Nin, the Ash

 I'm attempting to embark on a study of the Ogham to have a more historical-feeling divination tool within ritual.  Unfortunately, having my tarot cards nearby imparts an entirely different feel than I'd like to have for my Druid work.  Each day I'll be picking an Ogham at random to study, and then setting it aside so I'll have a smaller pile to choose from the next day.




Today I chose Nin, the Ash.  In Erynn Rowan Laurie's book Ogam, Weaving Word Wisdom she states that this symbol is also associated with the nettle and a weaving loom, which was often constructed from ash wood.  This symbol primarily represents connections, both physical and metaphysical.  When we work to make connections with those in our community, or become closer with those we don't know as well, we are doing the work of this Ogham.  In John Matthews' Green Man Tree Oracle, which focuses more on the trees of the Ogham, we learn that the ash tree is incredibly sturdy; and manages to survive winds that may fell other trees with its deep roots.  Thus, we see that the strength of a person depends just as much on the unseen as what we can see.

Perfect Fall Day

It's beautiful outside today - a lovely 60 degrees with a clear blue sky as far as the eye can see.  The eggplants are all ready for harvesting, and the tomatoes are beginning to ripen - the branches are hanging down almost to the ground, covered with fruit!  It's the time of year for long walks, raking leaves, and finishing up all the yardwork summer left undone.  Mabon is right around the corner!  It's September 22nd this year, so we'll have a nice open Saturday for celebrations.

Quiet now, as we gather to conjure the rain down..

Autumn has come to the prairie, and with it we're finally getting a bit of rain!  There was a beautiful storm last night that hung over the area through the evening, and gave us more than 1 1/2 inches.  I must admit that autumn has never been my favorite season, and I have a difficult time appreciating it.  I don't like the cold, and I love to be outside, so the end of summer is always sad for me.

And so my spirituality now naturally turns away from the wild gods of tree and stream, and focuses more on hearth and home; just as my family's outside activities are also driven indoors.  I've been re-exploring my love for tarot cards this past month or so, and thankfully it has given me a creative outlet to stave off the seasonal mood dip that's so common this time of year.

Preparing for Mabon

The nights are becoming a bit longer, the days a bit shorter.  Here on the prairie, we've been watching the canadian geese and many other birds pass us by on their way south.  My extremely late-planted garden is finally yielding a harvest, and even some of the trees are yellowing a bit.  There's no denying it: Fall is upon us.

Maybe it's because fall is not my favorite season - I have trouble seeing the good in cold weather, and no matter how hot it's been I miss summer already!  Maybe it's because this is my first year really gardening and providing part of my own subsistence.  Whatever it is, I have a really hard time distinguishing between the holidays of Lughnasadh and Mabon.  Sure, Lughnasadh is the bread feast while Mabon is more about fruits and veggies, but to me it's never been enough of a difference to really set the two holidays apart.  So this Mabon will be my attempt to really appreciate the holiday in a way that is separate and distinct from the first of the Harvest holidays.


First of all, and most importantly, this year my feast will have fruits and veggies from my own garden.  There's nothing better than homegrown tomatoes, and I plan to make good use of them.  Homemade veggie pizza is on the menu, and hopefully my bell peppers will start fruiting in time to be included!  All this feasting is very similar to Lughnasadh, and honestly if I'd have gotten my plants in the ground earlier, they'd probably be ready for a first harvest closer to the first of August than September.

I recently was reminded of the liminal between-ness of the equinoxes, and I'm hoping to really recognize that this year.  Samhain is traditionally the feast of the ancestors, spoken of as the festival where the veil between our world and theirs is the thinnest; but perhaps Mabon can be thought of as sort of the twilight before Samhain's full darkness.  The light thins and comes through only in slanting rays, as all the colors mix together and the world goes in to a soft-focus of sorts.  Whereas Samhain is for the ancestors, and Lughnasadh seems uniquely fitted to celebrating the nature spirits, perhaps Mabon is the perfect holiday for really getting in touch with the gods and goddesses.  In my tradition, before the sun or moon were placed in the sky light came from another source, one that never really rose or set but instead faded in and out between silver and gold.  The world was bathed in the same half-light that I imagine Mabon represents.  So for me, I want to establish this holiday as reminiscent of that same time, when the gods and goddesses walked under the trees and helped to shape the world.

