High Days; Req. 2 & 8
#2. Short essays on each of the eight ADF High Days including a discussion of the meaning of each feast. (125 words min. each)
#8 A brief account of each High Day ritual attended or performed by the Dedicant in a twelve month period. High Days attended/performed might be celebrated with a local grove, privately, or with another Neopagan group. At least 4 of the rituals attended/performed during the training period must be ADF-style. (100 words min. each)
Samhain:
The Feast of the dead. The new year of the Celts.
The harvest is over and stores are being put away for the long, dark months ahead. Those animals which will be able to survive the winter are led into the barns. Those creatures who will not make it are mercifully slaughtered. Their stored flesh will sustain the tribe for some time. Their life is dependant on the death of the animal.
In Germanic custom this is the time of year when the Wild Hunt begins its ride. The Hunt is made up of various spirits, depending on the mythology of the region. In some regions the Hunt is led by Frau Holda and made up of children who died before their time. Some Lore names Odhinn as the leader and the einherjar as the furious host.
For all of these reasons the minds of the folk turn to thoughts of death. Around us the green world had faded, a chill has set in. Our Ancestors knew that all life begins in darkness; a seed pushes out its first blind roots in the dark of the earth’s soil, animals begin life in the soft dark of the mother’s womb. It strikes me that the grave is just another kind of womb. Therefore as the mortal world died, I see this end as the mulch for a beginning.
Summary: In our Grove we usually honor Dagda as the king of the passing year. He is returned to the Fire and, as he is consumed by the flames, Angus MacOc is pulled from the Fire. The death of Dagda has spawned the King of the Young who will be present in every ritual until next Samhain when he too, as Dagda, will be taken by Fire.
This year, we did not observe that tradition, nor did we even address ourselves to Dagda, nor to Angus. Instead we turned our attention to Cailleach, and to Her alone. In Her honor we screamed. We screamed as loudly as we could. Our intent was to transcend our own fears and reservations about making such a loud noise, we made that effort as a gift to Cailleach and asked that in return She would help us come through the trials of Winter.
Yule
The celebration of the Solstice. Originally honored by the Norse, the practice spread. For our Northern brethren, winter is a time of almost utter darkness. Therefore, the time when the days stop shortening and begin to lengthen, is a time of great celebration. Life will return, light will return.
The Solstice is celebrated with candles and evergreens. The evergreens remind us that life is not entirely fled. Their green encourages us to hope; if the plants can live and sport such vibrant colors, then we too can survive the season. The candles remind us of the light of the Sun, which is growing in strength. Seasonal customs involve bringing an evergreen into the house, swearing oaths (either over a horn, on a boar, or with one foot elevated), and feasting with friends and family.
Of slightly more importance to many modern Heathens is Mothers’ Night. By this evening, all the household chores, particularly the spinning, must be completed. Mothers’ Night, which precedes Yule, is sacred to Frigg, and our Grove honors Her with blot at Yuletide.
As a matter of interest, at Yule in recent Swedish tradition, Freya rode through the sky in her chariot pulled by cats. Into the houses of those who had not lived honorably, she poured lice. Today, during the Swedish celebration of Luciadägen, girls of the house bake Lussenkatter for their family. This is translated by the Swedes as “Lucia Cats” or “Lice Cats” (the holiday has rather muddled origins, an Italian Saint, with 2 very different martyrdom stories honored on the Goddess’ day. Even the Swedes can’t give you a definite answer about this holiday).
Summary: Our Grove was invited by the local Unitarian Church to lead their Yule service. So, the area pagans and about 150 Unitarians met Sunday morning for ritual! It was impressive. The lighting of the candles was particularly moving. The Church's heat was not working that day so we relied on body heat and the candles to warm us. By the end, it was toasty! I found it a pleasant challenge to incorporate Unitarian hymn and bits of their service into ADF liturgy. The end result was a ceremony with familiar elements for the UU folk and fun new songs for the Pagans.
Oimelc/Imbolg: The celebration of the first lactation of the ewes.
Here in Virginia the sheep generally start lactating a few weeks into February, but we celebrate this High Day according to the neo-Pagan calendar around the standard 2nd of February. I’ve seen the name translated as “milk bag,” “butter bag,” and “first milk.” Rob Barton, in his Ogham essays, associated the holiday with the third few of the first group of Ogham; Fearn. One word Ogham refers to this few as “container of milk.” Lactation is the first proof of renewed life.
This is a holiday of acknowledging the renewal of life deep within the silent dark earth. As the year and the day begins in darkness in Celtic traditions, so too do seeds begin in the dark. The first stirrings in the soil are honored at Imbolg and the dried, dead remnants of Yule greens are discarded.
In modern Pagan practice, Imbolg is often seen as a time of women’s mysteries (this makes sense as lactation is pretty much a chick thing) and is held to be particularly sacred to Brigid. Brigid’s bed is made and She is brought to Her bower. We acknowledge Her many aspects and honor Her influence in our lives. Pieces of white cloth may be left outside in the belief that Brigid will touch and bless it as She passes by.
Summary: This ritual was performed for a group of folks, only a few of whom were Druid, though most were some flavor of Pagan. I don't often include Workings in my rituals, however, it seemed so very appropriate this time. The beeswax sheets we used were sprinkled with mead during the Return Flow. I instructed the participants to envision their hands sheathed in light, able to work their will in the manner of the Gods (since their blessings was flowing through us at the time). As we fashioned our candles, all was quiet in the room, absent was the chatter one would expect to accompany Pagan Craft Time. As the Beings were thanked, the mood had clearly shifted into one more focused and centered.
