Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Merry Mabon: Equinox Invocations and Andy Goldsworthy at the Beach



Mabon was glorious this year.  For the first time, I cast a circle by using the invocations to the directions I wrote to structure my new book of poems.  It has taken me two years to get up the courage to use these invocations, maybe because I was so afraid they would sound forced instead of magickal.  

But they did sound magickal; they worked!  

Compared to a normal circle, where we just improvise our invocations according to the spirit of the moment, this time I felt a significant difference: the circle was much more tangible. What a special feeling to create a magic space out of words you have crafted; it reminds me of how I felt after writing the Rune poem in the ancient Celtic form of Rionnard tri-nard.



Later, Glen and I went to the beach, where I thought about Andy Goldsworthy, one of my favorite artists, as I found myself crafting spirals and tunnels. Then we walked along the beach and found that other humans had left very similar traces--more sacred circles, silently invoking their own sets of four directions.  

We humans are amazing creatures!

6 comments:

Ms. said...

I too---disgusted with the exhibitions of hubris and stupidity--turn away to disheartened by the crass display, the lack of care, the loss of values. I turn toward the seasons and ancient lore, poetry, the inner core--

September's Baccalaureate
A combination is Of Crickets -- Crows -- and Retrospects
And a dissembling Breeze
That hints without assuming --
An Innuendo sear
That makes the Heart put up its Fun
And turn Philosopher.

by Emily Dickinson,

kerrdelune said...

Sigh, a new book of pems. . . Please tell us more.

Annie Finch said...

ah! thanks for the breathtaking Dickinson poem dear DXD ... (and do tell us about your name! I haven't had time to sit down with my rusty Greek lexicon and try to deciper it, but I'm sure it has some wonderful meaning!!

Annie Finch said...

ah! thanks for the breathtaking Dickinson poem dear DXD ... (and do tell us about your name! I haven't had time to sit down with my rusty Greek lexicon and try to deciper it, but I'm sure it has some wonderful meaning!!

Annie Finch said...

Ok, here's the scoop! My new one is called INVOCATION TO THE FIVE DIRECTIONS. Like CALENDARS, it includes poems written over a long period of time but saved for the right book. It is the crone book, the wisdom book, the third in the trilogy following EVE and CALENDARS. I am very excited about it and looking forward to its publication at last (it's been 13 years in the making and polishing). The time of publication is definitely coming closer (a publisher who is considering it closely may have it out by 2014)-but appearing first will be SPELLS: SELECTED POETRY, due out in 2013 from Wesleyan UP, which I am also very excited about! Thanks for asking dear Kerrdelune!

Annie Finch said...

an innuendo sear!