Druidpalooza 2011: harvest the grain of knowledge

As with so many things in life I didn't know what to expect at my first Druidpalooza. This was the third year for this event sponsored by Coast Oak Grove, ADF. Myself and the two other druids who are forming the protogrove with me packed our gear and drove 5 and a 1/2 hours to the camp site. The camp grounds were nice, and had running water toilets and quarter operated showers. One of the more developed camp grounds I have been to in years. We were greeted with a great friendly smile and a hardy hand shake. After introductions we unpacked our camp. the usual things: tent, sleeping pads and bags, food, clothing bags. The final touch was the new banner for our Protogrove. Just before we left, we had finally settled on the name of Cottonwood river protogrove, ADF.

The first night was a chance to meet the attendees and ADF's Arch Druid. We spent the night talking, laughing, and enjoying each other's company. We were fed great food and fun stories. Unable to stop myself as usual I shared my own stories as well and when not talking I absorbed as much of the experience as I could. People were quick to pledge their help to our fledgling protogrove and much advice and wisdom was given to me on tips and tricks to running a protogrove. I took it all in. By night time the park had been filled to capacity, around us was an extremely large and noisy church group, as well as many other campers. This was, for me, the only down side as the sheer number of people created a chaotic energy about the place, and the noise of so many kept me awake at night between crying children and random car alarms. Sleep came only in spurts.

On Saturday we woke, showered, eat breakfast, and after dishes headed out for a short hike. When we returned we had the first of our lectures. A great lecture on "hot topics in druidry". I gleaned a lot of advice and ideas for future use from this lecture. It really got me thinking as how I will describe to some one what druidry in sixty seconds! A challenge to say the least! The next lecture came after lunch. The topic was Pre-Republic Roman cosmology and liturgy. I found the lecture fascinating as it was one that I know nothing about. Despite my interest however, the food, warm weather, and gentle cooling breeze got the best of me and I caught myself drifting off once. I managed to stay awake by drinking some pop and snacking on trail mix. I didn't want to miss any of it. After that lecture we had a small break and then came together again for the archdruids talk on "the lady with the mead cup". I had been very much looking forward to this lecture. It was everything I had hoped for. It really helped to crystallize a lot of ideas I had had running about my head in regards to Ireland's goddesses of sovereignty. It also helped define what the sacred king is and we enjoyed learning about the pros and cons of being such a thing. In the end, we were asked, how might the ideas and stories of the sacred kings and goddesses of sovereignty might be used for trans-personal work. This is something I hope to explore in the near future, and when I have some ideas I'll share then with the Archdruid.

After the last lecture it was dinner and on to the Lughnasa ritual. Coast oak grove invited us to join in the ritual. This was both an honor and made us a bit nervous. Though we know the COoR, the details of ritual very from group to group and we were not familiar with their details. Still I feel the ritual came off very nicely. Many offerings were made. I offered the knife I had made last week just for lugh. I couldn't help but get emotional as I made my offering. Lugh has given me so much, helped me so much the past few years. It felt good to give him a gift back. I felt that it is something he'll truly appreciate. I made it myself to the best of my skill. When all had given offerings, omens were taken with the Futhark runes. Three runes drawn. Three of the best runes possible. Truly it was a very good omen. The waters of life were blessed and we drank them in. Next, much to my[ surprise, the seer for Coast Oak Grove called the three of us, Cottonwood protogrove, to the fire and had us stand back to back as we were then blessed by the archdruid and all those in attendance that our protogrove grow strong and healthy. It was incredibly touching. At least a couple of us had tears. To soon the ritual was ended, and the fire was once again just a fire.

We stayed up late into the night sharing drink and stories and wisdom. We then went to bed, and upon Sunday morning it was time to pack up and come home. The drive home felt long to me. I was aching to see my b'loved water witch again. Several times I nodded off on the drive. Good thing I wasn't the one driving! In both my waking and napping I found myself processing all that I had learned and seen and experienced. Now I am home, my stuff put away, yet still I know I am processing all I learned. It was a great time, and great experience. I know that I will remember it for many many years.

The Druidpalooza

I am leaving early in the morning for my first ADF Druid get together. I'll probably be posting stories of the experience when I get back, so stay tuned!

Hospitality

For 't is always fair weatherWhen good fellows get togetherWith a stein on the table and a good song ringing clear.- Richard Hovey, Spring

It had been six or seven moons since I had last seen my parents. The eleven hours of driving wear weighing in on my low back. My emotions rubbed a bit raw from having to drop my children off with their mother after a wonderful two week visit with me. In short I was tired, achy, and already missing my kids. I drove up to the large house of my child hood. The verdant forest surrounding it was lush and green; the grass in the wild places as tall as me. I sat in the car not sure of what to expect inside. Though my relationship with my parents had always been pretty good as a rule, how they were with each other was a question. I knew my father had just moved back home after a year’s absence, as they had worked out the issues that can build up after forty five years of marriage. Add to that their closet alcoholism and things can get weird. Thankful I didn’t have to sleep in my car or get a hotel, I got out. My father met me at the door, he had obviously noticed I pulled up and was waiting, and he met me with a warmer smile then I had felt from him for some years. Mother was in the kitchen putting the last touches on her amazing eggplant parmesan dish. It takes her all day to cook it and she made it just for my being there. The food was amazing, but even more so was the feeling of warmth and welcome I felt. At dinner I regailed my parents with stories of my adventures and the crazy things that life throws at us and of the times shared with my kids. I helped do the dishes and we shared in some ice cream. Never once did it feel awkward or uncomfortable. Though I had visited many times since I moved out of state, this…this was the best hospitality I had yet known. As I lied in bed that night I wondered what was different. It wasn’t the special dinner, no, they had done similar things in the past, it seemed to me that the difference came from deep within my parents. It would seem they had worked through much of their problems, and found that at the center they still loved each other. This love flowed. Not just between them, but out into the home, into me the guest. I realized then that this is what real hospitality was. It’s not the home, the bed, the food, the drink or the conversation. It’s the love.

