Imbolc Blessings!

Yesterday, I performed a simple Imbolc ritual.  (Imbolc is Feb. 1 or 2, depending on who you ask).  There were three of us in attendance–my husband, the leader from the Unitarian Universalist church I attend, and myself.

Here is a picture of the altar:

The candles in the bowl have special significance.  On four of them are written the name of a Hearth Goddess:  Brighid, Vesta, Hestia, and Frigga.  The other four are blank to represent the myriad Deities of Winter.  On the left side are offerings–milk for the Winter Lords and Ladies and cinnamon for the Ladies of the Hearth.  The black bowl was where the offerings went during the ritual (then they went outside after the ritual).  A Brighid’s cross made out of paper is in the center front.  On the right hand side are my bag of runes to take an Omen about the ritual’s effects, a cone of Air incense in an incense holder to represent the coming Spring, and a box of matches.  The small bag on the left towards the back contains a Moon circlet that I wore during the ritual.

I began the ritual with words that emphasized the Earth Mother’s death.  I acknowledged the Ladies of the Hearth who keep us alive and the Deities of Winter who renew Earth Mother and allow us time in solitude.  I then created sacred space with these words:

Weavers of Time, Keepers of Fate, we ask you to make this time in this place sacred!  Allow our rite to be performed in a time outside of time, in a place outside of place.

The incense was lit to help create sacred space.  Then I called the Ladies of the Hearth and lit the four Hearth Goddess candles.  Next we called the Deities of Winter and lit their candles.

For the offerings, I caught a stick of cinnamon in the flame of a Hearth Goddess candle then put it in the offering bowl with words of thanks.  I poured the milk into the offering bowl with words of thanks to the Deities of Winter.

The next step was the Omen, where I asked what blessings the Gods had to offer us.  I drew Thurisaz, Thor’s rune, a rune of strength and offensive protection, Dagaz, a rune of the new day and hope, and Mannaz, a rune of the self or humanity.  I feel that Thurisaz tells us to be strong to face the rest of winter until the hope of Dagaz and Spring arrives.  Mannaz perhaps is a reminder to be kind to our fellow humans and to remember that we are not invincible.

We said goodbye to all the Deities, returned to ordinary time, and wrapped up the ritual with these words:

On this day, when Spring is near and the Earth Mother is dead, we have honored those who ensure life and reflection in solitude.  We pledge to always remember to reflect on our lives to prepare for Spring.  Blessed be.

Notice there are no quarter or elemental calls.  This is a generic Pagan ritual meant to be meaningful to everyone regardless of tradition or beliefs.  I personally felt that the rite was beautiful in its simplicity and accomplished what it set out to do.

Imbolc blessings, Rosemary

Solstice Eve Magic

I was fortunate to have been a reader for the Winter Solstice ritual hosted by the Unitarian Universalist church to which I belong.  Since I wasn’t able to make it to any of the rehearsals before the main dress rehearsal, I was simply assigned a part.  I ended up with a reading part that was the most relevant to me…that of bringing back the light.  Let me start at the beginning of the ritual.

After a short introduction and a song, a circle was cast with words from the Native American chief Black Elk and a song about circles (there were a lot of songs).  Then we began our descent into the darkness with Persephone.  The lights in the sanctuary had been shut off since the very beginning of the ritual.  The only lights were the quarter candles on the altar, the Sun candle on the altar, and some candles around the room for extra illumination.  This gave the ritual a very magical feel.  After Persephone’s tale was told, and her mother Demeter is explained to be bringing back the light, we brought the light back ourselves with song and candles.  We spread the light to the members of the audience and the lights in the sanctuary gradually came on.  The ritual ended with a circle dismissal and song.

Here are the words I spoke to bring back the light:

It was the longest night.

People gathered from near and far,

in small groups and large,

to share their fears and their grief

and the darkness in their hearts.

A year like no other, this was,

Testing us beyond what we’d ever imagined.

Day after day, week after week,

we found ourselves growing

and becoming sturdy

because we had no other choice.

And the Solstice fire was lit and the candles passed

and the light of the new year’s dawning

lifted our heavy hearts

and brought us brightness and hope.

These words are really relevant to me because not only am I more attuned with the Sun than the Moon, I have experienced a difficult year with the passing of my aunt and the failing health of my grandmother.  The year has definitely tested me, but I have had no choice but to grow stronger.  The rebirth of the Sun definitely gives me hope.

The altar was in the center of the room, with a Sun candle at its highest point and quarter candles below that.  There were additional altar candles lit when the time was come to bring back the light.  The altar was decorated with white paper stars, silver ball and star ornaments, white and silver beads, evergreen boughs, black and white fabric, and more.  It was beautiful.  There was even a decorated Yule log on a table off to the side.  Participants in the ritual (choir and readers) were allowed to each take a star home as a souvenir of the ritual and to provide blessings in each of our homes.  Mine is currently on my Yule/Christmas tree near the top.

It is hard to do justice to this ritual in words.  It was something that should have been experienced directly.  I was almost moved to tears a couple times during the spreading of the light because I was simply so full of joy and hope that my beloved Lady Sunna (the Norse Sun Goddess) was being reborn.  It is also interesting to note that I had trouble sleeping once I arrived home. I was up pretty early this morning for a weekend.  Of course, this may have been due to the iced tea I had before bed.  Perhaps a combination of both.

I was complimented multiple times after the conclusion of the ritual on my performance.  Even though I was (and still am) sick with a cold, I didn’t cough once during my lines and even sang along (with some strain) when appropriate.  My voice was a bit hoarse, but no one seemed to mind.  These compliments made me feel really good inside.

