began, ostensibly at 730pm, but as more folks were still arriving, it was a bit later than that!

Whilst we were waiting I sensed that the Energy within the room was well out of balance and mentioned this to H, she pointed out the 9 Priestesses standing amongst us in a circle, (each at one of the 8 points of the circle corresponding to the Goddess pictures behind them. The Priestesses were garbed in black with a dark circlet of flowers upon their heads) H said just wait till the Rite starts, thats what the Priestesses are here for, to ensure the energy remains balanced!

Cerridwen and the Cauldron of Inspiration

Not long after this a gong was chimed and the room fell silent, an introduction to the Samhain Rite was made, warning folks of the intention to call down a part of the Goddess into everyone present, and that the Goddess we were going to be working with was a Dark Goddess, Cerridwen, but that Temple Priestesses would be on hand if anyone had any problems! Cerridwen is a Goddess we have worked with for the past 10 years, so not someone we are unfamiliar with (nor She us I hope), nor find usually unduly daunting, but for some of those present their expressions told otherwise! As the introduction was finished the Priestesses balanced the Energy within the room, it almost audibly and visually snapped into a perfect balance, held there by their focus, weaving all our separate energies onto the tapestry of the whole, 1 Priestess immediately to the front of us was holding it like this for most ofthe ceremony, even when the others were busy doing other things. To you, unknown Priestess I give thanks!

The program of events told us there would be a soundscape, Invocation of the Wheel, Poem, Guided journey to the Isle of the dead to meet up with our Beloved Dead, a chance to approach the Altar and light a candle for our departed witnessed by a Priestess, then once the soundscape ends (at a time when it naturally does so) a slow dance led by Katinka and then the closing of the circle and announcements.

The Morrighan, akin to Breagha, the Dark Goddess of Old who was known as Brigantia, Bride and the Morrighan

Next came a quiet time, with gentle soundscape, all the more moving for its dark focuss, centering our internal focus on the time of year, the place we were and the darker energies we would be working with. As this ended we were bid to stand, and the Priestesses called in the Goddesses, as we faced Brigit /Bride I tingled all over, and knew that one of my Patrons, Breagha, was coming forth from the amalgram of Goddesses that Bride / Brigit represents, with my eyes closed I saw a glowing elongated circle, made up of small figures, possibly of  all the women of the past weaving their circles together, overlapping one another to create a tableaux of sensory overload. The Ancestors were with us!

Upon having completed the Invocation we were bid to sit and the soundscape resumed, followed shortly by some breathing exercises and then the start of the Guided Journey to the Isle of the Dead.

The Tor surrounded by water, similar to my vision, but this is not as it was, it was beautifully dark, lit by countless stars in the sky, yet everything had that absolute clarity that can come on dreams, an almost hyper-reality

 The Journey started at night, on the shores of the lake surrounding the Isle of the Dead, for me personally it appeared to be the Tor itself, as it once was when surrounded by water, with a boat gliding towards us. The boat was described as possibly having fae lights, or perhaps a single lantern, possibly as couloured, but for both Lee and I it was a stark black and rough hewn craft, with a dragons head prow and rowed with multiple sets of oars silently towards us, for us both there were no lights, nor did their need to be, the starlight illuminated the scene clearly enough in the still dark of the night! The soundscape of rainsticks, gongs, bells, whispers of voice and silence added to the atmosphere, even the noises from some of those practitioners present were no distraction, more the whole became something much more than the sum of its parts!

On reaching the shore the Priestess in the boat gestured for us to enter, which I did, acknowledging her with a smile, a hand from heart open gesture and heartfelt bowing of the head as I spoke softly 'My Lady', to which she returned the gesture and honoured me with the same! The boat moved swiftly and silently, halfway across the mere the mists descended and the Priestess called down the Power to part them and reveal the Isle of the Dead.

On the shore was an Inn, with a wharf next to it, which the boat reached almost without effort, stepping from the boat it was to be greeted with the desolation of the place, it was cold and frosty, the Inn was dark and foreboding and above us through the trees was the darkly lit Tor itself!

