Merry Meet and Merry Part, and Merry Meet again

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Tree Blessing and an Encounter

So it is snowing like crazy this morning..big, fluffy flakes. It is like being inside a snow globe.

Mr. Squirrel enjoying safflower seed

Today the tree must be done!! First, though I will perform a Tree Blessing. I am adapting the ritual from Dorothy Morrison's book Yule A Celebration of Light and Warmth. Burning my white Goddess candle, I will use items representing the four elements (earth, air, fire, water) to bless, consecrate, and give thanks for this beautiful balsam tree that is gracing our home.



Small but beautiful, awaiting decoration

Yesterday I had the pleasure of going to a Craft Fair at an elementary school just up the road. Over 100 crafters and vendors had gathered in the cafeteria on a snowy Saturday to offer their wares to an enthusiastic crowd. I enjoyed browsing, running into some friends, buying a few lovely hand made items and enjoying the smell of fresh roasted cinnamon pecans!
I happened upon a lovely woman selling medicine bags, sage smudge sticks and other Native American items and I stopped and had a lively conversation with her. What a great encounter! She was brimming with great energy and we chatted and felt a kinship! I purchased from her a wonderful smelling braid of sweetgrass, which she said had been gathered and braided by a member of the Mohawk. I also got a great sage stick, and she gave me some pointers on burning both the sage and the sweetgrass. She threw in some dried cedar as well to add power to the mix. You can call it coincidence, serendipity, happenstance, or as I would like to call it, a Universe Moment. Thank you, Candace, I enjoyed meeting you! You made my day!

Sage, cedar and a sweetgrass braid

3 comments:

The Traveler said...

Sounds like a nifty time at the craft fair. It's amazing the people we meet in our lives!

Alexis Kennedy said...

Don't you just love those 'chance encounters'? I love your adaptation of the tree blessing!

Hugs and blessings for a wonderful week, Robin!

brandi said...

~a beautiful space you have here...sigh...i can smell the sweet grass from here...stummbling upon the unexpected is always such a grand experience...truly a blessing sent forth for you...the book above...thank you for sharing as i haev not seen this one before...i will be off in a moment to try and find this!!! and as for your snow...wish i could say sorry but having a wee bit of snow envy here...we had it just for a few days only leaving about two inches or soa nd now all is melted and gone away...i am hoping greatly for ol man winter to return to us...i send you warming and brightest blessings this day~