Celebrating Festivals On The Ward

We live as part of a benevolent world, where Elemental Beings are quick to come when called. Hospitals are places of pain, fear and illness and also healing, soothing and kindness. There is a great deal of power that can be called upon here, not least the power of death and birth. We are able to ride that power when we can’t raise our own.

We know that there are others all over the country, all over the world, who are also celebrating this festival, a flow of consciousness and intent is formed that we can also ride when we can’t raise our own.

First thing in the morning or last thing at night are more likely to be quiet and peaceful on the ward. Whether you’re alone or have someone with you to celebrate, let the staff know so that you’re less likely to be disturbed, and pull the curtains. You don’t need any tools.

Set your intent

You are celebrating a seasonal festival, recognising yourself as part of the circulating ocean of birth, death and rebirth. As a religion of balance we know that Brigid and the Caileach are one, that Beltaine is the same as Samhain, that celebrating Samhain does not make us more likely to die, or celebrating Beltaine more likely to become young. We know that wellbring is linked to remembering that the seasons flow through us, that we are part of the wholeness of the Circle and the balance of the Elements.

Ground

You are the centre of the circle, feel for the self that you become in ritual when Deity comes to the fore. Be Here Now.

Invoke the Elements

In your minds eye, in the Otherworld, look to the cardinal point that you usually begin with and call to the Being that resides there to come and stand in Its place in the circle. Call to all 4 quarters, and they will Be Here Now.

Imagine yourself and the Elements casting the circle

North calling to East, East to South, South to West, West back to North. Perhaps animals associated with each quarter run, fly or swim to the next, casting the circle as they go.

The circle can be a bubble or a henge, the path of the sun and moon, the movement of an atom, whatever you feel most familiar and comfortable with, creating a beneficent membrane which will contain you, the Elements and whatever other loving creatures are meant to be there. Just doing this much, simply marking the difference of a change in season is entirely sufficient. If you want to do more in the Otherworld, talking with Deity, observing whatever is with you in this magical place, whatever it is, just do it.

You don’t need any tools other than your will.

If you want to do ritual, it will happen.

When you’re ready to return to the Apparent world, thank whoever has been with you there. The Elemental beings know what to do, and they’ll do it with you, revivifying the elemental parts of you, uncasting the circle, returning to wherever they came from.

Remember that whatever happens in ritual is part of the ritual, so if you’re disturbed that is something to make sense of, something that was meant to occur. Be peaceful.

Daily Practice

Every day, try to remember to put aside a period of time when you make conscious contact with the Otherworld. Whether that’s letting Deity sweetly illuminate every cell of your body, or watching your power animal explore your sickness, calling the Elemental Beings to rebalance you, or simply spending time becoming better acquainted with your own inner worlds, make the time to do it. Ward life can be very boring, and the more boring it gets the less likely we are to make good use of our time particularly if we’re anxious. The more we attempt to make best use of our time, the less boring it becomes.

When you eat, eat consciously

Just before you eat, look at the food and be grateful for it, whatever it looks like. Food is as powerful as medication. See the food breaking down into nutrients and those nutrients flowing to wherever they’re of most use. See how the cells which need particular nutrients call to them, and nutrients call to the cells, how well they fit each other and how much good they do together.

When you drink, drink consciously

Just before you drink, look at the water and be grateful for it; clean, fresh water that we are privileged to have. Water is as powerful as medication. Feel the coolness of water freshening your mouth, making your throat more comfortable, helping those nutrients get where they’re going, moistening and lubricating every organ, bone and fibre.

Breath consciously

Breathing can be troublesome in hospital particularly if you’ve had surgery, in which case it’s even more important that you breath deeply. Breath is a cleanser, carrying life to every part of our bodies. Lying in bed doesn’t make deep breathing much of a priority yet as we heal we need to support our own healing as much as we can. Simply breathing into the base of our lungs increases oxygen circulation, decreases impurities, gets our blood moving. It’s not called the breath of life for nothing.

Be concious about the experience of entering a liminal space

of not being part of the world and being in the place where your control over what happens to you is very much reduced.

There's a lot to be learned from observation

Stare into the middle distance for a while. Let your mind wander a little and see what there is to learn from illness. How is power used by different staff and by patients? What symbolic behaviours and rituals are there on the ward, from Drs rounds to washing, bedmaking and meals? What does service manifests? What warps it? What can you learn about your own use of power, symbolic behaviours and service?

Being ill is tiring, so sleep as soon as you feel weary

Sleep is a great healer. Allow Hypnos, Morpheus, Asclepius, Apollo or the pantheon or Deities of your choise do their work.