Word upon word, burned deep within my heart
I weep for the loss yet doubts have I none
Underneath love once whole in piece and part
Through acts of desire rendered undone
Drunkenness loiters from that sip of you
The kiss we shared as goodbye passed our lips
Mixed with poison left behind as fresh dew
Less heavy words have been known to sink ships
The mark left behind is your legacy
Despite biting sting and lingering hurt
Time spent as we made me a better me
“Hurts” are not units for measuring worth
Forward on I go and yes
Life is full of happiness
Monday, December 19, 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
To One Lost But Not Forgotten
I don’t regret the time I spent learning how to love you
Those lessons grew even when we were apart
I don’t regret the moments spent wrapped inside your arms
I miss you, but you’ll always be in my heart.
The healing comes when the mistakes we’ve made become the lessons we have learned.
The learning comes when our vision shows us the wisdom we have earned
The wisdom grows as we look back on the trials that we’ve been through
And the hurt will go away--but never the memory of you.
Those lessons grew even when we were apart
I don’t regret the moments spent wrapped inside your arms
I miss you, but you’ll always be in my heart.
The healing comes when the mistakes we’ve made become the lessons we have learned.
The learning comes when our vision shows us the wisdom we have earned
The wisdom grows as we look back on the trials that we’ve been through
And the hurt will go away--but never the memory of you.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
The Verge of Farewell
I wait in stillness,
in the quiet of night.
I wait alone,
when all things sleep
save the hunger I have for you.
Memories flood my mind
of a time-touched love,
of a starry night,
of rain and romance,
of devotion's tight embrace.
Locked in passion fueled by love,
our hearts, one heart,
our flesh, one flesh,
our souls, one soul
connected in worlds beyond our own.
And yet, swallowed in the sea,
we return to our lives,
riding the waves of love and joy,
of hurt and loss,
and finding our strength to go on--together or apart.
Though no choice have I,
no outcome will diminish my love for you.
My desires are simple, yet so rarely fulfilled!
I long for lazy days,
for laughter and light.
I long for cozy nights,
for love's sweet embrace.
No one will love you as I,
because no two hearts are the same.
No one will love me like you,
for you love me in ways
I thought only possible in dreams.
How do I move forward from this
if it is not I you long to lie beside
on cold winter's night?
How do I love again if my heart
belongs only to you?
You are the complement to all that I am,
the dark to the light.
For just as the dark longs for the warmth
and brightness of the light,
So, too, does the light long for something dark and meaningful.
Dark and meaningful, my love.
May warmth and brightness always be able to find you.
in the quiet of night.
I wait alone,
when all things sleep
save the hunger I have for you.
Memories flood my mind
of a time-touched love,
of a starry night,
of rain and romance,
of devotion's tight embrace.
Locked in passion fueled by love,
our hearts, one heart,
our flesh, one flesh,
our souls, one soul
connected in worlds beyond our own.
And yet, swallowed in the sea,
we return to our lives,
riding the waves of love and joy,
of hurt and loss,
and finding our strength to go on--together or apart.
Though no choice have I,
no outcome will diminish my love for you.
My desires are simple, yet so rarely fulfilled!
I long for lazy days,
for laughter and light.
I long for cozy nights,
for love's sweet embrace.
No one will love you as I,
because no two hearts are the same.
No one will love me like you,
for you love me in ways
I thought only possible in dreams.
How do I move forward from this
if it is not I you long to lie beside
on cold winter's night?
How do I love again if my heart
belongs only to you?
You are the complement to all that I am,
the dark to the light.
For just as the dark longs for the warmth
and brightness of the light,
So, too, does the light long for something dark and meaningful.
Dark and meaningful, my love.
May warmth and brightness always be able to find you.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
To One Far Away
Everything she touches she turns to art
Creating beauty with a wave of her hand
Everything she speaks goes straight to my head
Like fine wine or brandy on a cool autumn eve
Everything she writes I devour with yearning
Searching for signs she is thinking of me
And every time she smiles she touches my heart,
And my soul rides the waves of the kindled fire therein.
