Generally
I don’t like to make New Year resolutions because A) I never follow them
through so feel like I have failed with something and B) I don’t think changes
can only be made at the new year, they should happen all year round. Having
said that, this year I have tried to give myself a focus or aspiration which
might be in line with a resolution; to
try new experiences and get as much as I can out of life! That includes doing
things I would normally find daunting or hold back from for various reasons
(hence this blog). So far this year’s “resolution”
has been working out and I have been opening myself up to situations I normally
would have shied away from but the big test came this weekend; I went to the
festival of fires.
A
quick summary of FoF for those who have never heard of it before:
The
ancient Celts had four main celebrations throughout the year; Samhain, Imbolc,
Beltane (Beltaine/Bealtaine in Ireland) and Lughnasadh. Each represented the beginning of a new season and had
different traditions accordingly. Beltain was a fire festival
which took place at the start of May to herald the start of summer bursting
with fertility and life. One of the ceremonial highlights of the
festival was the lighting of a fire set on a hill in the centre of Ireland
which was then carried to hilltops in every county in the land. This
traditionally took place on the Hill of Uisneach in County Westmeath and
there are many different connections between this site and ancient Irish lore.
In the last few years, there has been a renewal of this celebration on the hill
each May which is called the Festival of Fires.
What
attracted to me to the festival when I first heard about it was the historical
aspect – I loved the idea that it is a tradition that took place thousands of
years ago on the exact same spot. For as long as I can remember I have had a
slight (huge) obsession with any ancient Irish history, my mam says it started
when I was about 5/6 years old when I saw the Robin Hood movie (the one with
Kevin Costner) and from then on I only wanted to be a medieval princess that
lived in a castle haha. Now I know that was English but I think it was the
imagery of that time what sparked it off. I clearly remember learning about Irish
history in primary school – the Fianna, Cu Chulainn, about how the Vikings came
and even things like the fulacht fia. I had books as a child about the
sagas of Ireland which told of the Children of Lir and the Tuatha De Dannan, we
often visited the heritage centre just outside Wexford where they brought you
around mock villages and ruins - I apparently stood with the tour guide the
entire time questioning him on everything (I was probably about 8/9 at this
point?)… the list goes on and on and on, going right into my teens. I was
always told I was born in the wrong century and when asked, I always wanted to
go back to that time if I was given a time machine haha.
So
you can see how this was right up my alley but not only that, it called to me
from a spiritual point of view too. I don’t have a tendency to discuss my
belief system with people, I am pretty private about what I grasp as the core
truth to how I live my life and why I am here on this earth. I don’t know why I
am quiet about it… maybe it is connected to growing up in a strong catholic
household or because people don’t really discuss things like religion any more.
I know a lot of young people don’t bring it up in conversation anyway. I am
slowly trying to change that though and open up about it. I feel it is
important for people to talk about these things because it is through sharing
or debating ideas that you can challenge yourself to find the answers. You
might not even know what it is that you do believe in – or not as the case
maybe if you’re an atheist. Anyways, my beliefs are pagan in origin and the
closest term for what I believe in is known as pantheism which is the concept
that through all life runs an energy or divinity and that everything is
connected through it. I have always felt an affinity to the earth and the more
I read or study the natural or holistic approach to the world around me, the
more reinforced I feel about my beliefs. Having said that, I have never
actively done something that expresses my spirituality which only dawned on me
while I was at the festival. Being there yesterday felt natural. Everyone
around me was there for different reasons; there were pagans of all sects, Druids,
Christians, people who were just out to enjoy the music or the fire, families
who were just out for the day. But there was a feeling that everyone accepted
each other and acted however they wished openly.
The
biggest leap into the unknown for me with this weekend was the fact that I went
to the festival on my own. Over the years there has been loads of different
things that I have wanted to do, traveling, festivals, classes, parties etc.,
which I ended up never doing because I had no one to do it with at the time.
When I saw the website a few months ago, I instantly had the feeling that I had
to be there this year but then it crossed my mind; who would I get to come with
me? I knew I needed to apply for the time off with work early enough so that I
got it so the commitment to go was there but I didn’t know who else would enjoy
it or would have the time/money to do it. After a lot of hmm-ing and haw-ing I
thought screw that I’m old enough and bold enough to just go without someone
holding my hand, so I bought my ticket and didn’t think about it again. The last
week leading up to it though I was starting to think would I be ok with it when
I’m actually there. I was a little apprehensive about what I would do for the
entire day and would I be able to sustain my own interest without someone to
share it with. Boy was I wrong!
At
the festival I never once felt on my own, everywhere I went people were
interacting with each other and sharing ideas with each other. Even if you were
shy and didn’t want to initiate a conversation, if you stood still long enough
someone would come over and talk to you! At one point I was standing reading a
sign (the one below) and a girl standing beside me started to talk to me, just
about the day and how was I finding it etc. We talked for all of 5 minutes or so
but it was if we were catching up having not seen each other in ages. Then as
she turned to leave she wished me a good day and gave me a hug as if we were
old friends. Later, I was sitting on a log seat writing (I had brought my
writing book with me in case I got inspired, which I did…A LOT) when someone
sitting near me asked me what I was writing. I talked to her for a while and
then she had to go, so I returned to my thoughts and 1 min later I had another
girl sit down beside me and again asked me what I was up to! Within a few mins
all her friends came over and I sat there for about an hour laughing with them.
I’ve never had that happen before… it feels like it takes me ages to pluck up
the courage to talk to people and I spent the day talking to people from all
walks of life which was a new thing for me. And what’s more, I loved every
second of it.
Here
are some more pictures from the day:
The
festival itself was fantastic; the positive attitude was refreshing, the art
and creativity there was inspiring, the atmosphere was welcoming and open. I
felt a real calm about the place and it was small enough that you never got
lost. I didn’t see any fighting and though people were drinking, it wasn’t a
drinking festival and there were no overtly drunk people that you would associate
with festivals. My favourite part of the whole thing was the fire parade and
the fire itself. The sun had just gone down and on top of the hill it was
starting to get rather cold as the wind blew in. Then came this glorious huge
fire which was so bright in the dark and the heat that blasted out of it was
unreal. There is something very hypnotic about watching flames flicker and
dance over wood… People stood watching the flames for a long time, cheering
whenever the pyre broke and crumbled.
I
cannot wait until next year, I am definitely going again.
“Just as a
candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life.” Buddha
xx
