Each year my church hosts two major festivals. The first one is over the Easter weekend, and it is called the Spring Mysteries Festival. The second is the first weekend after Samhain (pronounced ‘sow-in’, also known as Halloween), and it is called Hekate’s Sickle.
I wrote earlier this year about being a ritual presenter for Spring Mysteries. I’d been attending the festival for 7 years, and it was quite the dream come true to be in the cast.
Last year was the first year I attended Hekate’s Sickle. It is a much more intimate, and slightly shorter, festival. While Spring Mysteries focuses solely on Greek Mythology, there are three different paths at Hekate’s Sickle – Greek, Celtic, and one other feature pantheon. Last year the feature pantheon was Egyptian. This year, the third path features Kali and Shiva.
This year I have been invited to participate as Clan Clergy for the Greek path. As the participants divide up among the separate paths, we group into Clans. The people in your clan become your chosen family for the weekend, sharing your experiences and Clan Clergy is there to lead and support the clan throughout the journey.
I remember last year feeling a special bond with all of the people in my clan. We shared intimate moments, challenges we were all facing, and things we wanted to let go in the coming year. My Clan Clergy was a huge support for us, and gave some excellent advice. I have an excellent example to follow, and I hope to be able to provide the same support for those who become a part of my clan – my family of choice – at this festival.
Living so far away from my biological family, my family of choice is very important to me. They are the people that I support, that I call on for support, and that I share many holidays with. These are the people I love, not because they were born into the same family as I was, but because we share beliefs and meaningful experiences; because we share a bond that is beyond blood.
Registration goes up again tomorrow, so if this is something you are interested in, check it out and register now. Your Clan awaits.
Blessings,
Mary