Week 13 Chant wrapup

I loved it, and I would like to revisit this again; I even arose at Dawn on the Equinox, and was able to watch the sun rise. This is very unusual for me; but for some reason, this chant just – worked.

4th High Day Ritual

For Samhraidhreadh, I decided to look at some rituals already used by solitaries here at ADF, and have a go at one. I chose a ritual for Fall Equinox published on the ADF website, written by Aigeann (http://www.adf.org/rituals/general/sol-fall-equinox.html). My modified ritual is here; I have an outside personal shrine that I chose to perform the ritual at.

This was a list of supplies and what I chose to use –

Offerings (Bonemeal and Water)
Offering bowl
One unlit candle
Matches ( I have a lighter)
Pen or pencil
Small piece of paper
Fireproof container

[Opening. Rattle to signify beginning.]

Shining Ones, I ask for your presence and guidance during my ceremony of an Samhraidhreadh.

[Light candle.]

As I connect with the Well of Wisdom, the Fire of Change and the World Tree, I honor the Gods, the memory of my ancestors and the nature spirits who surround me.

With Mother Earth supporting me in all I do, I proclaim mo Shamhraidhreadh festival within this sacred space.

Here at the edge of space and time and reality, the power of my faith opens the door. I am a being of energy, I contain Fire in the Head.

This day
This night
In complete balance

All beings
naturally seek a life in balance
All of nature seeks a balance

To be out of balance
means one is without
Without time
Without love
Without peace
Without the Shining Ones
Drained and lost
Sometimes not understanding the emptiness felt

Life out of balance is a life changed
As water exposed to too much cold or heat
becomes unrecognizable

In this rare moment
a quick breath twice each year
I revel
in this balance

As in the checkbook figures that balance
As in the new life offsetting the passings
As in the day after the night
As in the cool of winter after the heat of summer
As in the wisdom of age after the impulsiveness of youth

Each life, each dream
are like the seeds carried by the winds
From dandelion puffballs

Some land on asphalt
Without water for balance
They cannot sprout

Some land in rivers
Without soil for balance
They cannot sprout

Some land in the forest
Without sun for balance
They cannot sprout

Some land in the meadow
All is in balance
They grow into maturity

[Meditate on where my life is out of balance. When the answer/s comes, write it down.]

Dandelion seeds are sometimes like my life
So much I cannot control
So much I cannot foresee
I have faith
In myself, in my ancestors and in the Shining Ones
I open my heart to my life taken
Like rain sweeping the seed off the asphalt

Like the current washing the seed onto the shore
Like the wind blowing the seed away from the forest
To the place
To that perfect meadow
Where all is in balance
So every hope, dream and desire
Can sprout and grow into its potential

If I can dream it
If I can visualize it
If I can work together with others
If I have faith
I will attain my goals

[Make offering. Set paper scrap on fire and place it in a fireproof dish to burn out. Meditate on  creating balance.]

[Any additional praises, divination or requests may be added here. These can be any healing requests, offerings of poetry or individual prayers as well as statements of gratitude.]

My prayers have been given but my path does not end here. From this sacred space, I will continue to seek balance in my life.

Balance the individual with the community
Balance the preserving with the replacing
Balance the responsibility with play
Balance the shoulds with the wants
Balance the savings with the splurges
Balance the tears with the smiles

I will be open to the Shining Ones, my ancestors and the nature spirits whenever they come to show me the way. I am grateful for the gifts they have given me and will give in the future.

I now declare this Festival of an Samhraidhreadh ended, in peace and love.

Awen

Badger

I realize, over time, that Badger is an animal that I heavily relate to. It’s a member of the weasel family. They range in length from two to three feet and are about twelve inches high. Family members often mark each other with scent for recognition since their sight is poor. Their senses of smell and hearing however are excellent. Those with this medicine would do well in professions that incorporate sound as a healing tool. On a personal note, badger medicine people need to develop clear sight, both psychically and physically and not just rely on their other senses for survival.

Badgers have solid muscular bodies. Its outer skin is loose which gives it a deceiving appearance. Because of this it is often associated with illusion. What you see is not always what you get! Its strong powerful jaws represent discrimination of speech. Words can cut, tear and crush or encourage, teach and compliment others. Those with this medicine have the ability to do both.

Badger dens are extremely clean and well organized. They change there bedding often, backing into their dens with straw, so as not to make a mess in the process. Fastidious about their surroundings they will correct any disorder quickly.

The badger brings the gift of tidiness and organization. If badger has come to you in some way it may be saying that you need to concentrate on maintaining an orderly environment to better facilitate your day-to-day living. . It can also teach you how to manage your time more efficiently.

Badgers will fight to their death if cornered. Bold and ferocious they are unsociable animals. Those with this medicine have difficulty relating to others. They will shun authority and stand their ground in any situation. Expressing themselves in a concise balanced way is one of their greatest challenges.

The badger is a remarkable digger and can get beneath the surface easily. This ability ties the badger to the mysteries of the underworld, where the magic of life and creation is stored. It also symbolizes a strong connection to plant and animal spirits and can teach those with this totem how to align with life both above ground and below it.

Samhraidhreadh, or Mabon, from a Wiccan point of view

For the Wiccan coven I study with, Mabon is the second of three harvest festivals, preceded by Lughnasadh and followed by Samhain, and falls on the Autumnal  equinox. The actual name ‘Mabon’ is a contemporary, new name for the Sabbat coined in the 1970’s. Until that time, it was  mostly referred to as the Autumnal Equinox.

Although the coven lore states that the Autumn Equinox divides the day and night equally, this is not true from a physical standpoint. However, perceptually, this still holds true. It does, however, still mark the time as moving from a time of light to a time of darkness. As a harvest festival, it is in of itself an occasion of thanksgiving for the gifts of the Earth during the time of growth and in preparation for the time of rest.

Rituals focus on the theme of the harvest to reflect the harvest which occurs within each of us as the time moves to summer’s end, which is the Scottish Gaelic for this time of year, Samhraidhreadh (roughly pronounced ‘sow-ruhc-uhc’). Mabon mythology centres on the idea that, as a farmer sows the seeds in spring that become the grain, so do we sow the seeds of our own future. When the growth comes to fruition we choose to keep some aspect of the harvest and leave the rest.

Week 13 Meditation – Daily Chant

My week 13 starts today, and I’ve decided to do something experimental, something that just ‘felt right’. I want to do a daily devotional in the form of a chant. This chant is a Sun greeting taught to me by my mentors in the Foundation for Shamanic Studies; it addresses the morning sun. I’m going to chant this all week. Friday is the Autumnal Equinox, and the days will begin to diminish, so lovingly greeting the sun just felt like a ‘goodbye’ and an acknowledgement that these hot, stifling days of 100+ degree heat are going away and that in spite of the drought, the wildfires and the suffering of heat, I still need to love and be grateful for the goodness and life the Sun brings. The chant:

‘Morning Sun, Morning Sun, Come my way,
Come my way, Come my way, Take my pain,
Take my pain, Take my pain, Down Below,
Down Below, Down Below, Cooling water, down below”

I don’t know the original source of the chant, but it was taught to me by Dana and Shana Robinson of FSS.