Drumming has been a feature of Forks for the last several years. Come on over!

Litha is the pagan name for the Summer Solstice. It sounds cooler, and you don't get caught in that trap of trying to remember solstice vs. equinox.

Sabbat is a high holly-day, kinda like for Jews, only we get to have cheeseburgers on bread whenever we want, and don't have to feel guilty about it, unless we're on Atkins.

I just found out this evening that, not only is our degree-seeking covener not going to conduct Litha, but he has in fact announced his departure from the coven.

We are very perplexed and unhappy about this. He has been a vital and active part of our coven family, and he is leaving, essentially without explanation. In fact, perplexed and unhappy doesn't really begin to cover it. Devastated is more like it.

I am now forced to say "Happy Fucking Litha". Sigh.

High holly or high holy or is there a clever play on words here I'm just too ignorant to enjoy?

More seeking, p'raps? What I know about your beliefs and traditions would fit in a thimble and leave room for my foot, so, so, so, crap. Els, I don't know nuthin, I just empathize with you. I change the books and the words and the titles around and I can understand how I'd feel. Sorry friend.

I hope it is something that honestly simple, but based on what little he has emailed to my wife (our HPS - High Priestess) and said to a few other coveners, it really sounds as though there's something deep and ominous that he feels would be better left unsaid. Needless to say, that's not good.

Nothing ever gets solved, changed or understood without revelation and discussion.

Them Christer folks prob'ly got 'im.

Either that or just raging self doubt.

Possibly both.

EDIT TO ADD: Actually it doesn't have to be any one path that called him away, but his understanding of what the commitment of taking the first degree really means ... what the cords bind not just him, but his soul, to.

That can be some scary stuff, even when you are ready for it.

There are, after all, a lot of pagans who don't accept the reality of what we do.

The play is between holy and holly, actually.

Holly's a sacred plant for us, see ...

I anticipated that, so...high holly-day==high holy-day. see, and they said i was untrainable.

Huh. I thought it was "holly day" = "holiday"

six of one...

Wolf, you may be right on the internal crisis thing, but it is hard to say. Bill was our most gung-ho covener, and threw himself almost obsessively into everything. Very impressive guy. Excellent at crafting things as well as being a good chef, a juicemaker, organizer...yet not gay. At least, not willing to admit it to himself.

He was formerly in seminary, so yeah, maybe there's a crisis of faith, since he's had one before, but as it ends up he is leaving only the coven, and not his other Pagan activities.