Samhain

Samhain quickly approaches on the cold winds of October. A few days of refreshing rain have come and gone to this arid desert. The oak king as finally released his grasp of the wheel of the year. The changes of this time of year always quickened my blood when I lived in the northlands. My longing for the hunt would be palpable and I would suddenly get the anxiousness of that ADHD kid whacked out on Mt. Due until opening day finally arrived and with bow in hand I would set off on another year of adventure into the deer woods. I haven't picked up a bow in about year. I haven't hunted since longer then that. Not for a lack of want, but a lack of funds and time. College keeps me busy. Family keeps me busy.

Daily I continue my energy exercises. I have mastered the two dragons exercise. The finally energy exercise is the tree of light. I suspect after samhain I shall do the invoking of it for the first time. Once I am done with that I have picked up a new book of Druidic magick that I will start to study. This magick comes from Ian Corrigan (you can find his blog here http://intothemound.blogspot.com/ ) and his book Draiocht. This magick will proposes a system of spirit summoning and partnership. I have read the book once through, but have not yet started the magick exercises there in. I can see some correlation with Greers work, but there is also a lot of differences. I suspect it will be many moons before I am ready to even try the basics of spirit arte. I intend to keep my readers well informed of the progress right here on this blog.

The drama queen of the pagan group is acting up again. Once again she came to me and accused people of the group of banishing her and magically attacking her and trying to take her power. Though when she spoke with me she was careful not to drop any names. She went on about how she wants to come to the Samhain ritual, but was told by a Tarot reader that if she does they will magickaly attack her and take her power. That was Sunday. Monday, she sent me a message on FB that was a totally different story. Now it's some mysterious coven that's attacking her, oh and they are working against my wife too! making her sicker and sicker! and she knows all this how? oh that's not hard, she knows this because she's "the all knowing one of the group" and "she just knows these things" Need I go on?...no?...didn't think so. For the record, my wife is getting better, not worse. This woman has in the past year been magically attacked four times, yes, count them...four. First was the B.S. about the spirit that was suck on her by some young dark magi. Then there was the incident where she claimed another member of the group magickally attacked her in a sabbot circle. After that was some peace, then at the Pagan Pride day celebration she claimed to have been magically attacked again. Now this. Frankly, I am done with the B.S. I don't have the time in my life right now to deal with this. Also I feel that this woman is a threat to the well being of the group. I can see that deep down she's very lonely, and seeking attention, and validation, mostly she wants to be loved. Yet these behaviors and others that I have not discussed here are repulsive to people. Simply put, she's broken, and I am not the one to fix her. I have talked this over with a few others in the group and we all feel that it's best if she goes else where.

I have written the Samhain ritual for this year. I am mostly happy with it. Below I have posted the outline.
Samhain 2010

I. Preparation of ritual space
a. Set up Tiki Torches
b. Lights in trees and in harbor
c. Set up alter and decorations
d. Cleanse space with Holy water and sacred fire
II. Ritual
a. Opening
i. Smudge participants as they enter
ii. Opening words of welcome
1. Light fire
2. “By star and stone…”
3. Marluna’s words of welcome
iii. peace to the quarters
iv. Druids prayer
v. Quarter invocations
vi. Lord and Lady invocations
vii. Ancestor invocations

b. Ritual body
i. Ancestor Meditation and communion
ii. Offerings to ancestors
iii. Ancestor blessing invocation
iv. Divination of the blessing
v. Wine and cakes

c. Ritual Closing
i. Libation
ii. Farewell to ancestors
iii. Farewell to lord and lady
iv. Farewell to quarters
v. Closing words
1. from Derek
2. from Marluna
3. declare the rite ended.

III. h'ordeuvres and drinks