Follow-up Ritual to the One Started at the BTW conference in DE

We just completed the ceremony that needed to be done within the 24 hours before 10:24 a.m. EST today. This started in November, at the Between the Worlds: A Magickal Congress, that was held in November in Wilmington, Delaware. At the Grand Ritual people of many faiths came together to perform a ritual that it is hoped will help everyone along a higher spiritual path; to grow both as individuals and to seek ways to help the earth, which is in great need of healing on many levels.

Because of the ice, the ceremony was indoors. If we'd had time to do it before the study group yesterday, we might have been able to do part of it outside, although we still wouldn't have been able to plant anything as the ground is rock hard (well, not without a pick axe...)

Our ceremony was fairly simple. We opened a grove in the livingroom, which as the most space and the most light from the most directions. We then asked for the presence and guidance of Andraste, Brigid and Cernunnos on my part, and Ceridwen, Cernunnos and Herne on L's part. This was my first time lighting my Brigid candle that I'd gotten at the conference. I'm thinking that I may light it briefly over the winter whenever I'm starting a weaving and/or weaving-related session. I want to make sure to save some of it for Candlemas.

Then we took the vials of many waters and seeds (symbolic seeds) from the grand ritual and poured them into a little hole I made in some soil in a little pot. It's potting soil, but it's what I have available in winter. I also added in water from the spring here, to join the our personal local efforts to the group/universal efforts being made. We have two sources of water here in the house, and luckily the spring runs all the way from up the hill to the house, and one of its entrances into the house is in the back attic, just outside the kitchen.

We placed three seeds from the Japanese Maple that grows in Holyoke, into the pot of soil. They are a part of our past, and hopefully a part of the future as well.

This modest part of our journey will stay in the livingroom for now. If the maple seeds sprout, they may get planted here on the farm, although not immediately, as they'll be fragile at first. And, we aren't sure yet how long we'll be at the farm... But in a few years they should be ready to try living outdoors year-round, and we'll be there to nurture them.

We asked for the blessings and guidance of our deities in pursuing our studies and spiritual growth, as well as the crafts that we'll be pursuing in more depth as part of the 2nd degree AODA curriculum, and pray that our work will help, along with other folks, in serving the earth and all who live here.

Then we closed the grove.

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Presences were definitely strong this morning, and it was good to feel their support!

And speaking of studies, I re-discovered some of the weaving books yesterday while tidying up in the SW room, so I'm off to poke through some of them.