Meagan's Beltaine by Kathryn Dyer

<<<< Kathryn Dyer has done a geat job in her Meagan series. I have enjoyed them and can't wait for Addie to appreciate them. I hope she does not give up in finding a publisher. I know that I would buy the books. I hope you like them as much as I have. Enjoy>>>>>

MEAGAN'S BEALTAINE
by Kathryn Dyer ©1996

Once upon a time there was a little girl named Meagan. She lived with her mommy and daddy, her big brother Corwin and her beautiful cat named Starweaver. One day in April Meagan came home and found her mother and Nana making baskets. "What are you doing?", asked Meagan. "Well, soon it will be Beltaine", said her mother Elizabeth, "it's also known as May Day. A long time ago people would celebrate May Day by making baskets and filling them with flowers. Then they would take the baskets to the houses of friends, leave them on the porch, ring the bell and run and hide. Then the friends would have to guess who left them the baskets." Elizabeth's mother Nana nodded, "That's right, I used to get the most beautiful baskets from your late grandfather. I mentioned it to your mother and she thought that it would be a very fitting way to help celebrate Beltaine. Of course, I still
can't keep all your holidays straight."

"Oh!" said Meagan excitedly, "I know! Beltaine is a fertile...fertul...fertility ritual!" "That's right," said Elizabeth, "and what else happens at Beltaine?" Meagan thought for a minute. "Hmmm. Oh! It's when the Goddess takes over the year again from the God and She starts dating the young God!" Elizabeth and Nana laughed. "Exactly right, my love," said her father Michael from the doorway. He was carrying a large basket full of beautiful flowers from the garden. "Were these what you wanted?" he asked Elizabeth. "Perfect!" she said smiling, "As soon as we finish up these baskets we can start filling them. Meagan, what else do you think we could put in them?" Meagan thought very hard. "I know!" she said, "We can put crystal and ribbons on the baskets and maybe some candy!"

Once Corwin got home everyone worked hard to finish making and decorating the baskets. They wrapped ribbons around the handles. They put soft grass and straw in the bottoms of the baskets. They put flowers and crystals and small presents in the baskets. Meagan made a basket for her best friend Cindy. Elizabeth made one for Cindy's mom Anna with herbs in it because Anna was an herbalist. They made a basket for Michael's parents, Gramma Lee and Granpa Scott. Gramma Lee and Granpa Scott were Christian and they wouldn't like hearing about the family celebrating Beltaine but they wouldn't mind having May Day baskets. "Is there anyone missing?" asked Corwin, "Look, there's one basket left over" They checked all the baskets but no one could think of anyone they had forgotten. Meagan remembered the old woman whose house she walked by everyday from school. "Mommy?" she asked, "Could we make one for that lady who lives on the corner?" Elizabeth hugged Meagan while Corwin looked surprised. "Oh Meagan," she said "I think that is a lovely idea! Mrs. Hanson has been all alone since her children moved away. Would you like to make it yourself?" Meagan nodded and got busy making a basket for the old woman who lived on the corner. She hadn't know the woman's name before. She hummed while she worked and hoped that Mrs. Hanson would like her surprise.

Soon it was May Day. Beltaine was on a Saturday this year and so they would be having Circle at their house that night. Meagan helped take the baskets around to her friends. But she saved Mrs. Hanson's basket for last. She crept up to the door, keeping low so that Mrs. Hanson wouldn't see her from the windows. She set the basket beside the door so that it wouldn't be knocked over when Mrs. Hanson opened the door. Meagan rang the doorbell and ran quickly to hide behind the bushes to wait. Mrs. Hanson opened the door. "Yes?" she said, "Who's there?" She looked puzzled and almost closed the door when she spied the basket on her porch. "Oh my!" she gasped, "A May Day basket!" Mrs. Hanson took the basket and sat down with it on the porch's rocker. She started crying. Meagan ran up to her. "I'm sorry!" she said, "I didn't mean to make you cry!" She was scared that she had hurt Mrs. Hanson's feelings. "You made this for me?" asked Mrs. Hanson, looking astonished. Meagan nodded, "My mommy was helping me make them for my friends and I thought that you would like one too. Mommy said that people used to do this all the time." Mrs. Hanson dried her eyes, "Your mommy is right. But I haven't had a May Day basket in a very long time. My children used to make them at school for me. I'm not upset with you dear, it's just that seeing this basket brought back many happy memories for me. I miss my children and grandchildren. They all live very far away and I don't get to see them very often."  

