Thanks to all who came to light the open pathways at yet another moving, magical Vigil for the Outcas. To Mark who stepped up to elucidate how we embody the spiritual light – and performed Larkin’s beautiful Spring poem. To Jennifer who showed us the lotus she had cut from a precious Australian stone – given to her by Rob, who last October had us all in tears when he read aloud his sister’s suicide note – and helped muster the magnificent Goose Samurai to close Redcross Way from traffic during the Vigil. To Jules who once more set a shining example to all Goose Samurai – and read poems sent by John Cooper Clarke, Leo Marks, Jo Brand and Jane Hirshfield for Katy and John’s wedding, whose forthcoming anniversary we also celebrated. To Sarah Jayne who read her friend’s poem about how we remember our dead with the dates of their birth “dash” death, and how our lives are fully lived “in the dash”. To Ian who sang a plaintiff ballad for a sex worker, Irene who sang the ‘Crossbones’ anthem, Richie who whistled and sang his healing song for Albion, Raga who shared juicy fruit to mark the Spring Equinox, and Ross who told how his Goddess In London tours all lead to our Crossbones Shrine – then recited ‘A Song of Innocence’ from ‘The Southwark Mysteries’, and we all honoured “the part whereof each one of us is torn.” To Julia who raised the sap with her powerful Desire poem, and Danny who responded with his own vision of a beast “caged” but not broken.
John Crow opened and closed the sharing of offerings with poems from The Southwark Mysteries – ‘Son of Man In The Street’, in which Jesus identifies with the outcast and the outsider, and ‘I Am The Wind’:
I’ll be your icon, your Muse, your conceit.
I’ll be whatever you would have me be.
I’ll be Mary Magdalene washing your feet
If it helps you see through
What divides “you” from “me”.
It being the evening after the big march, we celebrated both our British and European identities, affirming our resistance to fascism without demonising anyone who still believes in the B-word. Thanks to Laure (L’or ?) a French comrade who held the light for the open pathways blessing, to Emma, Rma, Mervyn, Matthew, Marco, Paul, James, Lana, Michaela, Pete, Marina, Jörg and Xandi. To Dolly and Myra who revealed their plan to create a telepathic link from Cern (site of the Large Hadron Collider, where a Discordian crew will attempt to Immanentize the Eschaton) to Crossbones at our next Vigil on 23rd April. To Joanna who will likewise be tuning in from Findhorn (let’s light up the world!) To Katy, and to everyone else who was there to witness or helped make it all happen in ways that easily go unnoticed.
Through the gates we glimpsed The Shard with two red eyes blinking – yet with no power to hold us. There were many small moments of magic for which – well, you had to be there! Love beams out to all of you who were with us in thought.
All this and, as ever, our performance of the rituals that have held us here at Crossbones Shrine on the 23rd night of every month since June 2004: lighting the open pathways, tying the ribbons to ‘Hear lay your hearts, your flowers, your Book of Hours…’ through to the final rousing Unconditional Blessing: ‘Goose may your Spirit fly free!’ (And so she does!)
