My eldest daughter and I are both members of the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids. When I joined, I signed up for lessons in CD and text and paid a nominal fee to be able to procure membership for her and to share my Gwers. Each month, we received four lessons and, where applicable a ritual for an upcoming equinox, solstice or other sacred day. As a rule, we don’t share contents of the Gwers: not because of any secret, woo-woo, exclusive sacred knowledge but because many hours of labor and love and a great many GBP have gone into the production of these materials.
I encouraged my eldest to decide if she would be more comfortable adapting the solo adventure or doing the group ritual. She chose the former. It was very simple but also very enjoyable sharing this with my kid. (She is 25 so she is hardly a kid but a kid to me, she will ever be). I placed cards from my Druid Animal Oracle in the quarters, Bear for the north, Hawk for the East, Stag for the South and Salmon for the West. We also placed items in the quarters which were representative of the harvest we experienced in those areas of our lives over the year. A potato represented our physical sustenance (nod to my Irish homies) because we are probably the most potato eating family I know. When in doubt, make potatoes. Hungry? Out of meat? Go cook a potato. I’m not going to share every other item we selected (ahem tarot cards were one) but I felt like it was funny that when we had to pick something to represent physical nourishment, we looked at one another and said “potato.”
I have received every Gwers for the bardic grade and this is the first time my daughter and I have done this together. I have had wonderful opportunities here at Cult of Tarot, which I feel led to this. The Sacred Days of Autumn Equinox group reading is an example. That helped me begin tuning into the season. Interestingly, this opportunity arrived on the heels of me making a decision to share Christmas differently with my seven year old. In order to avoid gift overload/overwhelm, we are opening a gift daily beginning the 21st and ending the 1st. We will do unboxing videos because she’s into that and also mark each day with a family activity...baking, crafting, hiking. There are several celebrations we will be including in those days. We are really embracing seasonal changes here at home.
Other opps I have had here which have been meaningful and.have motivated follow through include hosting the TdM Reading Circle and posting to the TdM Card-by-Card study group. (I hope to see several folks sharing their voices in these areas). So overall, at this time of equinox, I get to see an increase in my creative activities and a decrease in me allowing myself to fall short (what a great pun) based on whims. It is really exciting to experience life unfolding through sacred times and in sacred spaces, knowing that the most sacred space is wherever I am. That applies to us all.
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Alban Elfed: Autumn Equinox
- BreathingSince72
- Sage
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- Joined: 25 May 2018, 18:16
Alban Elfed: Autumn Equinox
The opposite of truth is falsehood but the opposite of one profound truth may well be another profound truth.
Re: Alban Elfed: Autumn Equinox
I’m also following the OBOD Bardic grade.
I didn’t do the full ritual yesterday but adapted it to a particular focus. My daughter and I created a small altar at home in celebration of the start of Autumn. She was really thoughtful in her contributions - including some Lego sculptures in autumn colours!
Via Spotify I also listened to Y Mabinogi: First Branch retelling by Damh the Bard. Really magical retelling of the stories focussing on Pwll.
I didn’t do the full ritual yesterday but adapted it to a particular focus. My daughter and I created a small altar at home in celebration of the start of Autumn. She was really thoughtful in her contributions - including some Lego sculptures in autumn colours!
Via Spotify I also listened to Y Mabinogi: First Branch retelling by Damh the Bard. Really magical retelling of the stories focussing on Pwll.
- CharlotteK
- Sage
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- Joined: 19 May 2018, 15:31
Re: Alban Elfed: Autumn Equinox
Hello fellow Bards.
How lovely to hear about your celebrations
I attended my first grove ceremony yesterday since signing up in August. I had to drive about an hour to get there but I feel lucky to have a grove even within this vicinity.
The ceremony took place in a lovely grove at the bottom of someone's garden under fir, beech and apple trees. There were seven of us. Once we had given peace to the quarters and recited the druids prayer, the Druid in the East cast the circle and what followed really was magical. I was given a very beautiful initiation and we also carried out some spell casting and healing work.
Afterwards there was an Eisteddfod and we all shared various creative ventures - poetry, creative writing, book making, painting, knitting, guitar playing, jam making. And then we shared food. It was a wonderful experience and I feel very inspired by it. I did a full moon peace ceremony last month and I will do the same again tomorrow but I think this month it'll be a bit more thought through and ritual will be more meaningful as "poetry in a world of acts".
How lovely to hear about your celebrations
I attended my first grove ceremony yesterday since signing up in August. I had to drive about an hour to get there but I feel lucky to have a grove even within this vicinity.
The ceremony took place in a lovely grove at the bottom of someone's garden under fir, beech and apple trees. There were seven of us. Once we had given peace to the quarters and recited the druids prayer, the Druid in the East cast the circle and what followed really was magical. I was given a very beautiful initiation and we also carried out some spell casting and healing work.
Afterwards there was an Eisteddfod and we all shared various creative ventures - poetry, creative writing, book making, painting, knitting, guitar playing, jam making. And then we shared food. It was a wonderful experience and I feel very inspired by it. I did a full moon peace ceremony last month and I will do the same again tomorrow but I think this month it'll be a bit more thought through and ritual will be more meaningful as "poetry in a world of acts".
Re: Alban Elfed: Autumn Equinox
That sounds like a beautiful ceremony, Charlotte. How lovely to all have something to share.
I’m hoping to attend a grove celebration for Samhain.
I’m hoping to attend a grove celebration for Samhain.
- BreathingSince72
- Sage
- Posts: 291
- Joined: 25 May 2018, 18:16
Re: Alban Elfed: Autumn Equinox
Flaxen wrote: ↑24 Sep 2018, 10:40 I’m also following the OBOD Bardic grade.
I didn’t do the full ritual yesterday but adapted it to a particular focus. My daughter and I created a small altar at home in celebration of the start of Autumn. She was really thoughtful in her contributions - including some Lego sculptures in autumn colours!
Via Spotify I also listened to Y Mabinogi: First Branch retelling by Damh the Bard. Really magical retelling of the stories focussing on Pwll.
It is remarkable and precious, what our children can bring to these sacred times. Flaxen, it sounds like you and yours had a beautiful time.CharlotteK wrote: ↑24 Sep 2018, 11:14 Hello fellow Bards.
How lovely to hear about your celebrations
I attended my first grove ceremony yesterday since signing up in August. I had to drive about an hour to get there but I feel lucky to have a grove even within this vicinity.
The ceremony took place in a lovely grove at the bottom of someone's garden under fir, beech and apple trees. There were seven of us. Once we had given peace to the quarters and recited the druids prayer, the Druid in the East cast the circle and what followed really was magical. I was given a very beautiful initiation and we also carried out some spell casting and healing work.
Afterwards there was an Eisteddfod and we all shared various creative ventures - poetry, creative writing, book making, painting, knitting, guitar playing, jam making. And then we shared food. It was a wonderful experience and I feel very inspired by it. I did a full moon peace ceremony last month and I will do the same again tomorrow but I think this month it'll be a bit more thought through and ritual will be more meaningful as "poetry in a world of acts".
Charlotte, my oldest and I modified the Solo Ritual but when I said the Druids Prayer, I felt like my voice was ringing out into the universe. It was a truly beautiful time for us.
The nearest grove is a couple of hours from me so my daughter and I are thinking of having a seed group. Time will tell. I am so glad we all get to share this amazing journey.
The opposite of truth is falsehood but the opposite of one profound truth may well be another profound truth.