Reflections of the Festive Period

With Twelfth Night being yesterday I can now reflect on the festive period as a whole, this years festive period has been. So the festive period 2013-14 was a bit of a strange one, I had been busier in the run up to it between normal work & chaplaincy, though this year Yule did not feel anywhere near as rushed or squeezed in around work as it has done in the past, I had plenty of time to decorate, feast & meditate, I also managed to make time to make a Witch Bottle for the house. What did infuriate me was the amount of people who asked before the Winter Solstice why I hadn't put up my Christmas decorations yet? Well my response was as follows, I'm not Christian & don't decorate the house until Yule which according to the tradition of decorating your house up for the festive period is actually early as you are not supposed to decorate your house until Christmas Eve & you take your decorations down on the 6th oft January, the day after the 12 days of Christmas have finished. Many people I know looked at me weirdly when I said I took my decorations down so late, saying that they took their decorations down the day after Boxing Day or New Years Day saying that they were fed up of them by then, to which I point out if they are fed up of Christmas before Christmas is out why are you in such a rush to put up your decorations in the first place. OK that is my festive peeve out of the way. I may not be Christian but do like to keep up with folk tradition at this time of year.

 This Christmas was more how I prefer Christmas, relaxed, there was a minor family altercation, but there always seem to be some niggle over Christmas but it lead to a more relaxed Christmas on the whole as far as timings & food went. It was also a relatively frugal Christmas with me making more presents this year than I have done before & it has been appreciated, although I do think I will have to make more chocolate fudge next year as it went down a storm as did my green tomato chutney, so it appears Christmas hampers are the way forward for me. New Years eve also cemented a friendship by having having Sean around for lunch & we swapped gifts I got a hand made dream catcher, he got some apple jam. The festive period although rushed seemed quite pleasing in the long run where people have appreciated skills & friendships & general sense of homeliness. So although I got accused of being a Scrooge for being sick of Christmas music before the day it arrived, it appears that I wasn't the Grinch either (that accolade was taken by someone else)

Samhain/Halloween

So it was that time again last night, on reflection not bad at all, my ancestor worship went as far as meditating & leaving out a homemade candy skull for them. I was so busy yesterday I didn't feel that I had enough time to do the spiritual side of things before being spark out on the sofa. With an early short shift I thought at work I could cope with what the evening threw at me, but with getting a pumpkin tagine with couscous ready as well as picking a pumpkin that was really a deformed courgette to be a Jack o'Lantern I was exhausted. the house decoration was limited to the pumpkin & & yellow chrysanthemums, I don't really go for the the plastic tat so much especially since we were heading out to a family party where they do go for the plastic novelties, they aren't Pagan & have young kids who they don't want to take out trick or treating as they don't feel right knocking on stranger's doors asking for sweets, which is understandable. What did become apparent from the trick or treaters that arrived at our house is that they appreciated I went to the effort of baking bat biscuits instead of plying them with yet more sweets & I got oohs & genuine thanks off them which actually felt good. I do feel however I felt a little disconnected with the meaning of it this year through pure planning as this was the first time I have lived on a street where there is heavy trick or treat traffic & was more concerned about not having the house egged, than spending time doing ritual, so today after doing the housework I'm going for a walk to feel more connected to nature, though wellies will be required. I kinda feel I have been more of a slave to the commercial side of it this year but held steadfast to my homemade beliefs at the sacrifice of honouring the dead as I usually do. I hope my passing nod in the chaos of the day was sufficient, but will think of them whilst out walking. Take care guys hope you had a good one.

Lammas tide reflections

This Lammas tide has felt like it has had more significance to me this year as my vegetable plot started to take shape this year. Yesterday was the first harvest of broad beans & although it wasn't the traditional wheat which I turn into a corn dolly which hasn't happened this year it was no less a significant harvest & the fact I grew them myself gave me a sense of achievement. I was starting to feel a little less connected with the seasons & although I still don't fully gel with some of the festivals, ones centred around growing & harvesting do have more of a significance especially now I have more of a chance of growing my own. I am far from finished on my plot so hopefully the work on a spiritual level yesterday will help as a bit of a boon to my physical travails on the plot. I have also been thankful to see more of our native insect life recently which has taken a battering, but hopefully with the largely good whether we've had, that it will help to perk up their numbers. I also baked a loaf which I haven't done in a while which certainly brings the taste of Lammas back to me, especially as I have gotten better at baking it, so I did do something a little traditional for it.