After ritual one lady approached me. She was a Correlian Wiccan and had expressed concern before ritual about the lack of circle-casting and general discomfort with the strange (to her) format. She expressed surprise at how effective a ritual structure we in ADF have and said she particularly was moved by the emphasis on the presence of Divine Blessing manifest within us after sharing the Waters.
Ostara
This feast comes to us from the Norse who had more formal observances of the equinoxes and solstices. The Spring equinox is one of the two times of the year that the light and dark halves of the day are in balance (thus the term EQUInox).
Ostara is named for an Anglo-Saxon fertility Goddess, Eostre, from whom we get such words as estrus and uterus. Thus, it is not surprising that it is a holiday associated, even today, with eggs. There is little to be found concerning this goddess and it has been suggested that perhaps the historian Tacitus simply combined several seasonal observances and local goddesses into one.
Our Northern Ancestors looked at the moon and saw, not a man in the moon, but a hare. This Moon Hare was, to them, a symbol of fertility (since bunnies pop out tons of babies at a time, one may surmise) and was therefore connected to Eostre and Her feast. Do we wonder why modern children look for eggs hidden by the Easter Bunny?
How this became the Christian holiday of Easter is covered in more books than I can list--as has been the “Christianization” of many holidays. This one has retained most of its original meaning, albeit in a different context. Even the date of the Christian celebration is dependent on the Equinox (Easter is the 1st Sunday after the full moon after the equinox). The major symbols survive as well as the celebration of life returned. Haggling over the name of that life; whether it comes from the Sun or the Son, seems futile-The Sun/Son has emerged from the dark of the womb of the Earth, let’s party!
Summary: I was particularly pleased with this ritual. First, it is a Celtic hearth ritual for the Spring Equinox, which ADF lacked (I believe the liturgy is currently on the website) and much of the poetry is taken from the Carmina Gaedelica. Second, it was a really powerful ritual. Though I don't often include workings, I am generally pleased with the results when I do. The consecration of a the nature Spirit garden was a powerful act. The Garden is still in use today and figures largely in our household religious traditions. Honoring our Pagan Ancestors and using the shedding honeysuckle vines can only be attributed to some supernatural inspiration. The vines with the skin sloughing off dovetailed with the metaphor of St. Patrick and the snakes and all swirled together into a powerful ritual moment.
Beltainne
Of old, our Ancestors distinguished between two halves of the the year, the summer half and the winter half (Grimm, chapter 24). The Walpugis or Beltane feast was held to celebrate the beginning of the Summer months. Sir James Frazer outlined many traditions associated with Beltane, predominant among them was the lighting of fires atop hills. Grimm also described processions of 'witches' to hilltops for their rites at this time of year. Throughout the resources about Beltane, fire is preeminent--and well is Beltane called a Fire Festival.
European traditions for this time of year also center on bringing a bit of the wild wood into the ordered social sphere. Many customs involve heading into the forest to find a tree, or greens, or flowers which are then brought into the town and shared with the populace by means of processions scattering greens, erecting a live tree (or tree with the semblance of life), adorning houses with greens, or trading greens for gifts (songs, money, food, etc). French and German customs include Walburga procession around towns meant to stave off winds and other destructive forces (Rose, 7).
Ian Corrigan, in his audio workshop Hob of the Wheel, describes Beltane as being a time when our Celtic Ancestors looked to protecting and preserving their luck. When one thinks critically about the time of year one begins to see why preservation of luck would be important. At the end of a winter food stores would necessarily be low. In temperate regions the weather is variable with wide extremes in temperature. The ground is wet with thaw and increased rains which would lead to rot and corruption. After a long confinement with all the health risk attendant to close human quarters, the folk's resistance to disease would be low. Outside duties in indifferent weather and a degraded food supply would inevitable increase illness and lead to death among the old and young who were much weakened by the winter. Naturally the folk would want to enlist every supernatural aid to their luck.
I myself feel the almost overwhelming desire to bring the blooming life from my yard into my house. Typically every vase in the house is in use.
Frazer tells us, quoting John Ramsay in The Golden Bough, that at this festival the hearth fires of the folk were extinguished and then re-lit from the central/common/ritual Fire. Thus all the folk of the land shared a common hearth. This idea, above other meanings of the feast, is one that resonates with me.
Bibliography
Frazer, James George. The Golden Bough. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1922.
Grimm, Jacob. Aaron Meyer trans. Teutonic Mythology. 2004. May 15, 2006. <http://www.northvegr.org/lore/grimmst/index.php>
Rose, Winifred Hodge. "Waelburga and the Rites of May." Idunna 71 (Spring 2007): 5-11.
Summary: Beltane, in the Grove of the Seven Hills, ADF is a time of joy. It is a reliably comfortable out-of-doors ritual. After confronting the vagaries of weather at Imbolg and the Spring Equinox, it is a pleasure to come into the warm Nemeton of Beltainne. This ritual stands out in my memory primarily because of the Return Flow. For whatever reason I wrote in the outline that we would sing Blood of the Ancients as we shared the Waters. I recall how discernably the energetic flow shifted. This is the point in ritual where one expects to feel the change of spiritual current, but in this ritual it was physically tangible.
Our Grove understanding of Aine is of an Earth Mother, rather inchoate and very connected to the primal waters and chaos of potential. In that role, she takes on a cthonic nature for us and is connected to the Ancestors. It is worth mentioning also that GOSH has a Samhain-Beltainne tradition of at Samhain we Call to Dagda, commit a symbolic poppet to the Fire, and pull from the ashes at the end of ritual a new poppet we then hail as Aongus MacOc; Son of Youth and Patron of the new year. At Beltainne we call to Aongus who “morphs” into Dagda. In this particular ritual both Patron deities were rather Ancestor-centered and my choice of Return song, I believe, tipped the balance in such a way that the participants all moved deeper into ritual trance and connected to the ritual in a more meaningful way. In the days following Beltainne, several grove members reported dream contact with Ancestors.
