A Neo-Pagan Celebration...

It was a lightening, last-minute decision. "Let's go to the Summer Solstice Celebration at the pond on the lakefront." And, so, we did. We brought beverages and drums, shakers and tambourines. We walked there, a long snaking walk thru the neighborhood. We were both exhausted, it really was the longest day of the year, but we were compelled to go forth.

We arrived upon a wild scene. Fire Dancers whirling & twirling implements of fire. A large drum-circle with every kind of drum imaginable. Experienced & serious drummers, and a few pikers too. We were in the "piker's camp." I don't consider myself much of a drummer.  My partner is more accomplished. I basically do a plodding "Shaman's beat." Nothing fancy, but kind of hypnotizing. We both locked in for the night, 2.5 hours of drumming. There were Celtic drums, African drums, Middle-Eastern-Style Drums, cowbell, triangle, gong. There was an old Jazz Trumpeter who once in a while added "Bitches Brew" era Miles Davis flourishes to the madly, wilding surging and sometimes fading drum cavalcade.

The sun set in the West, and a sliver of a crescent Moon emerged. A boldly shining Venus too. As the darkness enveloped us,  the Fire Dancers upped their game: lager torches, larger, wilder flames, trickier, more elaborate, entrancing moves. There were a few nubile, extraordinarily-beautiful, truly-stunning young women, dancing and prancing and wielding fire like other-worldly, dragon-tamers.

It was all so very, gloriously, Neo-Pagan. My friend turned to me with a sly, mischievous, smile and asked: "Is this the Devil's work?" I replied: "Yes, it is." Hell is just another name for the Earth's hearth. It was all quite exciting & fun. For the grand finale the Fire Dancers drank some unknown flammable liquid and then blew on their massive torches of flame. Large, billowing flames shooting from their mouths off into the dark, night sky. Amazing. Crazy. Don't try this at home. It was all so primal and pretty damn cool. Pagan Summer is here.