FULL MOON RITUAL April 2002

Oddly enough, it came in snail-mail, with no return address and a totally unreadable postmark. If it had come in e-mail, you'd have just deleted it. This, however, is written words, with good penmanship, on a light gray paper in an ink that looks like liquid silver.

   "X marks the spot!" the letter reads. "Go to the park just before dusk, and follow the clues. Treasure will be provided. Wear shoes that are comfortable for hiking."

   Which explains why you left your home late Friday afternoon, and why you are now standing in the park, looking for a clue. The afternoon air is warm, the sun is out, kids are making loud happy noises from the swings away to your right. To your left, another group of children is picking bright yellow dandelions. Some have stuck some randomly into their hair, some have braided circlets of flowers in their hair, some just clutch handfuls of flowers that they admire as they stroke the soft petals.

   All lovely, but where is the clue?

   You walk forward a bit, towards the pond. From the wooded picnic area comes a large blue cat, who greets you by doing figure eights around your feet. Taking the hint, you say "Hi". It leads you into the woods behind the picnic tables, to a path you've never seen there before.

   The trees all have small leaves on them, you note as you follow the cat. Some trees are blooming - are those wild apple trees, with the 5 white/pink petals? Those over there, that look like fairy lights, are wild dogwood. The pollen making you sneeze is from oaks and walnuts.

   The path that the cat takes you on twists and turns, and as the day gives way to twilight the cat is not easy to see or follow. Cat also seems to be taking you ever uphill, while the forest litter slips under your feet. Finally, you get to the top of a rise. The moon, just over the horizon, is very visible from up here. It illuminates the cat sitting on the other side of the clearing.

   In the center of the hilltop clearing, a sword and a staff lie at right angles to each other - an "X". No one else is around. As you ponder what to do next - dig? No one said to bring a shovel! - the cat butts her head against you, pushing your forward. You stand over the "X".

   Swirling, swirling, and more swirling - a vortex centered on the "X" engulfs you. It reaches up over the trees, tornado-like. Under the "X", it expands like a pyramid. You fly, you sink, you do a few loop de loops.

   You land, softly, 'elsewhere'.

   Here it is not quite dark but dusk is advancing. You are on a grassy area for erosion control in a freshly plowed field. Ahead of you a field of something, maybe early alfalfa, is growing well. You turn to look behind you, and see a dark sky, the sea, and a glow where the moon will soon rise. That is the direction you walk in.

   The grass leads to a path of stone. You walk on through the growing darkness. Urns with flowers on both sides of the path mark the top of wide stone stairs that lead down to a garden.

   What a garden it is! The sweet and spicy smells of herbs greet you, mixed with the smells of many night-blooming flowers. The rising moon allows you to see the garden in its glory. You walk about, enchanted.

   You come across a raised area of the garden. Walking up the 3 steps, you see a well, a tall carved pole, and a fire going in a fire pit. Who will make offerings? Who will ask petitions of the God/dess/es? Who will speak first?

    The evening is cooling. Jess stand before the well, gazing into its inky depths. "Thank you, lady, for love at life's worst moments. I only ask that we have the time and patience to figure out what happens next." She drops a handful of salt into the well, for tears shed and for the flavor of life. And moves to the fire to warm and dance...

   ...Lyn gets dropped down by the vertex. A little dizzy, she looks around. Feeling a "pull", she goes towards he rising moon. She is awed by the beauty around her and wonders who planted this lush garden. The fire is crackling merrily to one side as she peers down the well. Divination never was one of her specialties and the well looks as water always does. She shrugs and ascends the steps.

   Lyn sits on the top steps and takes in the feel of the night air. She feels as if this place was made to be close to the Gods and Goddesses. She fumbles around in her pockets to see what she has. Hmmm.. some lint, some spare change, a leaf her oldest daughter gave her, a broken crayon, and one of the numerous pebbles and rocks that she and her children were forever picking up and bringing home.

   She thinks to herself, "What a nice place to sit and take stock.. to just relax." The last month and a half have seen many changes come to Lyn's life. Pushed by life's events and going only on what felt right, she and her family left behind everything she had ever known. They left jobs (such as they were), family, friends, her daughter's school, and the area where she'd been born and lived almost all of her life. They took off with their belongings in a great big truck and moved to an apartment they had never seen, to a place they had never been; where they had no friends, jobs, or even any sort of familiarity. It was like a whole different world. In short, they all took a very large leap of faith.

   And yet.. Bill found a job and his first paycheck was more than what he'd been bringing home before. He's making less but is actually getting regular hours. Greg has found a job that he is happy with and is making much more an hour than he had been. The apartment is great, I've found a great shop called "Natural Magic", I've met some local pagans and am getting involved in the start up of a local Spiral Scouts group, and in all its gone well.

   Standing up, she goes to the well and drops in some of the change. "Thank you. For everything." Those short, simple words cannot convey what she feels, but grandiose words won't work any better.

   She throws the lint into the fire. "This represents the detritus and the negativity we left behind. Thank you so much for this move and helping me to feel that we are finally moving on with out lives."

   She goes back to the step and lays the leaf down. "My daughter has settled in well and made friends. While she misses people from NY, she is happy here. Thank you."

   Then Lyn lays down the crayon. "Douglas had been making progress. It has taken much work, frustration, discipline, and time. But we are getting there. His development has been a source of concern and worry for me. Each step we make helps me to feel that we will eventually get him caught up and all will be well."

   Lyn looks at the rock trying to ascertain whether it was one from back home or one from her new home. "Ah well. It is all one Earth, and I am so glad that I feel connected here too. We have found a beautiful lake and I hold out hope that I will find someplace that will become "my" spot. While NY will probably be "back home" for quite some time, I think we've found a great new place to call home."

   She stands up and looks around. There is a peace inside that was not there before. She knows that there will be new challenges and rough spots on the road ahead, but for right now.. she is more than content.

   As she wanders back to finish laundry and clean, she whispers, "Thank you for the fresh start and for everything..."

   ...Red Deer steps up. In his hand, a small opal glass unicorn (unicorns being the School of Science and Mathematics' mascot) which he places gently upon the lip of the well. "Ward well my petition, little friend, before you go to join our Mother." Deer then moves to the fire, which he circles thrice and on to the bile, which he kneels before. "Father, Mother - knowing that all I have is an unbelievable gift, I work to minimize the favors I ask of You. But this eve, I ask.. though not for myself.. I ask for my eldest. Please give her this opportunity. Even if it must cost me."

   Returning briefly to the well, Deer picks up the small unicorn figure and deftly weaves ribbons of navy and white about her. Ha then pricks his third finger and leaves a small star of blood upon her forehead - before saying farewell and letting her slip into the deep, still waters below. For an indeterminable time, Deer concentrates on the end which he seeks, before moving back among his friends...

   ...After you have made your offerings, or asked what you need, you stand in silence for a bit. Then you look around some more. You notice a koi pond, and walk towards it. The silver and gold fish come up, and seem to dance for you. You watch, seeing the full moon, and yourself, reflected in the pond. Suddenly, your reflection is joined by another's! You turn, and see a Goddess next to you.

   You spend some time with this Goddess. Perhaps She tells you Her name. Perhaps she answers your questions. Perhaps, from the treasure chest next to the koi pond, she takes out a gift and gives that to you.

   After a while, it is time to leave the Garden and the Goddess. She takes her silver maple wand and a silver arrow, and puts them into that familiar X shape on the ground. You step into position, and the swirling begins again - this time it is not so surprising! You land, home, with faint thump and are left to ponder the events you've just experienced.