A toast to Merry England

As per usual I made the trip to Clun for the Green Man festival on May Day for a bit of merry England style folk festivaling. The festival seems to have quite a wide appeal to varying different people from all walks of life, most of them looked like your average Joe Normal's but it it was peppered with the beardy weirdies you would also expect to see at such events. So what is the appeal? Is it just an excuse for a party? Or is it that people want to get a slice of the rural life that they don't have in urban/suburban life? Or is it that people want ot connect with the past? Which ever way it always feels like a bit of a pilgramage to me as my dad is a Salopian & the Beltane May Day connections are also prominant. The festival involves a fight between Green Man & the Ice Queen & the Green Man usualy wins (last year been canceled due to flooding & look what a horrible summer we had last year, I blame that for the weather we got, that & the gulf stream being in the Med rather than on Northern Europe). I'm hoping to explore a little more of Merry England hopefully this year or at least its modern enterpretations. But I'm not the only one, it appears many people are, so is it more a quest for cultural identity where some people feel we are losing it or just an affirmation we have one? Well in which ever case any a excuse for a party is a good one. So hats off to the people who make it happen.

Valentine's Day on Reflection

I had a bit a serious day yesterday, waking up to the Today Program doesn't fill you with the spirit of the day & throughout the day my sense of humour didn't return, Gabriel was being super naughty & I also had to clean up cat vomit which was done in a concealed spot so wasn't spotted when it happened which leaves me to think that it was Jezebel's as Gabriel has shows little regard for where he vomits, it was grim. Was I worried that this year even though I'd agreed with Rich that there was no cards, flowers etc this year I did have that thought of what if he surprises with something & I took him at his word, I would have felt mega guilty. As it happens the only surprise he had for me was that his rehearsal had been cancelled & we had an unexpected evening together where we cooked together in the kitchen which was lovely & then watched a bizarre film about Joyce Hatto. All in all the evening was lovely & unexpected which is way better than than a naff card or or flowers that have a limited vase life. So my worries were unfounded, but I do feel like there is way too much pressure on people to do Valentine's Day, perhaps if you don't get to see your partner so much or the relationship is new & you want to show how much you care it is a festival for you. I say I love you to my partner everyday & I mean it when it is said, it has been over 8 years since we first started in our relationship & we show our appreciation for each other often, so why just limit it to one day a year. All in all though it is meant to be about secret admirers rather than long term coupling. It was good to spend time together though & I would not have changed it, well perhaps with a little more assurance that there wasn't going to be an over blown gesture would have been reassuring but to be honest I don't think we could have made it clearer, but it never stops the niggling doubt. Love to everybody especially Rich xxx

P.S apologies for my lack of humour to everyone online & in text

Imbolc on reflection

I have to make admit something here, I have never really felt a connection with this festival as it is one where it is more for those who keep livestock or those who have children as it is a festival about birth as much as it is a festival of awakening of the seasons. Perhaps if I had livestock or was heterosexual I would have more of a connection with it perhaps, but I've never really got it. I tend to get the Vernal Equinox more on that side of things as being an ornithologist it is the time when more birds are mating. However I did do a pathworking based on the festival & it seemed to go well, I did take something from it perhaps this year it had a slight more significance with my sister having had Reuben & becoming an uncle biologically for the first time & I did send my thoughts & blessings to the both of them, but still I don't feel that Imbolc is not my festival.

Death

Samhain is almost upon us so lets talk about death. Halloween isn't just about getting dressed up as scary things like vampires, ghouls & Anne Widdecombe. For the likes of us it is a time to honour those who have gone before us, those who are directly related to us, our friends, those who have fought for our rights & the ancestors from time immemorial. It is this time that it is said that the veil between this world & the spirit world are at its thinnest. This maybe be because at this time it was a time when creatures that could not be fed over winter were culled & stored. That the winter was a time for the weak if they got ill would be less likely to survive. To that we are not entirely sure, but any of the suggestions are kind of plausible. One thing is for certain that very few of the customs of old are still practised today, not many families leave an extra portion of food for a deceased relative, not many pay homage to the dead at all they just like to have a party & dress up, though I don't have too much of a problem with that if they make an effort with their costume. So whatever you are doing this Halloween remember a loved one past. Now we should not be afraid of death we should embrace, it is inevitable, though I'm in great hurry to shuffle off this mortal coil, I will not fear it when it comes.