Waiting on the wharf were some of my Beloved Dead, gamboling around were the 2 dogs, Lady and Willow, who passed over the rainbow bridge within a month of each other and whose presence can never be filled (although our rescuse GDxAlsatian, Belladonna does her best and is loved in her own right by us both), who both were happy to see me, much wagging of tails and licks of face. Beyond them were my StepGrandad Roy, who acknowledged me and left with a smile on his face, fading away to nothing more than a breath of mist, then Alison, a friend and fellow follower of Breagha, who smiled, greeted me and also left with a smile on her face, behind her were the Ancestors, reaching back up the hill, nameless and multitude of those who came before, but whispy and only half seen, and as they departed I was left thinking is that all there is, do I mean nothing more to anyone else, is my life so lacking in love and connection that those who came forth stayed but moments before fading into the mists?

Yet there was another figure, a small boy standing at the end of the wharf, who looked at me expectantly and said, 'Mother? Why havent you seen me for soo long?' I hugged him, holding him tight in my embrace, letting my love for my unborn and lost son flow out and enveloping him in my love. Tears were streaming as I experienced this, and again now as I write it, he was never born, was lost to me almost before I knew he existed, and never before has he come to me, never before has he had a face or any connection that I was aware of, yet here he was looking for me, without sanction or regret! Obviously something about the Rite or the trip to Glastonbury or the renewed connection with the Lady has brought down some barrier within me!

With such an emotional and intense experience going on I found myself called back to the boat and transported away from the Isle in a fairly short time, without being able to say much to my unborn son, I dont even know his name, but the Lady was wise in this, stopping me from becoming obsessed, yet giving me a reason to seek out the Isle again in the future, I know who will be amongst those waiting for me next time, until then I know the Mother and Alison will watch over him and he will be free to play with the dogs, Lady and Willow!

I returned to myself fairly quickly, certainly a lot quicker than most, and sat back to ponder and soak up the atmosphere, then again shut my eyes and communed with the Lady, going deep to find myself wrapped in Her Dark Embrace, wordlessly feeling the comfort and peace, knowing I am accepted for whom I am and what I am, that there need be no regret, life is for living, not for worrying about what could have been.

The guided journey / meditation and soundscape continued on for a long while after this, perhaps for me a little too long, but it was good just to sit their and soak in the atmosphere, looking round to see the Priestesses balancing the energies and that many folks were getting something more from the extended time. One mother brought her 2 young daughter to the Rite, both of who had gone to sleep during the guided journey and remained so for a long time after that part of the Rite ended, despite the sheer power and volume of what was to come next!

With a sounding of the Gong the guided vis was brought to a close, the Priestess officiating guided those still on the Isle back to reality, and following this most of  the Priestesses sang in beautiful harmony, yet one did not sing and retained her focuss on the energy, balancing it throughtout!

Next we were bid to stand, and a slow dance and song session started with 'Oh Dark Mother', 'Stone, Bone Crone' and another song, with the energy being raised and our movements increasing in both speed and vigour as we shook the lethargy from our bodies and raised our voices in Her name!

Normally I am quite reserved when it comes to dance, I find it difficult to let go, being too self conscious, but in that place and atmosphere I danced and sang my heart out, even though all this was going on, the children at the center of the room remained asleep, I wonder what dreams they had?

After this the energy was high in the room, and on closing the circle it was grounded in the Goddess Hall, helping to build the power structure on which the Temple is based.

A few announcements and time to leave, the long queue to exit as folks search for their shoes and coats in the massive pile and then out into the blessedly cool night air, a clear night with the stars shining brightly!

The Crone Goddess and the entrance to the Otherworld, where our Beloved Dead and Ancestors reside until their turn for rebirth as a spark from the Cauldron returns to Earth, born once more as Witch in Her name!

We said goodbye to H, after thanking her for being in the Rite with us, it was great to feel her staunch presence next to us, her solid energy there at our side, she had grown exponentially since we last worked together! All 3 of us mentioned the fact that it felt as if the time was right for us to be working again together, along with another friend, Bear, the former HP of the currently defunct Circle of the Moon teaching Coven to which we once belonged, so I said Id try and organise something of a get together in the very near future so we could discuss the possibilities!

