The Gathering

by

~ The Wayfinder ~

There is nothing like being among a group of warm and friendly and dedicated people especially when nearly all of them are strangers to you and yours.

Dragonfly and I, with our two littlest ones in tow were invited by High Priestess Amethyst to her Beltane Ritual and Gathering on Friday afternoon/ evening. Upon our arrival we were treated like honoured guests even our babies. Not only by our close friend Amethyst but by all the members of her coven who where gathered there. We actually were the late comers arriving ten to fifteen minutes before the time it was suppose to start.

The members of The Oak and Mistletoe Coven arrived obviously early to assist their High Priestess to set up and as our friend has had a rather tiring week and had just arrived home from work half an hour before hand, their help was obviously appreciated.

So it was apparent that it was all hands, if not as many hands as possible, on deck. This was the working of Community. The sign of dedicated coven members and the love and respect that they have for their High Priestess.

Being a hermit somewhat and a practicing solitary shaman practitioner ... well, after all what do you expect from a Shaman, they do their best work alone or with at least one other present. I have in the past been a member of several communities and I have even been a High Priest of a Spiritual Group. I am currently the head of my Hearth, Tintean Clann Danu, which is a small family village of seven children and two adults, an adopted daughter and her partner, another four families of very close friends including two acolytes.

Dargonfly and I attended to honour our dear friend Amethyst and to visit her and her daughter. We usually celebrate Beltane with private ritual as Beltane is also, Dragonfly's and my Anniverisary. So, representing our Celtic Folkway and with goodies in hand we took a short trip from our home to participate in our first out of tribe ritual since we were ostracised and chased out of the community that we once associated with due largely to ideological, ethical and spiritual differences.

What a marvellous and joyous evening we had and I was truly impressed by the warmth, generosity and dedication of the few but wonderful people gathered there. I was equally more impressed with the respect, love, devotion that the members had for their High Priestess. These weren't her students, or acolytes these were her children and siblings. This was Her Community.

I was also, very impressed by the fact that the actual Ritual was written by two of her students. I was blessed with a small role in the ceremony. Neither Dragonfly and I are Wiccan, and I am not a practitioner of the practice of Witchcraft although I am an adept of the Craft. Dragonfly and I are both Shamanic and Seers. We are celtic traditionalists but also, esoteric eclectics.

It was a wonderful, magical evening for a small gathering of kindred souls. I recall as we left, Amethyst was gleaming and saying "I am so blessed. I am blessed with beautiful and wonderful students."

Amethyst my dear friend, you are blessed with much, much more than that. You are blessed by the love, devotion and dedication of your community.

PHOTOS FROM THE EVENING

Photographs taken by Sheryl

Check out their Website. Amethyst launched her on-line Wiccan School on Friday 31st Ocotber.

www.oakandmistletoe.com.au

BELTAINE BLESSINGS!