This week, the Grove celebrated two rituals: Ogronios, the end of the cold moon; and the Spring Equinox. Because the Druid Moon ritual was on Saturday, we’ll start with that.
We did the ritual out at Shepard’s Corner, where they keep a labyrinth. Our ritual was done around dusk, and moved into darkness quickly. We inducted three new Grove members, and drew omens for the evening:
- What is our path?
Ing – Fertility and the earth, a good omen for this time of year.
- On what should the Grove focus until the next Druid Moon?
Kenaz – The torch, light of the fire of fellowship. We should focus on our fellowship.
- On what should each individual focus until the next Druid Moon?
Tiwaz – The right path, the way of truth, the guiding star. Each of us should focus on our way.
For Spring Equinox, our ritual team came up with the creative notion of hiding eggs for children to find before the ritual. Each egg had a rune written on it in clear wax, and during the omens, three were drawn at random for the omen and dyed right on the altar. It was spectacular to watch, and added a lot of energy to the work. The omens for Spring Equinox were:
- Have our offerings been accepted?
Oþila – Ancestral land and holdings, wealth; they have been accepted!
- What do the Powers offer us in return? Tiwaz – The guided path, the right way.
- What further needs do the Kindreds have of us?
Laguz – An overflowing of blessings.
Of note, we found that the first omen was actually (Ingwaz) when we re-examined the omens after the rite: the wax was not easy to read, and so first impressions were Oþila. It is the opinion of our priests that the omen, as read in ritual, is what is important, but understanding that the omen is also tempered by this other omen is important as well.
It is very interesting that these omens are very internally consistent between the two days, and leaves us with great food for thought as a Grove.
Also, Garanus Publishing officially opened this week: readers of this blog get a bit of a head’s up. On the site are several books by our members and by the Order of the Crane:
- The Fire On Our Hearth, Second Edition (with hardcover!)
- The Call of the Crane, the Order of the Crane guide
- A Crane Devotional, a small, 20-page devotional that will fit in your wallet with pictures and prayers
- The Dedicant Path Through the Wheel of the Year, Fourth Edition
- The Three Cranes Grove Membership Guide, available to the public for the first time.
It has been a busy winter, but a good one for the Cranes!
Finally, I hear that a working that was done by Silver Falls Grove, ADF, at their Spring Equinox ritual, and it was very successful. I add my own prayers to theirs.
-Rev. Michael J Dangler
ADF presents a set of Nine Pagan Virtues to its Dedicants. While we expect our Dedicants to understand these Virtues, we have left it up to them to determine If these Virtues have a place in their lives, and to choose how they will live them.