Beltane with Wild Hare Protogrove

[saffronhare]

A long message, but chock-full of fun details about Wild Hare's Beltane Rite on this coming Saturday. Email or comment here with questions. I'm sure I've forgotten something.

It's at my place. Drop me an email if you need directions. Dress however you like, but do please plan not to be naked.

We'll be exploring another variation on ADF format, so any of you who were worried about who was going to do what can rest your pretty heads about it. :) Plan to arrive at 3 p.m. or as close to it as you can manage. Ritual should start by 3:30 p.m. and I expect to be finished in about an hour, plus a bit of hanging-out time afterwards. You should be free to go about your Beltane evenings by 5 p.m.

While there may be a few places where I'll ask you to do something specific for the ritual (like, hey, light this candle, will you? or read this, maybe?), we *definitely* need help with supplies and offerings. Here's what we need -- and lots of it:

fresh flowers to dress the well
phallic symbols up the whazoo (pun intended, but not literally)
sparkly and jingly things we can tie to trees for the sidhe
cakes and ale (for ourselves, and for offerings)
drums (for, er, drumming and stuff)

Please note that there will be some serious sexual metaphorgy goin' on, but nothing that involves nudity. There will be kissing of phallic symbols by those who wish to do so, and plunging said symbols into wells and chalices with exclamations and blessings, for example. I bet we'll all be snickering just a teensy bit, so judge for yourself how much you want your young ones involved. I'm sure my eldest daughter will be mortified, but I don't think she'll be scarred in any way by the experience if she chooses to take part.

And, more along the lines of "choosing your own adventure," there are parts of the ritual where we'll be dividing up into masculine and feminine. It's for magical-intentional purposes, so be prepared to choose one for yourself that day.

As always, our rituals are open to the public. But since this'll be at my house and we have limited capacity, I'd rather not market it super-hard. Feel free to pass the invitation on to people you figure might be interested.

UPDATE: Somebody cleverly posted a question about "how phallic is phallic?" on the e-list, which seemed worth answering here too.

As for phallic symbols, I'm talking mostly about representations of penises or masculine energy (as a counter to the chalices), primarily made out of natural materials. We will not be flashing actual flesh-and-blood penises or using battery-powered items.

I bet this goes unsaid, but I'm going to say it anyway: please don't bring something just because you think it'll be funny, or because it'll "totally work!" That's not quite the sentiment we're after, if you dig. Thanks. :)

Comments

[fionnabhar.livejournal.com]

I think I can manage "cakes" of some sort. Scones, maybe? Not so much with the sparkly and jingly.

[saffronhare.livejournal.com]

For cakes, they only need to be yummy and single-serving size (or cut up to be) so as to fit on a tray for passing around and such. I bet other folks can pick up the slack on teh sparklie.

[tessagratton.livejournal.com]

>> there are parts of the ritual where we'll be dividing up into masculine and feminine. It's for magical-intentional purposes, so be prepared to choose one for yourself that day.

Can I tell you how much I love you for how you phrased this? With the indication that a person CAN choose, for magical purposes?

Thank you! It's something I find remarkably lacking in the pagan community.

[fionnabhar.livejournal.com]

Not that she wouldn't anyway, but really, featherynscale would squoosh her. :-)

[saffronhare.livejournal.com]

Well, she'd mock and sneer at me, for sure.

[fionnabhar.livejournal.com]

I meant it metaphorically. :-)

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

Wait. What? Why would I do that?

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

Squoosh who? In the happy fun way, or the not so happy fun way?

This thread perplexes me.

[fionnabhar.livejournal.com]

We were just acknowledging that when people get all pointedly specific about saying "Girls on one side, boys on the other," you tend to want to squoosh or mock something, perhaps them. Whether or not Saff would get squooshed is incidental because she is highly unlikely to ever say or mean such a thing.

[saffronhare.livejournal.com]

(curtsey) It's a thing near and dear to my heart, and also for many people I care about, darling. Glad you feel loved by it. I still slip up from time to time in language choices, but the intention is always there.

Matrafact, I think it's far healthier for a person to be able to work either side at will and need.

[celticwhistlin.livejournal.com]

sparkly and jingly things we can tie to trees for the sidhe

Will said sparkly/jingly things be returned or gone forever? (Answer will effect what I may bring.)

Also, when do you need RSVPs by? I am considering it but there are other factors that will not surface until later this week.

[saffronhare.livejournal.com]

Yes, you should consider them gifts to the sidhe and gone forever. Just give me a call or email by sometime Friday evening for your RSVP if you can. Or just come, or not come, as the fates decree. You're always welcome. :)

[celticwhistlin.livejournal.com]

You're always welcome

Thank you. I really enjoyed myself last time. It was meaningful and very supportive. I am titillated by the prospect of this gathering on Sat.

[zylch.livejournal.com]

So the Celtic Phallus (red oak) from Woodpeckers would be good, but the Bunny Vibe from GV would not. (Image is worksafe for liberal hippie wonderlands, but maybe not for everybody. Company's homepage is definitely NWS.)

In the middle ground (for those of us who don't happen to have phalloi lying about), what about cigars? Is that past the boundary of funny, or just skirting it?

[saffronhare.livejournal.com]

The Woodpeckers item would be okay, but you're right about the rest of it. Cigars would be (in my judgement, since you're asking for it) not quite appropriate, unless you're using one of them as a personal offering for a specific purpose.

People don't have to all bring a phallic symbol. Those are just items involved in the ritual, and we'll be using some of them, that's all.

[akaashben.livejournal.com]

Hey... did you get my email? fyreseer and I would love to come on Saturday. I'm sure we'd be able to bring some flowers - unless there's something else that is needed more?

Also, I'd need directions. :-)

Bad druid, no cookie.

[saffronhare.livejournal.com]

Ah, crap. No, I didn't get your email -- I'm so sorry. I'll try to get in touch with you shortly, so you'll have all sorts of information for the next effort.