ADF Prayer Beads

I found myself with a bit of time alone this afternoon, and felt in the mood to do something for the Gods.  I haven't been struck in that way for awhile (not to mention that I have precious little time to myself lately!), and so I came up empty when searching for a ritual I knew well and could perform easily.  Of course, my musings got away with me as they usually do, and I found myself thinking about making a set of prayer beads.  I'd seen some neat ones around, and I recently found a post by Ozark Pagan Mama describing how she made her beads compatible with ADF ritual.

And so I attempted to put my own spin on this recently-popular concept.  I put a 'visual-aid' sort of key at the bottom of this post in case anyone has trouble envisioning which prayers go where.I wanted my beads to be not only a prayer and devotion set, but also a helpful aid to remembering ADF's Core Order of Ritual.  Much of the ritual is borrowed and modified from one found in the Dedicant's Manual of ADF Druidry; some poetry comes from the Celtic Prayer Book.

Dedicating to the Earth Mother

My local shop recently had a big sale, and I just had to pick up this lovely statue that I feel represents the Earth Mother of my pantheon so incredibly.  It's there in the top left, a resin and bronze mix that was relatively inexpensive but looks so amazing.

And so today was the dedication - I offered Her nine incense sticks scented with cedarwood (as the trees are her most beloved creation), and a small and simple chant asking Her favor.  In my pantheon, the Earth Mother is a bit of a distant figure; she cares most for the plants, which are unable to run or fight to defend themselves.  As a gardener and a life-long lover of trees, I feel Her interests are very close to mine, and am happy to be able to honor Her in this way.


In other news, my altar was recently featured on the website ShrineBeautiful.com, along with a little summary of my current practice.  There's all sorts of altars currently displayed, and the website is still accepting submissions if you're interested in showing off your own!  Either way, you should certainly visit - it's a wonderful website that displays the diversity of the Pagan community in a fantastic way.

Altar Tools: Making the Bell Branch

 I love crafting!  Honestly, I'm not the most artistic person in the world, and I'll probably never make something as nice-looking as what you'd find in a store; but I find that I love the homemade touch and the connection with a tool that crafting it gives.  Celtic myth tells of a silver apple branch hung with bells that was the tool of a Druid.  This isn't necessarily historically accurate information, and as such it's not a commonly used tool in ADF Druidry, but its history and symbolism is so rich within revival Druidry (Yeats even wrote a poem about it) that I really wanted to have one myself.


This project was easy and straightforward, exactly the kind I like!  I used nine bells bought from the local metaphysical supplier, three colors of embroidery thread (I had it lying around) and a beautiful strong branch of unknown wood that I picked up in the park last year and has been drying in my garage ever since, just waiting for a project like this.

First, I had to prepare the branch.  As I said, it had been drying in my garage for nearly a year, and so it was relatively easy to strip it of its bark with my pocket knife.  After it was as clean as I wanted it to be, I took a piece of very high grit sandpaper and sanded it for a good half-hour.  With that kind of sanding, it was mostly a beautiful pale white color, and extremely silky - the kind of feel wood takes on after a nice polishing.

I then strung three bells on each of the three lengths of thread, tying them in place.  I placed a bunch of three near the top of the branch, and the other six I tried to space evenly along the rest.  I then wound the threads around the wand, tying it carefully at each end.  For extra insurance to make sure the strings didn't slip, I placed a dab of wood glue at each knot.

And that was it!  All together, including the carving and sanding of the branch, it took about two hours - hardly a major time investment!  The bells are beautiful; but unfortunately don't give much of a sound except where the three are bunched together at the top.  If I ever make another, I think I'll choose the more traditional kind of round jingle bells; they would probably give a better sound.  Still, I really love this branch, and I hope it will make a great and atmospheric addition to my future Druid rituals.