Thanksgiving Day...family-style

As the preparations for this afternoon's or tonight's feasting swirl around us--whether we are the preparers or the casual observers--let us pause a moment to reflect on the festivities. There have been postings over the last few weeks (on Blogger and on TWV) that have been "all over the board" on what Thanksgiving means/should mean/has been corrupted into/etc. Folk have said (and excuse the paraphrasing) that this holiday is the "duty-bound" one to family and familial faith practices...that this is a non-pagan and therefore "put upon us" holiday. And, that sentiment truly bothers this little Lair mistress.

Perhaps, in some views, this is going to put me placed in the "fluffy bunny" category of us. I don't particularly care. IF one come to this day expecting to be put upon by one's family, one is comin to the holiday in the wrong mindset, in my mind.

Yes, this is not a full-out Pagan holiday. "They" did not re-envision it from the Old Times. "We" cannot claim it as lifted property. BUT....don't we all celebrate harvest festivals--regardless of our Paths? Is this not the season of the final harvests being brought in for canning/freezing/putting up? And, regardless of practice or system or Path, do we not all wish a bit of the home fires to warm us and welcome us?

SO, this day, as the turkey turns golden brown, the cranberry-apple chutneys bubble merrily, the stuffing/dressing firms and bakes, and the myriad accompaniments to this feast are created, take a moment to celebrate the connectedness we have rather than the separations we suffer. We might not be un-Broom closeted, but we can thank Her (in this season of thankfulness) for giving us this day of family and friends and feasting.

As the winter draws nigh...feel the warm, welcoming embrace of Her love....

Happy Thanksgiving, my friends! Be safe, be happy, eat heartily, and celebrate with passion!

In the softness of the Moonlight...

Settling Down...

We're midway into the Celtic month of "Reed" or "Broom"--the shrub which symbolizes both the mysteries of death and the deep-set roots of life. And, indeed, this is a season--from Samhain to Yule--of recollection of the past and recognition of both one's mortality and the Veil between the worlds.

This is the time when the earth is drawing into itself...it's settling and "nesting" in preparation for the dormancy of winter. The Celtic tree symbolism of this month...this season...is likewise one of preparedness, for this is the month that Broom comes to harvest--the branches being fashioned into brooms.

This morning, through the mists rising ever so gently from the fields which surround me on my morning commute, the last vestiges of Autumn's glory were faintly visible--the dimming golds and russets of the leaves which still cling helplessly to their branches, the furry cows coming into their winter coats, the browning fields which once held such verdant life.

It's a time to pause...to reflect...to reconcile oneself to the quietness which enshrouds this season. Watch the final "V" of the geese as they wend their way southward. Study the foolhardiness of the last leaves as they valiantly cling to their twigs. Breathe in the crisp, smokey air as neighbors gather at the fireplace to ward off the chill of the evenings. Embrace the silence!

In the peacefulness of the Moonlight...