Meagan gently put her hand on top of Mrs. Hanson's hand. "Would it make you feel better if I came to visit you once in awhile?" she asked. "Oh," said Mrs. Hanson, "you don't have to do that child, but if you decide you want to, I'll try to have some cookies ready for you when you come. So long as it's alright with your parents. If you really want to come by sometimes have them give me a call and let me know that it's okay for you to come." "Okay," said Meagan, "I'd better get back home now but I'll have mommy or daddy call you". Meagan waved to her new friend as she ran back home. She told her parents about what Mrs. Hanson had said. They called Cindy's mom Anna and talked to her for a while. Then they called Mrs. Hanson and talked to _her_ for a while. They told Corwin and Meagan that they were allowed to go visit Mrs.Hanson anytime they wanted on the way home from school so long as they didn't stay more than 15 minutes. Then theysaid that they could also visit her at other times so long as they told one of the grownups in the house where they were goingand called when they got there. Just like they had to do whenever they went to visit friends. Meagan found out that Cindyhad been given permission to visit Mrs. Hanson too. She was excited about sharing cookies with her new friend and her best friend.

Soon it was time to decorate the altar for Beltaine. Meagan was excited. They had made a May Pole with ribbons to dance around. There was also a fire pit dug in the Circle area. "What's that for?" she asked the High Priest Jeremy. "Back in the old days people used to run the cattle between two fires on Beltaine to make them fertile and help the herd increase. They would also jump over the Beltaine fire for luck. We don't have any cattle to make fertile but some of us will jump the fire for luck tonight. You're still too small to jump by yourself but we can pass you over the fire by putting you in a chair carry just like we will for Gwennie. You know that she's pregnant and we don't want to take the chance of her falling in the fire." Meagan nodded. She was very excited. So was Corwin. He was still too young to jump completely by himself but Michael said that he could jump just holding arms with Michael and one of the other men. Meagan smiled to herself as she put a flower circlet on her head and got ready for Circle to begin.

After Circle was over Meagan was very tired. She had had a busy day. Meagan kissed her parents and brother good night and looked for Starweaver. "Mommy! I can't find Starweaver" she said. Meagan's parents smiled at each other. "Don't worry dear," said Michael, "Beltaine is a time of fertility and Star must be helping out. You'll understand when you're older." Meagan stomped up the stairs. "I hate it when they say that" she thought. But she still smiled when she thought about what fun she had had dancing around the May Pole. She climbed into bed and snuggled down. It had been a good day.

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Meagan's Samhaine

By Kathryn Dyer ©1991

 

Once upon a time there was a little girl named Meagan. Meagan had a mommy and a daddy. Meagan had a big brother named Corwin. Meagan also had a beautiful black cat named Starweaver.

 

Meagan's mother made her bring Starweaver in every night. It was getting close to Halloween and some people were scared of black cats. Sometimes people who are scared do things they wouldn't do if they weren't so frightened. Meagan made sure that Starweaver came in at night where he would be safe and warm.

 

Meagan was excited about Halloween. Her parent's always held a big party. People would come in all kinds of costumes and they would play games. Many of them would come and go, leaving to go to other parties to show off their costumes. But there were a few people who stayed. After a certain time Meagan's parents would start cleaning up and making sure that their guests got home safely. The special guest would stay and help. Soon, only Meagan, her family and the special guests were left.

 

Now Meagan got even more excited. For Meagan and her family Halloween was more than just a time to dress up and play games. It was also Samhaine. Meagan and her family were Pagans and Samhaine was an important holiday for them. It was also their New Year. It celebrated the end of the Summer season and the beginning of the Winter. Tonight, her family and their friends would bid good-bye to the reign of the Lady and bid welcome to Her Consort, who would hold rule over the winter until the Lady came again in the spring at Beltaine. 

 

This was the first year that Meagan was old enough to stay up and watch the rituals. Her parents had been teaching her about many religions so that when she grew up she would make a wise choice about how to worship. She was very excited about being allowed to watch the Samhaine ritual. She had taken a nap in the afternoon so that she would be able to stay awake.

 

Meagan went into her mother's bathroom. Meagan's mother Elizabeth was taking a bath in preparation. Elizabeth got out and put on her special robe. She always wore this robe to rituals. Meagan knew that some covens wore robes and some wore special costumes and some wore everyday clothes and some didn't wear anything at all! Meagan's mother said, "Are you ready Meagan? Why don't you take a quick shower and then I have a surprise for you." "What is it?, asked Meagan as she took off her Halloween costume. "You'll see when you're done," said her mother, "now hurry, you don't want to be late!" 

