The Wild Hunt has posted a blog today about the misconception in the pagan community that St. Patrick drove the pagans out of Ireland. I must admit, I held to this belief from wherever I heard it in my spiritually-formative years, and am embarrassed I hadn't questioned it until now. I could never really get my ire up about St. Patrick's Day anyway, though, because it is so obviously NOT a celebration of the saint nowadays. It's a celebration of the Irish culture and most of all, drunkenness. Which makes it more Dionysian than Christian in my book!
I played fiddle in a Celtic band the last couple St. Patrick's Days. That and my studies of Irish music give me some mixed feelings about the day. On one hand, I have a soft spot for the culture and traditional music. On the other hand, St. Patrick's Day was insane and exhausting. I'm rather relieved to be gig-free today. I hoping to go dancing somewhere in the evening, somewhere that will not be decked in shamrocks and playing jigs, but somewhere where we can have a casual good time in honor of the Liberalia AND my devotional day to Dionysos.
We are also smack in the middle of the week long City Dionysia as celebrated in Athens, which I didn't realize until last week. So with little notice but much enthusiasm, Saturday we will be having a few friends over for a film and food festival. A good friend and fellow Dionysian is planning to make all sorts of Greek and decadent foods. My partner and I are going to attempt a baklava pie, amongst other things. I am looking forward to it!
I have been rather distracted the last month, spiritually speaking. I am really feeling the spring itch to clean, re-organize and refocus. Even though it's not the equinox yet, it's already spring by my personal reckoning, as of March 9th. That was the first day I could smell the orange blossoms!
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