From Tlachtga to Tara to Sliabh na Callai and Rath Croghan. A new fire for the New Year. Happy New Year.
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Full Moon
Sunday 16th October- 8pm - Tara Co. Meath, Open to all Temple Crom Co. Roscommon, Open to all Denver, Colorado, USA - Invite only Vienna, Austria - Invite only Solar Samhain 2nd November - Noon- Temple Crom, co. Roscommon -Members only Lunar Samhain Celtic New Year- 30th and 31st October - Triple Ceremony - Tlachtga, Tara and Sliabh na Cailliagh - Invitation Only Our Samhain Ceremony went really well.
We started at the Druid's Well with a water ceremony. Then the face paints and fun started. As the sun was starting to set we made our way on to the hill of Tlachtga and lit the first fire from a new spark. I made this spark with a simple striker, it landed on a piece of charred cloth and this was transferred to some dry wood shavings. The wind was strong and the fire took easily. We conducted our ceremony as the wind whipped around us. After the first fire ceremony of the night we had some soups and sandwiches and then carrying the new fire spirit in a secure lantern we made our way to Tara. The wind was still strong with a threat of more rain so I lit the fire from the candle quickly. It took first time, I was concentrating so hard I was only slightly aware of the group gathering behind me. I stood up and looked around to see lots of new and familiar faces. A circle of introductions and the second ceremony of the night got underway. Unusually for us we were sticking to our planned timetable so we had lots of time to chat around the fire afterwards. We had fun lighting others candles in the wind, many little new sparks made their way all over the country that night. Then on to the final fire of the night. Midnight on Sliabh na Caillaigh. Wow it was beautiful, we stood around our third fire of the night looking up at shooting stars and an amazing sky scape. A group hug and we split up to travel our own ways home. 3 hours later we were back in Roscommon sitting at the kitchen table supping a hot whiskey. We lit our hearth fire from the candle that traveled with us from Tlachtga and brought the lantern, candle and the new fire down to The Temple. Simple, magical and amazing. Grá Niamh It's a beautiful bright day here in Roscommon. I (Niamh) have a couple of days off work and am using the time to prepare for our Samhain festival. My main responsibility is the fire. I along with Ard Druí Red John create the first spark of the new year fire. It is a sacred fire and so I take the preparations very seriously. Today I am making the char cloth to start the fire with.
On the night I will make a spark with a striker, this catches on to the piece of pre charred cloth, it burns at an intense temperature, this will be added to a pile of dry herbs and thistle heads that I have been drying for months. This, once it catches into flames, is then added to the sacred fire box into a nest of kindling also prepared weeks ahead of time. This process will only work if I get the charcloth right today and then keep it bone dry until Samhain. |
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