While Beltainne is not traditionally a time of Ancestor worship, as the counter-point to Samhain it follows that Ancestor work would be as equally appropriate. Our modern GOSH practice now centers a bit more on connecting with our land and the bones of the Mighty Dead within it (though we do have a phallic acorn-tipped branch we enjoy waving about)
Midsommar (Midsummer)
A Feast from our Norse Ancestors. Midsummer is celebrated on or around the day of the Solstice, the longest day of the year. In later years, after the conversion of the Scandinavian countries, the Solstice, observed on June 21, was dedicated to St. John the Baptist. Not surprisingly, many of the customs surrounding Midsummer (sometimes called Litha) are similar in tone to the traditions surrounding the Celtic Beltainne. These customs include lighting bonfires on hills and leaping over the flames to ensure luck. Swedes gather at the Majstång, a tall pole topped with birch branches and flowers, to sing and dance to the Små Grodorna, or The Little Frog's Song (Simmons).
According to Scandinavica, a monthly tourist magazine, "The celebration of the Summer solstice is a very ancient practice, dating back to pre-Christian times. Midsummer was originally a fertility festival with many customs and rituals associated with nature and with the hope for a good harvest in the Autumn." The celebration of Midsummer has survived, as have many of the pre-christian traditions, into modern times and it is a national holiday in both Finland (Juhannus) and Sweden (Midsommar).
In Denmark, Midsummer was the time when healing herbs were to be gathered and fires were lit to protect and bless sacred springs and wells (today bonfires on the beach are the norm). Of particular importance was the herb now know as St. John's Wort--it was credited with keeping evil spirits at bay. This reflects a general Scandinavian belief that spirits roamed the earth during the time of Midsummer. Whether this harkens to the Indo-European belief of liminal space and time being most conducive to supernatural events, or is merely a coincidental superstition, I am unsure; though I would err on the side of an Indo-European convention..
Frazer makes much of mistletoe in conjunction with Midsummer, and states that, "...the sacred mistletoe may have acquired a double portion of its mystic qualities at the solstice in June, and that accordingly (the Druids) may have regularly cut it with solemn ceremony on Midsummer Eve." (Frazer, 769) He goes on to discuss the Norse myth of Baldr ("Glorious One"). Baldr was slain with mistletoe by his blind brother, Hoth ("War"), at the urging of Loki (Hollander, p.36n.). Hence is mistletoe connected to Baldr and Frazer draws the line a step farther connecting Baldr to Midsummer.
Many modern heathens consider the tale of Baldr to be an allegory for the solstice. On this day Baldr stands at his most glorious--impervious in his glory. Nevertheless, his blind brother, living in literal darkness, hurls his dart at Baldr, inflicting the damage that no one else could inflict. Darkness triumphs over light when light is at its apex and the strength of the light will now wane.
In Slavic tradition light and darkness are represented by Bialybog "white-god" and Czarnebog "black-god." Many modern Slavic Pagans incorporate into ritual a battle between these brother gods at both the Summer and Winter Solstice. However, it seems likely that this is a version of the Neo-Pagan convention of the battle between the Oak and Holly Kings altered to fit into a Slavic framework.
According to A. W. Moore in his work, "The Folklore of the Isle of Man," Midsummer was the day on which tribute was given to Manannan and that even after the conversion to Christianity it was the custom to line the walk to the church with rushes. He states that bonfires were common and smoky torches of gorse were used to circle and bless livestock.
Bibliography:
Frazer, James A. The Golden Bough, Macmillan Publishing Company; New York, NY; 1950
Grimm, Jacob. Aaron Meyer trans. Teutonic Mythology. chpt. 11 supp. 2004. <http://www.northvegr.org/lore/grimmst/s01101.php>
Hollander, Lee M. trans. The Poetic Edda. 2nd ed. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1962.
"Midsummer in Scandinavia." Scandinavica.com; <http://www.scandinavica.com/culture/tradition/midsummer.htm>
Moore, Arthur W. The Folklore of the Isle of Man: Being an Account of Its Myths, Legends, Superstitions, Customs, & Proverbs, Collected from Many Sources, Adamant Media Corporation. 2005, original 1891 by Brown & Son; D. Nutt, London
.
Simmons, Carl. "Why Swedish Midsummer Rivals Christmas." Swedish Institute; June 2006.
Winter, Sarah Kate. "Slavic Myth and Religion." <http://www.winterscapes.com/slavic.htm>
Summary: G OSH's Midsummer ritual was performed at Rebec Vineyard's Summer Solstice Wine Festival, June 20 & 21, 2009. The Grove of the Seven Hills, ADF led the ritual at high noon on both days. We were surprised and very excited to be invited to lead a Druid rite at this very secular event and I believe it speaks highly of our efforts to let the public know who and what we are that the Vineyard would see a Druid rite as something beneficial to their event, and land. Our ritual focused on bringing health and abundance to the vines, so we especially asked Taranis to bring nourishing rain but spare the vineyards from the storms of summer.
