Samhain Samhain Moon
Frank said as he left, “Casual gatherings. Low key. That’s what I like best.” It was low key, but in its own surprising way, profound.
The bonfire stayed interesting for 3 hours plus, the last hour or so the result of the five four foot lengths of ironwood cut in the morning. There will be a number more of those logs cut over the next few weeks as we prepare for the Winter Solstice bonfire on December 21st.
The calling of the ancestors to the circle worked. When we finished, they stayed with us, entering our conversations, adding layers to the people gathered around the fire. Our group of 7 grew by generations of Fairbanks and Charles’s and Wolfe’s and Perlich’s and Zike’s and Spitler’s. Some of us called in our tribal ancestors from those days long ago before settlement of Europe and all of us gave a nod and a toast to the Tanzanian man whose y chromosome all the men share. Mitochondrial Eve, too. (Though I understand that picture has gotten more complicated. But the idea is sound. That woman and that man, far enough back to have entered all our DNA.)
Warren and Sheryl threw their names into the fire wrapped around logs from long ago cached wood for a barbecue. When they did, sparks from the fire flew up toward the night sky. Reminded me of Beowulf’s bier, where “heaven swallowed the smoke.”
More memories gather around this place. It becomes richer with each event, especially with the crowd of ancients who filled it last night. Some of their spirit will linger on, remembering us and being remembered.
