Great evening with the Feri Folk

What fun on Friday nite! 

A great bunch of Feri Students from all three of my classes and myself met up at Shogun ( my favorite sushi restaurant, on Pacific in Santa Cruz) for a marvelous meal and then we trooped up the street to the Perfumer's Apprentice to make our own magickal scents. Linda, the owner, served us tea and cookies and offered us guidance and instruction in her lovely shoppe, which we had all to ourselves by prior arrangement. 

http://www.perfumersapprentice.com/

Several of the celebrants were surprised at how much fun they had and said so! this may be one of the 'annual' events that happens for FireDrake Feri Folk.

If you find the idea appealing, please perpetrate this idea with your own group. I call it the Feri Sushi and Scent Social, but you can call it whatever it so pleases.

Great Book! Raven's of Avalon

Hey, I just finished reading  Raven's of Avalon by Diana L. Paxson. It's an expansion/back story to Marion Zimmer Bradley's Avalon series ... and wow! I could not put this down. I kept reading very late into the night/early in the am.

It's the life of Boudica, the Celtic Queen, from youth through motherhood and on as she transforms into the Red-Warrior Queen of the British tribes. 

This is a really fabulous piece of storytelling, weaving legend, magick and history.  Ms. Paxson's attention to the details of ornament, dress, dwelling and community behaviors is astounding and engages you in every aspect of the tale. There are several powerful, lyrical magickal rites and invocations that I intend to weave into my practice of Witchcraft, with attribute given to Diana Paxson of course!

Here's a little taste of one of the magickal rites, Boudica's wedding (verbatim quote - page 112 hardcover)

As her mother led Boudica forward, the boys began to sing-

"You are the moon among the stars,

You are the foam upon the wave,

You are the lily among the flowers,

You are the spark that starts the flame,

You are the beloved."

Prasutagos, dressed in a splendid fringed cloak checked in seven colors over a tunic and braes striped in blue and red, emerged from the crowd of men to stand beside her as the maidens who escorted 

Bodica replied -

"You are the sun above the clouds,

You are the wave that strikes the shore,

You are the oak within the wood,

You are the torch that lights the hall,

You are the beloved."

What a beautiful litany to begin a Handfasting!

Ms. Paxson is a practitioner of Asatru and a really marvelous writer, as well as a kind and generous person!

Her kindred website is http//www.hrafnar.org

Thank you, Diana Paxson!

some of my illustrations ...

most of which are available at wytchwood.com in the Shoppe

and more of which can be viewed at wytchwood.com in the Gallery

just click on the Wytchwood banner at the top of this blog

Spring!!!!

Oh, thank the Goddess, t'is spring again and the green-budding life surrounds me.

We had a really lovely Ostara here at Dragondale (my home and covenstead for Coven Lunasun and FireDrake Grove) just last Saturday.  About 25 folk, including two small boys, celebrated in the Great Grove, sharing seeds, soaking up earth and tree energy and singing.  Afterwards, of course, there was a Great Feast with warm casserole, home-made quiche, breads, salads, cheeses and fruits ... yum!

Here is a little poem I  wrote several years ago in Honor of Spring:

Spring has come on quiet feet

She moves up close to take her seat _

Greets each of us in our own time

and stirs the source of inner rhyme.

Blessing with her secret rush

Her stance bespeaking summer's blush,

See Her now, upon each hill

Coaxing eyes to every sill;

Calling gentle, firm and true

Come dance again the whole year through.

©J'té Argent 1999