Lughnassadh
Lughnassadh's date is arrived at a number of ways. Some maintain that the fest is held on August 1; others claim that August's full moon is the proper time of observance, and for others it is simply the half-way point between the Summer Solstice (Midsummer) and the Autumnal Equinox. Still other claim the celebration lasts a month, from the middle of July until the middle of August. It is a celebration of the first harvest, when the grain has ripened, the last hurrah before the toils of the harvest season are fully upon the folk. For Celts, it is the gathering of the God Lugh and a time for games of skill and strength, revelry, and tribe-building. The name translates as the gathering of Lugh, (nassadh = gathering, Lugh = light). The High Day is also called Lammas in some neo-Pagan circles, a derivation of the Anglo-Saxon words for Loaf Mass. Few of the ancient customs or beliefs surrounding Lughnassadh were recorded, so what little knowledge we have of the celebration has come to us preserved customs in a very few localities in Europe. According to some sources, the holiday commemorates the marriage games of Lugh. Still other sources assert that Lughnassadh is the funeral gathering held by Lugh for his foster mother, Tailtu (1).
Lughnassadh is the last of the four Celtic Fire Festivals in the year; Samhain, Imbolg, Beltainne being the other three with the cycle starting at Samhain. While it is referred to as a Fire Festival, the High Day deals more with the earth, crops, and rainfall than with fire. Agricultural in nature, bread and grains figure prominently in the imagery of Lughnassadh. One tradition, recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle of 921 CE, was to bless and distribute loaves of bread made from the first ripening wheat. In parts of Ireland survived the custom of harvesting the first potatoes around the first of August with some amount of ceremony.
Gatherings on hilltops featured feast, games of strength, horse races, bull-baiting, trial marriages that would last only until the next Lughnassadh and were known as Tailltean Marriages, and other rowdy behaviors as one might expect of a holiday that celebrates the transformation of grain by fire and fermentation.
Lugh Ildonach, master of all crafts, enters Tara and quickly proves his worth and value by accepting challenges from the Tuatha deDannan and besting Them each in Their area of sovereignty. Lugh inspires the Tuatha to great deeds and leads them to victory against the Fomorii. Lugh's name literally means light which is abundant in His season; promoting the well-being of the crops and creating a warm atmosphere for fairs, festivals, and gatherings.
1. Ellison, Robert Lee (Skip), The Solitary Druid: Walking the Path of Wisdom and Spirit, p.146
Bibliography
Ellison, Robert Lee (Skip), The Solitary Druid: Walking the Path of Wisdom and Spirit. 2005. Kensington Publishing Corp. NY, NY.
Summary: Lughnassadh was was the first performed by our Grove. I am not even sure if we were yet considered a protoGrove, but we were functioning as one. To date, I would rank it as the best ritual performed by the Grove of the Seven Hills (GOSH). Because of the rousing energy and the way the ritual drama draws everyone into the Lore of the day, we have repeated this ritual, with very little alteration, for every Lughnassadh since, (Obviously what is offered here is a skeleton of a more in-depth ritual).
The ritual drama of Lugh entering Tara is the best part of the ritual, in my opinion. It occurs after the invitation & initial offerings to Lugh are made and makes real His entrance into the Nemeton. In recent years we have accepted new grove members only at Lughnassadh and the part of Lugh is played by someone who will join the Grove. Thus, the drama accomplishes several things at once. It physically brings the DotO into ritual, it symbolically brings a new person into our grove, and re-affirms our group identity.
The challenge issued by Lugh to those assembled is based on the oaths Lugh extracted from the Tuatha before going into Battle with the Fomorii. Each of the Tuatha oathed an extraordinary feat based on their innate skill (ie: the cup-bearers oathed to hold back the waters from the Fomorii so they could not slake their thirst). The ritual participants are challenged to identify their own skills and find a way to turn them to the service of the Folk. Then the oaths of service, or tokens of skill are offered in Praise to Lugh (along with the ADF membership & renewal forms and monetary donations). It is a powerful ritual and I firmly believe it is in a large part responsible for our strong sense of tribe.
Mabon
This is the time of the Autumnal equinox and of the wine harvest. It is the first of two times in the year when the light and dark halves of the day are equal. The name Mabon is often associated with the son of Medb, the son of Sovereignty. Mabon is paralleled with Nerchias Finaill who married Boann, his aunt (although Boann is also named as a wife of Dagda…)
This is the time for Bacchanalias and revels as it is the height of the vine harvest. While Winter stores are put away, there is grain and fruit aplenty for feasting. Even today many Virginia wineries begin the grape harvest at the full moon nearest the equinox.
Mabon is considered a fortuitous time for initiation and coming of age ceremonies. One might say that as the fruit ripens, so too do the folk.
I associate the equinox, for obvious reasons, the 1st few of the 3rd aett of Ogham, Muin. When using tree associations for the Ogham, Muin is the vine. Despite the fact that 'vine' is likely a corrupted translation, it was the first one I read and tends to be my default. It is a few of strength and desire. In studying primitive skills we learn that the vine is invaluable as cordage material. Without the vine, structures could not built, baskets not woven, pottery not compressed and textured. Civilization, in its most basic form, relies on the ripening vine.
Summary: GOSH performed the main ritual at the Lynchburg Pagan Pride Day in honor of Epona. This ritual was pretty fantastic. We had a large group of people, mostly pagan, attend and participate. The event was also attended by some Liberty University students doing research for a Sects & Cults class (I hope Liberty never discontinues that course, we get new members all the time from the students sent to study us). In particular, I am fond of the ritual language emphasizing the Virtues (this was one of my very best liturgies). Reiterating that aspect of our Druid identity is important, particularly during a ritual celebrating the harvest.
While my thoughts about Pagan Pride Day events are not always complimentary, I do think that the Autumnal Equinox is a superb time to hold such things. The equinoxes are liminal times. Liminal times are when our actions may have the most effect on the spiritual world. Declaring ourselves Pagan and making a greater effort to invite the public to see what we do is a useful exercise anytime, but when done at the time of the equinox, can more profoundly effect the perception of Pagans by the general public and may well effect the way the Gods choose to act in our mundane world.
