Monday, 2/11/19
A lot has happened in the 12 days since my last journal entry; I’ll try and catch you all up.
Saturday, Feb. 2, was the Sabbat of Imbolc/Imbolg (Gaelic “in the belly”) or Oimelc (“in milk”), referring to the beginning of the lambing season in Ireland. Called Candlemas in the Roman Catholic Church and “Groundhog’s Day” here in New England, it is the festival of Brigit/Brigid/Bride, ancient Irish Goddess of the forge, crafts, midwifery, herbalism, poetry, and all creative endeavors. She is the patron/matron Goddess of my Ravenheart Family and Clan. Gypsy and I drove back to Goddess Mountain in Western MA to celebrate with High Priestess Lady Tiana Sophia Mirapae and her lovely Priestesses and Priests (all robed in white) in a beautiful ceremony in honor of Brigit. We wove Goddess eyes, sang songs, drummed and danced.and feasted well.
Gypsy, Ellen everet Hopman, OZ & Tiana Sophia at Imbolc
On Monday the 4th I drove out to remote Tingsboro to visit with Erinna Northwind. Erinna is a terrific writer and ritualist, and contributed many writings to Green Egg, Earth First!, and other Pagan/Gaian publications. Her own lifemate died a few years ago, so we old widows reminisced over our decades and lost loves.
Erinna and her two kids, Sarah and Tad, had lived with me for a few months way back in 1971, when we were still in St. Louis, before I met Morning Glory and moved to the West coast. I was with Julie at the time, and my own son, Bryan was there as well. Another family, Judy O’Rourke, and her three kids, were also part of the household (Judy died in 1993, but I’m still in touch with her daughters, Laura and Sandy). So for awhile there I was husband to three remarkable women and father to six precocious kids! Every evening I would read to them from Alan Garner’s The Weirdstone of Brisingamon (1960) and other books of magickal adventures.
Ten years ago, Judy’s daughter Laura wrote to tell me:
Hello Oberon/Tim,
Once in awhile I wonder where my passion for the Earth and my acceptance of the spirit of many living things came from, and I remember those few months my family lived in St. Louis. Although I was only 11 or so, the energy of the realness of the love that flowed there colored my soul permanently. Last time I wrote to you, when my mother had passed away in 1993, I serendipitously had found a copy of the Green Egg at the bookstore, or rather it found me, and I wrote to you back then. This time, I looked online and found the Green Egg easily. I am sorry to learn that you have had to ward off colon cancer and certainly wish you well.
I have been reflective in the past year or so, in particular, as I approach 50 years old, and I remember the days we stayed with Histah [my boa constrictor-OZ], and the iguana escaping into the neighbor’s trees, and playing on the rooftop, and dancing in the yard, and awesome Halloween decorations that literally scared the neighbors away…and the white rat who came up from the laundry to ask for dinner as very special weeks in my life. I am a writer, ever since the “ink bug” bit me listening to the ditto machine and collating the newsletter.
Thank you for letting us live with you then.
We just took a friend of my son’s in to live with us, and it seems so totally natural to do; yet, so many people say, “Wow, that’s really nice of you….” And while I don’t see it as exceptionally “Nice of us” to do, I do look back with gratitude that you opened your home and your hearts to my family when we really needed it and that even almost 40 years later, I still remember those weeks and believe they did add a great flavor to my life and myself.
I hope you are well.
Love,
Laura (O’Rourke) Davis
(Judy’s daughter)
Gypsy’s surprise birthday party–testimonials
Wednesday the 6th was Gypsy’s 70th birthday, and about 35 of her friends threw a big surprise birthday party for her at the First Unitarian Church, with testimonials and a table full of yummy hors d’oeuvres and just desserts. Jerrie presented her with fancy certificates of honor from the Massachusetts House of Representatives and The Mayor of Salem. The one from the House was:
“In recognition of a lifetime of work and advocacy on behalf of Salem’s Wiccan community and for your contributions to the City as a whole.”
It was signed by Robert A. DeLeo, Speaker of the House and State Representative Paul F. Tucker. Pretty cool! In what other city than Salem would the Mayor and the Speaker of the House honor a local Witch? We’ve come a long way since 1692!
After the big party, a couple dozen of us went out for seafood dinner at the restaurant, Sea Level, just down the road from Nu Aeon. Great company and conversation ’til late in the evening.
Devin Person, the Subway Wizard, and Oberon, the Wizard OZ
And yesterday afternoon (Sun.) we were visited by Devin Person, New York City’s famous “Subway Wizard,” with his 3-girl video crew. We set up a couple of chairs in The Cosmic Connection Temple of Stars at New Aeon, and recorded several hours of great conversation. We totally hit it off, and I look forward to our future Wizardly collaborations. The audio version will be available first, but I really look forward to seeing the edited video! See Devin’s YouTube video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kSM-nWsrPg
Tonight is an Alexandrian ritual for Oimelc in the temple here at Gypsy’s home, Motherwit Manor. I’ve read Stewart Farrar’s What Witches Do, and Maxine Sanders’ autobiography, Firechild, and I’m really getting into this Tradition.
#pagan #roadtrip #wizard #bucketlist #adventure #ozpatreon