Saturday, March 24, 2007
Amazing Grapes...
how sweet the taste, that fed a lush like me...
We just got home from Ostara celebrations. Its a bit early to be home, but our hosts (Beth & JD) also own a bar in Hickory, and had to leave early for a benefit concert for a friend who was in a car wreck last week. And James wasn't feeling well after his rootcanal earlier this week. So, here we are. And here I am.
I had a couple bottles of wine with me. I'm ready for a nap. ;-)
The weather here is (for me) unseasonably warm. Over 80F and shorts and tank top wearing weather definitely. Too bad I don't have any shorts that fit me. :-P Oh well, wrap arounds work just as well! And tank tops were on sale at K-Mart this week.
I'm still getting used to the difference in the season changes down here. Y'see, the Wheel of the Year that most neo-Pagans and Wiccans follow is geared toward the season changes in Britain, more toward the northern half of the northern hemisphere. Not the southern US. The earth has already warmed up and awakened down here, so tis strange to have Ostara rituals to wake up the earth. Heck, James and I had an earth worm crawling on us during ritual this afternoon! I wonder what that means....?
At home, I'm sure friends and family are still awaiting the snow to melt. Here the trees are in full bloom and baby birds have hatched. We're scrambling for the sunscreen and bug spray already. Back home, we'd still have the snow shovel out, just in case.
Even last week here there were cars from up the moutain with snow on them. Now we're stripping down to the bare minimum. And opinions vary on just what that minimum is. ;-) James is upstairs watching hockey on TV, and the dogs and I are downstairs panting saying its too hot in here!
I'm loath to turn on the a/c just yet though. Its just too early.
Anyhoo...Ostara...As a Celt, this particular "holiday" isn't part of my tradition. Ostara was a Germanic Goddess. The Celts are strange. We celebrate "the in-between times" moreso than the obvious days. The Wiccans created the Wheel of the Year methinks, and the 8 Holidays per year, combining the Germanic/Saxon with the Celtic seasonal celebrations. Which is fine. Just more reason to get together with like minded people and have a few sips of wine and eat way too much. ;-)
...I drank too much wine at the festival, and lost my virginity...
With apologies and thanks to Pasha & the Pagans for their rendition of Amazing Grace/Grapes.
The Celts major celebrations are Imbolc (February 2), Beltane (April 30/May 1), Lughnasadh (August 1) and Samhain (October 31/November 1). These all generally fall between the Solstices and Equinoxes.
If you're at all interested, here are some articles about Ostara (which some people may notice the similarities between the names of the Christian Spring celebration of Easter and the Pagan Ostara. Co-incidence? I think not.
Here's one at Witchvox
Wikipedia
from The History Chanel, The History of Easter
And, one of my favourite websites, almost forgotten til now Religious Tolerance
and here is the song in its entirety. Please, don't burn me at the stake. The Discordians will just bring weenies anyway. ;-)
Amazing Grapes
Amazing grapes, how sweet the taste
That fed a lush like me
I drank too much wine at Festival
and lost my virginity
T'was grapes that taught my friends to cringe
Through grapes, my stress relieved
Obnoxious words come out my mouth
That you would not believe
Through many vinyards east and west
I have thus come so far
The grapevine has brought me comfort sure
While driving in my car
Amazing grapes, how sweet the taste
That fed a lush like me
I drank too much wine at Wiccan Fest
and lost my virginity
How sweet the sound of popping corks
To this great lover's ear
It sooths the thirst upon my tongue
Don't drink it after beer
Most raisins shrivel in the sun
While other grapes go free
Lets give the juice to everyone
Especially to me
Amazing grapes, how sweet the taste
That fed a lush like me
I drank too much wine at Ravenwood
and lost my virginity
I drank too much wine at Winter Star
And lost my virginity
just a note...I've been to Wiccan Fest...I'm sure more than one person has lost their virginity there. ;) ¶ 8:15 PM
We just got home from Ostara celebrations. Its a bit early to be home, but our hosts (Beth & JD) also own a bar in Hickory, and had to leave early for a benefit concert for a friend who was in a car wreck last week. And James wasn't feeling well after his rootcanal earlier this week. So, here we are. And here I am.
I had a couple bottles of wine with me. I'm ready for a nap. ;-)
The weather here is (for me) unseasonably warm. Over 80F and shorts and tank top wearing weather definitely. Too bad I don't have any shorts that fit me. :-P Oh well, wrap arounds work just as well! And tank tops were on sale at K-Mart this week.
I'm still getting used to the difference in the season changes down here. Y'see, the Wheel of the Year that most neo-Pagans and Wiccans follow is geared toward the season changes in Britain, more toward the northern half of the northern hemisphere. Not the southern US. The earth has already warmed up and awakened down here, so tis strange to have Ostara rituals to wake up the earth. Heck, James and I had an earth worm crawling on us during ritual this afternoon! I wonder what that means....?
At home, I'm sure friends and family are still awaiting the snow to melt. Here the trees are in full bloom and baby birds have hatched. We're scrambling for the sunscreen and bug spray already. Back home, we'd still have the snow shovel out, just in case.
Even last week here there were cars from up the moutain with snow on them. Now we're stripping down to the bare minimum. And opinions vary on just what that minimum is. ;-) James is upstairs watching hockey on TV, and the dogs and I are downstairs panting saying its too hot in here!
I'm loath to turn on the a/c just yet though. Its just too early.
Anyhoo...Ostara...As a Celt, this particular "holiday" isn't part of my tradition. Ostara was a Germanic Goddess. The Celts are strange. We celebrate "the in-between times" moreso than the obvious days. The Wiccans created the Wheel of the Year methinks, and the 8 Holidays per year, combining the Germanic/Saxon with the Celtic seasonal celebrations. Which is fine. Just more reason to get together with like minded people and have a few sips of wine and eat way too much. ;-)
...I drank too much wine at the festival, and lost my virginity...
With apologies and thanks to Pasha & the Pagans for their rendition of Amazing Grace/Grapes.
The Celts major celebrations are Imbolc (February 2), Beltane (April 30/May 1), Lughnasadh (August 1) and Samhain (October 31/November 1). These all generally fall between the Solstices and Equinoxes.
If you're at all interested, here are some articles about Ostara (which some people may notice the similarities between the names of the Christian Spring celebration of Easter and the Pagan Ostara. Co-incidence? I think not.
Here's one at Witchvox
Wikipedia
from The History Chanel, The History of Easter
And, one of my favourite websites, almost forgotten til now Religious Tolerance
and here is the song in its entirety. Please, don't burn me at the stake. The Discordians will just bring weenies anyway. ;-)
Amazing Grapes
Amazing grapes, how sweet the taste
That fed a lush like me
I drank too much wine at Festival
and lost my virginity
T'was grapes that taught my friends to cringe
Through grapes, my stress relieved
Obnoxious words come out my mouth
That you would not believe
Through many vinyards east and west
I have thus come so far
The grapevine has brought me comfort sure
While driving in my car
Amazing grapes, how sweet the taste
That fed a lush like me
I drank too much wine at Wiccan Fest
and lost my virginity
How sweet the sound of popping corks
To this great lover's ear
It sooths the thirst upon my tongue
Don't drink it after beer
Most raisins shrivel in the sun
While other grapes go free
Lets give the juice to everyone
Especially to me
Amazing grapes, how sweet the taste
That fed a lush like me
I drank too much wine at Ravenwood
and lost my virginity
I drank too much wine at Winter Star
And lost my virginity
just a note...I've been to Wiccan Fest...I'm sure more than one person has lost their virginity there. ;) ¶ 8:15 PM
