Seeds for Change: Sabbat Liturgy Brought to Life By Morwynna

On May 4, the morning after our Beltain ritual, we met at Brigham Hill Community Farm in Grafton for the first SEF "Seeds for Change" day. By volunteering our time and labor for four hours on a day near each of the Sabbats, we can make a more tangible connection with the Earth, and a more personal connection with the agrarian lifestyle that was the source of our seasonal customs and rituals.

The day was bright and sunny, but pleasantly breezy and not too hot. The ritual poetry from the night before echoed in my mind as I looked across the waiting field to the burgeoning wood. Just two weeks ago there had been a light snowfall during my drive to work, and the trees had only tentatively put out light green leaf shoots. But today,

              "From the mouth of the Green Man the forest is growing,
              The oak and the hawthorne, the bright rowan tree.
              I speak through the oak, says the Green Man.
              I speak through the oak, says he."

As we walked together through the field to the prepared furrows, the smell of rich earth filled the air and I felt anxious to touch it, as I had done when I was a child. We were planting broccoli, and though we worked with plants rather than seeds I kept hearing the repeating lines spoken by the Priestess and Priest in our Beltain rite:

              "The seed enters the Earth and makes it fruitful."
              "The Earth covers the seed and makes it fruitful."

These have always been among my favorite lines in our liturgy, expressing the symmetrical and complementary polarities of the season's energies. The repetition of the planting task did not seem monotonous - in fact, it became a comfortable trancelike moving meditation. I found it easy, yet eye-opening, to imagine how my ancestors felt while doing this work. Yes, I know that doing it every day all summer every year of your life is not the same as doing it for one day every few weeks, and of course they would get bored and tired. Yet I felt the emotional investment made in the planting of the crops, the personal stake in how well they turned out and how robustly they grew. If the well-being of my household, family, and community depended on the flourishing of each broccoli plant, then I could well understand the energy and ritual given to the blessing of the fields and the harvest.

              "Blessed be this day and our devoted deed.
              Blessed be this seedtime and our new-sown seed.
              Blessed be the seed, planted in the fertile field,
              Blessed be the Mother bringing forth abundant yield."

Too often today this direct connection is missing: the connection between the care and diligence we give to our daily tasks, and the comfort and prosperity of our homes!

After a couple of hours, my knees felt stiff and we shared our lunch on picnic tables under spreading trees that had just become leafy enough to give shade. When we went back to work, we were in a different part of the field and it really felt, for a while, that I was doing something different! Eventually I did feel that I had had enough of the planting task, but not until we were finishing up for the day. I could vividly imagine our forebears looking forward with delight to the next season in the cycle, which would mean a different type of work.

That day over 500 broccoli seedlings were planted for the Community Harvest Project, to be distributed through hunger relief organizations in Central Massachusetts. Knowing that I was helping others was just an added benefit to my meditative experiences that day. I should add that I do not consider myself to be in great physical condition, yet I had no trouble with any of the tasks required - I didn't even break a nail!

We hope you will join us on Sunday, June 19 at 12 noon for a day of attuning with the Summer Solstice. Click here for directions to the farm! . You can bring your own lunch, or we can direct you to various nearby food establishments. Please email galelaviolette@yahoo.com for more details.

SEF Beltaine Circle in Worcester

On April 25, an SEF-sponsored open ritual was held at Taproot Bookstore in Worcester, led by Meagan and Cerridwyn. There was a very good turnout, including one child. A maypole dance at the beginning of the rite raised the energy of the participants, who then invoked the Lady of the Willow and the Lord of the Greenwood. The climax of the ritual was the coming of summer and Lord and Lady bringing love and fruitfulness to the world.The ritual ended with the lighting of a small cauldron fire, and people jumping over it and saying what they wanted to grow in their lives for the season.

The dates for the remaining Open Sabbat Circles at Taproot for 2003 are: Lammas - Friday July 25, 7:30 PM; Autumn - Sunday Sept. 14, 2:00 PM; Samhain - Friday Oct. 24, 7:30 PM; andYule - Friday December 12, 7:30 PM.

Looking for Lammas Helpers! by Jennifer

This year's Lammas Games will be held on Sunday, August 10 in the MetroWest town of Hopkinton, MA, rain or shine. Volunteer help is absolutely crucial to our putting on an enjoyable and safe event. As this year's organizer, I'd like to hold a short meeting late in June or early July for interested people to talk about the Games and plan for the big day. We'll need help with check-in, the opening and closing rituals, setting up and running the Games, and setting up the art and craft show (being revived this year by popular demand). If you're interested, please call me by June 25 at (508) 533-9086 or email jennifer@spawnfar.net to let me know when you'll be available for a meeting.

                                                               

Crafts for the Wise
Coming soon: a series of Crafty Craft workshops!

Every other month, a member of our community will coordinate a day to create items for ritual use. If you are interested in making a wax pentacle, herbal spell papers, incense, bath salts, mead, or other ritual supplies, keep an eye on the Messenger, and on the online events listings for class dates and times.

If you are interested in teaching a workshop, contact Donna at dalbino83@yahoo.com to discuss your idea and to schedule a date to teach.

Rites of Passage


On Saturday May 17, SEF Members Shari and Langdon were handfasted by Meagan.


Ann and Don Parsley are delighted to announce the birth of their first child, Alexander Jonathan Parsley. Alex was born on May 26 at 12:24 pm, at Worcester Medical Center. He arrived a month early, because Ann had pre-eclampsia, which necessitated an emergency Caesarian. However, Ann and Alex both received excellent care and are home now and doing very well. Alex weighs just over 5 pounds now, and Don says he is cuter than a kitten.

The following clergy are available through the Society of Elder Faiths:

A licensed Wiccan Elder, with ministerial credentials from the Covenant of the Goddess and the Society of Elder Faiths (SEF), authorized to perform legal weddings and handfastings. Also available for other religious services and Rites of Passage. Debbie Fields-Berry P.O. Box 335, B.U. Station Boston MA 02215 dberry@bu.edu 508 839-3457

I hold legal credentials through the Covenant of the Goddess and am ordained though the Society of Elder Faiths. I am willing to travel within New England and will work with people of any Neo-Pagan tradition or non-Pagans with an earth centered focus. I require an initial face to face meeting with a couple at least 2 months before a wedding. I have also performed Wiccanings and am available for other rites of passage. Peg P.O. Box 485 Upton, MA 01568-0485 meagan@control.com 508 839-3457

                                                               

SEF Messenger: The Community Newsletter of the Society of Elder Faiths
Midsummer 2002
Editor: Jennifer
Staff: Morwynna
© 2003 Society of Elder Faiths
SEF Members may submit news to:
news@elderfaiths.org ;
or
PO Box 30, Marlboro, MA 01752;
or
508 839-3457

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