Updated May 20, 2008
This is the newsletter for 2008. Note that it runs "backwards" this year for some reason, with the newest stuff at the end. The 2007 letter is located here. The 2006 letter is located here.
January Goddess Ritual
At our first ritual of 2008, 19 people gathered together to honor all of the aspects of the Triple Goddess. Everyone participated in a number of small meditations on the aspects of the Goddess - Maiden, Mother, Crone, and Dark Shadow. The meditations asked us to apply these aspects to our daily lives and relate them to our working lives. There was a good amount of sharing between everyone in circle about how they relate and promote each of these aspects upon each of their daily situations. It certainly was a very thought-provoking ritual to see where and how each of us relate to the Goddess, especially with the start of a new year and continuation of the dark winter season..
Special Imbolc Ritual
We celebrated Imbolc with a traditional ritual of raising energy and charging a magical working. After casting the circle, each one of us spoke several lines from the Witches Creed and danced to raise our energy and the magic of the circle. As we did so we dedicated our tokens and tools to life, life of the water, life of the earth, life of the air, and luck and love. We had a brief meditation that took us through the five senses, then we were on to purifying, consecrating, and conjuring our devices. Our working was to clarify our feelings of love and union in the coming season. This ritual prepared us for our next working, our magic working circle.
Magic Working Circle
We carried on the theme of working for this circle. After a brief introduction to natural magic, we worked a written charm into our tokens, then placed our intentions into them through a visualization. We then worked some scrying magic, some with crystals, others with candles. The goal was to work with our will and visualization to make our magic more powerful.
February Imbolc Ritual
In this simple and elegant ritual we worked on light, and healing. Our candles and our earth connected in silence, and in meditation.
Feeding the Homeless
Twice a year we work with the Arlington Street People's Network (ASPAN) to help feed homeless people in Arlington. We had a very good turnout this February, with many people helping make the sandwiches, and a larger number of people delivering than usual. The real gift is being able to chat and meet with those who need the food, and realizing the common humanity that connects all of us.
Animal Allies Workshop
A dozen of us from the MoonFire and local pagan communities gathered together to learn and discuss from the locally known Animal Ally teacher Virginia Carper. First, each of us shared with the rest of the group what animal best represents us, animals that we each dislike, and recent animal encounter experiences. Ms. Carper then discussed how we relate each of our answers to our personal animal emblem, our shadow animal, and recent messenger animals. Thru the workshop, a number of us have begun to readdress our communications and relationships with our personal totem animals. Ms. Carper was open to offering her second class "Learning From Your Animal Allies" to Working Circle sometime next year.
Iroquois Spring Equinox Healing Ritual
For our Spring Equinox ritual of 2008, about 25 people gathered in Sacred Circle to understand what healing each and everyone present needed after coming through the darkness of Winter. We meditated to connect with the Healing Spirits who surround us. We asked what issue needed to be addressed in each of our lives, and how we might resolve those issues. Those who were motivated, each had a face-to-face to the Iroquois False Face Healer. False Face offered advice for moving forward with the coming Spring and with each person's healing resolution. He offered blessings from Nature to everyone to empower to resolve their own issues. In recitation, everyone in Sacred Circle offered a prayer of Thanksgiving to extend our own healing for the coming Spring with hopes that it would bloom prosperously. There was a lot of chanting, drumming, and rattling to give thanks to the all surrounding elements of Nature.
Children's Earth Day Ritual
After a simple, child-friendly, grounding of imagining we were trees rooted in Mother Earth, the ritual began by passing individually-selected stuffed animals (representing our sister and brother animals of the Earth) around the circle to cast the circle. The reading of Dear Children of the Earth: A letter from Home (by author Schim Schimmel) captured everyone's attention, regardless of age. This beautifully illustrated book explains our environmental problems clearly and simply, in touching and poetic words. It appeared that many participants had much to say in reply to Mother Earth. The writing and drawing of letters to Her was quite an engaging part of the ritual. Everyone took to the task eagerly while listening to nature sounds music and using the biodegradable soy crayons provided. We sang an adaptation of an African song , "Turn the World Around", to charge (dedicate) our letters, which we'll each bury near our homes with a promise to take better care of our planet and all Her creatures.
Neighboring Faiths at River Road UU Church
Ed and Andy had the privledge this year of speaking to the 9:15 and 11:15 6th and 7th grade RE classes at River Road UU Church. Andy and Ed led a basic, meditative, ritual that got the kids in touch with the earth. As is always the case many of the kids were very interested in Paganism, as were the adults in the class. We talked about the historical roots of Paganism, how it relates to other religions like Christianity, and what type of Pagan traditions are being re-created today. The kids were great, everyone was welcoming and interested, and, despite the torrential rains, everyone had a great time.
May Basket Beltane Ritual
Melissa and Scott led a beautiful ritual for Beltane. With the Altar decked out in pink and white (check out the pictures at the Altar Picture Page), we called on the God and Goddess of May. Melissa read a poem written by her mentor in Wicca, which was both a blessing and a reminder that we all draw on a deep tradition of work from others that have gone before us in the faith. We then got to make May baskets, and say what was important to us about the May, and what we might do with our basket. The baskets were beautiful, as was the ritual and the company it drew together.
Fertile Ground 2008 - May 3rd-4th
On May 3rd, two MoonFire members led the opening ritual for the first annual Fertile Ground Beltane Festival. The festival was the idea of members of ShadowGrove, a grove located in Manassas, Virginia. The theme of Fertile Ground was building the pagan community and celebrating Beltane in an "old world style." Everyone was encouraged to wear Rennaisance era clothing if possible. MoonFire, along with the Northern Virginia Pagan Network (NVPN) worked with ShadowGrove on planning the festival. The opening ritual focused on establishing a sacred space for the weekend and crowning the King and Queen of the May. Fertile Ground was a big success. Attendees enjoyed three rituals, workshops, a May Pole dance, a performance by Dragon Song and drumming by the fire circle. Be sure to join us next year!
