Circle of Joy and Sorrow

Everything that exists is in a manner the seed of that which will be. -Marcus Aurelius

Monday, July 10, 2006

Real World Wicca

Now when my eyes flew open at 17:47 EST, I had a feeling of impending doom. I had just overslept by 5 hours and ritual was at 20:00. I hadn’t a dollar on me, the bank closed in 13 minutes, I hadn’t bought apples for Epona, and I hadn’t reserved the campsite. And I had to reserve the campsite and drive back from Ellicot City to the Greater Barrens in order to post the gate code to the park on Joy and Sorrow’s Yahoo Group.

I pretty much figured I was hamburger, but there was a slim chance it might not matter. People had been emailing cancellations over the course of the weekend and it was beginning to look like I might not have anyone to let down left. So I threw on my jeans, found my flip flops and flew on down to my trusty car. Realized I was sans Victoria Secret and had less caffeine in my blood stream than you find in straight water.

The bank closed a whole two minutes early, just so the tellers could have the pleasure of pursing their lips at the several of us and mouthing “we’re closed.” BBT sucks and I really should change banks. Really. Just as soon as they cough up my new bank card, which they swear is in the mail. I go over to Giant and write a check to get cash and apples and caffeine. Campsite, code and back to the computer, an hour later to find that I’m now down to two other people.

Mystery beats me to the campsite by a few minutes, trailing along her bf and some very lovely baked bread. We scrounge around the woods for enough dead fall for a fire, and I get to see some deer feeding in a small meadow. The fireflies are out and the evening is looking good and my altar board is going over well. The altar is a section of tree trunk about two inches thick, from an oak, that has an inlaid wood pentacle that’s from a paper mulberry.

Since the full moon was not set to rise until much later, I decided on a ritual for Epona, who is the goddess of roads and trade, who brings food and cheer to the Celtic grain god Goronwyn, who is watching over the grown grain in the fields until it is ready to harvest and be eaten. We offered Goronwyn seeds of the earth in trade for future seeds from His fields, which were large pine cones I had gathered at Beltane after they were thrown from their trees by a storm.

Then we offered granny smith apples to Epona, and I had the joy of showing Mystery and her bf how to cut the apple to get the secret star to appear. I always love sharing that with people who have never cut an apple to find the star before. Then we mixed oil and water to bless our car keys and driver’s licenses, and to ask for Epona’s mercy and patience dealing with the rising cost of fuel and keeping safe on her roads. We shared Beer and Bread, and gave that and apples to the fire and Mystery’s faeries.

2200 and I’m on my way back to the Greater Barrens. Even though my windows are rolled all the way down, all I smell's only the mixture of sweet cherry oil and wood smoke and rosemary bread and bug spray. To the East there has risen a tangerine moon, which as I take the exit to home is swallowed by a velvet blue bank of storm clouds. I may be poor and frustrated and single and lonely, but tonight I am a witch and by the gods, I really am happy.

Technorati Tags:
, , , , , , , ,

4 Comments:

At 8:29 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

nothing ventured nothing gained. It sounds as if the gods had no intention of making it easy for you, I know they do not for me. however, it is because it is not easy that it becomes more rich and fulfilling when what you set out to do is achieved. my journey on the road to spirituality has been a long and tring one but I have learned so much along the way. I know it it had been easy I would not have found myself again. That was a wonderful experience you have shared and gave me a good remimder of why I am tring to return to myself and to be able to share with others. Thank you! May the gods grant you good fortune!

 
At 5:59 PM, Blogger omelas said...

Hi Will! You sure travel incognito. Strangely enough, it wasn't all that hard in the actual doing of it all. It's just that I had set a deadline for myself to get these things done, and overslept. In retrospect it was funny how frantic I was, although nothing that I did really proved to be a hardship. So it was easy, I just didn't have the margin of error I was used to having to work with. Anyways, everything worked out peaches.

 
At 5:36 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am not trying to be incognito if I came accross that way forgive me. I responded to your reply and in it I tried to explain myself more maybe you did not recieve it. At any rate you knew who i was and know who I am we have been down this path together before. I know that I need your assisstance again to find and understand the way!

 
At 12:41 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wow ! so many things changed here since my last visit!I am now working with the magic spells network and feeling so much better! cya around

 

Post a Comment

<< Home