12 Days of Yule

Yule recognises the death of the Sun's cycle, the shortest day of the year.  In the Anglo Saxon calendar Yule is a period in the calendar, undefined as far as we know.  However, my Gewessi interpretation is this...

At the sunset of the day before Yule wreaths are hung on peoples doors to mark its passing.  This death releases the chaos of the Wild Hunt to take reckless souls with him.  This year's Yule's eve was calm, the one before the Wild Hunt stormed their way over the land.  Down here in Sussex I believe it's led by Freyr, 'The Lord', also known as Ing or Scyld.  This year it is proving to be a long and very wild hunt.  The Xmas street decorations are thrumming, everything static is shaking with the wind.  The rain beat relentlessly against the glass making one and all grateful for a warm  home and hearth, that the wailing sounds of the emergency services are for others and not them. 

24th December it is ModrasNacht, Mother's night or Xmas Eve to the Christians.  Time to honour Frij or Frigga with good food, mulled cider or wine and final preparations for the rebirth of the Solar King, the Bright One whose death we celebrated 3 days earlier.  She is his mother and it is right to honour her.

Then there is the Xmas, x being the rune gebo that is the rune of giving, the exchange of gifts and friendship, with the traditional feast that accompanies such exchanges.  Just like the feast in Beowulf where gifts are given in exchange for loyalty, to Gewessi folk this feast is just as important as for the Xtians who appropriated it around the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine.  After 3 days it is noticeable that the days are not getting shorter, the circle has turned, the sun is reborn.

The time in between Xmas and the Gewessi 12th night, New Years Eve, is the chaotic dream time.  To plan the year ahead, dreaming of success in the goals and tasks that the individual chooses.  This is an important time, it should not just be spent feasting, socialising or just watching TV / gaming / indulging (although these downtime activities also have value).  Dreaming realisable goals takes creative time for that 1% inspiration then a lot of planning for the 99% perspiration.

For me, this year, replacing the battered old shed at the end of our garden with an outdoor room for gaming, training and crafting with occasional spare room use is the goal.  Designing and building it myself, with help from my teenage sons is the dream.  Finances dictate that to deliver my goal I must realise my dream.  This is the root of need, or necessity, the energy driving us on. 

Finally the Gewessi 12th night, New Years Eve, arrives and with it the celebration where people can finish the night with a traditional
Toast, Boast and an Oath.
The toast is traditional or personal, the boast is to recognise the goals you achieved in the year past and the boast is for the goals you will aim for in the next year.

So use this Yule dream time, when the last year's work is done and next year's work is not begun to let the Awen, the Wod, the furious inspiration flow and I wish
A blessed Yule to all.

Yule's Eve

A bit of fun for the time of year...

'Twas the Yuletide Night

'Twas the Yuletide night, with a moon so bright,
and all round the house 'twas quiet and light.
When suddenly loud a shout rent the air
and Bridget came running pulling her hair!
She'd gone to the fire and noticed it's plight
the few bits of wood had gave her a fright.
"Oh what shall I do and what shall I say
when everyone's here for the feast today?
My fire can't go out, the hearth can't be cold
on Yule day of all days, wood won't be sold.
My woodpile is wet, all else is snowy
where will I find logs to warm this wee bothy?"

"The Holly has been gathered, the Ivy too
I'd got drum and bass, even a kazoo
but no fire at home, no fire at hearth!"
Brid wailed, bemoaned her heat dearth.
The women at pace, ran down the stairs
pulling on warm gowns, caught up on affairs.
The men they were slower, grumpier too
and added their voices to the hullabaloo.
One voice was deeper, Tor was its keeper -
he'd fallen for Bridget's beautiful bleepers -
but she only saw his effing great beard
not the passion with which his heart seared.

