There and back again

Set up the altar for my rite. Jasmine incense chosen, a glass of mead poured, my Remo drum came out of the closet.

Shade pulled, candle lit, incense lit, lights out. Polite society removed, along with all my clothing.

Lit the braid of sweetgrass, smudged my body in its smoke. Nightly purifications have become a regular thing for me but not to this level.

Pick up wand, cast a circle four times. Nothing is getting in. Give my unseen allies instructions before I go under.

Sit down. Invoke. Sip mead. Feel the current continuing to course through my body.

Pick up drum. Beat softly. Let it take me where it will.

Picking up the energies of witches of the past. Running (or is that flying) through the woods. I can see a stag, along with does. Running, moving so quickly.

Finding myself in a small clearing packed with plants. So many I can’t even begin to discern what’s before me. A green man with a beard (a green wight? Odin in disguise?) shows up as well. Picks up my thoughts about feeling like I am starting so late with herbal work.

“There’s no rush.”

Well, that is certainly a relief.

Running again. Periodically picking up my drum to add more soft rhythm to my work. Slowly working my way through the mead. Eventually lay down on my belly to experience what I am seeing while prone.

Still running wild. Pressure building between my legs. Hand-ling that for a while. Basic sex magic. Even now I can’t remember what I did. But the way I felt after, and today, tells me something worked.

Slowly come back. Feels like short minutes. I’ve been under for almost an hour. Love how that works.

Drag myself up to something of normal consciousness. Words pouring out of me to get on to the paper. Every little detail noted. Crawl into bed. Read some of Sybil Leek’s book. Takes so long to fall asleep.

*****

Today I went on living my normal life. But it’s changed. Usually I have hated doing any sort of ritual by myself. I felt like it was always lacking something. Even when doing a ritual written up by someone else meant to be done solo, it has felt empty. Finally something has connected in my brain.

Earlier this evening I performed The Rites of Her Sacred Fires for Hekate. This is the third year I have participated, and the first time I truly felt something within the ritual.

Celebrating Hekate

There seems to be something about this time of year for me and Hekate. I don’t know why just yet but given how elusive my relationship with Her can be, I am not going to push anything to the side.

This time, it started with this post from The Serpent’s Wisdom and finding that my interactions with Hekate are far from uncommon. It gives me hope as to future interactions.

Last week during the various skimmings of Facebook, mention of the rite of Her Sacred Fires came up. I didn’t join in last year, but will be participating today. I don’t expect it to change my active relationship with Her in any major way, but it will be nice to psychically join up with other devotees to honor such an amazing Goddess.

Khaire Hekate!

Art by Thalia Took

Today’s celebration

Pagan Blog Prompts asks about Samhain this week. I’m not a Celt in my practices, but I’m celebrating the holiday anyway. The Aesir seem to like it.

Any specific plans for this year?
This afternoon I will be going to my friend T’s house and our friend H is coming over as well. We have a few things planned. While the sun is still up we’ll be doing some shamanic healing work. Later, when it gets dark, we’re doing a ritual and pathworking to Hekate and having a dumb supper. None of us have done the supper before and I’m so curious to see what may happen.
I’ve never really done a large amount of ritual for the day in the past, but I do always try to do *something* for my ancestors since I started honoring them. The day isn’t one marked in Heathen tradition normally, but this is also the time for Winternights. The tradition in the northeast is to honor the alfar/male ancestors at this time of year.
This autumn has been very nice here. The trees are showing vibrant colors again, thanks to how wet it was during the summer. They’re also turning in waves. Sometimes you can see several trees of the same species together but each is at a different point of color change. From still green, to bright yellow, to dropping leaves, all in a small space. I feel very in tune with the energy, feeling the transition from hot to colder, preparing for the cold upcoming.

How do you meld current cultural practices with your own rituals and practices, concerning Halloween/Samhain?
Focusing on the Heathen side is what I do right now. The AEsir are definitely more present right now and there are no major Kemetic festivals until Mysteries of Wesir in a few weeks. This week I’ve been getting pinged to get to know Bragi and Idunna better, and my namesake has been on my radar. I rarely pick up on the long-dead, so that’s been a wonderful but unusual experience.
Hm, I don’t think I’ve thought about the potential overlap in timing between the Mysteries and Halloween until just now. I also don’t connect much with Wesir which may have some bearing on that. The next few weeks might turn out to be quite interesting indeed.

Happy Halloween/Samhain/Dia de los Muertos everyone!