Beltane

Today, the family and I journeyed to the wilds of Springfield to attend the Church of the Living Earth's Beltane celebration.  This was my first Beltane, and coincidentally, our first ritual with the CLE.  I was impressed.

First, Michele, who is the high priestess but don't call her that, was such a welcome and inviting presence.  She made us feel wanted mostly because she made us feel like it was natural that we were a part of it all, and not newcomers to her celebrations. (Also, she took time to explain the ceremony with warmth and kindness that made me feel like it was ok to ask questions, and not that I was intruding on her time at all.)

By and large the rest of the group that gathered were so friendly and warm that even I, a devout anti-social hermit, got into conversations with total strangers.  I talked to Angela about her life, and her family and her hair.  I talked to Jayme about dresses and bugs and Words with Friends.  I talked to Robert about phones and data plans.  Do you see a trend here?  Even though this was a pagan celebration, I was delighted to find things I could talk about with others that didn't showcase my pagan-newbieness.

I enjoyed the two workshops we attended.  The one was an overview on Divination, and the different methods.  She quickly defined each type, and showed the implements used during that type.  She was very non-judgmental about each of the types, but instead talked in such a way that allowed the listener to come to their own conclusions.  That was quite a feat, when such things as a Ouija board and crystal scrying are brought up, even among the open-minded.

The ritual was informative and spiritually fulfilling.  Because Beltane is a celebration of the marriage between the Lord and Lady, the ritual was a joyful celebration between us and them.  There was no calling of the elements, since we were already outside and in the elements.  We didn't close the circle, for the same reason.  We heard a poem spoken between Michele (as the Lady) and Mark (as the Lord), and then a brief explanation of the reason for the celebration.  One of the younger members of the CLE performed a song, which was really cool even though she was feeling shy.  The Maypole dance was chaotic at first, but once people got the hang of it, the pattern the ribbons made on the pole was beautiful.

Yes, I would absolutely attend another ceremony or ritual this church leads.  I feel like I made some real connections with people there, and it was a very fulfilling feeling.