VOTE! 2012 IMBOLC/LUGHNASADH RITUALS

[Earthwoman]

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[Klandaxa]

The following is a snippet of a meditation when first entering my Grove as a Bard. While brief, it was here that I met my guide, the djidi-djidi (Willy Wagtail) who I have since travelled with often within my larger grove.


With Djidi-djidi I dance

I stand alone within the circle of stones, my hood down, my face concealed, my identity known only to Her. She welcomes me, greets me tenderly, beckons me to sit and share this moment. Slowly, my spirit radiant at her touch, I sit. She soon speaks to me, through me, I feel Her words. She touches my feet and I hear Her voice enter me, filling this familiar cup. Around me, the trees shuffle, ruffling themselves in sync with Her melodies. Her music gathers inside me, moves through me, flows outwards like ripples across a lake. The sounds I hear and feel mesh with the sounds within my grove. I am no longer able to distinguish my body from Hers. I am no longer able to distinguish my voice from Hers. When I speak it is Her voice that whispers across the grove and is heard by all. With Her I remain, my heart and body, my mind and soul as one. Within Her I remain. My breathing becomes the movement of the winds that dance back and forth across the stones. I feel sand grains beneath my feet and Her breath on my skin. Old echoes and ancient songs reverberate upwards from the earth far below where I sit.

I sense rather than see the tiny Djidi-djidi that dances outside my circle. Its tail sweeping the air hypnotically, it awaits my permission, sensing the sacred, understanding the moment. My mind’s hand outstretched, I cup the small bird gently, ushering it into the grove, inviting it to dance. As it moves across the ground, I enter it, know it intimately. Feeling the sun’s warmth on my feathers, the sand between my toes, I shuffle across the circle. My feet light, I stomp and step, hop and leap, allowing strong wings to lift my spirit. With control and purpose I rise upwards, gliding still within the circle but now hovering over my seated self. Gently easing myself downwards, my small feet grip my relaxed shoulders. Perched on myself, within myself, I withdraw from the small spirit, the blissful memory of flight and dance lingering as I open my eyes. A sudden giddiness overwhelms me and I concentrate on my breathing, bringing myself back into the present. The sensation soon passes and I am once again aware of Her around me. She sooths my inner voice, calms my spirit. I thank Her for Her gift and slowly stand, my hood still covering my face, my identity concealed, yet She knows me and I Her.

Klandaxa

[Arth Seren]

Lughnasadh Meditation

I wrote this for my group's Lughnasadh ritual last year.

Lughnasadh is a time for celebrating family.

Close your eyes and focus on your breathing, take three deep breaths focussing on the out breath. See yourself standing in a sacred place....this can be anywhere you feel comfortable.......you are physically alone but you feel connected with the spirit of the place........everything is peaceful and you feel calm and connected.......you can feel the life force flowing through your body and soul.......as your awareness of the life force deepens you sense that you have been joined by others.......the ancestors.......who’s ashes and bones are guarded by the earth mother, the very earth that you are now standing on.........their spirits are all around you and are connected to your spirit.......you are one with them........you are their descendant, their hope and their legacy. You are a part of them through your soul and spirit.........you feel a sense of connection with them beyond time and space.........after a while you see that you are being joined by other people from your life as it is now.........you see familiar faces and many you don’t know as they join you in your sacred place........there are representatives of your family, friends, collegues, communities , nations and races of the world. You notice they are either joining hands or laying a hand on each others shoulder, making some kind of physical contact.......... You feel your connection with them through the life force and your earthly body...............feeling the security of belonging to this community, you start to look beyond the people around you...............your inner vision takes over and you can see into the years ahead...............you see your descendants..............of your blood, of the land and of the human race...............descendants of your community who’s values you have taught........ descendants of the earth who have followed your examples............you feel connected to them through your dreams, visions, ambitions and the decisions you make.........you feel a connection to everyone you have seen and you know this connection reaches out to the animal, plant and mineral communities.........you are a part of the community of all life......... you belong...........you have responsibilities and rewards............you are accepted for who you are and you accept everyone for who they are...........you acknowledge your eternal family knowing that we are all related............gradually your awareness of the spirits, people and visions begins to fade, until you are standing in your sacred place alone again..........you look down and see at your feet that someone has left you a sprig of heather – the plant of community and celebration............you pick it up to keep as your awareness of your sacred place fades and your awareness of being in the circle increases.........feel the life force flowing through you into the earth, keeping you grounded and centred as you come back to the physical world.

Blessed Be

[Earthwoman]

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