Blessed Equinox!

On Sunday I attended Three Cranes Grove's Spring Equinox rite--Anestheria, a Hellenic festival honoring Dionysus and Ariadne's marriage.  Being congested, I attended via Zoom, and it was a lovely ritual.  I had never heard of the Anestheria until this month, which is funny because I used to be a Hellenic Polytheist, AND I'm a godspouse and Maenad of Dionysus and a Priestess of Ariadne (albeit the Minoan Ariadne, not Hellenic).  So that was fun to attend.  One of the members read a version of Their love story that I hadn't heard either--well, the after events of Ariadne leaving the island that She was abandoned on in the myths.   Of Her being killed, Dionysus travels to the Underworld and asks Persephone for His love back.  Ariadne becomes immortal and Her crown--I think--is turned into a constellation.  The versions that I'm familiar with, Ariadne sometimes dies on the island, sometimes not--either way, Dionysus falls in love with Her, and makes Her immortal.

It actually brought me to tears listening to the story.  

And the Bards! I adore the music of TCG's Bards, but during this ritual, the music was great.  It was so joyous and involved the community--their music usually involves the community singing along.  One song in particular, I believe when they were Re-creating the Cosmos--bangin.  Loved it.  

I know TCG doesn't care what your voice sounds like, just sing, but I never sing out loud with them.  I can sing really pretty when I'm being goofy, even in front of other people.  But when I'm trying to sing pretty with spiritual songs, it's awful.  There's a self-confidence disconnect in there, that I've been working on over the last couple of years.  I know I can sing pretty, it's just getting that voice out with confidence when I'm singing spiritual songs.

One day, yall, one day.

Yesterday, the Ostara Hare visited our home and left pails of treats and toys for our three kids.  My eldest got a lego Star Wars mini fig, midkid got a horseshoe crab toy, and the youngest got a Siren Head toy.  They each got chocolate rabbits and Peeps.

Hubby also got a pack of baseball cards, or as my 5-year-old said, "Ballgame cards".  I got the The Wanderer's Havamal translated by Dr. Jackson Crawford.  I've read the Havamal when the Wyrd Sanctuary did our (Elder Futhark) Rune Deep Dive in 21-22.  I've also listened to Dr. Crawford read it in old Norse (I believe it was) and English.  I almost didn't get this book, but someone in Virtual Fire said that he has a cowboy version of the Havamal at the end, which is a great resource, because parts of that poem can be hard to understand, but in more modern settings, it's easier for me!  I'm still re-reading The Fire on Our Hearth and The Hearth Keepers Way, so I haven't cracked it open up, but I'm getting antsy!

When the kids got home from school, we gave them their pails and did our egg hunt.  I baked a bunny cake and let them decorate it, and we had lamb stew. 

Our Ostara Hare--but also looks like a Crab--Cake!

Sometime this week, I'm going to have ritual with my family.  For my personal holy days, I celebrate the Epopteia--"the Fiery Vision of Persephone's Return from the Underworld". I wrote a ritual to celebrate Persephone's Inner Child, Kore.  A Child Goddess to help my kids connect better.  We're also going to do some egg magik focusing on their goals for this season.  Instead of growth, as one may do with seeds, we're going to focus on nourishing energy, since we're burying the eggs.  As eggs break down, they feeds the soil.  So may those energies help to nourish and aid us in achieving our goals.

I also hope we can dye some eggs and take a nature walk at the park--I'd love to also do a spring photo shoot of our family this year.  This chilly wind's gotta ease up soon, right?

Last night, after our family festivities, I attended Virtual Fire's online Zoom ritual, performed by Jeffery Keefer.  It was a pretty chill ritual.  Jeffery focused on the Gaulish Hearth Culture--which is Three Cranes Grove's hearth culture, too.  Although he didn't have his set of Gaulish runes with him, it prompted me to do some research on this divinatory system.  I love me some runes (from the little bit of research I've done, they are similar to symbols, names, and meanings to the Elder Futhark).

For The Work part, we wrote down something that we're going to work on this season and beyond.  My thing is a continuous thing that I've been working on--The ability to Flow.  To work on overthinking.  Let it flow and Surrender to Joy.  

Jeffery said that he puts these post-its on his laptop--I do the same with my monitors.  I've got affirmations all over my screens.  This one has been added to the rest.  They do really help me to stay on track of my healing and authenticity.  Sometimes I can be a little bit too in my head--anxiety, among others forms of negative self talks--is a liar.  Sometimes having reminders and affirmations can be really helpful to changing that negative self-talk.

The Three Cranes ritual on Sunday was really energetic.  Last night's ritual was pretty chill, which I'm glad, because I was a little tired after Day 1 of Operation Family Spring Equinox (we tend to celebrate the High Days for 3 or more days, it depends on my spoons [energy levels]).

After we perform our family ritual, I'll post pics and script here.

I hope yall's was and will be a good one.  

Gentle Equinox!

- Dedicant and Hearth Keeper Foxlyn