We were guided by Trui to a glade in a remnant of Epping Forest, adjoining Wanstead Park. Lorraine thought the trees were possibly limes, but none of us were sure. Water (a man made water course) curved around us to the East and South.
After the usual hovering around not being quite sure what to do, perhaps symptomatic of the switch from everyday London lives to a deeper, more Druidic way of seeing and being, we settled down to share what had been passing through our hearts and our lives in this new autumn season. As befitted the time, there were sombre themes of depression and fear at the prospect of winter, some feelings of disorientation, as well as an acceptance of the coming season and its potential for growth in the darkness. Lorraine talked of planting her crocuses, and I remembered that I had planted some snowdrop bulbs that week. Autumn could be a time of new beginnings as well as the loss of summer.
A theme emerged of the continuing jouney of our lives, difficult and challenging more often than not, but also coming to times of happiness and greater clarity. Our ritual had at its centre a moment when we each passed out through a doorway into the wood to return and pass through the gateway of the Equinox, back to our containing cirle from whence we could continue on into the autumn and winter, and eventually back to the energies of spring. Trui, true to form had a surprise up his sleeve (or in his bag) and gave us each an ear of corn with the words “The seed of wisdom grows in the darkness”. (I think I may have this wrong folks so correct me please !)
After the ceremony, which I, at least found very powerful, surrounded as we were by the cries of mallard and moorhen, Trui’s bag produced some mead which we shared with a suitably autumnal feast of grains, nuts and dried fruits with the very welcome tea produced from Greg’s capacious rucksack with minimum fuss. I just couldn’t resist reading Keats’ Ode to Autumn which catches the drowsy beauty of autumn perfectly.
And so, back through the suburbia of Wanstead and home after a sojourn in the pub for some of us.
Thanks Trui, and everyone – and it was nice to have Christine and Mike with us. Hope to see you again.
