PaganSquare.com - WitchesAndPagans.com In Which One Midwest Man-in-Black Confers, Converses & Otherwise Hob-Nobs with his Fellow Hob-Men (& -Women) Concerning the Sundry Ways of the Famed but Ill-Starred Tribe of Witches.
This autumn children's game, a variant of "tag," comes from the old Hwicce tribal territories in England's southwest Midlands. Like many traditional children's games, it is circular, self-replicating, and orally transmitted. The game's ritual structure and deeply mythic resonances will hardly be lost on anyone likely to be reading this post.
Players gather in a circle, hand-in-hand, around a mound of leaves. (In some versions, they circle.) They chant:
Leaf Man Rise Up Leaf Man Rise Up Leaf Man Rise Up
At some point, the Leaf Man—“It”—erupts from the pile of leaves and chases the fleeing (and usually shrieking) children. Whoever he (or she) catches is the next Leaf Man.
And the game begins again.
In this season of leaf-gold and sweet decay, we think of the Green and of His Stripping. He follows behind each one of us, we know: we shiver and feel the siffle of his breath on our necks as we rush inexorably toward our own personal autumns.
And we know that he will, indeed, of a certainty one day catch us.
And we ourselves will be one with him then.
And unto ages of ages.
Seriously? You sold your car because a piece of cardboard told you to?
All other things being equal, I always say, consult divination.
But, for gods' sakes, be smart about it.
Yea or nay? you ask, and throw the bones.
Yea say the bones, but you think: No, nay!
So now you know your real mind on the matter.
There's your real answer, subtly delivered.
A Word to the Wise: Use your divination.
Rheims Cernunnos
Gallo-Roman relief, 1st century CE
