This past weekend was a very spiritual one for me.
On Friday night, my family and I went to see the movie "Zombieland", an apocolyptic comedy starring Woody Harrelson. That may not seem like a very spiritual act to many people, but my family is very dear to me, and we are all zombie fans. We contemplate zombie warfare, and how things would go for us if indeed the zombies ever came. So we just had a really good time laughing and saying things like "oh, that would never work" and "i think i prefer baseball bats to pitch forks", with a critical eye on the dispatching of the zombies in the film.
On Saturday, my priest and I spent the day shopping for a ritual that we do every year together. We bought special candles and altar cloths and decorations, and I got a little Yule shopping in there too (bonus!). We bought a pork loin and brought it home to be baked for the potluck that we were to host after ritual that night. It was delicious - hail the pig! The ritual itself was a celebration of the Esbat, a Wiccan holiday celebrating the Full Moon. This Full Moon is called the Blood Moon, for it is the last full moon before All Hallow's Eve, when in Celtic lands, any animal not to be carried through the winter was slaughtered for food and clothing. All Hallow's Eve is the last of three harvest on the Wiccan calendar, and it throws our Wheel of the Year into the dark time (Oct. 31st). The Blood Moon was my priest's first-ever ritual that he wrote and performed himself, many years ago when he was my student. In the 7 years since he first performed it we have become not only priest and priestess, but best friends, co-workers, lovers, and housemates. We are both of Irish descent, so we always call the Irish deities Morrighan & the Dagdha on the Blood Moon. It was a wonderful ritual, with all of our students and initiates in attendance. Even priesthood from another coven came and shared fellowship with us! And the potluck feast was superb.
But as much fun times as I had on Friday and Saturday, it was all leading up to the Gnostic Mass that I celebrated on Sunday. I have not partaken of the Mass in many, many months and was very happy to be picking it up again. This ritual was a private one for me, a time for inner reflection, quietude, and checking in with celestial Deity in a way that transcends my day-to-day relationship with the God & Goddess. My priest and I went together, attending at an OTO Lodge that we will be joining as formal members very soon. But for the moment it was just me and Nuit, the Goddess of the Heavens. And as the ritual team worked the Mass for the rest of us, I was able to sit back and enjoy the time just for my Self.
This time will become very important, as my coven is about to grow very much. We are inviting new students in November, once the Wheel has turned, and there are many who are interested in taking the first class. If they all stay and finish the course successfully, they will double the size of my coven. It's going to be a very busy time, and I there will be moments when I don't remember how important my own time is for reflection and peace. Being able to take part in the Gnostic Mass will be something I will make every effort to do, so that I can be a better High Priestess for my coven.
Blessed Be!
