Doin' the Beltane Boogaloo.......
May. 2nd, 2004 10:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
poltr1This afternoon was the local pagan network's open Beltane rite. This year, Children of the Heartspace stepped up to the plate and led the rite.
It was a dark and stormy morning. There was rain, and there was cold. As far as I know, an open rite had never been cancelled on account of weather. The Ostara ritual back in March was moved to the house of one of the coven leaders due to the weather.
Two or three years ago, at a previous Beltane rite, I remember having to make a tun to Krispie Kreme to get a cardboard "truck" of coffee because it was so cold that day in early May. (It's a cardboard carton made to look like a Krispie Kreme delivery truck, with a plastic liner on the inside.) This year, I came more prepared. I heated up some hot water for tea, brewed some decaf, and stopped at the local Speedway to refill my 2-quart travel coffee pot. I also packed some creamer, sugar, tea bags, hot cocoa, and plastic spoons. (I forgot the Splenda, unfortunately.)
And so I went to the park shelter where many of the pagan network's public events have been held. M went to sleep about 15 minutes before we were to head out, so R stayed home with her. As usual, there was a potluck meal. Unlike past events, the potluck dinner was eaten *before* the ritual. The event organizer -- a man named Thom whom I sort of "knew" from the local pagan email list -- was heating up some crayfish on a camp stove, and brought in some gumbo. Ah-ee! I hadn't eaten crayfish before, but Thom told me what to do -- break off the tail and suck out the meat from the tail. They were delicious! There were several egg dishes on the table; I sampled a few. (After all, this rite is supposed to celebrate the fertility of the earth...and of its creatures, and eggs are a symbol of fertility.) Some of the other members built a fire in the fire pit, a few others brought their djembes and were drumming, and others were dancing the maypole. (Yep, the maypole is another fertility symbol, and a rather phallic one at that.)
And then, at around 3 PM, we started gathering in a circle. Two of the coven's members, dressed in white, entered the circle and started dancing, giving each other "come-hither" looks. (I'm assuming they are a married or handfasted couple outside of their roles in the ritual.) They tapped two men and two women to join them. The two men started dancing and swinging their swords; the two women were also dancing and brandishing their chalices. The rest of us in the circle moved clockwise around the circle. The rite ended when the men dipped their swords in the women's chalices, and we all stopped dancing.
It was shorter than I expected -- about 10-15 minutes -- and then we went back to feasting. I got good vibes from both the ritual and the camaraderie. I rarely got that feeling when I was attending Catholic mass services. Even at the social events after mass, I felt like I was a fish out of water.....alone in a sea of people.
And then at 4:30, members of one of the other local covens arrived. Two of its members own and run the local metaphysical bookstore "Anything Under the Moon". They were scheduled to lead another open rite at around 5 PM. I stuck around for their rite, but didn't participate since I was talking with one of the people I knew from part open rites. I looked up and they had already formed their circle. The energy seemed to shift from festive to solemn right before their rite began. After they were done, they had their own potluck dinner. I didn't eat anything from their potluck, but let them have any leftover coffee. I also spent a few minutes scrying into the fire (and getting the occasional face full of smoke.) I stuck around and chatted until a little after 6, when I went home to get dinner for R and M. (I picked up barbecued chicken and ribs from the City Barbeque.)
All in all, it was a great ritual, and a great day. And hopefully this evening, R and I will celebrate Beltane in our own special way..... ;-)
It was a dark and stormy morning. There was rain, and there was cold. As far as I know, an open rite had never been cancelled on account of weather. The Ostara ritual back in March was moved to the house of one of the coven leaders due to the weather.
Two or three years ago, at a previous Beltane rite, I remember having to make a tun to Krispie Kreme to get a cardboard "truck" of coffee because it was so cold that day in early May. (It's a cardboard carton made to look like a Krispie Kreme delivery truck, with a plastic liner on the inside.) This year, I came more prepared. I heated up some hot water for tea, brewed some decaf, and stopped at the local Speedway to refill my 2-quart travel coffee pot. I also packed some creamer, sugar, tea bags, hot cocoa, and plastic spoons. (I forgot the Splenda, unfortunately.)
And so I went to the park shelter where many of the pagan network's public events have been held. M went to sleep about 15 minutes before we were to head out, so R stayed home with her. As usual, there was a potluck meal. Unlike past events, the potluck dinner was eaten *before* the ritual. The event organizer -- a man named Thom whom I sort of "knew" from the local pagan email list -- was heating up some crayfish on a camp stove, and brought in some gumbo. Ah-ee! I hadn't eaten crayfish before, but Thom told me what to do -- break off the tail and suck out the meat from the tail. They were delicious! There were several egg dishes on the table; I sampled a few. (After all, this rite is supposed to celebrate the fertility of the earth...and of its creatures, and eggs are a symbol of fertility.) Some of the other members built a fire in the fire pit, a few others brought their djembes and were drumming, and others were dancing the maypole. (Yep, the maypole is another fertility symbol, and a rather phallic one at that.)
And then, at around 3 PM, we started gathering in a circle. Two of the coven's members, dressed in white, entered the circle and started dancing, giving each other "come-hither" looks. (I'm assuming they are a married or handfasted couple outside of their roles in the ritual.) They tapped two men and two women to join them. The two men started dancing and swinging their swords; the two women were also dancing and brandishing their chalices. The rest of us in the circle moved clockwise around the circle. The rite ended when the men dipped their swords in the women's chalices, and we all stopped dancing.
It was shorter than I expected -- about 10-15 minutes -- and then we went back to feasting. I got good vibes from both the ritual and the camaraderie. I rarely got that feeling when I was attending Catholic mass services. Even at the social events after mass, I felt like I was a fish out of water.....alone in a sea of people.
And then at 4:30, members of one of the other local covens arrived. Two of its members own and run the local metaphysical bookstore "Anything Under the Moon". They were scheduled to lead another open rite at around 5 PM. I stuck around for their rite, but didn't participate since I was talking with one of the people I knew from part open rites. I looked up and they had already formed their circle. The energy seemed to shift from festive to solemn right before their rite began. After they were done, they had their own potluck dinner. I didn't eat anything from their potluck, but let them have any leftover coffee. I also spent a few minutes scrying into the fire (and getting the occasional face full of smoke.) I stuck around and chatted until a little after 6, when I went home to get dinner for R and M. (I picked up barbecued chicken and ribs from the City Barbeque.)
All in all, it was a great ritual, and a great day. And hopefully this evening, R and I will celebrate Beltane in our own special way..... ;-)