#8 A brief account of each High Day ritual attended or performed by the Dedicant in a twelve month period. High Days attended/performed might be celebrated with a local grove, privately, or with another Neopagan group. At least 4 of the rituals attended/performed during the training period must be ADF-style. (100 words min. each)
Samhain:
The Feast of the dead. The new year of the Celts.
The harvest is over and stores are being put away for the long, dark months ahead. Those animals which will be able to survive the winter are led into the barns. Those creatures who will not make it are mercifully slaughtered. Their stored flesh will sustain the tribe for some time. Their life is dependant on the death of the animal.
In Germanic custom this is the time of year when the Wild Hunt begins its ride. The Hunt is made up of various spirits, depending on the mythology of the region. In some regions the Hunt is led by Frau Holda and made up of children who died before their time. Some Lore names Odhinn as the leader and the einherjar as the furious host.
For all of these reasons the minds of the folk turn to thoughts of death. Around us the green world had faded, a chill has set in. Our Ancestors knew that all life begins in darkness; a seed pushes out its first blind roots in the dark of the earth’s soil, animals begin life in the soft dark of the mother’s womb. It strikes me that the grave is just another kind of womb. Therefore as the mortal world died, I see this end as the mulch for a beginning.
Summary: In our Grove we usually honor Dagda as the king of the passing year. He is returned to the Fire and, as he is consumed by the flames, Angus MacOc is pulled from the Fire. The death of Dagda has spawned the King of the Young who will be present in every ritual until next Samhain when he too, as Dagda, will be taken by Fire.
This year, we did not observe that tradition, nor did we even address ourselves to Dagda, nor to Angus. Instead we turned our attention to Cailleach, and to Her alone. In Her honor we screamed. We screamed as loudly as we could. Our intent was to transcend our own fears and reservations about making such a loud noise, we made that effort as a gift to Cailleach and asked that in return She would help us come through the trials of Winter.
Yule
The celebration of the Solstice. Originally honored by the Norse, the practice spread. For our Northern brethren, winter is a time of almost utter darkness. Therefore, the time when the days stop shortening and begin to lengthen, is a time of great celebration. Life will return, light will return.
The Solstice is celebrated with candles and evergreens. The evergreens remind us that life is not entirely fled. Their green encourages us to hope; if the plants can live and sport such vibrant colors, then we too can survive the season. The candles remind us of the light of the Sun, which is growing in strength. Seasonal customs involve bringing an evergreen into the house, swearing oaths (either over a horn, on a boar, or with one foot elevated), and feasting with friends and family.
Of slightly more importance to many modern Heathens is Mothers’ Night. By this evening, all the household chores, particularly the spinning, must be completed. Mothers’ Night, which precedes Yule, is sacred to Frigg, and our Grove honors Her with blot at Yuletide.
As a matter of interest, at Yule in recent Swedish tradition, Freya rode through the sky in her chariot pulled by cats. Into the houses of those who had not lived honorably, she poured lice. Today, during the Swedish celebration of Luciadägen, girls of the house bake Lussenkatter for their family. This is translated by the Swedes as “Lucia Cats” or “Lice Cats” (the holiday has rather muddled origins, an Italian Saint, with 2 very different martyrdom stories honored on the Goddess’ day. Even the Swedes can’t give you a definite answer about this holiday).
Summary: Our Grove was invited by the local Unitarian Church to lead their Yule service. So, the area pagans and about 150 Unitarians met Sunday morning for ritual! It was impressive. The lighting of the candles was particularly moving. The Church's heat was not working that day so we relied on body heat and the candles to warm us. By the end, it was toasty! I found it a pleasant challenge to incorporate Unitarian hymn and bits of their service into ADF liturgy. The end result was a ceremony with familiar elements for the UU folk and fun new songs for the Pagans.
Oimelc/Imbolg: The celebration of the first lactation of the ewes.
Here in Virginia the sheep generally start lactating a few weeks into February, but we celebrate this High Day according to the neo-Pagan calendar around the standard 2nd of February. I’ve seen the name translated as “milk bag,” “butter bag,” and “first milk.” Rob Barton, in his Ogham essays, associated the holiday with the third few of the first group of Ogham; Fearn. One word Ogham refers to this few as “container of milk.” Lactation is the first proof of renewed life.
This is a holiday of acknowledging the renewal of life deep within the silent dark earth. As the year and the day begins in darkness in Celtic traditions, so too do seeds begin in the dark. The first stirrings in the soil are honored at Imbolg and the dried, dead remnants of Yule greens are discarded.
In modern Pagan practice, Imbolg is often seen as a time of women’s mysteries (this makes sense as lactation is pretty much a chick thing) and is held to be particularly sacred to Brigid. Brigid’s bed is made and She is brought to Her bower. We acknowledge Her many aspects and honor Her influence in our lives. Pieces of white cloth may be left outside in the belief that Brigid will touch and bless it as She passes by.
Summary: This ritual was performed for a group of folks, only a few of whom were Druid, though most were some flavor of Pagan. I don't often include Workings in my rituals, however, it seemed so very appropriate this time. The beeswax sheets we used were sprinkled with mead during the Return Flow. I instructed the participants to envision their hands sheathed in light, able to work their will in the manner of the Gods (since their blessings was flowing through us at the time). As we fashioned our candles, all was quiet in the room, absent was the chatter one would expect to accompany Pagan Craft Time. As the Beings were thanked, the mood had clearly shifted into one more focused and centered.