For the Gods have blessed her with creativity
Her touch blooms the flowers after cold winter’s reign
The Gods have blessed her with words
Her voice like sweet honey chained to my ears
The Gods have given her great knowledge
A pen for a spoon in a paper cauldron of wisdom
The Gods have clothed her in splendor
The light of Ausrine shines beautifully from her eyes
All I want is for her to look at me
That I may bask in all that she creates
All that she speaks
All that she writes
And all that she is
And my heart shall be thirsty no longer
And my soul shall run freely
Through fragrant fields of dandelions and sunlight
Creating beauty with a wave of her hand
Everything she speaks goes straight to my head
Like fine wine or brandy on a cool autumn eve
Everything she writes I devour with yearning
Searching for signs she is thinking of me
And every time she smiles she touches my heart,
And my soul rides the waves of the kindled fire therein.
For the Gods have blessed her with creativity
Her touch blooms the flowers after cold winter’s reign
The Gods have blessed her with words
Her voice like sweet honey chained to my ears
The Gods have given her great knowledge
A pen for a spoon in a paper cauldron of wisdom
The Gods have clothed her in splendor
The light of Ausrine shines beautifully from her eyes
All I want is for her to look at me
That I may bask in all that she creates
All that she speaks
All that she writes
And all that she is
And my heart shall be thirsty no longer
And my soul shall run freely
Through fragrant fields of dandelions and sunlight
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
The Two Tenets of RDNA
As some of you may know, I am currently studying the ways of the RDNA in addition to the Our Druidry of ADF. I has been fascinating to see some of the origins of our own cosmology and symbolism. Before one may be elevated to the Second Order, they ask that you study and reflect upon the Two Tenets of RDNA, commonly recited simply as "Nature is good. Nature is very good."
From the Book of the Law 1.5: “The object of the search for religious truth, which is universal and a never-ending search, may be found through the Earth Mother, which is Nature; but this is one way, yea, among many.” This Tenet has been boiled down to the simple statement, “Nature is good.”
This first tenet places the Earth Mother, equated to Nature, as the end result of the quest for religious truth. The quest is “universal and never-ending,” and though there are other avenues, the Earth Mother must be accepted as a true path to this truth. In other words, the path of Druidry is a valid and meaningful means by which we may find religious truth in our lives. I do not necessarily feel that reducing this tenet to “Nature is good” quite translates the same meaning, but Druids are known for their witty and often cryptic speech.
From the Book of the Law 1.6: “And great is the importance, which is of a spiritual importance, of Nature, which is the Earth Mother; for it is one of the objects of Creation, and with it men do live, yea, even as they do struggle through life are they come face to face with it.” Likewise, this tenet has become, “Nature is very good.”
The second tenet elaborates on the first tenet, illustrating that the Earth Mother is of the greatest importance, because without her, humankind would not survive. The authors refer to the Creation of Nature with a capital “C,” which seems to denote a divine origin for its formation. Further, our struggles and hardships are ours along the way, but no matter our path, it is a path of the Earth, and we all must face this fact eventually. Reducing this tenet to “Nature is very good” makes even less sense here, because it completely strips the gravity of importance from the statement.
If I may suggest, perhaps a better pair of statements would be:
1. Nature is truth.
2. Nature is essential truth.
Those, to me, speak more loudly about the very basics of the reform.
From the Book of the Law 1.5: “The object of the search for religious truth, which is universal and a never-ending search, may be found through the Earth Mother, which is Nature; but this is one way, yea, among many.” This Tenet has been boiled down to the simple statement, “Nature is good.”
