Fast forward a year to the “Leaf and Flame: the Foliate Man” weekend. The directors of the Silent Eye (a modern mystery school), not really knowing what they might be letting themselves in for, honoured me with a request to present one of the exploration sessions.

Many foxes…
Copyright: MJ Heritage @ Mr Fox

These punctuate the weekend, expanding on themes weaving through the tapestry of the unfolding story driving the ritual elements. To say that I was intrigued, that a thread involving Spirit Animals could find its way into the 2016 retelling of the story of Gawain and the Green Knight, would be an understatement.

The outline of the exploration was drafted in my head by December, re-drafted by January, fiddled around the edges in February, and completely forgotten by March. The work-book arrived sometime in April. Under normal circumstances, I’d have had opportunity to read through the rituals a couple of times before heading South. 2016 wasn’t normal circumstanced. Last minute, bundle the basics (drum, skins, rattles…) into the car, and go!

Here’s the thing about these weekends. They seem to draw synchronicity. Not just in a casual way, but in deeply symbolic, multi-layered, right-in-your-face-not-to-be-missed way.

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