After ritual one lady approached me. She was a Correlian Wiccan and had expressed concern before ritual about the lack of circle-casting and general discomfort with the strange (to her) format. She expressed surprise at how effective a ritual structure we in ADF have and said she particularly was moved by the emphasis on the presence of Divine Blessing manifest within us after sharing the Waters.
Ostara
This feast comes to us from the Norse who had more formal observances of the equinoxes and solstices. The Spring equinox is one of the two times of the year that the light and dark halves of the day are in balance (thus the term EQUInox).
Ostara is named for an Anglo-Saxon fertility Goddess, Eostre, from whom we get such words as estrus and uterus. Thus, it is not surprising that it is a holiday associated, even today, with eggs. There is little to be found concerning this goddess and it has been suggested that perhaps the historian Tacitus simply combined several seasonal observances and local goddesses into one.
Our Northern Ancestors looked at the moon and saw, not a man in the moon, but a hare. This Moon Hare was, to them, a symbol of fertility (since bunnies pop out tons of babies at a time, one may surmise) and was therefore connected to Eostre and Her feast. Do we wonder why modern children look for eggs hidden by the Easter Bunny?
How this became the Christian holiday of Easter is covered in more books than I can list--as has been the “Christianization” of many holidays. This one has retained most of its original meaning, albeit in a different context. Even the date of the Christian celebration is dependent on the Equinox (Easter is the 1st Sunday after the full moon after the equinox). The major symbols survive as well as the celebration of life returned. Haggling over the name of that life; whether it comes from the Sun or the Son, seems futile-The Sun/Son has emerged from the dark of the womb of the Earth, let’s party!
Summary: I was particularly pleased with this ritual. First, it is a Celtic hearth ritual for the Spring Equinox, which ADF lacked (I believe the liturgy is currently on the website) and much of the poetry is taken from the Carmina Gaedelica. Second, it was a really powerful ritual. Though I don't often include workings, I am generally pleased with the results when I do. The consecration of a the nature Spirit garden was a powerful act. The Garden is still in use today and figures largely in our household religious traditions. Honoring our Pagan Ancestors and using the shedding honeysuckle vines can only be attributed to some supernatural inspiration. The vines with the skin sloughing off dovetailed with the metaphor of St. Patrick and the snakes and all swirled together into a powerful ritual moment.
Beltainne
Of old, our Ancestors distinguished between two halves of the the year, the summer half and the winter half (Grimm, chapter 24). The Walpugis or Beltane feast was held to celebrate the beginning of the Summer months. Sir James Frazer outlined many traditions associated with Beltane, predominant among them was the lighting of fires atop hills. Grimm also described processions of 'witches' to hilltops for their rites at this time of year. Throughout the resources about Beltane, fire is preeminent--and well is Beltane called a Fire Festival.
European traditions for this time of year also center on bringing a bit of the wild wood into the ordered social sphere. Many customs involve heading into the forest to find a tree, or greens, or flowers which are then brought into the town and shared with the populace by means of processions scattering greens, erecting a live tree (or tree with the semblance of life), adorning houses with greens, or trading greens for gifts (songs, money, food, etc). French and German customs include Walburga procession around towns meant to stave off winds and other destructive forces (Rose, 7).
Ian Corrigan, in his audio workshop Hob of the Wheel, describes Beltane as being a time when our Celtic Ancestors looked to protecting and preserving their luck. When one thinks critically about the time of year one begins to see why preservation of luck would be important. At the end of a winter food stores would necessarily be low. In temperate regions the weather is variable with wide extremes in temperature. The ground is wet with thaw and increased rains which would lead to rot and corruption. After a long confinement with all the health risk attendant to close human quarters, the folk's resistance to disease would be low. Outside duties in indifferent weather and a degraded food supply would inevitable increase illness and lead to death among the old and young who were much weakened by the winter. Naturally the folk would want to enlist every supernatural aid to their luck.
I myself feel the almost overwhelming desire to bring the blooming life from my yard into my house. Typically every vase in the house is in use.
Frazer tells us, quoting John Ramsay in The Golden Bough, that at this festival the hearth fires of the folk were extinguished and then re-lit from the central/common/ritual Fire. Thus all the folk of the land shared a common hearth. This idea, above other meanings of the feast, is one that resonates with me.
Bibliography
Frazer, James George. The Golden Bough. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1922.
Grimm, Jacob. Aaron Meyer trans. Teutonic Mythology. 2004. May 15, 2006. <http://www.northvegr.org/lore/grimmst/index.php>
Rose, Winifred Hodge. "Waelburga and the Rites of May." Idunna 71 (Spring 2007): 5-11.
Summary: Beltane, in the Grove of the Seven Hills, ADF is a time of joy. It is a reliably comfortable out-of-doors ritual. After confronting the vagaries of weather at Imbolg and the Spring Equinox, it is a pleasure to come into the warm Nemeton of Beltainne. This ritual stands out in my memory primarily because of the Return Flow. For whatever reason I wrote in the outline that we would sing Blood of the Ancients as we shared the Waters. I recall how discernably the energetic flow shifted. This is the point in ritual where one expects to feel the change of spiritual current, but in this ritual it was physically tangible.
Our Grove understanding of Aine is of an Earth Mother, rather inchoate and very connected to the primal waters and chaos of potential. In that role, she takes on a cthonic nature for us and is connected to the Ancestors. It is worth mentioning also that GOSH has a Samhain-Beltainne tradition of at Samhain we Call to Dagda, commit a symbolic poppet to the Fire, and pull from the ashes at the end of ritual a new poppet we then hail as Aongus MacOc; Son of Youth and Patron of the new year. At Beltainne we call to Aongus who “morphs” into Dagda. In this particular ritual both Patron deities were rather Ancestor-centered and my choice of Return song, I believe, tipped the balance in such a way that the participants all moved deeper into ritual trance and connected to the ritual in a more meaningful way. In the days following Beltainne, several grove members reported dream contact with Ancestors.
