The Rite
Samhain MMXXII (2022), Coven Oldenwilde’s 28th annual Samhain Sabbat, featured a group Broom & Staff Dance, Lady Passion’s take on the Wolfshäger-Hexenbrut Witch Dance. Women wielded brooms, men staves; Rowan Greenleaf wore traditional mummer’s garb and kept the beat with Mendoza, our new “ugly stick”. Afterward, we circled in our torch-lit backyard wildlife habitat to keen the dead and turn the Wheel of the Year, and thence proceeded into the Covenstead for a fine feast and goodly libations.
Queen Lady Passion received the rite’s trance dance music from deity in a dream, and *Diuvei and she perfected it. The final result is “Coven Oldenwilde’s Processional” (33 minutes, but meant to be played on a continuous loop):
Hear or download Coven Oldenwilde’s Processional
(Also heard at the end of this video is “Harvest” by Lisa Theriot, one of our favorite Samhain songs, which we interspersed between repetitions of the Broom & Staff Dance. Thanks to Murphy Kalil for filming and providing this video.)
The Invite
Monday, Oct. 31, 2022, 5 pm until … at the Oldenwilde Covenstead
Our 28th Annual Samhain Rite will feature an easy dance in front of the Covenstead, accompanied by Mendoza, our brand-new “ugly stick” whose winsome selfie appears above.
Women bring broom, men staff. We’ve brooms and staves to borrow … but time enough ‘tween now & then to personalize one yourself <];-D Dress black Witchy, masked (please!), with jingly jewelry or belly-dance hip wraps, etc!
Inspired by video: “Witch Dance”, courtesy of Wolfshäger-Hexenbrut.
However, MY widdershins STEPS ARE SIMPLER, SO e-z learn on arrival or, better yet, from the demo video we shot at Mabon:
Beat is slow 1-2 mesmerizing!
- Two slow turns round vertically held broom/staff.
- Turn broom/staff horizontal, push twice toward the 4 directions.
- Then pull backward in each of the 4 directions.
- Hold broom/staff vertical and hip thrust on each side of it, 2x.
- Do two “butt pushes” with broom/staff horizontal, outward directions.
- Finish with 3 body twirls, broom/staff held horizontal over head. “Hurrahaya!”
The dance will debut a traditional Nova Scotia mummers’ instrument: an “Ugly Stick”, Mendoza by name. Feel free to bring a drum, tambourine, or such to accompany her and the weird Witchy folk instruments *Diuvei will play.
After breath catch, dance repeats till trick-or-treaters dwindle, and we move to the ritual room for the traditional keening of our beloved dead. Then we’ll rest, chat, feast, and (optionally, of course) imbibe! Hope to see you here and DARE!
For more information including directions, or to coordinate feast food or drink, contact Queen Lady Passion at (828) 251-0343 or oldenwilde@gmail.com.