Lots of pagans & witches in the woods. Including yrs. truly, Dear Hubby, Raven Twiggybutt PrettyDog, our friends John, his wife Suz (one of the daytrippers)and Willa. Three of our other covenmates day tripped on Friday, but didn't make it back the rest of the weekend which was kinda disappointing in spite of their valid reasons. We missed their good company!
The reason for this gathering of Witches & pagans was Mabon, one of the sabbats on the wheel of the year and honored at the Autumn Equinox. This is a harvest festival marking the shift from summer's harvest to fall's harvest, sharing of the harvest fruits as well as the start of making ready for winter as Persephone begins her descent into the Underworld. Here in the Albuquerque area, Mabon festivities are organized by COG's Chamisa local council who do a marvelous job of organization. Even the two hour work shift I spent at the gate was fun!
I skipped the large group rituals as I'm much more at ease in small group rituals, I did go to the Crow Women's chanting workshop and that was fun! We made some pretty nice music and learned some new tunes. I liked the "I Am Plenty" chant and it's melody. Sorry the link doesn't have that recorded, but there are others so you can hear them. They're marvelous women, fabulous singers and make the trip down from Colorado almost every year for Beltane and Mabon.
After the chant workshop was over, Willa and I went and made dinner that we all actually finished eating BEFORE the sun went down! Her plans and DH's plans to go to the drum circle fell apart as they got into their books. While they did that, John and I wandered over to the mead tasting were we got to sample some pretty nice mead -- all different types from dry to sweet. There were melomels, cysers and pretty honey meads brewed using a variety of fruits, spices, yeasts and so on. Sylvia Meadmistress hosted and I learned a lot! But there was so much info it kind of swirled together after a while and it's still filtering out.
Up the road a few of us wandered as the drum circle beckoned. Merry with our fill of mead, it was time to dance around the fire under the night sky and I did! It was grand! And I was able to ignore,for a time, my aching feet (still battling plantar fasciitis... sigh) which had carried me up the road and down the road many times that day already.
Raven was a happy little camp dog who was petted and complimented by many. She did her pretty dog prance which greatly charmed those who saw it. She's a happy, mellow dog and got along with the other dogs when she wasn't sniffing around the shrubs or walking up the road and down the road with me. I didn't see any problems with anyone's dog and as far as I know there were no scuffles with 'em either. Hopefully the folks at SWEFA can take a page from COG's playbook and implement a workable 'dogs at camping events policy'.
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