This first tenet places the Earth Mother, equated to Nature, as the end result of the quest for religious truth. The quest is “universal and never-ending,” and though there are other avenues, the Earth Mother must be accepted as a true path to this truth. In other words, the path of Druidry is a valid and meaningful means by which we may find religious truth in our lives. I do not necessarily feel that reducing this tenet to “Nature is good” quite translates the same meaning, but Druids are known for their witty and often cryptic speech.
From the Book of the Law 1.6: “And great is the importance, which is of a spiritual importance, of Nature, which is the Earth Mother; for it is one of the objects of Creation, and with it men do live, yea, even as they do struggle through life are they come face to face with it.” Likewise, this tenet has become, “Nature is very good.”
The second tenet elaborates on the first tenet, illustrating that the Earth Mother is of the greatest importance, because without her, humankind would not survive. The authors refer to the Creation of Nature with a capital “C,” which seems to denote a divine origin for its formation. Further, our struggles and hardships are ours along the way, but no matter our path, it is a path of the Earth, and we all must face this fact eventually. Reducing this tenet to “Nature is very good” makes even less sense here, because it completely strips the gravity of importance from the statement.
If I may suggest, perhaps a better pair of statements would be:
1. Nature is truth.
2. Nature is essential truth.
Those, to me, speak more loudly about the very basics of the reform.
Friday, October 28, 2011
A Hellenic Samhain Unity Working
The Elysium Fields
“Into the West” is a common phrase heard among those of Celtic Hearth when referring to a journey to the Summerlands, the green fields of the afterlife, but this is not only a Celtic concept. Homer describes a plain where life is easiest for men, for there is no snow or heavy storm, and Okeanus blesses them with the West Wind that it may be cooling to those who live there. Hesiod refers to an Isle of the Blessed on the Western Edge of the Earth where admission is given to those chosen by the Gods, the righteous and heroic among the folk who would live a blessed and happy life, indulging in those things that brought them joy in their years on Earth. These Isles in the West, these Isles of the Blest, these Plains of paradise, are known as the Elysium Fields, and it is here that all Hellenes look to call their eternal home. Here, where the soft precipitate wind falls upon rich soils, continually supporting fruits, vegetables and grains beyond measure. Here, where long, lazy days are followed by cool, comfortable nights. Here, where the tales and songs of the Bards fill halls of fellowship and mirth for all time.
Our hearts’ desire is for our loved ones to be in just such a place, and as we honor them tonight, this time when the veil thins enough for our voices to freely echo through their Halls, let us call out the names of our clans, our tribes, our families. Let us remember the threads that connect us and weave them together as one folk honoring one mighty Kindred: The Ancestors.
We have blessed this Water and infused it with the gifts of the Kindreds, drawing down their blessings that we may be infused with their love in return for our gifts. As we offer this Water to the Fruit of the Vine, we share these Blessings with Those who have gone before us in Unity, in honor and with love. (Pour Waters of Life into Bowl of Wine, preferably red)
And now, Children of Earth, raise your voices with ours and sing your memories into these Waters. Lift your song from your heart that we, too, may add of our essence to these Waters gifted from the Kindreds. (Tone into the Unity Waters)
With reverence and passion, let us invite our houses to accept these gifts as a part of the Community Family of Three Cranes Grove and The Folk of Central Ohio.
(Beginning with a couple well-placed grove members, have each participant give the last names from their family tree, pouring a libation from the bowl over the Omphalos for each person. Single Drumbeat plays throughout. Offer final amount to the collective Ancestors of the Community)
Sing: Mothers and Fathers of Old
“Into the West” is a common phrase heard among those of Celtic Hearth when referring to a journey to the Summerlands, the green fields of the afterlife, but this is not only a Celtic concept. Homer describes a plain where life is easiest for men, for there is no snow or heavy storm, and Okeanus blesses them with the West Wind that it may be cooling to those who live there. Hesiod refers to an Isle of the Blessed on the Western Edge of the Earth where admission is given to those chosen by the Gods, the righteous and heroic among the folk who would live a blessed and happy life, indulging in those things that brought them joy in their years on Earth. These Isles in the West, these Isles of the Blest, these Plains of paradise, are known as the Elysium Fields, and it is here that all Hellenes look to call their eternal home. Here, where the soft precipitate wind falls upon rich soils, continually supporting fruits, vegetables and grains beyond measure. Here, where long, lazy days are followed by cool, comfortable nights. Here, where the tales and songs of the Bards fill halls of fellowship and mirth for all time.