I am so glad I was able to participate in the Winter Solstice ritual.  It was a wonderful experience.  It sounds like it will be performed again next year.  I’m thinking about participating in the choir, but my transportation situation might make it difficult to get to rehearsal.

May each of you be blessed with peace, prosperity, health, and wisdom in the new year.  May we each kindle the rebirth of the Sun in our hearts as we watch the rebirth of the Sun in the sky.

Blessings, Rosemary

A Magical Samhain

I had asked the UU young adult group of which I am a part if they were interested in attending a Samhain rite at our house.  My husband and I only got one response, but I was so thrilled to even have one guest.  My husband and I started getting the fire going and setting up the ritual space in the garage (it was cold and snowing a bit) about an hour before the ritual was due to start.  The altar was set up, excluding any ancestral mementos or seasonal fruits that our guest might bring.  Once our guest arrived, we showed him to the ritual space, where he placed two apples on the altar.  It’s interesting that he brought apples, since in many traditions, they are considered a food of the dead.

Here’s a picture of the altar before we turned the lights off in the garage:

Our 2014 Samhain altar. Photo taken by Rosemary.

In the bowl is incense that I had made the day before.  On the plate is a soul cake, which we used as offerings to the dead.  Our guest wasn’t Pagan, so he asked a few questions about the altar and the ritual structure, which I was happy to answer.  I lit the altar candles and asked my husband to shut off the lights.  It was a very magical space.

The ritual began with a simple introduction and statement of purpose (what the ritual was for).  My husband read the Ancestor parts, while I read the rest.  We threw incense into the fire when we called the Ancestors and the Gods and Goddesses of Death.  The bottle of seasonal pumpkin Blue Moon beer you can see on the right side of the photo was offered to the Ancestors in general to honor them.  Our guest said a few words about his grandmother to honor her, and I made an offering to my aunt who had passed away only a few weeks before.  We also honored the Deities of Death with an offering of Yukon Jack whiskey, which is across from the beer in the back of the photo.

I took an omen, asking the Ancestors and Lords and Ladies of Death what wisdom they offered us.  The runes pulled were Thurisaz (the rune of Thor and strength), Kenaz (fires of transformation), and Ingwaz (There it is again!  This is a rune of Freyr, inner growth, and fertility).  We said farewell to the Ancestors and to the Deities and ended the ritual.  I feel like it went really well, especially for it being our first hosted ritual.  I was very pleased when our guest said that it seemed magical to watch the sparks fly from the incense tossed into the fire.  Personally, I didn’t feel any special energy, but I felt it was peaceful and worthwhile.  An interesting note:  I noticed the weather had calmed during the ritual, but when we all went inside afterwards, snow started to fall and the wind started to howl.

I hope you all had a blessed Samhain!

Blessings, Rosemary

Imbolc Ritual

I performed my Imbolc ritual today.  It was a Wiccan-style ritual, meaning I called the quarters/elements, called the God and Goddess, and cast a circle.  I also called Brighid, Goddess of the Hearth and Forge.  I made a milk offering to Brighid.  I also included Cakes and Ale in my ritual (but in the form of Bread and Milk) as a grounding technique, and to give thanks to the God and Goddess.  I offered God and Goddess some milk from my cup and a slice of bread torn into pieces.  Overall I felt the rite went pretty well.  I could somewhat feel the circle being cast, but I definitely need to practice my circle casting.  I had trouble feeling it being taken down.  I had forgotten my oracle deck at one point, so I cut a “door” in the circle, grabbed the deck, and closed it back up.

Something else I want to note is that I can no longer use incense or burning candles since I have had too many mishaps (and I still live in my parents’ house).  Yesterday, my husband made a white sage and lavender infusion for me to spray around the area before ritual instead of smudging.  I also bought some flameless candles at the dollar store, and used those for Fire, God, Goddess, and Brighid.  I also used a bell to represent Air instead of incense, and rang it when I called that element.

Here is my altar currently:

Photo taken by Victoria Laughlin-Casares, 2014.

The candle was “lit” during ritual to represent Brighid.  I left it lit after ritual so that both the Brighid’s Cross I made and the blanket I’m currently knitting for my parents would be blessed.  I also left my oracle draw out as a way of reflecting on their meaning.  I drew them in order from top to bottom.

The cards are:

Winter Solstice–Reflection.  Now is the time to reflect on needs, goals, and past achievements.  This prepares us to realize our goals in the spring and summer, times of abundance.

Island–Solitude.  The reflection in the previous card should be done in solitude, giving me time to fully realize what I need.  Also time spent alone is valuable in general, since it allows us to recuperate and regenerate ourselves.

Autumnal Equinox–Release.  I need to learn to release the past (something I am still working on) to prepare me for the abundance of blessings of the Spring Equinox, the next Sabbat.

I think these cards are an accurate picture of where I am in life right now and how I should prepare for the next Sabbat.

Imbolc blessings, Rosemary

So what?

A lot of Pagan paths–Wiccan, Druid, and others–think you need to “practice”spirituality every day (or at least daily is preferred). I tried to meditate or do devotionals daily. I simply couldn’t. I can’t stick to a regular schedule. I barely manage weekly (I miss some weeks).

So what if you can’t meditate or have some other formal practice daily? If you’re truly a “spiritual”person, you’ll find beauty and meaning in the everyday. You’ll notice the abandoned lots along the interstate highway full of trees and wild plants. You’ll notice the flight of birds overhead. I manage ritual maybe once a week, but sometimes I don’t. However I have spiritual moments every single day. I’ll write a ritual script, or simply see the beauty in the falling snow. I don’t need to separate myself from the world in meditation and/or ritual to find Spirit. I simply need to look around me in awe and wonder.

Blessings,
Rosemary