This is just a short report on Imbolc, so if anyone wants to add their own perspective, please feel free! In attendance were Petra and Hilde, who organised the ceremony, Amelia and Mark, myself and Daniel, Julie, Andrew Brennan, and new visitors Kathryn and Linda. Petra had found a good, secluded location away from the places we have been to before, off a track which led from the opposite side of the road from the Horsenden Hill car park. We were able to set up the flowers and candle-lanterns and perform the ceremony without any curious people looking on this time, though we had some welcome onlookers of the feathered variety. We could hear magpie, crow, bluetits (so Hilde informed me) and a rasping call which might have been jays.
We worked from the standard ‘Brown Book’ ceremony which needs a fair number of people since there cross-quarter directions as well as the quarters. Fortunately 10 was just enough so that a couple of people could double up without having to switch directions halfway through! Amelia, wearing white, was just the right person to be our Brigid for the day. The overall ‘vibe’ of the ceremony was very peaceful, with a gentleness which felt right on this mild, cloudy day. The rite concluded with a reading of the renga poem we created at the ‘Poetry for Brigid’ seedgroup, each reading a verse in turn, clockwise around the circle.
Afterwards we headed off to the Black Horse Inn, anyone who went to Beltane will remember it’s a bit nicer than the Ballot Box and is in a good setting by the Grand Union Canal.