While Beltainne is not traditionally a time of Ancestor worship, as the counter-point to Samhain it follows that Ancestor work would be as equally appropriate. Our modern GOSH practice now centers a bit more on connecting with our land and the bones of the Mighty Dead within it (though we do have a phallic acorn-tipped branch we enjoy waving about)
Midsommar (Midsummer)
A Feast from our Norse Ancestors. Midsummer is celebrated on or around the day of the Solstice, the longest day of the year. In later years, after the conversion of the Scandinavian countries, the Solstice, observed on June 21, was dedicated to St. John the Baptist. Not surprisingly, many of the customs surrounding Midsummer (sometimes called Litha) are similar in tone to the traditions surrounding the Celtic Beltainne. These customs include lighting bonfires on hills and leaping over the flames to ensure luck. Swedes gather at the Majstång, a tall pole topped with birch branches and flowers, to sing and dance to the Små Grodorna, or The Little Frog's Song (Simmons).
According to Scandinavica, a monthly tourist magazine, "The celebration of the Summer solstice is a very ancient practice, dating back to pre-Christian times. Midsummer was originally a fertility festival with many customs and rituals associated with nature and with the hope for a good harvest in the Autumn." The celebration of Midsummer has survived, as have many of the pre-christian traditions, into modern times and it is a national holiday in both Finland (Juhannus) and Sweden (Midsommar).
In Denmark, Midsummer was the time when healing herbs were to be gathered and fires were lit to protect and bless sacred springs and wells (today bonfires on the beach are the norm). Of particular importance was the herb now know as St. John's Wort--it was credited with keeping evil spirits at bay. This reflects a general Scandinavian belief that spirits roamed the earth during the time of Midsummer. Whether this harkens to the Indo-European belief of liminal space and time being most conducive to supernatural events, or is merely a coincidental superstition, I am unsure; though I would err on the side of an Indo-European convention..
Frazer makes much of mistletoe in conjunction with Midsummer, and states that, "...the sacred mistletoe may have acquired a double portion of its mystic qualities at the solstice in June, and that accordingly (the Druids) may have regularly cut it with solemn ceremony on Midsummer Eve." (Frazer, 769) He goes on to discuss the Norse myth of Baldr ("Glorious One"). Baldr was slain with mistletoe by his blind brother, Hoth ("War"), at the urging of Loki (Hollander, p.36n.). Hence is mistletoe connected to Baldr and Frazer draws the line a step farther connecting Baldr to Midsummer.
Many modern heathens consider the tale of Baldr to be an allegory for the solstice. On this day Baldr stands at his most glorious--impervious in his glory. Nevertheless, his blind brother, living in literal darkness, hurls his dart at Baldr, inflicting the damage that no one else could inflict. Darkness triumphs over light when light is at its apex and the strength of the light will now wane.
In Slavic tradition light and darkness are represented by Bialybog "white-god" and Czarnebog "black-god." Many modern Slavic Pagans incorporate into ritual a battle between these brother gods at both the Summer and Winter Solstice. However, it seems likely that this is a version of the Neo-Pagan convention of the battle between the Oak and Holly Kings altered to fit into a Slavic framework.
According to A. W. Moore in his work, "The Folklore of the Isle of Man," Midsummer was the day on which tribute was given to Manannan and that even after the conversion to Christianity it was the custom to line the walk to the church with rushes. He states that bonfires were common and smoky torches of gorse were used to circle and bless livestock.
Bibliography:
Frazer, James A. The Golden Bough, Macmillan Publishing Company; New York, NY; 1950
Grimm, Jacob. Aaron Meyer trans. Teutonic Mythology. chpt. 11 supp. 2004. <http://www.northvegr.org/lore/grimmst/s01101.php>
Hollander, Lee M. trans. The Poetic Edda. 2nd ed. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1962.
"Midsummer in Scandinavia." Scandinavica.com; <http://www.scandinavica.com/culture/tradition/midsummer.htm>
Moore, Arthur W. The Folklore of the Isle of Man: Being an Account of Its Myths, Legends, Superstitions, Customs, & Proverbs, Collected from Many Sources, Adamant Media Corporation. 2005, original 1891 by Brown & Son; D. Nutt, London
.
Simmons, Carl. "Why Swedish Midsummer Rivals Christmas." Swedish Institute; June 2006.
Winter, Sarah Kate. "Slavic Myth and Religion." <http://www.winterscapes.com/slavic.htm>
Summary: G OSH's Midsummer ritual was performed at Rebec Vineyard's Summer Solstice Wine Festival, June 20 & 21, 2009. The Grove of the Seven Hills, ADF led the ritual at high noon on both days. We were surprised and very excited to be invited to lead a Druid rite at this very secular event and I believe it speaks highly of our efforts to let the public know who and what we are that the Vineyard would see a Druid rite as something beneficial to their event, and land. Our ritual focused on bringing health and abundance to the vines, so we especially asked Taranis to bring nourishing rain but spare the vineyards from the storms of summer.
