Deoch Mass 12-29-2021 - End of another cycle.

We stand here today at the end of the 23rd cycle, nearly 185 years since Deoch finished The Spark and created the first Aisling. In these rare days before a cycle turns over, I like to take a moment and appreciate our continued time together here in Temuair.

Here is a simple message that I wrote many decades ago that I have oftentimes repeated during my last mass of each cycle as a way to look back before moving forward...

I want you to think about the time you have spent walking Temuair in this past cycle… about the faces you have encountered; about the friendships you have made or rekindled. Those memories and those feelings wouldn’t have otherwise been made absent your presence here. Know that you have enriched the lives of others, in a way that is uniquely your own. In times of great darkness, draw strength knowing that there are those that you have encountered in this existence that remember you fondly and appreciate your companionship.

To that end, think of those that have come before. Those you did not see these past eight Deochs. Although they are not with us, let them occupy your minds during this time of remembrance. The memories you have made together and the feelings that you shared. These moments are the thread of our lives. Vital are these past threads as they helped weave you into the person you are today; countless interconnected strands forming a multicolored tapestry created little by little during your time here in Temuair.

Go into this new cycle thinking about the future, what lies ahead as we continue to navigate an uncertain fate here in this dream. There is still time to make an impact in the community if that is something you aspire to. Still a chance to contribute your own distinctive addition to the legacy of Aisling kind; a legacy that has been built up by so many that came before. 

Let us be thankful for one another and for this gathering place. Let us look to Deoch for guidance in the upcoming cycle. I look forward to being with you all in the time ahead; let us continue to shine the Spark for as long as the gods deem this dream drift the aether.

Deoch Mass 12-8-2021 - Stories

The very first Aislings told stories. They would gather in taverns, fairs, the glade, and of course in temples; there they would share their inspiration with one another.

Why? Not merely because it was a good excuse to sit around and down pints of mead, rum, or wine… although it was _also_ that. And a mighty fine excuse it is. But… no, they did it because it was in their nature.

Telling stories is at the very core of the Aisling Spirit. Whether they take the form of heroic myths, fae inspired poems, tales of the gods, or just our shared history; the stories Aislings tell have enriched Temuair through the cycles in a way that Mundanes no longer can.

Stories grow out of our lives, like the roots that grow out of trees. This land is filled with the unseen roots of stories. The stories that Aislings have told through the ages have grown the narrative of this world. The legacy of our kind.

Sadly, storytellers have become a rarer breed over time. Without them, we lose our unique identity and Temuair becomes like any other land drifting in the domain of dreams.

That makes it more important than ever to tell our stories here and now. As much as our bodies require food and drink, so too do our souls have need of stories for sustenance. Without them, the Aisling spirit starves and the lush backdrop of Temuair ceases to grow.

I ask you to support those storytellers that still carry the bounty of the Spirit. Support them until you, yourself, find the voice to tell your own stories; joining with the chorus of all those who came before.

For all the stories that we have yet to tell and the ones we will yet create with one another, let us bow our heads in prayer.

Deoch Mass 12-1-2021 - Fulfilling Needs

Those that awaken in Temuair come seeking something; guided here by needs left unfulfilled in their waking life. That life, perhaps, perfectly enjoyable and pleasant outside of one missing aspect… or, instead, a life less idealistic with many hardships and unfulfilled needs. No matter what circumstances draw the dream spirit to awaken your Aisling self, this land offers an opportunity at something missing from the waking world.

This may be the way Temuair connects so strongly with those who have dreamed here. Having one’s needs fulfilled creates a powerful attachment. Between friends, between lovers, and between places. There are few things more satisfying… more comforting… than having one’s missing needs fulfilled.

Some of these spring from a need to test our mettle: the need to adventure, for challenge and competition. Others come from the desires of the heart: the
need for friendship, companionship, and belonging. Taking the time to search them out, Temuair can fill these and many more.

As time passes, needs change as they inevitably do. Such is their way, altering in ways both subtle and drastic. With these changes you may find yourself dreaming less and less of Temuair. Fret not, it happens to us all with time. The spirit finds other ways to fulfill certain needs and old ways fade into the aether. Or maybe this land becomes less adept in the ways it once was strong… Temuair itself is also ever changing.

But it is Temuair’s ability to fill our needs that brings many of us back here time and time again. For there are always new needs looking to be fulfilled in familiar ways and, of course, the everlasting need to look back upon our past… to places that helped us along the way.