I am back from a brief time away... Our new house (new to us) is wonderful! We love our own space and marvel that it really is ours! Joy!!!
Then - there was this issue and that issue.... and how much will that cost???!!! Wow... the realization that it is all ours... a bit more sobering but seriously we are so blessed!!!
So - back to our lives we go!
We celebrated our Full Moon and it was a profound change for me and the hubby to be sure! Interesting what I learned when I set out to be the one teachin' that day! lol
Pagan Dad....
I took a page from Pagan Dad.... a great blog for families... and did a full moon with the kids....
This is always super stressful for me as I feel awkward and "on show" with the kids.... and I never know that they are actually listening.... you know? So I would like to share with you how I learned that my kids were listening and that they can be the greatest teachers of all!
But First! A review of the Blog of Pagan Dad... (click to go and explore)
I do not agree with all of his wisdom... but really when does anybody ever agree with everything??? He has good thoughts... thought provoking thoughts... conversation starting thoughts... thoughts from a distinctly male perspective....
He is a prolific poster that is also rather profound... he often has great information in a kid friendly format... easily modified, as well, so that you can tailor the lessons to your particular needs. I signed up for the emails... and there is no spam... but there are a lot of posts! Good if you are looking for information - but I did set up a separate folder! I like his ideas... from crafts to songs... rituals and chants... he does have it all! Thanks Pagan Dad! I really love your site!
Next... Pagan Kids.
Well, there is no doubt that my kids are pagan. My daughter runs around with any type of stick and yells... Abracadabra -- I turn you into a newt! My son casts an elemental circle before bed so he has great dreams.... and is often know to yell -- I am Angus mac Og! and I am fighting for my swan!!!!! I use my sword.... (I interject that he actually won the battle using his head..... to that I get a grunt....) Interesting on the playground... for sure. But I am still never sure they are really listening.... hmmmm....
The Full Moon...
So on our Full Moon we assembled marshmallows, sticks, a great fire in our brass bowl, and some stories to tell around the fire... we danced our circle open with motions that indicated the directions....
We started in the East and talked about Air - the kids flew around flapping wings and creating a great stir!
In the South we talked about Fire... we were flames that leaped and danced in a magical show of strength...
In the West - we were Water... we dove and swam like dolphins under water...
In the North... we were Earth... and we stomped our feet and felt the ground beneath give a little and still support us... They yelled there welcomes and my daughter rung the bell so hard it actually broke!!! (Hubby temporarily fixed it but we are now thinking it is asking to be retired.... lol)
Then we went to the Center... where we talked about the Goddess and the God...
We invited our Lord and Lady to our circle in a general manner were they both shouted out we love you our Goddess... it was cute... In general, we talked about what the Goddess embodies... and read the Charge of the Goddess Pagan Dad style... still needed some work... I lost em. but I thought it was still important to do....
We also talked specifically about Bride, Thor, Lugh and Hecate... quite a mix but the kids and us adults really do Identify with these particular Deities - so we utilize them in our rituals and are creating bonds with them - telling stories and creating a space for Them to flourish. I also felt that this allowed the kids to create a bond with something that is a bit more tangible and manageable than the entirely nebulous concept of Deity... a concept that my husband and I still struggle with.... These mini stories were met with questions and excitment but I still wasn't sure! I felt myself agitated that they didn't meet these awesome Gods and Goddesses with the correct respect and ... and what???
Hmmmm.... I was starting to get something but what it was was still alluding me at this point.... I sat back and told more stories.... as did my hubby... I am hoping that he takes over this a bit more as he really does love doing it! and the kids love to listen to him.... It was great to have some balance....
And the stories? We told many but in a nod to the season...
We mostly told stories of Lugh...
My son loves the God Lugh... He has identified with him ever since we first introduced him to Lugh... a picture in a Celtic book... and he opened the book and exclaimed -- I LOVE this God... who is He mom... Oh... that is Awesome mom....
And from then on... Lugh has been in our home! We welcome Him and His energy... and there is a lot of it!! My son loves to pretend that he is the Great God Lugh... and runs about the playground when others are Spiderman saying I am the Greatest Warrior I am Lugh!!!!
It is pretty cute.
But beyond the cute factor.... I started to think... he is really developing a bond with this God... He also loves Thor but always seems to come back to Lugh... In retrospect... I guess he is listening... but we didn't use fancy words or invoke or anything... we just talked about his story and made him more real - concrete to a little person that is really and willing to absorb that knowledge... That also made me think....
So on the the offerings... it was decided that four coveted marshmallows would be nice... and we watched as the grew and slowly turned black... eventually creating these eerie black clouds that slowly sank back into the coals... we watched while we toasted marshmallows and talked about the moon.. this was the Thundermoon.... a time of change.... That this moon was a time that the Goddess (Bride) was showing us that all things change... and that this to shall pass this Thunderous season full of storms and weather - giving way to a time of harvest...
S0, we discussed change. All that had changed ... and all that stayed the same... and many things were said in the safety of the Circle... my son opened up about his feeling about all the moves... my husband about his injury.... me about the instability we have all been feeling... and it was good to talk honestly... we asked the Goddess to be with us... to help us with our feelings... to help us with all of the change in our world....
Then we closed our circle... gave our gifts to the "Little People" as we always try to do... and off to bed.
That was it!
Short as needed... longer than it could have been.... but just right for this evening for sure...
That said... I wasn't sure.... I felt that I hadn't done it right... that I hadn't honored out Deities as they should be honored... you know??? It wasn't elaborate. It wasn't full of ceremony.... it wasn't even full of pomp. There were no robes (I am working on it) - there was not a proscribed plan - just a rough outline...
But it was Honest.
Honest and heartfelt done with the energy of my children and the stories of tired parents...
The profoundness of it has taken a few days to set in as it is a true departure for me... The whole shebang doesn't need to happen every month - sometimes a simple nod is okay... A nod done with sincerity, energy, and honesty is as good a nod as any really... I am my harshest judge. I need to lighten up apparently! lol...
So, that is what I learned this month. The Lord and Lady listened - they heard us... they were there... We felt the energy and the power of our Lady and our Lord with us and around us... in action ... in effect...
Honest and simple is really what works with my family... it may not work for all... it didn't have lots of candles.... it didn't have colours and robes... it didn't have chanting and singing... it didn't have ceremony or prescribed wordage.... it was just honest from our hearts... and maybe that is the connection that I have missed through the years... a freeing from the ceremony has freed me to see my Deities is a new light. A light that is still working for me long after the fires outside have burned down...
So - thank you my children for the gift of the simple... For the joy... For the Honesty to be myself and thus model how they can be true to themselves...
Blessed Be.