Our hearts’ desire is for our loved ones to be in just such a place, and as we honor them tonight, this time when the veil thins enough for our voices to freely echo through their Halls, let us call out the names of our clans, our tribes, our families. Let us remember the threads that connect us and weave them together as one folk honoring one mighty Kindred: The Ancestors.
We have blessed this Water and infused it with the gifts of the Kindreds, drawing down their blessings that we may be infused with their love in return for our gifts. As we offer this Water to the Fruit of the Vine, we share these Blessings with Those who have gone before us in Unity, in honor and with love. (Pour Waters of Life into Bowl of Wine, preferably red)
And now, Children of Earth, raise your voices with ours and sing your memories into these Waters. Lift your song from your heart that we, too, may add of our essence to these Waters gifted from the Kindreds. (Tone into the Unity Waters)
With reverence and passion, let us invite our houses to accept these gifts as a part of the Community Family of Three Cranes Grove and The Folk of Central Ohio.
(Beginning with a couple well-placed grove members, have each participant give the last names from their family tree, pouring a libation from the bowl over the Omphalos for each person. Single Drumbeat plays throughout. Offer final amount to the collective Ancestors of the Community)
Sing: Mothers and Fathers of Old
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Hades, an Essay and Prayer
Guest Writer: AG Vanidottir
Many would view Haides as a stern, fierce and unyielding god. Shown as dark and gloomy, the majesty of his appearance is often tainted. The judgement of men's souls is not an easy task and is often thankless. False notions about the power of this god make people unduly afraid of him. Perhaps this is stems from the idea that once dead we remain in his realm for ever, and that with the crossing of the River Styx the soul goes to him without the covering of the body and thus loses its humanity. I am hear to tell you that this is not so.
In the beginning of the Age of the Olympians, three brothers divided the realms of Earth. Zeus drew the lot of the skies and heavens and thus rules from Olympus. Poseidon drew that of the realms of seas and waters and with this rules from the depths of the world's Oceans. The third brother, Haides, drew the lot of mists, secrets and the deep darkness that the Earth's fertility comes from. It is to this realm that all must return when their days have run their course.
Haides rules the depths below Earth's surface and beyond the river Styx. There the mists from her waters part and the souls of our beloved ancestors walk freely to the rewards of a life well lived. Within the gates of the Elysian fields walks the defender of the rights of the dead, king of the under realms, lover and husband to Persephone, guardian of the hidden wealth of the earth. There those that have earned a place within these sacred grounds are at peace, hearing the love and prayers from the upper world by the grace of Haides. The dead, upon receiving this gift from their protector, smile and make ready for the time that their descendents join them. Love and sympathy course through the fruits of this world and here the dark and gloom do not dare invade.
Haides, in Elis your temple was only opened once a year; not unlike our own ancestor box. You hold the keys to the other realm and fiercely watch those in your charge with Cerberus by your side. Though you sit in judgement of men's souls and often must pass a harsh sentence, you are not without compassion. It is from the darkness of your realm that seeds gather their strength to be brought forth in the Spring. By your hand the wealth of the land is brought forth. Your gift to man is the promise of a safe harbor upon the crossing of the river. Your gift to the other gods is to care for those that they have favored in life with peace and joy beyond the confines of their flesh.
Haides, gathered before you now are the children of the Earth. The living call to you to recognize and honor you for your sacred duty. Haides, part the mists that stand between your realm and ours that we may make offering in thanks for your careful hand and watchful eye. Turn the keys within the gates and allow the mothers and fathers of old to hear the words of our hearts. The words of our own souls that sing in praise of you and yours.
