Ostara, the Fulfillment

I hope this new spring season is treating everyone well.

This was my first Ostara celebrated with my friends and family of Shadow Grove. The plan for the day involved egg hunts for the children, and painting wooden eggs, little bird houses, and flower pots. All around, the Grove was showing signs of the new life of spring, and we were surrounding ourselves with its symbols.

The ritual in the early evening did not involve a bonfire as it often did. This time, we were led in a meditation and when we opened our eyes, we were each holding a brightly colored egg. Mine was orange, and I first thought that was not a relevant color to me, but soon came to realize it was perfect. At Imbolc, we each had charged a seed and were told to bring it back with us. During the ritual, while we held on to our eggs for a later purpose, we planted our seed in little peat cups with a little flag marking our names. These seeds will be cultivated and germinated and will later be planted in the Grove garden as a sign of our community, our family. Those who wanted one received a gift of a blooming Narcissus, that many of us planted in the pots we had painted.

The eggs we were given had a special purpose. After the ritual, we trudged back up the steep hill. We were told to draw upon the egg, dividing it into quadrants lengthwise. On either end, we put our name and a symbol that represented our faith (this was a pentacle in my case). We then thought of four things that we wanted, needed, or hoped for and wrote or drew symbols to represent them in each of the quadrants. The task from there was to roll the egg down a hill. When it stops, the quadrant facing up contained what we needed to focus on. Mine was happiness, which I represented by a glowing sun. This is also a feeling I get from the color of my egg, and in line with my wish last Esbat. I then opened up my egg and threw it into the woods so the critters of the Grove could have something to munch on.

After all of that was the feasting and gaiety I've come to expect with this wonderful group of people. Many of us were noting that this was the largest amount of people for a Sabbat that we've yet had. It is so nice to see this ministry growing, though we are near out-growing the ritual space. We have some thinking to do about that dilemma.

The Hare Moon and a Wishing Moon

While this month is called the hare moon, which is quite fitting for the season, according to 7th House, there are four Wishing Moons throughout the year as well. A Wishing Moon is just what it implies; it is a time to make a wish and to wait for its fulfillment.

I had planned a certain working for this Esbat but ended up doing something else entirely. Perhaps this something else was more in line with the energies of the Wishing Moon than I could really have planned. I did something I have not done in quite some time: I went out on a date!

It may seem like a simple enough thing, but I see it as living. Whatever does or does not come from one dinner date, I went out into the world and spent a nice evening living in it.

Esbats may be set aside for spell casting, but there is no greater way to honor the phases of the moon and the cycle of life than to experience it. My wish is simply to never forget that I deserve my own happiness, in whatever form that may take.

May the hares find you warm and happy and taking an active role in your life.

Tony Was Freakin' Awesome

A week ago, the community of Shadow Grove learned that one of their own left this world. It was sudden and unexpected and the physical cause is still unknown. In that week, there was grief and sorrow for his wife and 9-month old daughters. There was also celebration. We celebrated his life, the lives he made, the lives he touched. Even those who did not know him well knew a special light had left us.

I got sick and was unable to go to the Calling on Friday. I could, however, make it to the funeral on Saturday. This took place at his family's Methodist church. It was, by far, the most forward-thinking Christian church I have ever been to. The pastor asked the ministers of Shadow Grove to participate in the service, read a poem that was written for Tony, and chose a closing hymn that would specifically sing to our path, to Tony's path. When the pastor announced the Shadow Grove ministers, the person sitting in front of me leaned over to his wife and whispered, "they didn't go to this church?" That was amusing to me. The funeral was beautiful.

Yesterday, we had our own remembrance gathering at the Grove House. Tony was known as the Grill King. If you couldn't find him, he would be at the grill, preparing meat the way it should be prepared. He also enjoyed a good bonfire, and was coordinating that and much of the meals for our upcoming Beltane festival. Our memorial involved the two things that we knew he was passionate about: a raging bonfire and a feast he would have been proud of.

It was the most people I've yet seen at the Grove. Through tears, smiles, and laughter, we said our farewells, and burned letters in the fire. This was a special fire as well. It contained parts of a wooden trebuchet that had flung its last pumpkin into the trees this past Samhain. Tony had helped build that. We think he'll be around for the building of the new trebuchet. After the ritual, it was back to the house for an amazing feast while people shared stories and memories.

I think everyone would be honored to be remembered this way. It was not without sorrow, but it was also filled with happy memories and sharing them with friends and kin.

Have a blessed journey, dear one.