I mentioned Landbinding once, I think, in my blood sacrifice post. Since then I’ve been meaning to actually talk about what Landbinding is, or at least what sorts of nebulous ideas I’ve got about it. Danny’s post yesterday, The Morrigan, The Goddess of Blood, sort of spurred me on, and now here we are.
When I keep the flame I am kindling a part of Brighid — She who is the Flame Herself — and keeping Her safe with me; I am keeping my love for the gods alive in my heart, may They never fade away.
When I bind the land I am binding it to me and myself to it — I am becoming one with the dark, loamy soil; I am remembering my connection to all living things; I am giving blood to the earth, for it is so very hungry.
As part of the Lady of the Stars phenomenon a song was written by one of our members. The lyrics are, partially, Lady of the Star Fire / speak to me, speak to me. I started composing a secondary song to the same tune for Morrigan: Lady of the blooded land / grow in me, grow in me. One is in the works for Manannan, as well — Lord of the frozen depths / bring me peace, bring me peace — but that’s another topic.
The land is sex, and death, and blood; the ocean is sex, and death, and blood — Morrigan and Manannan represent two similar energies that are held together by the gravity of fire: Brighid, the sun. Morrigan is the one who gives death; Manannan takes the dead away. Brighid brings life, and heals the sick.
Binding myself to the earth means acknowledging my own humanity, my mortality, my fragility; it means reaffirming my life as Her tool; it means a reciprocal relationship with the soil, blood for blood, strength for strength, love for love.
My activities for my Landbinding shift could be simple, or complex. I could be flagellating myself for Her, for pain reminds me of my humanity, and it is an offering. I could just go and be in the woods; take off my shoes and let my toes sink into the dirt. I could give my blood to Her.
Or I could any other activity that She wants me to do — the book is pretty open, here. I do Her work more often than once every 20 days, of course, but Landbinding shifts are a good time to remember that’s what I’m here for. So if that means engaging in the blogosphere for social justice, or standing my ground in a face-to-face confrontation, or having really amazing, sacred sex, or working out at the gym until I want to drop, whether from pleasure or exhaustion I can’t tell, or gardening — yes, gardening, for She is the land, and as Her godslave it is my duty to work the land — any of those things are suitable for Landbinding. Those things, or other things, or whatever She damn well tells me to do.
I am the land, and the land is me. Bound for all eternity.