Lughnassadh
Lughnassadh's date is arrived at a number of ways. Some maintain that the fest is held on August 1; others claim that August's full moon is the proper time of observance, and for others it is simply the half-way point between the Summer Solstice (Midsummer) and the Autumnal Equinox. Still other claim the celebration lasts a month, from the middle of July until the middle of August. It is a celebration of the first harvest, when the grain has ripened, the last hurrah before the toils of the harvest season are fully upon the folk. For Celts, it is the gathering of the God Lugh and a time for games of skill and strength, revelry, and tribe-building. The name translates as the gathering of Lugh, (nassadh = gathering, Lugh = light). The High Day is also called Lammas in some neo-Pagan circles, a derivation of the Anglo-Saxon words for Loaf Mass. Few of the ancient customs or beliefs surrounding Lughnassadh were recorded, so what little knowledge we have of the celebration has come to us preserved customs in a very few localities in Europe. According to some sources, the holiday commemorates the marriage games of Lugh. Still other sources assert that Lughnassadh is the funeral gathering held by Lugh for his foster mother, Tailtu (1).
Lughnassadh is the last of the four Celtic Fire Festivals in the year; Samhain, Imbolg, Beltainne being the other three with the cycle starting at Samhain. While it is referred to as a Fire Festival, the High Day deals more with the earth, crops, and rainfall than with fire. Agricultural in nature, bread and grains figure prominently in the imagery of Lughnassadh. One tradition, recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle of 921 CE, was to bless and distribute loaves of bread made from the first ripening wheat. In parts of Ireland survived the custom of harvesting the first potatoes around the first of August with some amount of ceremony.
Gatherings on hilltops featured feast, games of strength, horse races, bull-baiting, trial marriages that would last only until the next Lughnassadh and were known as Tailltean Marriages, and other rowdy behaviors as one might expect of a holiday that celebrates the transformation of grain by fire and fermentation.
Lugh Ildonach, master of all crafts, enters Tara and quickly proves his worth and value by accepting challenges from the Tuatha deDannan and besting Them each in Their area of sovereignty. Lugh inspires the Tuatha to great deeds and leads them to victory against the Fomorii. Lugh's name literally means light which is abundant in His season; promoting the well-being of the crops and creating a warm atmosphere for fairs, festivals, and gatherings.
1. Ellison, Robert Lee (Skip), The Solitary Druid: Walking the Path of Wisdom and Spirit, p.146
Bibliography
Ellison, Robert Lee (Skip), The Solitary Druid: Walking the Path of Wisdom and Spirit. 2005. Kensington Publishing Corp. NY, NY.
Summary: Lughnassadh was was the first performed by our Grove. I am not even sure if we were yet considered a protoGrove, but we were functioning as one. To date, I would rank it as the best ritual performed by the Grove of the Seven Hills (GOSH). Because of the rousing energy and the way the ritual drama draws everyone into the Lore of the day, we have repeated this ritual, with very little alteration, for every Lughnassadh since, (Obviously what is offered here is a skeleton of a more in-depth ritual).
The ritual drama of Lugh entering Tara is the best part of the ritual, in my opinion. It occurs after the invitation & initial offerings to Lugh are made and makes real His entrance into the Nemeton. In recent years we have accepted new grove members only at Lughnassadh and the part of Lugh is played by someone who will join the Grove. Thus, the drama accomplishes several things at once. It physically brings the DotO into ritual, it symbolically brings a new person into our grove, and re-affirms our group identity.
The challenge issued by Lugh to those assembled is based on the oaths Lugh extracted from the Tuatha before going into Battle with the Fomorii. Each of the Tuatha oathed an extraordinary feat based on their innate skill (ie: the cup-bearers oathed to hold back the waters from the Fomorii so they could not slake their thirst). The ritual participants are challenged to identify their own skills and find a way to turn them to the service of the Folk. Then the oaths of service, or tokens of skill are offered in Praise to Lugh (along with the ADF membership & renewal forms and monetary donations). It is a powerful ritual and I firmly believe it is in a large part responsible for our strong sense of tribe.
Mabon
This is the time of the Autumnal equinox and of the wine harvest. It is the first of two times in the year when the light and dark halves of the day are equal. The name Mabon is often associated with the son of Medb, the son of Sovereignty. Mabon is paralleled with Nerchias Finaill who married Boann, his aunt (although Boann is also named as a wife of Dagda…)
This is the time for Bacchanalias and revels as it is the height of the vine harvest. While Winter stores are put away, there is grain and fruit aplenty for feasting. Even today many Virginia wineries begin the grape harvest at the full moon nearest the equinox.
Mabon is considered a fortuitous time for initiation and coming of age ceremonies. One might say that as the fruit ripens, so too do the folk.
I associate the equinox, for obvious reasons, the 1st few of the 3rd aett of Ogham, Muin. When using tree associations for the Ogham, Muin is the vine. Despite the fact that 'vine' is likely a corrupted translation, it was the first one I read and tends to be my default. It is a few of strength and desire. In studying primitive skills we learn that the vine is invaluable as cordage material. Without the vine, structures could not built, baskets not woven, pottery not compressed and textured. Civilization, in its most basic form, relies on the ripening vine.
Summary: GOSH performed the main ritual at the Lynchburg Pagan Pride Day in honor of Epona. This ritual was pretty fantastic. We had a large group of people, mostly pagan, attend and participate. The event was also attended by some Liberty University students doing research for a Sects & Cults class (I hope Liberty never discontinues that course, we get new members all the time from the students sent to study us). In particular, I am fond of the ritual language emphasizing the Virtues (this was one of my very best liturgies). Reiterating that aspect of our Druid identity is important, particularly during a ritual celebrating the harvest.
While my thoughts about Pagan Pride Day events are not always complimentary, I do think that the Autumnal Equinox is a superb time to hold such things. The equinoxes are liminal times. Liminal times are when our actions may have the most effect on the spiritual world. Declaring ourselves Pagan and making a greater effort to invite the public to see what we do is a useful exercise anytime, but when done at the time of the equinox, can more profoundly effect the perception of Pagans by the general public and may well effect the way the Gods choose to act in our mundane world.