FULL MOON RITUAL: ???<P> Ritual Leader: ???<P>

   Adrianna steps out into the land.. the stillness of night.. the smells of wild roses, honeysuckle, clumps of red clover and white.. the lingering traces of violets and lilac. She carries a basket of herbs and flowers, incense, candles, tobacco mix and sweet grass in honor of her friend Michael.

   The little ones arrive with their mother.- with plans to go off on some adventure - but stop when they see the basket. Tashi says, "Did you make the," and motions the anointing oil mix. "Yes,” Adrianna replies. "Oh good!” the little one exclaims and brings it out to the circle where she stands for a minute tuning to the energy and then softly puts some of the oil to her third eye, hands and feet. Adrianna smiles and turns away.. “Private minute of an eight year old,” she thinks, “with her intuition of ceremony.” Tashi’s six year old sister rushes in with hew own usual bounding energy to ask what Tashi is doing and receives the quite mature reply, ”We're setting up a circle.” They carry out drums and rattles and homemade tambourines with little bells and then join in the walk of the land.

   Adrianna calls, “Bring the milk and cider and foods for the fairy people,” then watches as the little ones walk the land amid twilight settling into full moon and pour the milk and cider at each sacred part of the circle.. the surrounding land.. and special rocks.. and trees.. and little nooks. They leave little bits of cookies, cakes, and foods at each of the spots, trailed by Tabitha the cat, who is very willing to become part of the Fair Folk for this night if it means joining in the feast! Then the girls’ mother calls, asking if the are done helping Grandma. Kisses, hugs, and "I love you’s” trail back as they drive away.

   Adrianna begins her walk to tune with the land.. with the others unseen who wish to share this night.. with all the creatures and energies of our natural world. She walks from the South of the Circle where she has sprinkled rose petals, honeysuckle, the tobacco mix, including some in the fire, a little bit of patchouli, frankincense and myrrh, and thinks “Maybe Red Deer would like to add some of the sweet grass when all the rest of the group gathers. I guess we might need some sandalwood and jasmine for the feeling growing of this night - the energy is picking up!” Traces of a whispered song drifting:    “Oh, Human Child,    Come dance with me..    Come dance with me!”    ”Guess the Fair Folk are planning on coming too. Do we need to bring the pan pipes and penny whistles, or will they bring theirs?” Adrianna wonders. She puts the candles and incense at the edges of the circle and places torches along the path leading in to the South. “Lots of room here for all that might wish to come play!” she thinks, then “maybe it would be fun to create individual mandalas out of what we find tonight to become part of a total that fills the circle once we are done with dancing and what we would like to do.” She gathers some things, but leaves the rest to imagination and search, and found treasures as the others who come play in this night. She looks back to see if all is ready.. the fire is lit.. the stone altar ready for whatever is needed..

   Adrianna glances at and Red Deer, Jess and Owl. “Nice to have friends! Sisters and brothers this is going to be fun.” All amid little flashes of jewel tone colors.. mischievous smiles peeking out from behind bushes.. faces peeking out from trees.. as the fair folk begin to gather. Glimpses of beings playing in pools.. splashing in waterfalls.

   “The night is still.    The moon is full,    come dance with me..”

   Adrianna asks that the Guardian of Night also join.. slips off her shoes to feel the earth.. carries them in hand. “What a beautiful night!”

   …Boudica arrives at the circle. She has a basket of goodies, some herbs, some cookies, some wine to share with the group and with the wee folk. She hands the basket to Adrianna and gives her a hug. “Yes, I'm here to help.”

   She takes some of the oil from a little girl, who seems eager to help, and she places the oil on her third eye and on the third eye of the young helper. Such a sweet smile, it's good to see the young ones. As they wander off with their mom, Boudica sees some old friends.

   A hug for Jess, and for Red Deer. “Hello sweeties, how have you been?”

   Boudica hears the music of the Fey as they start calling from the circle. Boudica walks to the North, and from the basket pulls her bodhran. She sits on the ground, and begins to tap a beat on the drum in time to the music of the Fey. She establishes a rhythm with the music and the earth and settles in to call the spirits of the earth with beat.

   ”We call upon the Ancients of the North to come sing and dance and make merry with us this evening.”

   The music of the Fey takes on a life of its own and Boudica waits for the rest of the players to come sing and dance in this magical circle…

   …Owl flies into the Circle in a flurry of feathers. Grinning to old friends and new, she kneels down before a young girl and allows her to place a smudge of oil on her forehead, and in return, places her hand over the heart of the child, whispering a soft thank you. Owl stands and walks to the East. Picking up her Bodhran, she hears the beat Boudica has started and begins to weave a counter point. She feels the winds of the East lift her scarves, and twitch her skirts, and she once again plays for and with the Elements of Air. “Hail and Welcome!...”