Paralympic Closing Ceremony Part 2- What was amazing about it

So it was not all bad the closing ceremony, in fact most of it was amazing. It has got people talking. There were apparently Iluminati symbols in there which got the conspiracy theorist's tongues wagging, all you have to do is put an eye or a clock somewhere & people are all oooh did you see that? OK possibly not the best starting point of reference for the post but it did get the ball rolling. I must admit I loved the steam punk aspect of it, a mock Victoriana which quite often has London as it's base in many a steam punk novel, with the fact they gave a nod to it was very clever indeed. The second part of it that I was impressed with was the overtly Pagan nature of the festival, the fact that they used part of a rite from BDO multi path Pagan ritual was inspired, it fitted the theme well & not many people I know didn't pick up on it. So has Paganism had it's first major public airing & will people respect that? After all we can now say, our beliefs are akin to that, people now have a reference point as to vague notion of what we do, just without the spectacle of the steam punk & excessive amounts of Coldplay. But combined it provided an impressive watching experience even if you do have to mute it & play your favourite music over the top of it. Well done London 2012 what a fantastic Jubilympic year it has been.

The Paralympic Closing Ceremony Part 1- Taking the focus away somewhat

There are 2 things I want to say about the Paralympic Closing Ceremony, so number one I shall state today, as although the visual part of the ceremony was stunning, the music AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH! There was way too much Coldplay, it turned the closing ceremony from an amazing spectacle to an infuriating concert, not band/artist should have taken over the stage for whole of the event, it made it seem the event was about Coldplay, not about the athletes who did their nations proud. It made my blood boil that they went on for sooooo long, Coldplay are OK in small doses or if you are a huge fan of them seeing then in concert would be fine, but then you are expecting & have paid for that long of a set. They definitely lost a lot of respect from me, not that huge amount their to begin with. they should not have been allowed to do that, other artists should have been allowed on the stage & then a proper party atmosphere could have got under way, many of the people there were only being carried by the energy of the visuals & the emotion that came with such a momentous event. If the Paralympics hadn't been exciting & the artistry been amazing they would have slumped the atmosphere further, they milked it for all it was worth. When they did have special guests on there was Rihanna & JayZ who are some of Britain's finest exports in music (please read in a sarcastic voice) & didn't really showcase the talent much of the GB Paraorchestra which having watched a program about them earlier in the day would have been amazing to have more of. So tanks Coldplay for stealing the limelight from the achievements of others & making the closing ceremony a little less spectacular than it should have been.

Solstice Morning

Last night the celebrations commenced with going to see Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra, which was really enjoyable even if the small of my back hurt afterwards, but a small price to pay for the most anticipated birthday present of this year, this however meant a trip to London (oh the hardship of having to stay in a hotel & not have to cook) which meant Solstice morning arrival in a strange place I didn't see the sunrise as it was cloudy & slightly moist out, but still made the effort which for me is not easy as I am not a morning person by any stretch of the imagination. If only I could have remembered where City Henge was erected & knew how to get there I may have travelled out to it. Perhaps I should have bought some bourbon biscuits & created a henge of my own in the dryness of my hotel room, though I doubt it would have the same effect as being outside. I don't seem to have been the only one in the square who was also observing it as there was a couple on the doorstep to their own flat as well as I what I am assuming there was a Witch in her back yard doing the same as there was a basement flat with Kitchen Witches in her window, her/him light was on but she/he was not out in the square & a cat came out from the corresponding yard (OK it may be that I have jumped to a conclusion on that one but it was nice to think there was a few of us out there). But across the country many people have braved varying weather to welcome the sun in & who can blame them. However you guys celebrated it I hope you had a good one. All the best Pagan Chaplain

