Happy Mabon

The school at which I teach and reside celebrated the fall harvest this weekend with a giant party. The purpose of it was to raise funds for an awesome school program, but the true meaning of event was about Mabon, the second harvest.

Mabon is traditionally celebrated on the Fall Equinox, which occurred on September 22, just after 10:00 AM EDT. This is not the actual moment of equal night and day, but instead refers to the Earth's position on the celestial equator. We are now three quarters of the way through the solar year. This is considered the beginning of Autumn.

Lore about Mabon also discusses the time of equal day and equal night, which didn't occur until September 25. Little known fact: the times of the longest night, longest day, or equal day and night do not typically line up exactly with the solstices and equinoxes. This information isn't stored in any one place that I have found, but it can be dug up with the assistance of NASA.

SIDEBAR: I'm very interested in this, because the Old Religion, or what we know of it from archeology, is very much about archeoastronomy, or ancient astronomy. It's about measuring time, and marking the passage of the seasons through ritual and celebration, aka the Wheel of the Year. For me, doing these things adds such a richness to one's life, and a real connection to the land and the cyclical nature of our world.

But back to Mabon. We are now deep into the harvest season which began at Lughnasadh, the grain harvest. At Mabon, we harves fruits, berries, nuts, and seeds. Where I live, it's time to harvest and preserve staghorn sumac, apples, chestnuts, spicebush berries, partridge berries, hog peanuts, acorns, and paw paws.

All through the harvest season, we bring in the crops, both physical and metaphorical. We can, freeze, dry, pickle, jam, and candy all these wonderful fruits of the Earth to prepare for the lean times of winter. It's a time for the whole community to come together to complete this important work, and a time to celebrate all the abundance with which we are blessed.

Spiritually speaking, we consider what projects and intentions we nurtured through the year. It is time to
harvest them as well. What have we been growing with our magical work? What did we envision last Yule, dedicate ourselves to at Imbolc, bless the seeds for at Ostara, and sow at Beltane? How did these things grow? What have we gained and learned?

For me, this year has been rich. I am truly blessed and for this, I am so grateful. My physical health has improved. I have found a wonderful community. The work I am doing is fulfilling, and is furthering my personal and professional growth. The land on which I am blessed to live is so beautiful, and so abundant with life. Life is busy and good.

This weekend, our community came together to prepare a giant feast. The food was largely grown on our farm or collected wild from our land. If we didn't grow or gather it, we bought it from a local farmer or vintner. It was amazing, and quite a production. We decorated our great hall beautifully with flowers, fruit, and greenery. After the feast, we continued our merrymaking with song and dance, which was easy to do with all of the musical talent in our community.

Right now, I feel such a sense of contentment and ease. I know that I am in the right place, with the right people. I am on the path. My harvest is rich. I am thankful!

I hope that your Mabon, your harvest, is rich and abundant. I hope that it sustains you through the winter. May you be blessed with food, shelter, love, and community. May you know the contentment and gratitude that comes with the hard work of harvest. May the beauty of Autumn soothe and comfort your soul. A blessed Mabon to all.

Blessed be and naho!

Family of the Heart

Family is not only a matter of genes
The blood does bind, it's true
But another force is at work
Love is the greatest bond of all
-Tanaria

Every year, my friends and I have a Pre-Thanksgiving party. We gather to feast, drink and make merry. We're in our 23rd year of amazing food, stimulating conversations, excellent wine and general shenanigans. If you've ever seen Auntie Mame, you have an idea what this party is like.

Folks who know me in the physical world and longtime readers know that my biological family is tricky. The ones who treated me the best are in the Summerlands, and the ones who didn't are here and angry that I don't spend time with them. I have been very lucky to have found a chosen family over the years.

Our reasons for banding together are diverse. I am not the only one with challenges in the biological family department. Some don't have any family. Some are not accepted by their family for reasons of sexual orientation, religion, or lifestyle. Some just have awful families. Some live far away from family. Others just stick around for kicks.

The bonds we share are real. They are strong. They are every bit as valid as biological family ties. We have a shared history rich with stories. We support each other in good times and bad. We stand together even when one or more of us is being bone-headed.

We are all kinds of people - all ages, all cultures, all faiths, all orientations, all genders. Eccentricity and intelligence are the rule. In our midst, we have brewmasters, antique dealers, pipe makers, priestesses, seamstresses, dancers, musicians of all types, artists, gamers, geeks, nerds, athletes, dilettantes, drama queens, cosplayers, re-creationists, fairies, and more. We are colorful. We are wild, wacky, and wonderful.

This year, as every year, I am so thankful for you, my chosen family. Thank you for accepting me as I am, with all of my flaws, failings, and contradictions. Thank you for sticking with me as I grow and mature. Thank you for helping me figure it all out. Thank you for giving me the space to evolve and change. Thank you for being there for me. Thank you for your presence in my life. Thank you. Without you, I don't know how I would get through November and December, much less the rest of the year.