   …Early to the land, but late to their circle, Deer takes up a place in the South after retrieving the hank of sweetgrass from Adrianna's basket - still remembering his dances among the Fey already this eve and a level of camouflage in the wood he'd thought near magical, until it was pierced by the self assured glance of an eight year old girl. He'd no idea whether she had seen man or stag, but knew when her eyes briefly locked onto his that she'd seen him. And in that same moment, he knew her; not as a simple child repeating actions and intuiting ritual, but as a Priestess sure in her Craft. The connection was momentary, and Deer puzzled over whether his awareness was of past or future before having been reminded by the luminous being with whom he conversed that it's all the same. After that assurance, she'd proffered a taste of the cake left for her by the children. Hesitantly, Deer took but a crumb - having known full well the potential consequences of either accepting or refusing a gift from such as she.

   Now, in their circle's South he stood. The rhythms from both Boudica's and Owl's drums seemed to dance before him. More visual than aural - they rose and fell, swayed and swirled. Silver threads and golden leapt as though to a loom from their drums and Deer thought that the entire evening would become a singular tapestry. But to his dismay, this sight was over and about him only. As the others present became attached to the warp and weft of the beautiful thing which was spreading itself across the land, swaying in its grasp, Deer felt oddly disconnected, his hands oddly numb although moving back an forth in time with the rhythm, and he wonders to himself "What was that she fed me?”

   Suddenly, Deer recognizes that other eyes are on him. A bit befuddled - and oddly aware of south and fire not as external concepts but also as a physical flush, a rush of blood throughout his body and notably southward - he is disconcerted to find that all gathered patiently await his call. He thinks of excuses - the heat of high summer, the lady's gaze, the morsel of cake - but not a word escapes his lips. Instead, he raises hands above him, brandishing that he'd missed awareness of making. Sweetgrass tangled into an intricate knot - tied with bits of resin and salt crystals and a solid red core, feeling much heavier than expected for its size. Deer offers this to the fire and turns back to his friends - eyes somewhat unfocused. He is peripherally aware of the glittering sparks which arise from salts in the fire, and the sweet scents of amber and patchouli which filter across the glade. But in no way prepared for the sudden outpouring of red smoke and the pungent scent of Dragon's Blood which envelops them. And in the moments that those swirling clouds block sight of wood and moon and even those standing nearest to him, Deer sees again the silver and gold threads - each now taken by one or another of the fair folk and pulled into lines which attach them to each of his friends. Just as the air begins to clear, he observes a single golden thread attach itself to his ear and now feels rather than sees the heartbeat of this summer night. And though he does not see whom among the fey is at the other reach of that thread he knows, and his blood pounds all the more fiercely in his temples.

   No longer dumb, Deer acclaims, "Hail and well met, Spirits of the South. And welcome to this, our rite of High Summer!...”

   …After a weekend of love and laughter with her (mildly insane) family, Jess did her best to regain composure before entering the circle. It was hopeless. Too much food, wine, beer, music, and mirth had passed and she was still reveling in it! She put on a somber face long enough to bow before the charming gatekeeper who anointed (annointy-nointy, see, I told you!) her third eye. Then she threw back her head and laughed at her own inside joke and skipped into the circle.

   Jess shared hugs, kisses, and antler rubs with friends she hadn't seen in person in ages! (really, we should get together, let's do lunch, I'll have my minor deity call your minor deity!) She bopped along to the drums, unable to resist the beat. Hips swaying, breasts bobbing, hands making lazy S's.

   In the West she offered a dram of Glenmorangie and a handful of salt water taffy. "To the sylphs and selkies, the mermaids and sirens, the sprites and the serpents: We offer a watery greeting, we land-locked souls.”

   A splash resounded in the distance, an acknowledging flipper.

   Jess continued dancing and laughing…

   …At their rites’ conclusion, Adrianna looked at the total tapestry being created in the moonlight. Each person's individual creation holding personal meaning and discovery.. each one also part of the whole. She began to walk the circle of land again, thanking each of the Guardians, and the Faery Folk, and Others who joined this night. She thought, ”I need to thank Boudica and Owl, Jess and Red Deer for joining to create the anchor points and for honoring Natasha, the little one.. This was a loving initiation for her and sharing their words with her made her smile. She said, 'They liked me!' as she went quietly on her way, this little Aquarian child. As Adrianna thanked the Guardians and Others for coming and invited them to stay if they would like or go if they must she heard a faint rustling of leaves whisper and briefly saw the Shining Lady, Her words floating in blessing to each of the human people who came.

   "When night is done
   And Circle still
   And time has come to flee
   Hold tight your gift,
   Oh Magic Child
   And blow your wish to me.”

   Adrianna completed the walk and breathed, "As each one wills.. so mote it be.” She told the friends gathered that the feast - food, snacks, and drinks brought are on the veranda on the trestle table once the circle is completed. Just like the words to the Guardians and Others, to please "feel free to stay, or go if you must.." If you would like to hang around through the Midsummer Weekend, we'd love to have you stay! Plenty of Eats and other things.. Welcome to use the land for walking, camping out, visiting, meditating, working.. Bathroom on the hill.. We share the cookin'! Love you guys and thanks!

   As Jess and Red Deer and Owl and Adrianna and Natasha walked up the hill, Boudica looked about at the fey scurrying around gathering up their things to follow the group. The sound of the music and laughter was too tempting for them. The fey will play even in Dream Time for them all this evening. They are here to stay.

   Boudica laughed, started filling in the drumming to Owl's tempo, and she turned, blew out the last candle, and started up the path.