Solstice Part Two

By the time I got to the zendo this afternoon, there were already a number of pairs of shoes on the rack - it must have been the power of Facebook . We had a large crowd for the ceremony, more than I can remember seeing, and many new people, quite a few of whom came to sit first. The weather was mostly co-operative, with just a moment or two of feeling a tickling of drizzle on my head. There was also some wind swirling around the courtyard, which made the candle lighting a little more laborious than usual, and on the north side, people had trouble keeping their candles lit. But then, their neighbour would lean over and relight it for them, which was lovely in itself. It was a beautiful spectacle all in all, and I even enjoyed being kokyo, which is much harder out of doors, as your voice gets carried away in the air rather than resonating around a room. There was a flurry of help to clear everything away afterwards, in case the rain did decide to pay a visit...I feel one step closer to the holidays. Now off to rehearse the Full Moon Ceremony for tomorrow night.