Random musings on ritual and regalia

As many of you loyal followers know, the whittling down of our possessions and the decisions about what to bring took months. With very limited space in our "ark", what was important was analyzed from many stand points...is it something we can't get there? is it something that is expensive there? is it something essential to our day to day lives? Therein lies the crux of it....what IS essential to a life? It reminds me of the old question about if you could only take three things to a deserted island what would they be. As a child, I had a little suitcase packed with my most treasured objects that I kept under the bed ready to go at any moment. Should the house catch fire or some other possible scenario happen that would render everyone else wringing their hands about their losses, I would be smugly clutching the handle of my little plaid suitcase thinking "too bad they didn't plan ahead" (this planning ahead for worst case scenario is an entirely different topic I will perhaps one day address ...)To us, books and music are essential...artwork...a generator ( we do live in a storm belt and the power goes out)..the shoes and clothes we could have reduced even more...it's warm! and really, people tend to wear the same things over...Two small things we brought were three inch high glass bottles. One is white with a red lid, the other clear. Contained within them are remains..human remains..Let me clarify that we have not been dismembering people and "preserving" them in jars..these aren't pickled fingers or eyes. They are ashes from cremations. We were a little concerned about a thorough inspection at the border..."and what is this powder in these jars..?" The white jar is Gretchen, John's daughter, the clear one , Ray, John's 40 yr friend. John thought they might enjoy Mexico so we carefully wrapped them to keep them safe...to keep them from getting hurt..(?!) I built them a little house out in the front yard and decorated it with shells. Last Tuesday, a couple of my new friends took me to a town called Izamal. It has two claims to fame -one is that all of the buildings are painted yellow, the other that they have a virgin that the pope blessed-actually, crowned- in the 90's. She "lives "in a huge church that is completely surrounded by a very large wall (sidenote...the church and wall were constructed using the stones from the top portion of a nearby pyramid..you actually see what's left of the pyramid by looking just over the churches wall). Her actual room is beautiful..lovely paintings, chairs for those who come to pray, posts where you hang little "milagos' a sort of charm that is symbolic of an ailment ( you buy them in the gift shop. They were out of the headache ones for John so I bought a man with a missing foot...), frescoes on the walls, chandeliers. She "sits' behind locking glass doors (they keep her safe...).When there is an event or service, she slides out of her little house on a rail like a train and appears on the other side of the wall high up behind the pulpit in the chapel. It's quite fabulous really. It reminded me of a magicians trick...I feel terrible that i can't remember her name and have to keep referring to her as "the virgin"..I'm sure she would prefer to be remembered for a different accomplishment...anyway, she has a glorious crown that the pope gave her AND she has a wardrobe!! Who knew?! Icons have wardrobes? Every so often...REALLY special occasions...someone gets the honor of donating a new ensemble to her. Well, as you can imagine, these are no simple cotton tunics or shifts...no calico or gingham...these are embroidered, velvet, golden, silver, shiny, sumptuous garments...beaded, crocheted and preserved on mannequins behind glass when not in use (yet, on display).

Well, I did a lot of good works......but I didn't stay a virgin. So, I did not get a crown and my clothes are kept in a pink footlocker (it keeps out the scorpions and spiders...) My lovely home is magnificent to me

and was also constructed from simpler beginnings...

and out front sits our own version of a shrine. A simple little three sided house covered in shells. We'll add to it and build on it as time goes by. I don't think they'll be getting any outfits though.....