The Eve of Spring

It doesn't feel much like spring is about to start here right now. Snow is forecast for the UK and is even expected to reach my warm and wet county.

We joined friends last night to eat curry and laugh. I should have felt awful this morning after drinking red wine but when I finally got up I felt fine. I had been at my laptop long enough to eat breakfast but not long enough to have done everything I wanted to when the phone went. It was F from work. We chatted and I said that as it bright and not raining I would go to the Imbolc gathering I had heard about.

He asked me about it and I read him the email. To my horror I realised that in fact it was at 2pm and not 6pm. Cue much frantic running around...

Take some food and drink: made dash to make flapjacks as these are one of the few things I can bake...

Wear green, white and yellow: eek! tan trousers and scarf will have to do, yellow underwear and a white top under my coat... I alos made a little plaited yellow bracelet from some scoobies.

Take a plant pot filled 2/3 with compost: Metal pot, find plastic innard right size. Struggle to get past the mud outside my back door to the bag of compost that has sat there the last year. Find worm, take pity on said worm and put it out the window.

Sancreed, where on earth is that? Look at map but fail to take one with me. Miss the turning. Go back to turning. Drive for a while till I get to another junction. No sign. Turn around and go back. Definitely no Sancreed. Come back again, go up a dead end road just in case it is hiding up there. Meet car coming other way, luckily he is more than happy to do the reversing to the last passing place. Ask him way to sancreed. Back to junction with no signpost and turn left. Sancreed appears as if by magic around the next bend. Am I late? Where is the hall? Lots of cars.... Guess it is here... Others still arriving...

So there I am standing around like a noonah... A couple of people smile but I feel very alone all of a sudden and still twiddly from finding it. The hall by chance has boughs of greenery up and candle and heart decorations. The altar is covered in white cloth and white flowers amidst ivy. I spy a little Brideog doll and smile. The artistry is inspiring...

It all starts with invocations and the Wiccan feel isn't too strong which is good... I slowly relax but it isn't until the middle portion of the ritual when we leave the hall and walk to the nearby holy well that I really relax.

The path is muddy and as we go uphill, I am worried that I will slow others down on the narrow path. We reach the well and the lady playing the path of Bride annoints our foreheads with well water using a snowdrop. We tie our ribbons to the branches and walk under the arch they make. Rather than leave ribbons on living trees that may damage them, the branches are carried by people and taken back to the hall.

As we walk back I pause at the top of the hill to let someone by and turn. I realise that the view behind me is fantastic. I can see the sea in the distance. As i near the hall a flash of red catches my eye and in a bush there is a Robin. I stop and watch it. Others pass me by until one lady stops to look at the new buds on the tree and the Robin leaves.

On our return we plant sunflower seeds with wishes and drink elderflower wine and eat white chocolate. There is enough for four times the number. It seems many pagans have been put off by the wind and cold. I can't imagine how full it would feel with more...

For me I always find my best connection comes outdoors, without to much ceremony. I love my ribbon and pot with sunflowers and I liked meeting with others very much. I am not sure I would have enjoyed it as much without the walk.

Will I go again? Yes, because I think ritual is something I need to understand better and meeting other like minded souls is always good. I do think in my heart of hearts, I truly belong on a solitary path though....