"I'll find you a log not water bogged
if under the mistletoe I will be snogged -
if I can find fire; a smooch I desire!"
"If you can find fire a gift I shall give,
equal in value, each year whilst I live!"
Tor took up his hammer of steel
donned wool jacket; against cold a shield,
fastened green belt around his stout belly.
Scoffing quickly some black elves in jelly,
Driving-Tor tried to quietly grab chariot -
but thundering wheels create a racket!

And then he went to find his Goats
alas, alack! The goats were sick.
To Donner and Blitzen, he gave them oats,
good Reindeer help - in harness - click.
Then up, away did chariot fly
to hurtle loudly through the sky
Now Tor, despite what people say,
is wise enough, in matter grey
that hangs between his hairy ears.
He's thick enough not to have fears
and to his goal - Eternal flame -
and that Bridget forever tame.

Tor called out "Donner", he called out "Blitzen"
"take me to Bala, Cerridwen's kitchen."
Over cumulus clouds, snow filled surprise
they saw celebrations some humble, some wise,
others colourful with candles and cake,
mince pies, mulled wine and paper chains to make.
Finally flying, Donner and Blitzen
dropped Tor, down chimney, in the Sow's kitchen.
Cerridwen, unhappy, drew in sharp breath
ready to curse Tor "A cowardly death,
with a pox on his name and unmanly shame!"
Tor quickly said "Sorry! I take the blame."

Flattering wisely, Tor could play the game,
he went into detail of why he came.
Cerridwen matchmaker - that feminine art -
turning pure virgin into wedded tart.
Thinking of Bridget, Tor was a good catch,
whose nature and temper Bride would well match
so the Winter hag told all to young stag,
the quest for his Bride? Oh yes! He would snag.
With a joyous cry did chariot leap
head to the North Pole his promise to keep.
Caer Arianrhod he thundered to goal
with a special gift; his snowiest foal.

Once there, this present he took care to hide;
"First get on the Silvery dam's good side."
This was the white Sow's timely advice
knowing her sister's most fortunate vice
was her collection of Stallions, White.
Tor's aim was simple, his foal for Fire bright.
"Everburning Logs from Caer Arianrhod
her magical stack of seasoned Yew
burns so much better than peat boggy sod,
the fire it gives lasts long, heats well and smells true."
Tor marched boldly to door, ringing her bell,
shouts "Merry Yuletide I hope you are well?"

Arianrhod said "Well? I wish you to Hel!
Jolly or merry I wish not to be
when hammering men come ringing my bell."
"I come from yon well with a gift for thee!"
"What? Breeds Well? A gift for me?"
Once she had said that Tor knew he'd her tree!
The silvery yearling ate sweets from light hand,
safe within gloved hand, soon to be Brides fann'd
flame upon fireplace, her bed a shared space
did hurry Tor, Donner and Blitzen apace.
Did Bride know what plot was afoot
when Tor hurried in all covered in soot?

This tale does not tell, what magical spell
made these adventures end so well,
under the mistletoe our two did kiss
and nine months later they called it Gewis!
In honour of this on each Yule night
there's a fire that burns long and bright
and everyone's heart has a lift
from giving their friends a great gift.

Street Sunset

Turquoise and ivory
Bands stream across the Yule sky
Aesir's gift of joy
Simple beauty,  teasels chime
A note before Night rides up high.

Blowing smoke up the Black Dog

Sometimes when the Black Dog comes a stalking, which is often as the year dims and Skadi aka Sceadu stalks the land. Skadi rules the shadow part of the year and for those prone to a dark, low, depressive mood 'the black dog' sometimes it's difficult to get a positive perspective. How do you redress the balance when the black dog is lurking in your mind?

I think that sometimes a balancing positivity by feeding the ego with praise, blowing smoke up your arse, for the good parts of your character and life can do much to alleviate the darkness. Some charismatic people have the ability and sometimes life just throws you a bone! I was directed to the Via Institute of Character as part of my work's 'Team Resilience' training and these were the results...