Not all of my family was at this gathering. Not all of them are local to this area. In truth, my family is scattered across the miles. To these people, I say - you are in my thoughts and my heart. I miss you. I wish you were here to raise a glass with me. Thank you - all of these gratitudes are meant for you just as much as those who live nearby. Thank you.

There are many things for which I am grateful this year. I am housed, clothed, fed, employed, and loved. I am pursuing my passions and my sacred work. I am healthy. I am strong. Most of the time, I am happy.

But of all these things, my family is the best and brightest, the most important thing. These luminous souls make the journey worthwhile. We inspire each other to be our best selves. Long may it be so.

A Blessed Beltane

Calloo, callay, what a wondrous day! Beltane is here, and it's one of my very favorite holidays of all! There are many fine blogs and websites with extensive information about this important Sabbat, should you care to learn more. This post is not a dissertation on the nature of this day.

Today, I just want to share my joy with you. I am grateful to be alive on this day, the dawn of summer. I am so fortunate to live on a homestead out in the country. We have been working hard to nourish and honor the spirits of our land, to bring our steading back to life.

Today, we begin to enjoy the fruits of the season. The farmer next door has ripe strawberries for us to pick. In our yard, everything is in bloom: roses, lobelia, keeria, iris, water iris, clematis, marigold, azalea and more besides, unidentified blooms that delight the eye. In the garden, vegetables are thriving. We also have kittens to love, little bundles of joy and promise. Our handmade boats now rest under a brand-new shelter. In the mundane world, my new name is legal. Best of all, my Clan will gather this Sunday for high ritual and merriment. I have been given so many blessings, and I am grateful.

I hope that all of you celebrate in the way most suited to your spirits. Enjoy this blessed Beltane - get out there and celebrate! Dance, make love, bask in beauty, feast and make merry - BELTANE IS HERE!

May you know the love of the Gods
May you enjoy the fruits of the season
May your garden grow lush
May you feel the warm sun on your face
May you have love and lust in your life
A most blessed Beltane to all!

Blessed be!

3000 Blog Visitors

Rattle, Roar & Ritual has passed the 3,000 visitors mark! I am so grateful to have this outlet for my thoughts, opinions and ideas about spirituality. It is helping me transform and move into the next phase of my life. It is my sincere hope that my posts are helpful, amusing or inspiring to you in some way. Thank you for reading and commenting!

Cloud Atlas and Reincarnation

“Our lives are not our own. From womb to tomb, we are bound to others. Past and present. And by each crime and every kindness, we birth our future.”

– David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas

Just like when “What the *bleep* Do We Know” came out, I think everyone should watch this film. It resonates with me on so many levels - love, connections, the impact of our actions.

I have experienced profound connections with other human beings (and animals!). The path of my life has changed in a flash because of a chance meeting, a smile or a kiss. Some connections were fleeting, others continue today. But even the briefest connections can have the biggest impact.

I have friends who I have never met in person, through the magic of the intertubes. Others who I may have only met once or twice. Friends I made in a moment – on the train, in a shop, in the woods. Some I have not seen in many years.

There are people who I will never forget, even though they are no longer alive or are far away. There are people who I will love as long as my spirit persists.

There are people with whom I share an unspoken understanding so strong that it is easy to forget that I have not known them my whole life. Who it seems I must have met before.

Which fact reminds me of a story. When I was young, I got a postcard in the mail. On the postcard was a photograph of a young woman from the 1800’s.

She looks exactly like me.

Exactly. Imagine me with a Gibson Girl pompadour hairdo, pointy granny boots and a white dress. And that is the woman on that card. From almost two hundred years ago.

On the back was written some words that I will never forget:

Dear Time Traveler,

I knew that I knew you in another lifetime, another century.

-Marcanza

I asked everyone I knew if they sent it to me. No one would confess. Everyone seemed sincere. Not satisfied, I analyzed everyone’s handwriting. No matches.

To this day, I have no idea who sent me that postcard. It haunts me. I want to know who sent it. But I also want to know about the woman in the photograph. Who is she? How can we look so alike? Is this proof of reincarnation?

I don’t have all the answers. I hold some beliefs that enrich my life, but I don’t profess to say that they are the absolute truth. But one thing I do know: each action matters.

So today, like everyday, I have done the best that I could. I took good care of myself. I provided the best care that I am capable of to my patients. I acknowledged every being that I came across, whether it be vegetable, animal or human. I walked my path with beauty and compassion, strength and humility.

I am so thankful for all of the amazing, beautiful, talented, quirky, smart, funny, perfectly imperfect people in my life, past and present. Blessed be!

p.s. Go watch Cloud Atlas. If you're in the Triangle area, come join my Meetup group for a viewing!

p.p.s. Friends, PLEASE TELL ME who sent the postcard! It’s been over 20 years! Marcanza, if you’re reading this, drop me another note. Who are you?