the raven

Could we have some reports please – on things that have happened since we went webby? I did not make the winter solstice ceremony and would like to know how it went.
Hope it all went well for you all. I went to the national gathering event and although got back on time, I was knackered and had family demands to deal with (after having been away).
Anna

Here’s a little something my husband Alex wrote. He claims he’s not a druid :-)

“Why do we take such pleasure from parallel lines? Nature is jumbled, messy – right angles and parallels have no place there. An alien imposition. We take pleasure from regularity, order, from imposing ourselves upon what is.
“Or perhaps that’s not it. The lines, row upon row of verticals, on the school yard fence, towers and walls and drainpipes of our cities, they remind us of the primeval forests of our ancestors. The trunks of gigantic trees towering over us – reaching up into an impossible sky, stretching away into the invisible distance. Echos of the past.”

At the seed group at my place we produced a Renga (a Japanese poetic form to be written by a group). Renga means ‘linked elegance’. Each verse should be a seperate entity. The first is set in the present time and moves through the seasons (not necessarily in order) and should finish in Spring. Anna, Daniel, Lorraine, Hilde and new member Andrew worked together to produce the 40 verse Renga which is viewable on the Creative part of the site.
There are odd rules, which you can follow or not; we chose to honour 2; mention the moon in verse 3 and to only mention an insect once. Much fun was had (and a fair bit of chocolate!)

Into the wind, the crow flies.
All winter he has stalked us
now his cheeks are pink.

He rests in ploughed furrows
hard as iron, like railway lines.

Silky moon lights the rippling water.
Gently caressing
dried out husks of last year’s fruit.

Bay tree falls on side
hides behind the myrtle.

A pie dish empty on the worktop
awaiting a windfall
of sweet bruised fruit.

The child is masked.
His sweet bowl raised.

The late low sun
makes cobwebs in the hedgerow
like mirrors in the fields.

Colours show as wind billows.
The leaves are dancing.

Tawny colours light the fading day
bested by imported pumpkins.
Excited children don plastic capes.

Empty shell holding memories
of smoky snail trails.

Petunias riot in baskets
as tables of men in shorts
bat lamely at wasps.

Scent of sea and suncream.
Seagulls stealing sandwiches.

Sun seeps through my body,
heating, changing, energising,
moving me in ways I cannot name.

In the city: gold lamé
a memory of ripe barley.

Last stalks fashioned
into a golden wheel that turns
from one solstice to the next.

Runny nose, cold red ears,
a fire warms more than distant failing suns.

Barleycorn ground to powder
drifts of snow
swirling around dried fruit.

Ice melts forming puddles
plans are formed from shiny seeds.

Multi-coloured tendrils sprout
green shoots down the district line
climbing high to Horsenden.

Brighid stepping through the suburbs
leaves white bells on tender stalks.

Some of you may have noticed the Beginning Biodynamics course listed in the Events section in the last couple of editions of Touchstone. The ad was for a one-day course costing £30, location Kidderminster on February 11th, but Anny also mentioned another course taking place in April, in Twickenham. I emailed Anny about the latter, and she said she’s unable to do the April course as she hasn’t got a weekend free after all. However… (quoting from her email, below)

“I may be able to do a w/s in Twickenham later in the year, possibly
autumn. If you think others in the London Grove would be interested, let me
know and we’ll see if we can arrange a w/end to suit us all.

Biodynamics is rather more than the moon calendars, involving, Sun,
Earth, planets and constellations, I go into all this (short words and bullet
points :-), easy to understand!) on the w/shop. It also uses a set of 8
preparations which enhance soil, plants, growth and your home
environment. Urban gardens are fine for working biodyanmically, we did for 7 years.”

So, would anyone else be interested in this? If a few of us express interest, she is probably more likely put the course on. I know I am – I’m quite clueless about biodynamic gardening right now but am certainly open to finding out more, and £30 for a full day seems pretty reasonable.

I’m sorry but I won’t be able to come to the Imbolc celebration on Sunday. I would really like to but have the usual family problems. I hope it goes well and wish everyone blessings of the season.

Francesca