Willow Leaves December 20

Mystery Camper Nabbed In a pre-Christmas surprise raid on the Fergusson place just outside of town, County Sherriff’s Deputies apprehended the mystery camper whose campsites have been found on no less than 9 area farms. It was a great surprise to all to find that far from being a hobo or criminal, it was Willow Mills own Leslie Springer of Stringtown. It turns out that she left home over a month before graduation and has been living in the woods near and around Willow Mills for over six months. She has been into town periodically over the past few months to gather supplies, which no one paid particular notice to since it was widely assumed that she was still living at home. In reality, she has been living off the land, occasionally supplementing her stores with hikes into Willow Mills or even North Manchester. She has picked up odd jobs in North Manchester, working part-time at the bindery. With the onset of cold weather, smoke from Springer’s campfire became visible. Sherriff’s deputies were called on Wednesday this week and staged the raid late at night. Springer put up no resistance. Reporters have been unable to reach Springer or her mother for comment. No charges were filed by any of the farmers once they found out who was using their property. They’ve always given the kids in the community permission to camp in their woodlots. More when we have details.

Yule Celebration

For over 20 years, Donna Jones has led those who would join at the Herb Farm in a celebration of the Winter Solstice, the shortest day and longest night of the year. The ceremony has evolved over the years, but the basic elements remain the same. Guests who have responded to the invitation gather for the first champagne toasts of the evening, bringing with them their own contributions to the feast. Donna and the crew at the Herb Farm usually roast a turkey or two on the big outside charcoal grill. The feast is different each year, however, depending on what people bring.

When everyone has full plates and a drink, Donna begins the ceremonies. She starts by lighting Goddess candles representing the three aspects of the Goddess: Maiden, Matron, and Crone. Then she tells the story of Persephone in the underworld. Each year she has told the story a bit differently. But the basic points are still the same. The earth dies, the Goddess goes into the underworld to negotiate its rebirth with the God. He falls in love with Her and through Her is reborn as the God of Youth.

Then Donna takes a log from last year’s celebration, covered with candlewax and ribbons and she passes it among all the attendees. They speak to or silently hold the log and place upon it all the bad things of the past year that they want put behind them and forgotten. When all have had a chance to hold the log, Donna puts it in the big fireplace at the end of the Longhouse and everyone cheers as it goes up in smoke. They make very sure that the log has burned to ashes before the evening is through.

People finish the main courses of the meal, refill their champagne glasses, and turn to the Yule Tree that is set up at the opposite end of the hall. Each person is given a turn to put a decoration on the tree that they feel is representative of the things that they want remembered from the past year. This part of the ritual is often quite long as people seem to have a lot to say about their past year and what it meant to them. When this part of the Solstice ritual is completed, people gather around the tree and unpack the boxes of ornaments from years past. There are too many to fit all of them on the tree after over 20 years of collecting the ornaments. But it is not uncommon for people to pull out an ornament and say, “Oh, remember when...” After all, that is what people gave the ornaments for: to remember what they represented.

After a refill of the champagne glasses and some singing of holiday songs, the lights are cut to low and the focus switches to this year’s Yule Logs. Traditionally there would be just one log with thirteen different colored candles on it. Donna often decorates them with ribbons or other tidbits as well. With so many people coming to take part in the ritual, however, Donna tries to make sure that there are enough decorated and candled logs so that there is a candle for each person attending. It’s gotten to be a tradition in Mrs. Trickle’s third grade class for the students to make beeswax candles out of materials that Brian and Sally Green provide from That Hippie Candle Shop. Those are always the most colorful and interesting of the candles on the logs.

This is a relaxed and slow portion of the evening and often goes on well past midnight as each person attending the ritual is invited to light a candle on one of the logs and then give voice to their hopes and aspirations for the next year. There is something about saying what you are hoping for, whether it is peace on earth or healing for your mother or safety for your children that brings people closer together and makes them just want to sit together and watch the candles burn until it’s just wax puddled on the logs. Those logs are carefully stored by Donna until next solstice when they become the first logs passed around and burned on the solstice evening.

Sometimes folks just want to stay and talk, have another glass of champagne, and enjoy the warmth of the evening. They all help clean up the dishes and pack their own things away, sometimes singing carols or telling stories and jokes. Donna has even woken up in the morning to find folks crashed on cushions in the corners of the longhouse. She scrambles up eggs and ham and then sends them on their way with wishes for a prosperous new year.

It’s funny. There’s only two or three folks who come to this celebration who would dare call themselves pagans. Mostly they are people who go to the Methodist or Baptist or Unitarian Churches, lapsed Catholics, even a Buddhist. But they all seem to feel this is a high-point of their season. Even Adelaide Kitchener came to a few of these ceremonies in her later years. It’s not the kind of thing that’s for everyone, but it’s everything for some.