December 17th, 2007 - Solstice
Yesterday was the PUC Solstice Celebration. There’s always a lovely raffle, and both last year and this I ended up with some goodies! The items are brought in by those attending and range from candles to books to bags to lightbulbs (compact fluorescent ones, that is). I brought a jar of homemade applebutter (since I couldn’t bring it to the church’s bake sale as originally intended) and a lavender wand. I also purchased $10 of tickets. I won a box of chocolates (unfortunately, individually wrapped, plus the large container with plenty of plastic), two candle holders (I tried using votives to hide the piano smell and it worked great except that I didn’t have votive holders and the candles spread quickly to fill the larger holders I used, making them last less long)–both from India, one with elephants on it!, and a brass candle snuffer (we don’t have one and I was thrilled to win it! Came with 6 candles which I don’t need and maybe return next year…. Disappointingly however, it had actually been used before and in cleaning it, they scratched badly the brass. May bring to Mom’s next spring as I’m sure she has special brass cleanser and maybe I can polish it up a bit.). I didn’t win the one item I wanted most–a garden fairy statue.
After the ritual, I ran into someone I thought was in my covenant group (a small spiritual group at the Fellowship) and said hello and then realized it wasn’t her after all. But we started chatting. Although she was there with her partner, they felt a bit lonely since they didn’t really know anyone else. I felt even more lonely as *I* didn’t know anyone else, either. So we chatted throughout the meal (potluck–I brought an apple crisp) and the raffles. It was lots of fun and I wish I’d exchanged emails. We’ve seen each other at services, so hopefully that will happen again. They are both students, but I believe are in their late 20s–they looked older than traditional college students at least. And I could picture doing something with them in the future. We’ll see! If nothing else, I look forward to having someone to hang out with next year!
The day included a workshop–I attended the one on dancing which was fun but way too short. And the Solstice ritual, which included gathering in a circle, invocations to the directions/elements, chanting/singing/drumming, reminders of community/family, and thoughts about the time of winter and the coming of the sun. We each received an ornament this year–I accidentally chose a star but traded it for a sun which I really wanted. It closed with sharing of “cakes and ale”–or tea or coffee and cookies. After the ritual, we share a potluck meal followed by the raffle drawing (it’s a fundraiser for Fox Valley Pagan Unity Council which puts on the celebration). I left at the end of that since it was after 8 already. I wish I could stay for the end–dancing, singing, and drumming (I shall do my own dancing Friday night to welcome back the sun, instead)! Each year, there are different workshops (previously, they’ve all been crafting something, like a little wish box) and the ritual is done differently each time as well.
I attend because I like being attuned to nature and the seasons, and celebrating that connection with others who feel the same. I am not actually pagan nor do I believe in spells. It’s simply a beautiful, calming ritual. I just wish they had one for each of the solstices, but this is the only one at the Fellowship. (They do a summer solstice, but it’s a camping weekend.)