Character Strength # 1 - Judgment

Thinking things through and examining them from all sides are important aspects of who you are. You do not jump to conclusions, and you rely only on solid evidence to make your decisions. You are able to change your mind.

Character Strength # 2 - Bravery

You are a courageous person who does not shrink from threat, challenge, difficulty, or pain. You speak up for what is right even if there is opposition. You act on your convictions.

Character Strength # 3 - Fairness

Treating all people fairly is one of your abiding principles. You do not let your personal feelings bias your decisions about other people. You give everyone a chance.

Character Strength # 4 - Perseverance

You work hard to finish what you start. No matter the project, you "get it out the door" in timely fashion. You do not get distracted when you work, and you take satisfaction in completing tasks.

Character Strength # 5 - Honesty

You are an honest person, not only by speaking the truth but by living your life in a genuine and authentic way. You are down to earth and without pretense; you are a "real" person.

These were a little bit of smoke that helped alleviate a difficult day. My Black Dog might be more of a mild Patterdale Terrier compared to others who have a great Rottweiler stalking them, but it seems that blowin' a little smoke up its backside will make it go away, for a while anyway.

Dragons

Hmmm Dragons have been raising their heads quite a lot recently. What I know from Welsh and Germanic lore - within the Welsh the red and white dragons represent the energies of the peoples of Britain; Red for the Welsh and White for the English. The energies are intertwined and in conflict. This shows in many ways but none more so than in rugby when the English (wearing white) clash with the Welsh (wearing red) annually at the 6 Nations. This wikipedia entry sums up the history and myths: Welsh Dragon. However, this conflict is also very creative. The English have a stereotype of reserved, steady determination whilst the Welsh have a stereotype of creative, artistic brilliance that can be erratic. This seems to be a primal tension and the red, white and black colours have been traced back to the Neolithic of having spiritual and cthonic importance. Red Ochre having been used to colour the bones during burial . Archaeology About says this The site of Paviland Cave in the UK, dated to about 23,500 years ago, had a burial so soaked in red ochre he was called the "Red Lady". White can be seen as having symbolic importance in the various white carvings into the hillsides of Southern England and black was one of the first colours used in cave paintings. In later times a White Dragon has become associated with Wessex and the modern flag has a White Wyvern on it. Thus the red and white Dragons are for creative inspiration and the discipline of work that underpins it; 'Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration' as Thomas Edison said.

The Germanic Dragon, Draka or Drake is a chthonic (under world) energy usually invoked to protect buried kings and their treasure. In this respect it represents a very negative energy usually related to greed and taking from the earth what is not yours. I tend to think of this as a Black Dragon. Fafnir from the Volsungasaga / Niebelungleid is the most well known I suspect that my local Dragon legend in St Leonards Forest is this type. This would be the dragon that appears in Tolkien references for Middle Earth, it is often in depicted as a Gold coloured dragon. In many tales the gold colour comes from it's having absorbed the golden hoard that it protects into it's skin.
The chthonic black mud that lay at the bottom of the hammerponds inside the forest reminds me of this dragon. The land round here used to be very boggy and marshy - it was reputedly deep enough to swallow a horse and cart without trace. The forest itself is home to many Adders, the only British venomous snake, which is a grey-green with a black zig-zag marking downs it's spine. It is the only place in Sussex that I've seen one and maybe the root of the Dragon legend for that part of the ancient Anderida forest.

The Green Dragon only appears in one myth for Mordiford. But in Britain the symbolism is very prevalent so this is my personal opinion based upon my knowledge of folklore and customs. It appears in many pub signs and within Morris men folk dances. It represents the energy of the land. It is represented on the pub sign because of the association with hops used to make British beer aka Real Ale. The hop plant grows very energetically and fast, the hop self seeds energetically but is a perennial and so dies down every autumn. This represents the natural life force or Nwyvre that rises in the spring and declines in Autumn. It is interesting that the one myth has a version where an outlaw slays it by hiding in a barrel of cider (in that part of the world cider is as important as ale). This would suggest it is related to controlling the forces of nature and harvesting them.
The final dragon energy to consider is that which the Yogics call Kundalini energy. This is your internal Nwyvre that typically travels up your spine. With my OBOD Ovate work this energy is a green energy, appropriate for Druidry, and is the energy that Christian mythology controls with St. George who is usually depicted as slaying a Green Dragon. So the Black and Green dragons represent the static underworld and the vibrant ever changing power of life.

