Litha: It's been a loooong time

Wow, my last post was Samhain...yeesh, nearly six months! A lot has happened, I have finished gowns, started several new jobs, quit one, am quitting a second, and keeping the original, had a rubbish Yule and New Year, no Valentine's day to speak of, but as the days get warmer, I am feeling a bit better, and finally, the first holiday I've enjoyed in a year, MIDSUMMER! I finally made it to Stonehenge again, after several years. Apparently I'm all over the news lol. I blame the orange blanket I was wearing cloak-style, someone said it made me look important and Pagan. I said it made me feel warm, which was the reason I brought it. I had a lot of comments on my 'stick' (staff) and one fellow asked me what it did. I replied, 'it holds up my umbrella! And showed him how I'd tied to on to keep it above my head and out of other people's eyes. He looked so dissappointed that I almost wished I'd made up a great load of blarney about it having magickal powers and controlling the weather or something!

I met a lovely couple from Vancouver Canada, who had just had their civil ceremony and wanted a handfasting, and on the spur of the moment, I asked Arther Pendragon if he would mind doing their handfasting as well during the ceremony. The night before I'd had the sudden urge to go to Tesco's and buy some fresh flowers, orange and peach roses, carnations and daisies. I took them home and spent the better part of an hour fashioning them into a floral crown, which turned out to be too big for my tiny head, with ribbons that were too long. I took it anyways and tied it around my staff. When they said they wanted a handfasting, I suddenly knew why I'd made it, and they were handfasted with the ribbons and the bride wore the crown, which actually fit her perfectly! I felt so incredibly blessed to see them so happy! That made my day, more than anything else, absolutely magical! I hope they share some of the pics I took, if any of them came out, I'm hoping!

I also performed two not so serious handfastings, and one un-fasting, all with the same bride! Who, if she does not stay married to her current husband until July 21st (the legnth of their vow) owes me two large glasses of wine. Or the husband if he breaks it off... :-). Much less serious, but all in good fun! Here's a few pics from the day...first ones from Stonehenge itself, then later that day for the lovely Midsummer picnic I had with the family. We made our safe version of a bonfire (in an open BBQ) and had BBQ chicken with spices, and some yummy fresh veggies, the first harvest of the year! I also made a really spice cheese and bean thing that even I wasn't able to eat much of, but it was lovely. I will never again underestimate the power of fresh jalapenos.

I took some of the pics below off websites as I didn't bring my camera to Stonehenge!