"Zeus Khthonios (of the Underworld) [Haides], thy sacred ear incline, and pleased accept these sacred rites divine. Earth’s keys to thee, illustrious king, belong, its secret gates unlocking, deep and strong. ‘Tis thine abundant annual fruits to bear, for needy mortals are thy constant care. To thee, great king, all sovereign earth assigned, the seat of gods and basis of mankind."
Haides,
Lord of the Underworld,
Husband to Persephone,
Brother to Zeus and Poseidon,
Son of Kronos and Rhea,
Keeper of the mists,
Guardian of the dead
Haides, the children of the earth call out to you
Join us at our sacred fire and accept all that we offer to you.
Haides, we honor you!
Sources include: www.theoi.com, the Orphic Hymns and Plato
Many would view Haides as a stern, fierce and unyielding god. Shown as dark and gloomy, the majesty of his appearance is often tainted. The judgement of men's souls is not an easy task and is often thankless. False notions about the power of this god make people unduly afraid of him. Perhaps this is stems from the idea that once dead we remain in his realm for ever, and that with the crossing of the River Styx the soul goes to him without the covering of the body and thus loses its humanity. I am hear to tell you that this is not so.
In the beginning of the Age of the Olympians, three brothers divided the realms of Earth. Zeus drew the lot of the skies and heavens and thus rules from Olympus. Poseidon drew that of the realms of seas and waters and with this rules from the depths of the world's Oceans. The third brother, Haides, drew the lot of mists, secrets and the deep darkness that the Earth's fertility comes from. It is to this realm that all must return when their days have run their course.
Haides rules the depths below Earth's surface and beyond the river Styx. There the mists from her waters part and the souls of our beloved ancestors walk freely to the rewards of a life well lived. Within the gates of the Elysian fields walks the defender of the rights of the dead, king of the under realms, lover and husband to Persephone, guardian of the hidden wealth of the earth. There those that have earned a place within these sacred grounds are at peace, hearing the love and prayers from the upper world by the grace of Haides. The dead, upon receiving this gift from their protector, smile and make ready for the time that their descendents join them. Love and sympathy course through the fruits of this world and here the dark and gloom do not dare invade.
Haides, in Elis your temple was only opened once a year; not unlike our own ancestor box. You hold the keys to the other realm and fiercely watch those in your charge with Cerberus by your side. Though you sit in judgement of men's souls and often must pass a harsh sentence, you are not without compassion. It is from the darkness of your realm that seeds gather their strength to be brought forth in the Spring. By your hand the wealth of the land is brought forth. Your gift to man is the promise of a safe harbor upon the crossing of the river. Your gift to the other gods is to care for those that they have favored in life with peace and joy beyond the confines of their flesh.
Haides, gathered before you now are the children of the Earth. The living call to you to recognize and honor you for your sacred duty. Haides, part the mists that stand between your realm and ours that we may make offering in thanks for your careful hand and watchful eye. Turn the keys within the gates and allow the mothers and fathers of old to hear the words of our hearts. The words of our own souls that sing in praise of you and yours.
"Zeus Khthonios (of the Underworld) [Haides], thy sacred ear incline, and pleased accept these sacred rites divine. Earth’s keys to thee, illustrious king, belong, its secret gates unlocking, deep and strong. ‘Tis thine abundant annual fruits to bear, for needy mortals are thy constant care. To thee, great king, all sovereign earth assigned, the seat of gods and basis of mankind."
Haides,
Lord of the Underworld,
Husband to Persephone,
Brother to Zeus and Poseidon,
Son of Kronos and Rhea,
Keeper of the mists,
Guardian of the dead
Haides, the children of the earth call out to you
Join us at our sacred fire and accept all that we offer to you.
Haides, we honor you!
Sources include: www.theoi.com, the Orphic Hymns and Plato
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