The next festival on my 2010 schedule will be Sirius Rising, held at the Brushwood Folklore Center near Sherman, New York from July 12th-18th.  I’m looking forward to this festival, although I will not be able to attend for the entire week.  I plan to arrive on Monday evening, and will probably need to leave Thursday evening.

If you are attending Sirius Rising, here is my tentative schedule of presentations:

RUNIC WARDING (Tuesday, June 13th, 11:00 am)  Use insight gleaned from the lore of the Anglo-Saxon rune poem for protection.  Learn when and how to employ runic warding.  In this workshop we will explore the defensive runes and their nature, and discuss how to evoke their power.  It is recommended that workshop participants bring notebook and pen.

THE MARTIN RUNE DECK (Wednesday, July 14th, 4:00 pm)  Author Alaric Albertsson will talk about his role in developing the Martin Rune Deck.  This deck of 33 cards beautifully illustrates the mysteries of the Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem, giving life to the poem’s descriptive verse while simultaneously remaining true to the lore therein.  Time permitting, Albertsson will give a few quick rune readings at the end of the presentation.

SPIRIT ALLIES (Thursday, July 15th, 4:00 pm)  We share our world not only with other living, incarnate creatures, but also with an array of spirits.  These were known to the Saxons and their descendants as elves, dwarves, púcan, woodwoses, boggarts, moss-wives and brownies.  Building relationships with your “good neighbors” can be a rewarding part of your personal spiritual practice.  In this workshop Alaric Albertsson will discuss the following:

         * Various spirit manifestations and how they relate to humankind.

         * First steps in approaching your good neighbors.

         * How to attract house elves and elicit their good will.

         * Connecting with spirits through trance and meditation.

         * When good elves go bad: spiritual self-defense.

Learn how to approach and establish positive relationships with these transcendent beings!

 All three presentations will take place at the Runestead, a small section of the campsite dedicated to the Germanic gods and goddesses.

Sunne has now reached “the point”, that time of year known as the sunstead or solstice, where she pauses in the sky.  The Old English word for this time of year is Litha.  The word lið means a point, and the solstice takes this name because this holy tide, unlike most, is marked by a specific celestial moment.  Litha celebrates Sunne in her glory when the days are longer than at any other time of year.

For the Saxons, the months preceding and following the solstice were Ærra Liða (before the point) and Æftera Liða (after the point).  Although American calendars often reference this day as “the first day of summer”, the holy tide is actually Midsummer, falling between the beginning of the summer season on May Day and the beginning of the harvest season at Lammas.

My inhíred will be having our Midsummer celebration on Saturday, the 26th, at the full of the moon.  Because of other commitments as an author and speaker, this is the first Liða in years that I will be spending with my híredmenn.  We will be giving offerings to our lady Sunne and to the elves, and will celebrate with a Midsummer feast.

What are your plans for the holiday?