Oh E, my darling, are you about? It is only 11 days until Solstice, and time to make our plans for a memorable celebration.
The glade awaits. (You remember the glade, don't you?)
Message 10027338
I am told that "On Midsummer Day it was also the custom for women and girls to bathe in a river."
Fortunately, I have a stream right to hand in my glade for your bathing pleasure, and that of the other ladies. And since this is a celebration of nature, it must be that the bathing occurs au natural, n'cest pas?
According to another source, "Wide-spread were customs and rituals, the magic of the shortest night, of nature and the woods. It
was the night of fire festivals and of love magic, of love oracles and divination. It had to do with
lovers and predictions, when pairs of lovers would jump through the luck-bringing flames, maidens
would find out about their future husband, and spirits and demons were banished....Customs which have to do with health and fertility for fields, domestic animals as well as humans,
persisted over the ages and church and nobility joined into these customs. They were also celebrated
in cities and towns with parades, pageants, plays and festivals in the market place, the town green
and in the forests."
So let us away to the forest, there to build a bonfire (small, please, out of respect for the wood spirits) through which we will leap together. Perhaps many of us may leap together? Oh, Edwarda, Joan, Cobalt, Rambi, do you wish to jump with us through the fire? Shall we even allow Chuzzlewit to join us? Certainly, it is a festival, why not!
Then as the fire brightens the center of the glade, the circling greenswards will grow dark and offer many soft places of privacy where we may explore the customs and practices of "love magic and oracles."
The time approacheth! Shall we prepare? |