ADF defines hospitality as: “Acting as both a gracious host and an appreciative guest, involving benevolence, friendliness, humor, and the honouring of "a gift for a gift."” Often times in our modern American society we think that the whole burden of hospitality lies upon the host. Yet this is really only half the relationship. The other half lies with the guest. Being a good guest is just as important. This relationship is the “Ghosti” relationship. This is the relationship that we share not only with other humans, but with the gods, spirits, and ancestors. We meet with the kindred in a very special place called a Nematon. It is here that we invite the kindred to join us. When they do we give gifts to them in the form of sacrifice. In return they gift us back with their blessings. This is the meaning of “a gift for a gift”. Since learning about this concept I have tried hard to incorporate it into my life, not just with the gods, but with friends and family too. This has worked well for my life. I feel that the relationships that I have developed over the last few years have been the best I have ever had. I feel that having this understanding of the Ghosti* relationship has been a big part of that. I have also come to realize that there is a big difference between just going through the motions of the Ghosti* relationship and doing it with love.

Meditation journal entry #12

Been some time since I have written about my meditations. There hasn't been much to write about though until recently. The last two weeks I didn't make time to meditate like I normally do. I had the very special visiting time with my kids. I got to have the for the whole two weeks and wow, what a great time we all had. I can't put into words how nice it was to be with them again. I can only say I felt complete in a way I usually don't. Still, after they went back to their mother, I slipped into my old routine of daily meditation. The first day back at it was pretty interesting. I really worked the two powers and filled my three cauldrons. I had a strong sensation of them realigning. I have come to suspect that what I sense as a re-aligning is what the original author of the cauldrons of posey may have meant when he talks about the cauldrons being tipped on their sides or upside down and how we can turn them right side up.

Today I chose to do an Ogham meditation. That means I pull out a Ogham Few at random and meditate upon it's meanings as they pertain to my life. Ruis was the few that chose me today. I considered what are my passions in life, what am I passionate about. This seemed very fitting at this time as just last night my b'loved water witch was saying how I don't seem as happy of late. Though last night I came up with several reasons that may be contributing to this, it occurred to me today that much of it is that I am not acting upon the things that I am passionate about. One of those things that I am passionate about it helping people with the problems they are struggling with. This led me to post on FaceBook that I was giving free Ogham readings for the day so as to get more practice in. I had several requests. Good questions most of them and I enjoyed the practice and I feel that I was able to help those who asked. All but one that is. One question I could not discern an answer that made sense. I may attempt the divination at another time. Part of the difficulty is the nature of the question isn't one that the Ogham is going to be able to answer easily. In the end I feel a fire in my heart that I haven't had in a while.

Summoning earth...check!

The air was warm and pleasent. The darkness around me like a comforting hand. The wind was a gentle breeze, perfect to keep the fire burning hot. The noise level was acceptably quiet and still, a small blessing when you live in an urban environment.
All was in readiness for the ritual of creating the summoning earth. I had to make a few changes to the recipie though. Due to the climate I live in getting my hands on Rowan and Hazel is impossible. Two woods needed for the ritual. Oak I had, but not the other two. As the purpose of the woods is to add thier Bua to the summoning earth, I thearized that I could get the same effect with using their Ogham coralations. I lit the fire. The dried pine needles went up in a "whoosh". The oak caught quickly. As the fire's life grew stronger, I placed the Ogham few's in it. Then I place the herbs. When all was placed I began the chanting. "A teine gealach"
"A teine Or"
"A teine dearg"
"A teine mor"
"A teine naomh, bigi anseo liom!"

I read the chant at first, until it became memorized. Slowly the chant became less mechanical and began to flow from me like water. I felt my mind sink into trance. My eyes closed. I held the vision in my head and could hear the nine chanting with me...or was it me with them? I am no singer by any means, but in time the chant came out as song. I am not sure how long I was chanting/singing when I suddenly felt a presence behind me and to my right. I can't explain how I knew. It's like those times your sure some one is watching you, only more that they are standing there as well. I turned and looked but of course didn't see anything. I could just feel them. I came in and out of trance as things distracted me. Loud cars, the neighbor putzing around his back yard, but that feeling of some thing or some one being there near me watching me never went away. I found it a bit un-nerving. None the less I kept on with the chanting. Two and a half hours worth untill the fire died and the embers were only the faintest of glowing. I had to get up early the next morning for a long trip, so I called it good. In the morning while every one was still asleep, I scooped up the cooled ashes and completed the ritual adding nine drops of my blood and two handfuls of grave yard dirt.
Done and done and well done.

Po-sun-co-la takes three...

In June Po-sun-co-la took three lives. Two of them were largely due to stupidity. The third was a bit more curious. The man was simply camping at the edge of the river and was reported missing by other campers. His body was found down river lodged in the roots of a tree. So was one of the earlier victims body. The third body still hasn't been located.

grave matters

The full moon once again approaches. The time for making summoning earth is nigh.