 

Meagan turned on the water and stepped into the shower. And who should jump in with her but Starweaver! "Momma!" Meagan cried, "Look! Star wants to go to the ritual too!" Elizabeth laughed with her daughter, "Starweaver is more than welcome to come to the ritual. It wouldn't be the first time for him." Meagan looked at her cat, "Why didn't you tell me Star? You know all about it already!" She finished her shower and dried off. Meagan's mother held out a beautiful new robe, just Meagan's size. "Oh, Momma! A robe of my very own!", Meagan exclaimed. She felt very happy and proud as she slipped it on. Then she followed her mother out to the little grove in their backyard.

 

In their backyard was a little circle of trees. In the middle her parents had put up a stone altar. Usually the altar was empty but now there were things on it. Meagan stepped closer to see. Already on the altar were two chalices or cups, a sword, a book, a vessel of water and one of salt, a censor to hold incense and the God and Goddess figures which usually stayed on the little altar in her parent's bedroom. One of her parent's friends was placing a horned helm on the altar. "Would you like to help decorate the Circle?" he asked. The Circle had already been marked on the ground with a spear. Meagan asked, "What are we putting around the Circle?" Meagan's brother Corwin said, "We are putting autumn flowers, pine-cones and pumpkins." She remembered having seen some pumpkins in the garage earlier and had wondered what they were for. Meagan and Corwin placed the flowers and pine-cones around the Circle. Some of the pumpkins were too heavy for them to lift by themselves so the adults helped put them around too. 

 

Soon the grove was ready. Everyone was wearing a robe. Meagan's mother was wearing a white robe and so was their friend Jeremy. This year Elizabeth and Jeremy had been chosen by the Coven to be Priestess and Priest for the group. Each Coven has different rules about who is in charge of things and what they wear. In the Coven that Meagan's parents belonged to the Priest and Priestess wear white and the others may choose from green, yellow, red or blue. Meagan's robe was green and Corwin's robe was blue just like their father Michael's robe. 

 

Michael would tease Meagan and Corwin saying, "I wear blue so that no one can see me in the shadows." He would always smile when he said it. Some of the Coven members wore beautiful jewelry. Jennifer was wearing a silver circlet and a pentagram necklace. Robert wore a torque, which is a kind of neck decoration, and several rings with funny writing on them. Meagan recognized some of the letters as runes. She was studying runes with her father.

 

Soon a horn sounded and the ceremony started. Meagan paid close attention. Her favorite part came at the end which was called Cakes and Ale. Everyone ate little cakes and drank mead or juice. They all sat around and talked about the things they were studying and what they would like to learn about later. Meagan asked about the incense they had used. Jennifer told her that it was made by a Coven member who couldn't be there that night. She said that they would grind together different herbs to make incense that they burned on a special kind of charcoal. Their Coven had a different kind of incense for every kind of ceremony. Meagan remembered that her parent's had special incense for the house too. They would burn it during the day and it made the house smell good.

 

Sometimes Meagan's friends would ask her why her house always smelled so good. Meagan had to be careful sometimes about what she said to her friends. Her parents had told her that not everyone liked the way that Pagans worship. It was better for her to be careful about what she said until she knew how her friends felt about other religions. She would not want to make her friends upset or to make them feel bad. Meagan had one friend, Cindy, that she could talk about her religion to. Cindy and her family were Christians but her mother was also an herbalist and didn't mind the things that Cindy learned about at Meagan's house. Meagan's parents would trade herbs with Cindy's mother and Meagan sometimes heard them talking about religion together. 

 

When the ritual was over everyone helped to clean up the grove. Meagan was very happy to have been allowed to stay up. Her mother said that she could come to the next ritual which would be a Full Moon ritual. They would also have a guest who was interested in the Pagan religion. Some Covens have rules that their rituals cannot be spoken of to those who have not promised to keep them secret. Some of these rules came from the times when Pagans were outlawed or hurt by some Christians. The Coven that Meagan's family belonged to did not have any rules like this but they were still very careful about who they shared their rituals with. Some people are afraid of Pagans and as you know, people who are afraid sometimes do strange things. 

 

Meagan went inside as people were leaving to go home. She took off her robe and got into her nightgown. Elizabeth came to tuck her into bed. "I'll go put your robe in the place we keep ours so it will be ready for the next ceremony. Did you enjoy yourself tonight?" she asked as Meagan snuggled under the blanket. "Oh yes, Momma. It was wonderful. I think I want to be a Pagan when I grow up." murmured Meagan. Her mother laughed, "Well, now is not the time to decide such an important issue. I think you can wait a few years. You may change your mind later. Sleep tight and dream well little one." She kissed Meagan good night and turned out her light. Meagan sighed as she thought about the good time she had had at the party and at the ritual. Just then Starweaver decided to jump up on her bed. As Meagan curled up on her side to go to sleep Starweaver nestled into the pillow beside her and began to purr.

It had been a good day.

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