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(originally posted to Diaryland.com, 2003-11-03 - 12:09 a.m.)
Ohhhhh, my head... I feel like I've been run over by a truck! I got a little too much incense smoke at last night's Samhain ritual, and my lungs and sinuses are protesting mightily. It might also have something to do with the wonderful glass of mead (ie, honey wine) that I took with the feast afterwards; I've never been able to drink any significant quantity of alcohol without paying for it the morning after.
For the last seven Laurie's Annual Samhain Rituals, we've gone around the circle remembering our dead and offering each a pinch of an incense blend (frankincense, myrrh, and rose petals) which is burned on a charcoal in a cauldron at the center of the altar, carrying the sweet smell and good wishes to the spirits... next year, to avoid this kind of hangover, I'm considering a completely different approach.
Instead of a charcoal and incense, a "fondue for the dead" would take place -- a small cauldron/pot/glass sphere of water, placed over a heat source on the altar so that the water is always steaming (since the visual effect of the rising smoke is part of the impression that the wishes are going to the spirit realm).
When someone recalls a lost loved one, they would select, from a plate on the altar, a small piece of food (on offer would be meat, cheese, bread, candy, etc). Then they would place the food into the vessel of water, offering the tasty savor of the sacrifice to the person/animal they were remembering. After the ritual, the "remembrance soup" would be taken outside and ceremonially poured upon the earth, leaving the bits of food to be consumed by animals and birds.
As sentimentally attached as I am to the beauty of the incense offerings, both visually and in the sweetness of the smell, it might be time for a change. One thing I enjoy about Wicca is that it allows me to experiment with ways to approach the Divine -- Who might, incidentally, actually be quite fond of cheddar cheese or roast pork ;-)
Ohhhhh, my head... I feel like I've been run over by a truck! I got a little too much incense smoke at last night's Samhain ritual, and my lungs and sinuses are protesting mightily. It might also have something to do with the wonderful glass of mead (ie, honey wine) that I took with the feast afterwards; I've never been able to drink any significant quantity of alcohol without paying for it the morning after.
For the last seven Laurie's Annual Samhain Rituals, we've gone around the circle remembering our dead and offering each a pinch of an incense blend (frankincense, myrrh, and rose petals) which is burned on a charcoal in a cauldron at the center of the altar, carrying the sweet smell and good wishes to the spirits... next year, to avoid this kind of hangover, I'm considering a completely different approach.
Instead of a charcoal and incense, a "fondue for the dead" would take place -- a small cauldron/pot/glass sphere of water, placed over a heat source on the altar so that the water is always steaming (since the visual effect of the rising smoke is part of the impression that the wishes are going to the spirit realm).
When someone recalls a lost loved one, they would select, from a plate on the altar, a small piece of food (on offer would be meat, cheese, bread, candy, etc). Then they would place the food into the vessel of water, offering the tasty savor of the sacrifice to the person/animal they were remembering. After the ritual, the "remembrance soup" would be taken outside and ceremonially poured upon the earth, leaving the bits of food to be consumed by animals and birds.
As sentimentally attached as I am to the beauty of the incense offerings, both visually and in the sweetness of the smell, it might be time for a change. One thing I enjoy about Wicca is that it allows me to experiment with ways to approach the Divine -- Who might, incidentally, actually be quite fond of cheddar cheese or roast pork ;-)
