Today in the English town of Abbots Bromley, folk dancers will hold thousand-year-old reindeer horns and dance the oldest-known dance in Britain: the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance. While no one knows exactly how old the dance really is, carbon dating from one of the horns suggests it’s been practiced every year since 1050 CE. Locals believe the dance was performed (traditionally by men) to bless the land and promote abundant crops. Take a cue from this unbroken pagan custom and dance your own blessing dance today. Put on some music that helps you feel connected to your pagan ancestors (we all have them!) and the earth. Light some earthy incense or diffuse an earthy fragrance. If you have horns available (real or costume), wear them or hold them near your head. Then dance the perimeter of your space, inside or out, as you consciously honor your own wildness and the aliveness of the earth. |
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