I also find the history of the Dragon (in Western culture) interesting - it appears to have entered the North Western European tradition via the Sarmatian cavalry conscripted into Marcus Aurelius' Roman Army in the 2nd Century A.D. They had a whistling serpent standard that was eventually adopted by the Roman cavalry. These Sarmatian's may have heavily influenced the Arthurian legends when they were stationed in Britain. These articles may be of interest :
Hungarian Quarterly
King_Arthur Sarmatian hypothesis
The Dragon has a strong hold on the human psyche, it's prevalent within our culture. The meme of Dragon energy seems to be a way of articulating a transrational relationship between humans and the world. So when it is said "Dragon's don't exist" I guess it means a physical creature, however, as a Meme or collective unconscious energy they certainly do exist. Physically in the past, as a cavalry standard, they would have existed - the screaming sound of the Draco standard as several thousand heavily armoured cavalrymen charged would have been a frightful thing and would have long stayed in the memory of those who experienced it.
To sum up the four dragons in the Gewessi worldview would be red in the West, White in the East, Black up North and Green down South. Finally perhaps we should consider the risks associated with chasing the dragon....

Samhain

This e'en of Sow-in is golden,
I cut through crisp crystal skin,
access the fruit within.
The flesh, sweet Autumnal
at this final festival.

Guldize part 1

The full moon and autumnal equinox was fast approaching and with it the chance for a night in a North Yorkshire forest. Fortunately there was no 'Slaughtered Lamb' pub or rumours of werewolves, just a couple of Sussex southerners going feral for the night. Of course, feral is a very subjective term but in our case probably incorrect. It was my first time glamping...
Glamping (glamorous camping) is a growing global phenomenon that combines camping with the luxury and amenities of a home. Glamping is camping in style and comfort.
It was actually in a Camping Pod (http://stoneclosecampsite.co.uk/pods/) at the wonderfully named High Rigg Farm in the middle of Dalby Forest. Guldize, the Druids call it Alban Elfen, or the Autumnal Equinox is normally heralded by storms blowing through from the South West. This one was no exception, it hit during the drive up the M1 from the South to the North with gusto providing a sketchy journey on the motorway. We kept our nerve, ate on the way and finally arrived in North Yorkshire, anxiously scanning the roads to see how much rain they'd had. Bumping along the dirt track to our pod it was all pretty grey, looking to be drouk and we unpacked the car fully expecting our plans for a couple of hours skedaddle on the Mountain Bikes to be ruined.
Then the suns bright face gleamed from the gloaming clouds, the grey mantle broke and flew from her face. We beamed and wriggled into our cycle kit.

As ever, the first sections of a MTB trail centre are a shock to the riding body. Compounded by a 5 hour hammer up the motorway and a-roads from the south. Our stereotypical belief that it must be cold and grim ooop north took a body blow by the end of the first section. We were hot, hot and sticky but the trails were good! Technically challenging riding that encourages you to push your body and skills to the limit. The sections are a blur of attempting to achieve 'flow', that little bit of Awen, Odr or Wod, the furious inspiration where man, machine, time and motion become a singularity. It is a beautiful thing when it occurs and brings a heady rush of internal alchemy; adrenal-endorphins. After the first half hour of sweat and struggle brief flashes of MTB Wod appeared - pushing down on the rear suspension to use the decompression to ping you out of the apex of a berm, an unconscious flick of the hips to slide the back tyre around a corner without the need to brake...
the aim is maximum speed, minimum braking and an even(powered) masterful effort to speed along this man made off road roller coaster.
After an hour and half we took one of the escape routes back to the Forest Road, a nice fire road blast downhill. The forest spat us out on the dark tarmac...

