I agree with you! I hadn't really thought of this much, but it's true. My first complaint (which I brought up at the liturgy meeting) was that we seldom seem to actually PRAY for anything... we simply meet on the appropriate day and honour a diety who corresponds well. I think we did a good job including MORE prayer in this rite, but I would still like to see more explicit requests for what it is we seek (ie, guidance and protection at Samhain, etc, etc.) Maybe I'm just greedy for blessings? I can't imagine the gods wouldn't appreciate a few specifics on our Christmas lists. :x
As for incorporating the seasons, hmmmmm. The deity we chose usually links to the day's associations, but we seldom talk about the lore, etc, surrounding these myths. If we do lore nights, etc, that could help address some of these issues, but also subtler things might make a difference.
For example, why is our altar always so similar? Misty and I went altar-shopping tonight and they wound up fairly autumnal, and it seems that a great deal of people who keep private altars change them with the Wheel. So why not the grove one? Yes, things do cost money, but perhaps we could all contribute, or better yet, make things together. Misty and I saw so many inspiring things we thought it would be wonderful to try to do a craft-night of sorts with the grove... we could make altar decorations and ritual tools, group offerings and maybe even food depending how close it is to the rite. (I am thinking cookies etc for Yule, not like hamburgers for Midsummer two weeks ago. :)) This who conversation was sparked by the fact that Super Wal-mart has a sweet candle-making machine... but that's just a store. Who knows what the heck our resourceful grovemates have? :) We could at least work on getting a better variety of colours and textures (are patterns faux pas? :x) for our altar cloths.
As for other stuff, I think the potluck afterward could be better tied to the seasons. It's not like we can be food nazis and turn anything down if it ISN't particularly harvesty (NEVER limit one's food supply...) but if we as grovemates contribute perhaps we should pay attention to the seasonal foods our ancestors may have used (or would have if climates had been similar.) I, for example, try to make corn-bread, cinnamon/spice cakes, bread, etc, around the harvest time, and if I were rich I totally would have brought pomegranates for everyone. This is really trivial, but it psychologically DOES make a difference... member our awesome cookout at Midsummer? And the mangos and canteloupe and strawberries? Yes, I still do. :)
Before I run out of comment space, maybe we should consider guided meditations or simply a suggested theme for the quieting and preparaation that occurs just before a ritual. Remind people what the season is all about, what the core of the High Day really is, so they can reflect on it as a whole before they even know who the deity of occasion is.
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Date: 2005-09-29 05:10 am (UTC)From:As for incorporating the seasons, hmmmmm. The deity we chose usually links to the day's associations, but we seldom talk about the lore, etc, surrounding these myths. If we do lore nights, etc, that could help address some of these issues, but also subtler things might make a difference.
For example, why is our altar always so similar? Misty and I went altar-shopping tonight and they wound up fairly autumnal, and it seems that a great deal of people who keep private altars change them with the Wheel. So why not the grove one? Yes, things do cost money, but perhaps we could all contribute, or better yet, make things together. Misty and I saw so many inspiring things we thought it would be wonderful to try to do a craft-night of sorts with the grove... we could make altar decorations and ritual tools, group offerings and maybe even food depending how close it is to the rite. (I am thinking cookies etc for Yule, not like hamburgers for Midsummer two weeks ago. :)) This who conversation was sparked by the fact that Super Wal-mart has a sweet candle-making machine... but that's just a store. Who knows what the heck our resourceful grovemates have? :) We could at least work on getting a better variety of colours and textures (are patterns faux pas? :x) for our altar cloths.
As for other stuff, I think the potluck afterward could be better tied to the seasons. It's not like we can be food nazis and turn anything down if it ISN't particularly harvesty (NEVER limit one's food supply...) but if we as grovemates contribute perhaps we should pay attention to the seasonal foods our ancestors may have used (or would have if climates had been similar.) I, for example, try to make corn-bread, cinnamon/spice cakes, bread, etc, around the harvest time, and if I were rich I totally would have brought pomegranates for everyone. This is really trivial, but it psychologically DOES make a difference... member our awesome cookout at Midsummer? And the mangos and canteloupe and strawberries? Yes, I still do. :)
Before I run out of comment space, maybe we should consider guided meditations or simply a suggested theme for the quieting and preparaation that occurs just before a ritual. Remind people what the season is all about, what the core of the High Day really is, so they can reflect on it as a whole before they even know who the deity of occasion is.