Cutting the ties that bind

Tonight I performed the ritual for the vow breaking woman.  The ritual went smoothly and as planned.  I didn’t leave out any parts of it and I feel that it was a truly powerful ritual.  When I called up on the gods, the wind picked up and the energy of the grove changed palpably.  Later when they were thanked, you could feel the energy change again to what it was before.  The woman shed silent tears as I bound her hands in the hand fasting cord that had been used in the hand-fasting to her husband, that was then cut.  I held the cut cord up and asked her if she wanted me to place it in the fire or do it herself.  I was pleased when she wanted to do it herself and she did.  Having not only been at the hand-fasting, but hosting it in my home, it was a poignant moment for me as well.  Another poignant moment was the taken of the Oman.  I used my Ogham and asked the big question, “are these sacrifices accepted?”.  This was gut wrenching moment for me, as the woman has made some pretty big sacrifices already and I did not want to have the holy kindred reject them.  Gladly they did not. The omen was very positive.  Once all was done, I guided the woman on a journey to speak with the kindred.  She shared a little bit of that with me, but that is not my story to tell.  I never told her or any one other then the readers of this blog about what I saw two weeks ago in regards to the spirit that was around her.  However, when the ritual was done and she was getting ready to leave she stopped and said “ya know, I already feel better now than when I came.”  I am taking this as a strong affirmation that my magical working has banished the spirit from her.  My hope is now her luck will change, and she can move forward with her life, learning what she needs to learn to find her power, and gaining in wisdom.  Time will tell, for all answers are told in time. 

Ablution of the young woman's soul.

So to continue with the spirit work that I talked about last post…the woman who was the subject has chosen to come to me and ask for some spiritual and magical help.  In her words she says that she has tried to commune with the goddess, but seems to need more.  We sat down together and have come up with a multipart ritual.  The first part of this ritual will be about making Priacular offerings for breaking of the vows she made, and hoping to again get into the good graces of the Kindred.  The second part of the ritual will be a ritual to act out the spiritual cutting of the handfasting.  Lastly will be a cleansing of her with the sacred waters of the well, the waters of the deep, and smudging with incense and the sacred fire.  I have done Ogham readings to get an idea of what the kindred want in the way of offerings as well as to the correctness of this ritual.  All signs seem to point me to carry on.  For a verity of reasons I have chosen not to relate to the young woman what I experienced on my spirit walk.  I assess that she’s already under a lot of stress and pressure with all that’s going on.  I see no value to adding to it by telling her that I think there is a malicious spirit attached to her.  I also have my own fears, mostly I don’t want to come off as seeming “crazy” or to “out there.”  I do believe that the working we have come up with will do the job and rid her of the nasty around her.  If not…I’ll do something more.  Ritual is set for this Thursday. 

8 winds and a broken vow

The wind blows

It knows, it knows

Its secrets it whispers,

To the trees, to the trees

Its fingers twist and twirl

In my hair, in my hair

The wind blows

It knows, it knows. 

                Two weeks have passed since my time at ADF’s Northwest regions 8 winds festival.  This druid get together brought ADFers from all over the country.  It was a time for learning, a time for laughing, a time for making friends and family, a time for healing, and a time for spirit art. 

                I got to meat for the first time face to face Rev. Ian Corrigan.  I must say that after learning his spirit art and following his style of ritual for two years now it was a pleasure to finally meet the man in person.  What’s more, I got to share in a spirit working with the Court of Bridget.  I learned much from observation and participation in this working.  Seeing the ritual working is very enlightening and one can pick things up that just can’t be well communicated in a textual format.  My role in this ritual was that of a seer and to see if a spirit would come to me.  As the call for the spirits was given, I sensed more then saw a number of spirits approach our grove.  In my druid’s sight I did make eye to eye contact with a spirit that I interpreted as a wind spirit based off its form and color.  It was like when you make eye to eye contact with a “lovely” person whom you have never met across a room.  I thought for sure this was going to be the spirit with which I would palaver and make an alliance.  As Ian called out the oath and the charge that the spirits do us no harm, several left, but the wind spirit stayed.  Then when Ian began to speak of lasting alliances and asking for its oath, it left.  I admit I was disappointed.  I then searched with my Druids sight for another when suddenly a young girl of a spirit in a white robe holding a golden harp jumped into my view and got “in my face” as they say.  She was sweet and jovial and told me her name was Siarah and that she was the bringer of the desire to sing; in a word inspiration.  She flooded me with images and words and in my altered state it all made sense, but like a dream you can’t quite remember when you wake up, a lot of it was gone when I came out of the trance. 

               

                Recently a young witch woman in our community broke her hand fasting vows made in the presence of the kindred.  Two weeks after her broken vow her toddler became suddenly ill and had to be taken to the hospital and was admitted for dehydration.  The child recovered quickly and the illness left as quickly as it came.  Then a week later she was suddenly fired from the job she loved and very much needed at this time.  Just bad luck?  I suppose it could be, but last night I was beginning to suspect there might be more to it.  It is well known that the kindred do not take kindly to broken vows and oaths.  Through my druid and priestly lens I see these events as related.  Not that the kindred are punishing her, but that there are lessons and consequences to be had.  The job, I believe, was acquired with the aid of magic and the blessing of the goddess.  Thus perhaps she has, for the time, lost that blessing.  Wanting to see if I could learn more I chose to do a spirit walk and talk to my guides.  I did so and my suspicions were confirmed.  Then my old teacher wanted to show me something.  The world around me grew pitch dark and out of it I caught the form of man with a huge head like the abdomen of a spider with many eyes that glowed red, and where a mouth should have been was many spider like legs.  I was completely unprepared for this.  I had no protective charms on my physical body.  I followed my first instinct and that was to call into me the two powers as strongly as I could.  To literally glow with them and project the two powers out from all around me like an aura.  Then I commanded the spirit away and sort of “shooed” it off. One of my spirit allies showed up and also helped.  I am sure this is far from a permanent fix.  I think that this spirit has something to do with what’s going on, but not sure of the details.  After the encounter I found myself quickly back in my body in this world and quite tired.  I didn’t get a chance to ask any other questions of my guides.   

                I’d love to once again delve into the spirit world tonight, prepared this time, and find out more and see if there was something I could do, however, I have my children with me and my daughter has a guest staying the night and this is not going to allow for me to do that.  I have felt tired all day, but that could be the oppressive heat we are having today just as well as from the experience I had last night.   If the chance arises I will again do a spirit-walk, but it could be a few days.