After saying our goodbyes whilst walking back to the car Lee shared some of what he had experienced, being asked by the Goddess, 'Why are you here?' to which he replied to bring Sue, to get her a new bag and some earrings, to enjoy our wedding anniversary, to connect and feel the connection, and was told, 'No, why are YOU here in Glastonbury?' A metaphorical slap on the wrist followed as he was told to treat himself to the Stag / Greenman top he had seen, and a few steps further on as we neared the car park he spotted a £20 note on the floor, half the price of the top he had fallen in love with from the Goddess and Greenman shop! 'No excuses' came the reply! Guess we were going to have to return to Glastonbury on the Monday for some additional purchases!

All the stars of the Milky Way, like the fires of our ancestors, and a shooting star, a spark from the Cauldron, a Witch to be reborn!

We returned to the BnB, stopping outside to gaze at the starscape, the fires of the Ancestors decorating the sky, with the Milky Way easily being visible, something we dont see at home due to the light pollution from nearby Manchester. A shooting Star split the night, and the words of one of our former teachers came to mind, 'A spark from the Cauldron, A Witch to be reborn this night!'

I shall stop here for today Seeker, and recount the Tale of our final day in Glastonbury tomorrow, if I get the chance, we have a Bonfire / BBQ to prepare for at the allotment tomorrow, ostensibly a Guy Fawkes night celebration, where we bring along food from our harvests (Pumpkin Pie and Pumpkin Chilli are what we shall be taking, which we need to make today), but deeper down we all know its a Pot Luck to follow the Ancient Fire Rites that we now celebrate on a new date here in the uk, but that have their roots in a much older and darker practice!

Thanks for reading, for bearing with my tale, I hope you find it of use and will return once more to read as we move forwards on our Crooked Paths!

Dark Dreams
Suzanne

A Warm Welcome

Greetings Seeker, and a very warm welcome to my new Pagan orientated blog!

If you've arrived here, then you are probably wondering what this blog is all about, why has Suzanne started it, (especially if you are visiting from one of my existing blogs - DobbysPumpkinPatch - the allotment blog, or Dobbygraphs - my Photography blog) and whats it all about?

Well, the long and short of it is that after a weekend away to Avalon (Glastonbury) I got a metaphorical rap on the knuckles from the Lady, it seems that she considers that my practices have become secondary to my mundane life, that my creative spark (and the attendant meager talents that I posses) are not being properly utilised and that the time is nigh for all of that to change!

Lee at the Rollright Stones, during a Handfasting we performed for friends in 2005

When I first met Lee (my fellow companion on the Crooked Path, my soulmate, my lover and husband) 10 years ago (on Beltane) my Path was something that became an all consuming part of my life, generating our website (Silver Wolf's Lair - 65 pages, 160K words on all aspects of our practices) and the moderatorship of a large Witchraft online group and a lot of experiences as we learnt together along our Paths. Over time we found ourselves pulled in various different ways, walking a Crooked Path to gain our knowledge and experiencing many things to convert that knowledge to experience and wisdom. We've been members of various groups, practiced solitary and together and found some firm friends along the way, we've experienced the fallout from the break up of a group, have left another group when we found our Path to be taking us in another direction and then found others walking alongside with us!

Yet throughout we have always retained our sense of connection at some level or another, following our hearts and the call of the Mother to do what is needed when it has to be done! There have been times when we've taken a sabbatical, times when we have worked formally and others where its been more informal, and after our latest sabbatical it seems now is again the time for new beginnings, and as the Old Year now dies and the New Year starts with Samhain we find ourselves at a crossroads, with the call of the Lady being heard, the chance of working with 2 of our friends once more, but possibly this time in a newer way and a return to being more creative from myself (part of which is the formation of this blog, a place where I can come and muse, ponder my thoughts and feelings, share my insights and fears, post some of the poetry that I have felt compelled to write and share the occassional picture or photograph.)

So, I've said a lot there, without actually saying much at all, yet I'm sure any who read it will understand where we are, where we are coming from and thus be able to see how much the possibilities that are being put before us could mean, especially if they come to the fruition that I feel the Lady is demanding of us!

Anyhows, Ill sign off the first post here, and continue the story of how the blog was caused to be in my next post! Thanks for reading!

Dark Dreams

Suzanne