Sunday was a day of highs and lows; the evening could not have been more different from the emotional tumult of the morning. Several women from and related to our Fellowship gathered together in a ritual of support for one of our own. It was beautiful, moving, and profound. Those women filled that house will such love and unwavering faith. I was honored and grateful to have been asked to be a part of it.
I am still reeling a bit, but grateful to have been shown the other side of the coin. This connection, this support, this love for each other, this is why I ventured back into religious life. It is not about theology or the expectations of others. It is not about us vs. them. It is about me and we. All is not lost or dark or despairing. I am still hanging in there.
Showing posts with label ritual. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ritual. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Chaotic Lughnasadh
Our local CUUPS group hosted a strange Lammas/Lughnasadh ritual last night. Members of the group take turns as High Priest and Priestess and this ritual was led by our local Discordians.
Now, it's not that I don't appreciate some of the points made. Even though it started (and often continues) as a joke, the Discordians have an interesting message. I like the emphasis on those un-looked-for blessings, the life changing moments that come out of nowhere. It is good to notice and appreciate those once in a while. It is good to remember that while harmony in a worthy goal, disorder always lurks beneath the suface of order and that is not always a bad thing. I believe there really is a time and place for last night's ritual.
I don't think Lughnasadh is it. Maybe it is just because the lessons of Lughnasadh have been speaking to me the last few days. Lugh is believed to be an analog of Hermes and I have always had tremendous affection for Hermes. It felt like I needed to hear the lessons about reaping the works of your labors and being multi-skilled. I was hoping for a ritual experience that would embed the ideas swirling in my head. Instead I got a quick thank you to Lugh, mixed for some reason with Gaia, but now let's really talk about Eris all night.
Since our CUUPS group only gathers on the Sabbats, I'm not sure when the right occasion would be to repeat something like last night. Maybe the disruption of the scheduled holiday is part of the point, but when people started quoting Monty Python as part of the ritual I knew my spiritual needs were not going to be met. I went home unsatisfied. The rest of the group seemed to really enjoy the frivolity so then I felt like I was being negative and worst of all, conservative. I guess part of celebrating with an eclectic pagan group is that sometimes you might not like the flavor of the month.
Now, it's not that I don't appreciate some of the points made. Even though it started (and often continues) as a joke, the Discordians have an interesting message. I like the emphasis on those un-looked-for blessings, the life changing moments that come out of nowhere. It is good to notice and appreciate those once in a while. It is good to remember that while harmony in a worthy goal, disorder always lurks beneath the suface of order and that is not always a bad thing. I believe there really is a time and place for last night's ritual.
I don't think Lughnasadh is it. Maybe it is just because the lessons of Lughnasadh have been speaking to me the last few days. Lugh is believed to be an analog of Hermes and I have always had tremendous affection for Hermes. It felt like I needed to hear the lessons about reaping the works of your labors and being multi-skilled. I was hoping for a ritual experience that would embed the ideas swirling in my head. Instead I got a quick thank you to Lugh, mixed for some reason with Gaia, but now let's really talk about Eris all night.
Since our CUUPS group only gathers on the Sabbats, I'm not sure when the right occasion would be to repeat something like last night. Maybe the disruption of the scheduled holiday is part of the point, but when people started quoting Monty Python as part of the ritual I knew my spiritual needs were not going to be met. I went home unsatisfied. The rest of the group seemed to really enjoy the frivolity so then I felt like I was being negative and worst of all, conservative. I guess part of celebrating with an eclectic pagan group is that sometimes you might not like the flavor of the month.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Beltane Redux
I had my second, and much belated Beltane this weekend. This was my second ritual with a women's group affiliated with the local UU fellowship. I am just getting to know them, but I feel really at home with these women.
This sense of connection and community was something I had hoped I could find in the UU body here, and it feels wonderful to find it. I felt very welcomed, like my contributions were equal to anyone else. There was no hint of insider vs. outsider status.
I wanted to find a women's group for a long time. I just never expected to find it with a bunch of UU's. So far, it's been a great surprise.
This sense of connection and community was something I had hoped I could find in the UU body here, and it feels wonderful to find it. I felt very welcomed, like my contributions were equal to anyone else. There was no hint of insider vs. outsider status.
I wanted to find a women's group for a long time. I just never expected to find it with a bunch of UU's. So far, it's been a great surprise.
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