Nov 1 – All Elders Day
Congratulations, we made it to the other side. The first half of the 13 Liminal Nights represent the Hours of Questioning. We have passed through the curtain and will now give back in the Hours of Answerings. So that’s cool.
Anthour’s day reminds us that we have persevered. We have been released from the power of the house of sorrows and the malice of the memlen; we are now being led on the wide path through the forest under the boughs of Anthuor’s protection.
Today we honor the sources from which we have come, and the ability of the Life Force to Withstand. Traditional customs for All Elders Day include:
- Drinking tea with an “Elder”
– It does not have to be tea – it can be any ritual beverage or libation. We recommend Elderberry.
– Elder is subjective, typically an older relative, but could also be an older member of the community, a favorite boulder or tree, or a place in your township with very old things (a monument). It could also be an ancestor or teacher who was important to you or your family, whose picture or stories you have.
– Traditionally, the drink contains seven drops of either melted snow, rainwater, or dew collected from the leaves of a hawthorn tree. - Create antlers out of branches and wear them while meditating.
- Play the “Anthuor’s Antlers” Game: https://medium.com/quatrian-folkways/anthuors-antlers-34faac5e6c6c
- Prior to retiring, read or recite the second part of the Myrja Majona.
But who is Anthuor?
The first of the Hypogeic Powers, in any given traditional “Order,” has always been Anthuor. The importance of Anthuor across Quatrian culture cannot be overstated. As Guardian of the Hypogeum and psychopomp for entire civilizations during their downfall, Anthuor is the “Power that Withstands.”
Anthuor’s antlers depict the path back to the origin of “all Things.” One antler is covered in mosses, representing dampness and decay, and the other in rose family blossoms (hawthorn, cherry, apple, wild rose, etc.), representing life and generation. (In other illustrations of Anthuor, the antlers are pictured devoid of vegetation in winter, when the Life Force is underground.) The forking path of the antlers was a common trope in Quatrian society; “All Things Depend Upon Anthuor’s Antlers” was a favorite Quatrian saying.
Helmoquinth, Anthuor! We hope you’ll share your All Elders Day activities with us on social media using the hashtag #13LiminalNights.
Read more about the #13LiminalNights here.