At Beltane, I
attended a ritual held by the Order of the Red Grail. The ritual
itself was very traditionally Wiccan, casting a circle, calling the
four Elements and the God and Goddess, and was led by two High
Priestesses. In preparation for the ritual, each member of the group
had researched a deity associated with love or relationships and
acted as that deity in the ritual; each giving speeches trying to
prove that they were the 'best' god or goddess of love. I represented
Aengus of the Irish pantheon, and had a fantastic time.
After the
ritual, the High Priestess crowned the May Queen (which I was
rewarded for my stirring portrayal of Aengus!) and I led the group in
a traditional Maypole dance – the pole was beautifully decorated
with ribbon by the time we were finished. When the dancing was
finished, we had a potluck and enjoyed the beautiful weather and each
other's company. It was a very enjoyable ritual for me, though I
think the most powerful part of the day was the dance – I always
build a lot of energy and get great joy from simple easy exercise,
especially when there are so many people to enjoy it with.
