'Twas the Night Before Solstice

'Twas the night before Solstice
and all through the town
the people were smiling,
there wasn't a frown.

The branches were laid
'cross the mantle with care
to honor the revels which
would soon occur there.

The children were shrieking
with fiendish deligh
buzzing with sugar
to stay up all night.

One cat at her food dish
and one on my lap,
all cozy and snug
for a long winter's nap.

When what to my wondering eyes should appear
but the twinkle of stars--
the night was so clear!

And the stars filled my vision
with so much good cheer
that I flung open my arms
to bring in the New Year.

The darkness is fading
and daylight grows near
and the world has a message
we all need to hear--

Oh, children, and teachers, and mothers, and lovers,
oh, fathers, and daughters, and sisters, and brothers
with love in your hearts and light in your eyes
you can transform all the tears and the sighs!

Go into this year
with a spring in your step
and remember, each of you,
this dream we have kept--

For peace to reach over
the whole lovely earth
and for all souls to know
the feeling of mirth.

This is my wish on this magical night--
may your Solstice be merry
and your Christmas quite bright!

~Jen McConnel, 2012

Call for Submissions: Queen of Heaven

I am thrilled to announce that I'll be editing a devotional anthology to the Queen of Heaven.  Submissions for A Mantle of Stars: A Devotional Anthology in Honor of the Queen of Heaven open on November 5, 2012, and will close on April 1, 2013.  Poetry, rituals, and research are all welcomed.
  
"What does this Goddess mean to you?  Perhaps you offer cakes to her on each full moon, as so many of the ancients did.  Or perhaps you have seen her serene face in church for years and felt a tug towards her majesty.  The Queen of Heaven is a powerful Goddess, but she is not cruel: even in her virgin aspects, this Goddess is a global mother to the children of the earth.  She is not a Lady to cross, however: there are countless tales of justice being served at Her hand.  Fierce as a lion, gentle as a dove, the Queen of Heaven is ever present, as long as we are beneath Her sky. We need only look up to see her beauty."  (From the call for submissions)

For more information, check out the submission page over at Neos Alexandria.

This is such a heart project for me.  As an archetype, the Queen of Heaven is my primary devotional figure.  I'm dedicated to one of the goddesses who bears that title (Isis), and I'm fascinated by the many faces this powerful goddess has worn throughout history.  

The archetype is rich, and I can't wait to see what is contributed to the devotional: what an amazing opportunity, to birth this project.  I am thrilled.

Will you be submitting?  Spread the word!

Inspired by Brigid

I spent the last week in a small pine cabin somewhere in rural Pennsylvania.  I was attending a writing workshop with an emphasis on storytelling through verse, so it's no wonder I started thinking about Brigid.

One of the first goddesses I ever discovered, Brigid has long held a powerful place in my heart.  I'm a poet, a dreamer, a fire-keeper, and this Celtic goddess-turned-saint really speaks to me.

Brigid (some people pronounce her name "Bride", and there are infinite spellings) is a triple goddess: she embodies maiden, mother, and crone aspects, and she's the patron of poets and smiths.  She's also associated with newborn lambs, and her feast day of Imbolc/Candlemass honors the first glimpse of spring.

Even though the mountains of Pennsylvania were caught in the depths of a beautiful fall while I was there, Brigid was on my mind.  The group of passionate poets (nineteen talented women) gathered around a roaring fire each night to sip wine and swap stories, and each morning, the scent of wet pine and woodsmoke filled the air.

The inspiration I found there is still working its way through me, and I am so thankful to have had this one beautiful week to set my worries and my reality aside and immerse myself in poetry.  There is no better way to honor Brigid then by honoring your own creative flame.

What creativity waits in you?  How do you honor Brigid?

Blessed be!