- Sun July 13, 1997
- Kindred meets to have the postponed discussion of the Nine Noble Virtues and the six-fold goals. Consort has a commitment that requires her to miss the group... The discussion winds itself around for awhile and then surprisingly,
evolves into a rather sober conversation about the state of our Kindred and what we would like to see it develop into over time. We resolve to continue the discussion next week but it is clear that the overall concensus is that we want the
group to evolve beyond the study group mode. I feel very good about this energy!
- Thurs. July 17, 1977
- Meet with Maegdlyn, Mary Faith, Ann, and Owen to create the Heartfire Talisman pouches for the Heartfire Rite. Nola has suddenly become mobile and is quite formidable. She demands to be held and played with and gets
into every nook of the house if it is not sequestered from her! We make 69 heart talisman pouches out of cloth and paper.
- Fri. July 18, 1997
- Receive e-mail from Bobby in Brazil! He includes an article and letter for The Bower which is critical of the article on Christianity that Dan C. wrote for the previous issue. I forward same to Maeve.
I have to agree with him. The Christian-bashing tone of the article was very inappropriate and I didn't care for it when I first read it.
It is regretable that so many Pagans are coming from a wounded perspective that
requires that they participate in this bashing mode of behavior. This was so prevalent on the internet newsgroups that I finally gave up reading them.
Later this sparks an interesting discussion with R. who defends the
Xian bashing not as "his thing" but as a valid expression. I'm not sure that agree with that, as I see folk waste their energies in this way because they are coming from being hurt...
- Sat July 19, 1997
- Security meeting and work party at Trusty Pines. We arrive early to work on the land. First R. and Consort and I go to the Ancestor Shrine to make an
offering. We share a small flask of Spiced Rum with them and give them an airline bottle of Grand Marnier along with homebrew water, tobbacco,
and cigarettes and cigars. (Forgot to bring food but they don't seem to mind...) I note that the Ancestor shrine could use some work. We clear the growth away from it, but I would like to also
go over the pattern that defines it with more white rocks. (Not sure where to get those...) Also, I new enclosed candle with lid would be good and perhaps some more offering cups.
R and I then go to the main ritual area in order for him to get a feel for the land wights.
This goes well and I take the opportunity to pledge to assist him in his commitment to them and the land.
There is a good turn out for the security meeting and Rick A.'s concerns about having enough personnel seem to have been allayed. Meeting tends to be unfocused and rambling so I polish off several horns
of the Velvet Hammer Stout that I got at the local microbrew.
Then we have the ritual planning meeting for the Lugh/Heart Fire festival. Immediately there is the usual community chaos as folks claim
that the meeting that had been very clearly scheduled for 5:00 pm was supposed to be at 3:00. This is annoying to me but of no real consequence as the meeting begins a little early. Unfortunately, someone that
I had hoped would be taking part for as far as I know the first time in community ritual angrily announces that she will not be in the rite and probably not attend the festival due to a personal dispute with another
member of the community. I realize that the situation does not allow for any quick fix and proceed with the planning meeting. Most of the outline is done and the principle agenda is to test how our conception of the
ritual dance will work. It goes well and we slightly modify it to allow the dancers to pause in quarter turns about the circle in order to allay the dizzyness caused by the whirling and to allow for the adding of dancers to
the mix. M. gives me the remaining pre-made heart talisman pouches that will be there for folks that arrive at the festival without having completed their own.
Despite the described perturbations, the ritual has high
energy and I am very optimistic about it.
- Sun July 20, 1997
- Brew Moon Ritual at D.L. and Court's. Rick A. has organized and planned this working in which
the participants will cast sacred space and then each brew some beverage. I am intrigued by the possibilities
of infusing more Magick into the brewing process.
First the ingredients are allocated to the appropriate elemental quarters:
Grains to the North for they are of the earth. Hops and other additives to the
East as they are of the Air in that they are flowers that produce an airy essence.
Yeast is placed to the West as it has a fiery aspect and produces heat during fermentation.
Water to the West.
The sacred space deemed to include the entire house for working convenience is cleansed and the four
quarters are evoked. I evoke the spirit of fire and call upon Odhin for his connection with the Horn of
Inspiration.
Although it is a long working, it has a good resonance and all agree that the work is good. We each complete
a wort: an all grain Red Beer, my own Brown Beer from extract, an Apricot extract beer, a Honey Barley Beer,
and lastly a Honey Braggot. Most of us wait to arrive back home to pitch the yeast.
We all decide that this is good working and that it should be repeated in the future...
The results of our efforts will be used at the Mabon Rite at Lunehaven.
Kindred met for the second discussion about what directions we want to grow in as a group. We decided that a format in which we continue with the study group
followed immediately by a closed meeting of the folk committed to the Kindred. The most important aspect of this last part will be that folks will respect the confidences
of one another and keep stuff that is shared within the group. We will begin after Heartfire to go through the nine noble virtues, one per week. Reading the section on them,
meditating daily on them and then discussing how we can actualize them within ourselves and each other. At the end of the nine weeks, we will decide if we want to continue. D.L. has gotten a lot
of work done on the new Kindred blowing Horn. It will be used in the Sunna Blot and Loaf-fest rite that we will hold at Heartfire.
- Mon July 21, 1997
- Attend Community Ritual Guild meeting, mostly out of support for E. who has organized the Guild and been
propelling it. K. is the only other member present. J. and T., both non-members like myself as far as I know are also
present. The discussion centers on the Samhain rite that the CRG will be coordinating. In all likelihood it will be at a
different location than Trusty Pines this year. There was some discussion on possible sites. I was pleased that E. mentioned that
it would be better to not make an issue of the location until after Heartfire, so that it does not become a distraction from the intent
of the Heartfire Rite. For me the discussion was a little strange and I found myself rattling my sabre several times. I don't thnk that
the CRG is really my thing but would like to support their efforts. I like the design of the rite and want to experience so I excused myself
when the discussion turned to the particulars...
- Wed. July 30, 1997
- The final planning meeting before Heartfire Festival, really just a shakedown. Folks bring a wonderful amount of herbs and ingredients for the talismanic pouches. We have a sacred investiture of
Amairgin as Lord Horns since the previous incarnation from last festival will not be able to attend Heartfire due to work conflicts. Then I cast sacred space and we charge the ingredients that we have brought.
The energy is very high and there is a good turnout for this run-thru and blessing. I am very optimistic.
- Thur. July 31, 1997
- I go out to Trusty Pines early for a day of preparation and relaxation before the Heartfire festival. I get our camp set up and get fairly drunk, fairly early! Do have an excellent visit to the Ancestor shrine with R. and
Amairgin before I get soused. Share a small airline bottle of B & B with them as well as homebrew and water.
Have a good discussion with A. and L. about the community and our hopes for same.
Later that nite Amairgin, E. and R. and I sit around the cook fire int he Oak grove and consume homebrews and Bourbon. E. and R. put a lot of energy into working with A. which pleases me. R. takes me aside to show me
some of the geometric work that he has been doing with the runes. The work involves a square pattern in Futhork order with subsections composed of bind runes... another pattern involves the placement of the runes in accordance with
their correspondence to the yearly cycle and then generating the subsequent bind runes. It is odd that for as drunk as I am, the work is very clear and burns into my mind's eye.