Eponalia

[potia]

Eponalia approaches and for several reasons I want to do something extra special this year. The fact that it is on a Saturday makes that more feasible for me too. The problem is that at the moment I don't know what I want to do beyond the triple toast as we have shared in the past
(see: caerfeddwyd.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=brython&action=display&thread=1442).

I have been going through some difficult things on a personal front but I'm coming through them and I have a lot to be thankful for. That is part of what I want to include without going into details here

Any suggestions or ideas?

[Brochfael]

I shall be at an archaeology conference in Bristol over Eponalia. In the morning I'm giving a paper on how mortuary archaeology and contemporary Paganism influence each other. In the evening I shall probably dine out with some friends. That's my Eponalia this year.

[potia]

Hope the conference goes well for you. Sounds like a nice day actually.

In my case if I don't make an effort to do something special I'll be washing clothes, cleaning floors, catching up on other household chores and looking after small people until any energy I had has vanished which is what normally happens on a Saturday

[Blackbird]

I celebrate Eponalia at true Midwinter, rather than on the 18th.

(My UPG being that the Romans moved the proper date of the festival so that it wouldn't clash with the main Saturnalia stuff, while still keeping the Gauls happy!)

Midwinters Day/Eponalia is when we exchange gifts, have lots of nice food etc. (Living with an atheist means that nobody is bothered if Christmas Day is completely ignored, plus it means that if I'm not working on that day (fingers crossed my usual gig at the local stately home is going ahead), we can make the long drive to the Inlaws without ruining our festive day!

My own family tend to do things with the various grandkids, but I'm ashamed to admit that I can only manage about half an hour in the company of young children before hitting the roof
(Why don't they have a volume control? Where is the off switch? 'Seen and not heard' is sadly out of fashion...)

There will be an eclipse on the morning of the solstice this year = extra special!

[potia]

I'll have to work on the solstice so won't be able to do much then. I only have half a day of annual leave left before the leave year changes and if I don't have to use it for kid related things I'll give myself an extra long lunch break or two to use it

On the solstice evening, weather permitting, I go for a walk with my son round the estate are and look at all the lights with him. Last year one of my nephews came too.

[Lee]

i will probably be travelling back home on or about the 18th so will do something at home before leaving. then something again on the 21st and on the 25th.. i am not too sure yet what each will entail but a triple toast on each will feature.

the 25th will be a family thing, not sure who or how many but there will be a fair few i suppose. perhaps on the 25th i will do something remembering those who passed this year and those who i have spent time with at this time of year but who are dead.

[arth_frown]

I'll be doing the triple toast. With a candle and a statue of a horse on the altar.
The solstice will spent with the hearth and a shared meal.
Midwinter will be spent with my family.

[redraven]

My focus will be on the solstice now I have managed to secure it off as a religious holiday. I have some serious thinking to do between now and then.

RR

[deiniol]

It's not unreasonable. Look at the Mari Lwyd traditions in southern Wales, for example.

[Tegernacus]

I'm confuddled about the Mari though. It's a new-years tradition, right. But New Years is a Roman import. If it is pre-Roman, then when was it originally brought out? The old new year, Oct 31st? Or the Solstice? My head tells me on halloween. My heart tells me at midwinter. I have no idea why though, or any evidence to back that up. Maybe it's because she is brought out in the depths of winter, and that is influencing my expectation, but she seems perfectly at home at the solstice, whereas despite the skulls and dressing-up of Oct 31st she seems out of place.

Saying that, I don't think the Mare (in Mari form anyhow) is in any way a substitute for the guy in the red suit. The Mare represents the year gone past, knocking on your door and asking for libation lest she take you with her.

Sorry for babbling, just thinking aloud

[dreamguardian]

Triple toast on each for us and didn't know about the eclipse this year, thanks BB

[Tegernacus]

yeah, full moon and lunar eclipse. Signs and portents..

[crowman]

This will be my very first Eponalia, i intend partaking the triple toast... apart from toasting will anyone be doing anything ritualistic to take advantage of the full moon and lunar elipse?

[crowman]

Are most people celebrating Eponalia at sunrise, moonrise, sunset or midnight on 18th?

[potia]

Dec 17, 2010 21:31:01 GMT -1 @crowman said:

Are most people celebrating Eponalia at sunrise, moonrise, sunset or midnight on 18th?

Personally the whole day to some extent but I'll be doing the triple toast part this evening, probably after the kids are upstairs so maybe about 9 pm. I may try and do something at sunset too but with small kids ...

[crowman]

Heres details of the ritual i will perform later this evening to recognise Eponalia, I'd be grateful for comments...

The Eponalia ritual I have devised in which to recognise her is as follows. I will light a fire outside and at sunset just as the fire dies to embers (to represent the waning suns power) I will perform a toast and libations to my blood ancestors, to the sun and to the Grey Mare. I use a small wooden bowl filled with either mead or mulled wine for the toast.

Holding the bowl aloft over the embers...

"I toast and give sacrifice to my ancestors of blood, may their wisdom guide me in the coming months"….. a little of the mead is sipped and a little poured onto the embers

"I toast and give sacrifice to the dying sun, may his power soon return to warm us once more"…. again a little is sipped and a little poured onto the embers

"I toast and give sacrifice to Our Matron the Grey Mare and ask that she walks amongst us again breathing life into the dying land"… a little more is sipped, a little is poured on the embers leaving a small amount left.... the bowl is held aloft whilst saying…

"Grey Mare, our matron, I give you this mead as a token of my devotion and faith in you that you will return and walk amongst us once again breathing life into our barren land. Our queen, I promise to devote myself to you in return for nurturing and keeping me under your protection"…. the remains of the mead is then poured onto the fire.

I will then spend a few quiet minutes reflecting on the words and giving thanks to my blood ancestors, the sun and the Grey Mare before relighting the fire to spend some time in front of it warming my hands.

Ive decided to link this in with the Solstice on the 21st and the return of the sun on the 24th

[Heron]

At the altar where there is a horse's head, and where I have previously strewn rose leaves in her honour and planted a small rose bush, I will this evening pour essence of roses.

The altar is at the back of my garden beyond which is a very steep field which normally only has sheep in it (though it used to have horses). Today, kids from the village have been sliding down the snow-covered slope on their sledges and coming to a halt just behind the hedge by the altar. This gives the day a feeling of festival, which is good. But I will wait until the light begins to fade, and the kids have gone home, before I go out for my vigil. Then come in to the warm hearth for the toast and light a rose-scented candle.

But for now I toast the tylwyth here:

Ad Amicis Eponarum

[Heron]

Dec 18, 2010 13:51:49 GMT -1 @crowman said:

....

Ive decided to link this in with the Solstice on the 21st and the return of the sun on the 24th

We decided last year that we would link the three festivals and use the triple toast as part of each. We should maintain such things for continuity so it's good that you mention it here Crowman.

[dreamguardian]

As I'm working nights over this weekend, we carried out our eponalia this afternoon. Triple toast was made & suitable offerings placed on an alter - which is a very large upturned tree stump in a deep hole.