And now we were lost..., in the forest..., with the sun sinking, winking through the trees. Which way does the road go? We started riding in a direction, a 50-50 chance of being the right direction. We saw people..., people on bikes..., people who'd pulled up at our camp site just before we left :) Not wishing to become the feral southerners living wild in the woods we asked for directions. They too were lost, but knew where they'd come from and pointed us in that direction! We promised to send out a search party if they didn't come back. We rode up past the Adderstone, a wonderful large stone outcrop and found the trail that took us straight back to the safety of our Pod.

The Pod had a heater and we set up for our glamorous night. Comfortably sat in chairs under the eaves of the pod with plenty of tea, beer and followed by a Chow Mein supper cooked on the Coleman one-fuel stove. Marvellous! A little bit of music, some cheesy comestibles with a few snifters of cold vodka and a lot of chat. Drafts of drizzle would flow over, causing a slight tightening of the collar, pulling down of the cap and a snuggling into the jumper but not enough to diminish the vigour of being warm & cozy outside. Eventually the clouds went and the the full moon drenched the high rigg with light; a majestic moon, sailing above the cloud kites surfing the wind above us.

After a reasonable sleep, certainly better than any in a tent and on a par with many a hotel, we fuelled ourselves for a decent days riding. It would be easy to say more of the same except each section of trail is different up there in the forest. What was the same was how the forest enveloped us so that in seconds we'd lost our direction, sense of time and space and thus ourselves. Lost in biking... if the Summerlands do exist then Dalby is not far off being the Mountain Biking Summerlands. Brief views over the moorland during fire road traverses would then plunge us into flat out technical red and black runs, all the time not sure what gear to pedal in or what technical challenge would be round the next bend. With whoops and shouts our visceral selves had escaped into the woods on a glorious golden indian summer morning. Just as the intensity and effort were tiring us, it was the last section of swoopy berms and roller coaster humps dropping us back to the cafe. For lunch and a return hammering down the M1.

To some it may seem a lot of driving for a little biking, a ratio of 2:1, but to the MTB'er the intensity of a trail centre compacts 5 times the trail into a short section. To a deep ecology Druid it may seem a lot of petrol and indeed it is but there is a perspective to it; we're not flying to the Alps, or Moab or the North Shore and life is also for living. If we could get the same experience locally we probably would. To the Gewessi what did I learn about the land. I learnt something strange - I'd not been to Yorkshire much before and as I arrived there was a feeling, quickly quashed by my rational mind of excitement. The sort of excitement I only usually get at a homecoming, when I can see the South Downs of Sussex or the curve of St. Mounts Bay in Cornwall. My mum's family come from that part of Yorkshire, my friend has a Yorkshire surname and the spirit of Yorkshire welcomed us like long lost sons. The sun shone when we needed it to, the weather was warm and welcoming and the forest was fantastic. Guldize is the time of harvest, reaping what you have sown. This MTB trip was reaping the fitness we'd gleaned over a summer of riding and making the effort, knowing that this journey was the fruit of our biking labour. The Gold Days are also a time to hoard good memories that can be pored over whilst hunkered down in the dark days of winter. They are the seed of next summer's fuel to ride more, ride hard and to grow old ungraciously fighting for fitness so that next Guldize we can accumulate more good MTB memories.

Guldize part 2

Harvest Home

The garden has had the hedges trimmed, the lawn mown again now that we're properly in autumn and it's time to review and give thanks to the Landalfar for the Harvest, which is what Guldize is all about. After a cold, slow spring things turned out all right really and here's my review of the year. Was it all worthwhile? In financial, physical and spiritual terms...

