Sacred Bullsh*t

Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens - Tea Houses

Hello again!  Merry meet!

Do you and yours have a special place you meet when you all want to get together?  A person's home?  The park?  A garden?

Well, if you could not tell already, this entry in my journal will be all on meetings.

Now, there's always a BIG question of:  I'm solitary, do I need a coven; do I need to go to meetings?  The answer is simple: Not if you do not want that.  Your Path is your own, make it what you need.

In my coven, there are two women who prefer to act as solitary witches, however, they will attend a summer meeting when all of our Pagan friends get together to have a pot-luck picnic.  They are always more than welcome to join in on our usual meetings, but they know that it is not expected of them if it does not feel right.

Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens - Tea Houses

Now, at this point, I'm sure you're saying, "How in the world can she call that a coven if there are solitary witches?  If they don't all believe the same thing?  That doesn't make any sense!"  Well, once again, the answer is simple:  Believe what sits right with you, and that's our common belief.  We refuse to force our ideals upon one another, save for that one subject.  If it does not sit right in your heart, you do not need to feel like you have to believe it.  We all have a love for one another, regardless of belief, and is that not what traditionally bound us together in the first place?  We are not a cult, and I do not force anyone to believe exactly as I do, I feel as if that would be wrong of me in my heart of hearts, and that is that.  We learn from one another.

So, back to the journal, some of you might be wondering why I've chosen the lovely title of "Sacred Bullsh*t", well, sometimes, people call the talking part of their meetings "sacred bullsh*t".  Whenever my coven gets together, the sacred bullsh*t part is when we do any rites or ceremonies, and then we all sit down to talk and catch up over "cakes and ale", which, for us, tends to be whatever we all bring to eat or drink with one another that day.

During a meeting, usually there tends to be a few main points covered:  Meeting and Greeting, Sacred Bullsh*t, Cakes and Ale, and Parting.  Meeting and Greeting is when everyone is arriving, you hug or kiss and say your hellos to one another, and get settled into the area, drawing a circle and such.  Sacred Bullsh*t, as explained above, is usually the ritual or rites, ceremonies, etc., and what happens each time depends on the occasion.  Cakes and Ale is the fun part, when all business is set aside and you can catch up with your fellow coven members whilst enjoying something tasty.  Our coven usually has each person bring a food or drink to share with everyone, in sort of a potluck way.  And finally, Parting, the part where we all say our farewells and disperse the circle.

Stan Hywet - Birch Alley

We usually end up meeting at a park or at someone's house, but it as always been my wish to have at least one meeting at the place pictured above, Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens.  There, they have a huge mansion you can tour, as well as MANY gardens to sit in or photograph.  The Tea Houses (see photos above) is actually a place where many people choose to get married at Stan Hywet.  They have them walk down Birch Alley, the path that leads to the Tea Houses, as their Bridal March (see photo beside).  But those paths are also good for just walking together whilst you talk.

Growing up, I spent a lot of time at Stan Hywet, and I even wanted to get married here one day, however, my wish to hold a meeting there still stands above that.  I've always wanted to show my friends the beauty and wonder of this place.  It's definitely one of the ideal meeting places, in a garden, in my opinion, especially if your group is aiming to be one with nature during your meeting.

Well, that seems to be all I can spout about gardens and meetings as of right now.  So, once again, thank you or joining me.  Many blessings to you all!

☽⚝☾

Imbolc - 2014

Image from Google Image Search.

Hello again!  Merry meet!  Many blessings to you on this auspicious day!

I pray everyone is having a blessed Imbolc (or Candlemas), and that Brigit is smiling upon us all today, whether you celebrate this day as hers or not.

My coven and I, as usual, will be practicing on the weekend.  As I've said before, we tend to follow the rituals from About.com's Pagan/Wiccan section, with a few modifications for our own beliefs, so we will be doing many crafts and eating some of the foods set out on this page.

Also, as I've said before, even if you DO follow this journal and practice Paganism or Wicca, please DO NOT feel obligated to follow our exact practices.  Everyone has their own Path in life, even members of my own coven follow different Paths than myself, once beyond my teachings.

Image from American Girl.

Now, for those of you who don't already know, Brigit (also Brighid; Brigantia; Brigitta; Brighit) is the Celtic "goddess of fire, the forge, hearth, poetry, inspiration, healing, sacred wells, and midwifery," leading her to be a patron goddess of women in childbirth.  She and her two sisters, also called Brigit, are what's known as a Triple Goddess, and she was considered the Triple Goddess of the ancient Celts.  She has come to be celebrated on February 1st or 2nd, during Imbolc/Candlemas, due to her connections to fire, light, and new life.

When I was younger, I found many of the teachings of the history of Imbolc to be very interesting.  Many different cultures all around the world had their own way to celebrate on this day.  The Romans, the Egyptians, and the Celts all had their own means to present this day as auspicious in their own histories.  Even the early Christians used it as a gateway to convert Pagans to Christianity, since this was a day where many Pagans were first initiated themselves.

Traditionally, the colors used today are red and white, and many times has wreaths with candles sticking out from them placed on the altar or around the home.  When I learned that tidbit, it made me think of Saint Lucia, a Swedish saint from the American Girl doll Kirsten's world.  In it, Kirsten wants to be Saint Lucia and wear a white robe with a red sash, and put a wreath of candles upon her head to deliver a tray full of yummy things to eat and drink to her family members.

Image from American Girl.

 Today, we will be eating our own yummy things, like Braided Bread and, my personal favorite, Fish and Chips.  I absolutely love cooking, and I definitely enjoy sharing a meal with friends, so any chance we can get to have a meeting with everyone's delicious ideas, we go for it, and Imbolc certainly isn't one that's left out from the group.

And, on that tasty note, I shall take my leave.  I have bread to bake and fish, I pray, to cook properly!

Many blessings to you, once more!  Until next time!

☽⚝☾

Sources:  Zell, Wigington, and American Girl.