broomcloset ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HarvestFest Synopsis Note Here's today's first entry. HarvestFest 2001 was a wonderful experience. HarvestFest is traditionally lower-key than Wic-Can Fest, the early summer high energy pagan blow-out that occurs in mid-June. As the Wheel of the Year turns and brings us into Fall, HarvestFest marks the time when Wiccans and other Pagans focus on the closing of the year, the end of the harvests, and the preparing for Winter. I'd never camped that late in the year before, so I didn't know how cold it would get at night. I was pleasantly surprised! Yes, it was mighty chilly, but PaganGrrl and I enjoyed some blissfully cozy nights in her tent. Our sleeping bags were nice and warm, and we both brought hats to wear to keep our body heat in as we slept. I had two terrific nights' sleep! The third was good but short as I stayed up until 6:15am on the last night. But I might get to that later... PaganGrrl, KMFDM-fan, and I arrived at the HarvestFest site mid-Friday evening (Sept. 28). We came in just as the opening ritual was drawing to a close, so we hung back awhile until the ritual was finished before looking for friends around the main bonfire. We got registered, then found a place to make camp when we ran into a past Fest aquaintance and he offered us space at his claimed site. It was a perfect site for all of us, "us" including two of our host's friends who came along later that night. I just love making new friends at Fest!! We enjoyed a night of running into old friends (involving many rounds of high-pitches squeels of delight and copious amounts of hugs), pitching our tents by flash- and lantern-light, dancing around the bonfire. Yes friends, as I believe I have mentioned before, Pagans do dance around the bonfire! :) But only the stupid (and crispy) ones jump over it... Saturday was the only full day of HarvestFest, and had the most workshops available. Mind you, I was so nicely caught up in the laid-back atmosphere of HarvestFest that I was very content to visit and chat with friends and nap, so the workshops went by the wayside! Saturday night was the piece de resistance of HarvestFest: the sacrifice of the Corn King. Now, don't shiver at the thought of "sacrifice" - no humans were harmed in the sacrifice of the Corn King! -- unless, of course, you count a few scratches from chicken wire and hay that was used to construct the 13-foot Corn King! Using a huge wooden frame, several brave Fest goers -- PaganGrrl included! -- created a mamouth representation of the Corn King, God of the Harvest, who traditionally dies at this time of the year to return again at Yule as the infant Son of the Goddess. This giant Corn King was then paraded from the common area to the main bonfire, a procession of Pagans behind him. The circle was cast, the ritual begun. Everyone who wished could step forward and have an audience with the Corn King. The people who came forward said a wide variety of things; everything from a man speaking of his mother who recently crossed over, to Rescued Relics Dave who offered a bottle of beer to the King, saying "See Ya!" From the touching to the humourous, many came forward to speak to the Corn King. Actually... I stepped forward to speak to the Corn King. This is uncharacteristic for me in a few ways. Firstly, I'm Dianic, meaning that I choose not to involve myself with any Gods or male aspects of diety in my personal spiritual practice. Stepping into a circle to speak to a giant replica of a King (who had a 6' phallus - did I mention that?) is NOT something I'd ever planned. Also, asking something of a diety I did not feel close to is not something I feel comfortable doing. But none the less, I came forward to speak to the Corn King. ... I won't recount what I said, yet. I don't feel comfortable typing it out right now. I think I'll come back and speak of it later. After all the audiences were done, it was time for Death to light up the Corn King, literally. The Corn King, all 13' of him, was set ablaze and burned. What a site! Huge amounts of fragrant hay, leaf and flower garlands, and fire crackers went up in flames!! It was really amazing to see - definitely something that you'd need to be there to fully experience. It was a very powerful ritual. After the Corn King was gone, the dancing around the fire began. What a great night! More visiting with friends, talking, dancing, subtley flirting with drummers... ;} And that's a whole other story! *wink* Sunday held a few more workshops. I attended one on Voodoo. A man named Hunter spoke about his personal path of Voodoo and his experiences as a storyteller for the Ancestors. He's become quite the interesting speaker since I first met him at Wic-Can Fest 2000. He talked about Voodoo being a lot about Ancestor reverence and worship, and that reverence and worship being a path to the Loa (Voodoo dieties). Saying good bye to everyone always sucks, especially when you know you won't see them for many months. Everyone I spoke to was counting down the months, weeks, and days until Wic-Can Fest!! :) Some of us will keep in contact via email over those months, and some of those wonderful people we'll only see at Fests of the future. Either way, these friendships are special. And I've prattled on long enough. Time for bed, anyway. :) G'night, all. Blessed Be. Wyrdsister -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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