Jubilations to A Diamond Bird or Am I Much of a Royalist

As well as it being the second day of Birmingham Pride, I doubt anyone would have been able to avoid frenzy that is the Queen's diamond jubilee (at the point of seeing the word frenzy being typed my other half suggested sea monster or giant pooh), we do seem to have gone mad for a monarchy that half the time we want to see fall flat on their face or want to see abolished. Royals today don't seem to have the power they once did but at least they are not trying to kill each other to try & get the crown, so is it any wonder that she managed a diamond jubilee? I tend to find I have a love/hate relationship with the monarchy, they do have some uses & they do generate a fair amount of income as well as being a figurehead for the country & as far as rulers go they don't appear be the dictators that there are in other countries. But then I also feel that they are only their because a couple of thousand years ago a power hungry idiot wanted to suppress a nation by uniting it make it seem a positive rather than an egotistical power trip, but then again if they hadn't somebody else would, plus is our Queen really our monarch or is Michael Hastings our true King? Liz has done her bit for her country & she has over seen many changes in our country both better & worse & never seems to be out of the public eye for us to to scrutinise her, So you have to give her her dues as not many people can do that without crashing & burning, I doubt I would have coped as well in that position. So congratulations or something, have your expensive party & enjoy yourself.

Beltane for the Masses

I'm sorry if this is not my most coherent of posts but I'm still getting over the effects of a minor concussion from banging my head on the interior of my other half's car when he went over a pothole*. Trying to sell Beltane, the fertility festival in an interfaith environment is not an easy task, trying to not give the stereotype of licentiousness within our rankings. It is difficult how to word things so people don't get the wrong impression. I have marketed it a festival of creation for a start off. The focus of the meditation is about unlocking your inner beauty & in igniting the flame of creativity to help achieve, something which I can't remember the name of. It has come back to achieve their potential. I'm so going to have to write this pathworking down as I can't get my words out or I'm forgetting them one or the other. It is difficult to get across such a notion in such a way that people are trying to think you are trying to create a mass orgy in a rather inappropriate situation & further damage the stereotype of Witches & Pagans. I going to do my usual Wildwood Pathworking, though toned down a little in the symbology to make it more accessible to people of all faiths to join in. I'm sorry this will have to be it for my posting today as this is making my head hurt. I did have a whole layout in my head as to what i was going to say but with the head scrambling, I can't remember half of it or possibly most. Yours shaken, Pagan Chaplain.

*means curb unless my concussion made me blind as well as daft.

Ostara, Eostre, Hot Cross Buns

Ostara is a festival I have problems with generally as it is a little unknown & the Pagan links are somewhat thin & tenuous. The only real mention of Eostre, the goddess that Ostara & eventually Easter came from the Venerable Bede in the 8th Century, that the month of April was Eosturmonath to which there were festivals in her honour. But this is the earliest account we have of her. No one actually knows who she is, but theories have been put around that she is a goddess of the dawn, she is a goddess of regeneration, she is the goddess of the East wind, but which if any of the claims are true? Could it be that she is a different goddes entirely, could she be a fertility goddess? Her symbols would suggest that it is possible. Is it echoes from the past of European traders from Greece worshipping Eos? It could be that she is yet another goddess that has disappeared somewhat in to obscurity with all the information that she existed is a name & that we have just speculated the rest as it seems to fit the time of year. We don't know, but it does throw up an interesting question, which came first Easter or Ostara? Plus why if Eosturmonath is April why are we celebrating the festival in March? There are also claims that hot cross buns were Pagan too because of the equal armed cross. If hot cross buns were a Native American thing then yes it could quite easily be argued that was the case but in Europe the equal armed cross was used by early Christians especially in eastern countries, so to claim them as ours is spurious at best. I think it is good that we mark a natural progression of time but to claim it as ancient, I have distinct lack of ease with, but one thing is for certain the name for Easter had to come from somewhere or we would still be calling it Pasque. Hope you enjoy the chocolate eggs though as that I find the real perk to the celebrations. By the way still wired from all the caffeine consumed at the Pagan Moot seeing as though the giving up alcohol for Lent is still going strong. Yours twitchily Pagan Chaplain