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Blessed Samhain, to all those on my f-list who celebrate it!
Samhain this year was meaningful[1] without being devastating[2]. It was also long. Rather than do our annual ancestor ritual on Samhain proper, as originally planned, we moved it a week earlier to accommodate![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
cheshcat's surgery. Difficult to do ritual with a High Priestess who is confined to a hospital bed.
The ritual itself went quite well. I have been doing this particular WORK nearly every year since 1994 -- and my belovedcheshcat has been doing it for even longer. It is simple in design... yet extremely powerful. All the more so when you do the same remembrance WORK year after year.
As it turns out, doing our ancestor toast one week before Samhain turned out to fortuitous for several reasons. For one thing, it meant that the clocks changed back to GMT whilst we were in ritual space. This brought a practical benefit -- not ending quite as late as we would have otherwise -- as well as a symbolic one. To wit: for me, the Dark Period of the year begins when we change our clocks back, putting the sunset before five o'clock in the afternoon. Having this change coincide with our Samhain ritual seems rather appropriate.
For another thing, doing our WORK one week before Samhain effectively stretched the sabbat out to a week this year. That was good, as it gave me time to process a large number of endings -- and new beginnings -- that are going on right now. For instance, this ritual just completed one full turn of the Wheel of the Year where we had been working every sabbat with the same group of people. A very fitting ending.cheshcat's surgery was this week, too -- an end to one era and a beginning to a bright new one! Again, quite appropriate.
On the plus side, I managed to make it through October 27th without breaking up with anybody.[3] Though I will add that, after having been mostly quiet since July, my relationship velocity is picking up again. Whilst nothing is definite as yet, I can feel which way the winds may be blowing. I have a hunch that there are a couple of relationships that are naturally winding their way down right now... and I am cautiously optimistic about the potential that a couple of charming new people may hold. Some endings, some [possible] beginnings -- and it all feels rather good and healthy.
One other way that this Samhain is significant is that, for once, it really does feel like the new year to me. I have many different ways of ticking off the year -- at Samhain, at the start of the calendar, at my birthday, at Starwood, at P**T***, at the new academic year -- and Samhain is generally not the most important of these. However, this time around, it feels like the most natural place to start off the year. Much of time between this Samhain and next is mapped out reasonably well: I know which trips I want to take[4], I am helping to organise two large-ish events[5], my experiment will be turning on and publishing its first results, et cetera, et cetera. So, besides beginning the Dark Period, this Samhain really does kick off a year that promises to be busy, intense, and rewarding. I look forward to seeing what fruit it will bring.
Welcome Winter, waning season
Now with night the new year comes
All who honour elder kinsfolk
Dance the dead to earthly drums
Souls respected, save the living
Those with whole and hallowed hearts
Blessings be on those who bide here
Blessings be on those who bide here
And indeed on all the Earth!
Of course, besides being Samhain, October 31st is also Halloweeen[6]. Yesterday, on Halloween, I brought L2 -- who is nine -- to Millet's Farm, a short ride from Oxford, to do the corn mazes and haunted attractions there. Other than that, though I did not do much on Halloween proper... because I was preoccupied with visitingcheshcat, who is still in the hospital recovering from her surgery. The beautiful bunnypip came down to stay for the weekend, helping out around the house and spending time in the hospital with cheshcat and I.
It would be a very sad thing to miss Halloween... so we made sure to do it early. Whilst in Michigan two weeks ago, my darlingtawneypup threw a Halloween bash to kick off the season, as it were. Twas fantastic to see so many people in the Lansing crowd[7]... and the immensely talented tawneypup threw together a quick costume for me in under twenty-four hours. She had a Miss Piggy costume from previous years, so I wanted to go with her... as Kermit the Frog! Everyone always calls me a Muppet anyway -- for one night, I got to actually be one. Don't believe me? See for yourself:
Kermie & Piggy -- together again!
Alas, poor Kermit! I knew him, Horatio!
I hope that each and every one of my dear friends has had as excellent a holiday as I have. The Dark Period has begun.[8] May it hold joy and growth for us all...
[1] Unlike 2007.
[2] Unlike 2006.
[3] By odd coincidence, October 27th happens to be the day that I am most likely to end a relationship. Don't ask why -- it just is.
[4] One to Korea in May, one to Scotland in June, one to explore Japan withcheshcat in August, and one to North Wales at some point in between.
[5] Oxford BiFest in March and P**T*** in October.
[6] And my father's birthday. But nevermind that.
[7] You know who you are, lovely people!