• Sweet Peas - have been disappointing this year, the cold weather early then the dry warm weather seems to have just held them back
• Beefsteak Tomatoes - were slow to ripen and have finally all ripened now in mid-Oct. They've been a revelation in making tomato sauce. They cook down perfectly including the thin skin into a wonderful pasta sauce. I've had at least 5 pound of Tomatoes
• Potatoes Charlotte - first earlies have been good a nice crop of new potatoes
• Larkspur - the seeds came up, were a bit slow growing on and then we went on holiday and the Hedgehogs uprooted most of them. A plant survived, grew well and was even attempting a flower when a slug ate the whole thing in a night!
• Chard - have grown well and provided quite a few meals mmmm
• Leeks - are growing well and hopefully will provide a decent crop in a couple of months
• Lettuce - were good they all grew well, despite our holiday in July, providing a month of filling in our lunchtime sarnies
• Cherry Tomato - these grew late and have ripened late like the Beefsteaks. In flavour a bit disappointing. My neighbour gave me a taste of her Tomaberries which I think I will grow next year
• Courgette - have, as ever, been a great crop when we started getting fed up of them I let them grow into Marrows. Stuffed Marrow, in various forms, has been another cooking revelation
• French or Climbing Bean Cobra - a disappointing crop but I think going on holiday for the first 2 weeks in July meant I had to plant them out earlier than I'd liked as spring was so late. They did taste nice though
• Runner Bean White Lady - also a disappointing crop, ditto to the Climbing Beans, but they are a good Runner Bean for flavour and mostly stringless
• Sunflower - the ones planted out grew slower but produced more flowerheads. The ones in pots were a bit disappointing but that was location based
• California Poppy - no seeds germinated
• Nasturtium - have grown well in the front garden but they are better in the hanging baskets, so next year
• Marigold - did their job well, plenty of colour in the veg patch and slug food saving the other plants
• Cerinthe - self seeded in the gravel, but I must get more seed this winter
• Apple of Peru or Shoo-Fly plant - still flowering and looking great. The speed of growth when it starts is quite astonishing. Gave plenty of seedlings away and more than enough for the garden
• Purple Sprouting Broccoli - after weeks of diligently getting the Cabbage White Butterfly eggs of the plants I went away for a few days and came back to fat caterpillars. The plants are a good size though and should recover (I hope) to provide a decent crop next April
• Pumpkin Jack of All Trades - 4 good sized pumpkins are almost a nice ripe Orange colour. Perfect timing I hope for Samhuin

We've had a good summer and a great late summer fortunately which has meant that the Tomatoes and Pumpkins have ripened.So financially I think the crops have paid for themselves as well as the flowers seeds, so a big tick there with the Squashes and Beefsteak tomatoes being the stars. Physically I think this is the max I can cope with in time terms with all the the other things to do with the family. Spiritually it's good year on year to see the changes and influences the weather and natural world have, it deepens my knowledge and connection to this land. The summer has shown that I am just a caretaker for the land and my success should be measured in nature.

The garden's natural world has had the Hedgehogs, bless 'em, who do move things around. They are very cute and seeing them regularly over midsummer has been a highlight of the year. Then there have been the birds nesting - Robins, Wrens and Blackbirds are in the garden now the cats are too old to hunt. The Wren fledglings were a delight and as ever the Slow Worms and Frogs hopefully keep the slugs down. The Evening Primrose and Honeysuckle have kept the Moths well fed. Next I will be getting the garden ready for winter, tidying up all the herbs, clearing the greenhouse out and putting the pots inside to over-winter. Then I will be ready for Samhuin and the dark half of the year.

The Grove

In a meditatory mind
A dappled dolmen diem
Is formed where forest forms.

A glade bereft of shade
With flowers;
Digitalis towers
Flow o'er Bracken rills
And petal strewn hills.
Cynareae tribes
Inner vision imbibes
Helping the heart
Banishing boggart.
Golden light streams over brows
As green energy grows
Life affirming tranquility.

Filling brain, hurst and coombe,
With imaginary
Potentiality.