[8] Assuming that, like most of my f-list, you live in the North. If you do not... well, Happy Summer to you!!
Samhain this year was meaningful[1] without being devastating[2]. It was also long. Rather than do our annual ancestor ritual on Samhain proper, as originally planned, we moved it a week earlier to accommodate
cheshcat's surgery. Difficult to do ritual with a High Priestess who is confined to a hospital bed.The ritual itself went quite well. I have been doing this particular WORK nearly every year since 1994 -- and my beloved
cheshcat has been doing it for even longer. It is simple in design... yet extremely powerful. All the more so when you do the same remembrance WORK year after year.As it turns out, doing our ancestor toast one week before Samhain turned out to fortuitous for several reasons. For one thing, it meant that the clocks changed back to GMT whilst we were in ritual space. This brought a practical benefit -- not ending quite as late as we would have otherwise -- as well as a symbolic one. To wit: for me, the Dark Period of the year begins when we change our clocks back, putting the sunset before five o'clock in the afternoon. Having this change coincide with our Samhain ritual seems rather appropriate.
For another thing, doing our WORK one week before Samhain effectively stretched the sabbat out to a week this year. That was good, as it gave me time to process a large number of endings -- and new beginnings -- that are going on right now. For instance, this ritual just completed one full turn of the Wheel of the Year where we had been working every sabbat with the same group of people. A very fitting ending.
cheshcat's surgery was this week, too -- an end to one era and a beginning to a bright new one! Again, quite appropriate.On the plus side, I managed to make it through October 27th without breaking up with anybody.[3] Though I will add that, after having been mostly quiet since July, my relationship velocity is picking up again. Whilst nothing is definite as yet, I can feel which way the winds may be blowing. I have a hunch that there are a couple of relationships that are naturally winding their way down right now... and I am cautiously optimistic about the potential that a couple of charming new people may hold. Some endings, some [possible] beginnings -- and it all feels rather good and healthy.
One other way that this Samhain is significant is that, for once, it really does feel like the new year to me. I have many different ways of ticking off the year -- at Samhain, at the start of the calendar, at my birthday, at Starwood, at P**T***, at the new academic year -- and Samhain is generally not the most important of these. However, this time around, it feels like the most natural place to start off the year. Much of time between this Samhain and next is mapped out reasonably well: I know which trips I want to take[4], I am helping to organise two large-ish events[5], my experiment will be turning on and publishing its first results, et cetera, et cetera. So, besides beginning the Dark Period, this Samhain really does kick off a year that promises to be busy, intense, and rewarding. I look forward to seeing what fruit it will bring.
Now with night the new year comes
All who honour elder kinsfolk
Dance the dead to earthly drums
Souls respected, save the living
Those with whole and hallowed hearts
Blessings be on those who bide here
Blessings be on those who bide here
And indeed on all the Earth!
Of course, besides being Samhain, October 31st is also Halloweeen[6]. Yesterday, on Halloween, I brought L2 -- who is nine -- to Millet's Farm, a short ride from Oxford, to do the corn mazes and haunted attractions there. Other than that, though I did not do much on Halloween proper... because I was preoccupied with visiting
cheshcat, who is still in the hospital recovering from her surgery. The beautiful bunnypip came down to stay for the weekend, helping out around the house and spending time in the hospital with cheshcat and I.It would be a very sad thing to miss Halloween... so we made sure to do it early. Whilst in Michigan two weeks ago, my darling
tawneypup threw a Halloween bash to kick off the season, as it were. Twas fantastic to see so many people in the Lansing crowd[7]... and the immensely talented tawneypup threw together a quick costume for me in under twenty-four hours. She had a Miss Piggy costume from previous years, so I wanted to go with her... as Kermit the Frog! Everyone always calls me a Muppet anyway -- for one night, I got to actually be one. Don't believe me? See for yourself:I hope that each and every one of my dear friends has had as excellent a holiday as I have. The Dark Period has begun.[8] May it hold joy and growth for us all...
[1] Unlike 2007.
[2] Unlike 2006.
[3] By odd coincidence, October 27th happens to be the day that I am most likely to end a relationship. Don't ask why -- it just is.
[4] One to Korea in May, one to Scotland in June, one to explore Japan with
cheshcat in August, and one to North Wales at some point in between.[5] Oxford BiFest in March and P**T*** in October.
[6] And my father's birthday. But nevermind that.
[7] You know who you are, lovely people!
[8] Assuming that, like most of my f-list, you live in the North. If you do not... well, Happy Summer to you!!
