Modern life is rubbish, I want to go Wassailing (and other folk traditions)

[folkseeker]

Anyone else feel like this? I've had enough of so much fakeness everywhere, I'm craving tradition and folk things. How do you find out where traditional folk things happen?

Join groups on Facebook ( pagan or with a green focus) and see if there are events. Or join RL groups like meditation or anything a bit less mainstream.

I like modern medicine and most comforts and social media etc but I think I know what you mean. I'm a bit nauseous at my own over consumption and the endless media drive to try and make us all consume more and it's all starting to feel ridiculous to me. It's all a bit tarnished now because it's feeling meaningless.

Yes to slowing down and maybe even to opting out a bit. Revisiting old traditions and placing value on other things than the latest this, that and the other.
Do you follow Sam Lee on Insta? He is living a life closer to what I want I think.

Unfortunately most of these event's are now contrived and require some kind of monetary exchange. Its quite sad really that we have become so far removed from nature and our old traditions being lost as our older generations pass away.

Oh I agree! Longing for something authentic where you get that sudden rush of feeling so alive and full of wonder and awe at life and the earth.
It’s been a while
Hate all the over consumption of Christmas, we went to see DH family yesterday and they plied our DC with an actual car load of presents. I came home, dumped it all in the living room and then cried as I felt so overwhelmed by all the waste and excessive over consumption.

Where do u live OP? Someone might know of an event near you.
Try a community green space near you - any community gardens, ecological groups? If u have kids, woodcraft folks?
I agree there seems to be more appetite for this sort of low key shared marking of the seasons. And it’s outside, and brings some warmth to our need for outdoor socialising opportunities!

Join a community choir - yh one I was in used to go wassailing every year and als do lots of community events. No money exchanging hands except for the choir practices and open to all.

Nothing like singing in a group to feel connected to other people and to traditions.

I went wassailing a few years ago. It was excellent. Drank so much scrumpy I couldn't feel my face.

They don’t have to be contrived - I feel v fortunate but been able to be part of 2! Low key carol singings and will unfortunately miss a third (but I might be a bit carolled out by then anyway!)

Do u play an instrument? Could you join a community choir? What about finding some likeminded folks and organising your own events?

Where do you live? Plenty of that kind of thing goes on where I am in Gloucestershire

My FIL joined his local morris dancing group when he retired! He's discovered a whole world of folk stuff he never knew about (including wassailing!) and is having an absolute blast!

Having grown up in a house with no central heating, and slso briefly lived somewhere where we had to collect our water, I can confidently say I am very much in favour of central heating, and potable water at the turn of a tap. I also like modern medicine. And as much as I still write real letters from time to time, I do like the Internet, as well.

@ArachnidArachnid

They don’t have to be contrived - I feel v fortunate but been able to be part of 2! Low key carol singings and will unfortunately miss a third (but I might be a bit carolled out by then anyway!)

Do u play an instrument? Could you join a community choir? What about finding some likeminded folks and organising your own events?

Sorry I probably came across quite cynical. I've noticed a lot of get back to nature groups/events near me charging for meet ups in local nature parks that are council owned for things and it just grates me. You make some good suggestions might give them a try myself unfortunately I'm a terrible singer.

Quite, that’s so annoying if people are just seeing this sort of events as a merchandising opportunity! So wrong!

I've been reading the Medieval Mysteries series by Ann Swinfen and I think the reason I enjoy them so much is because of the way tradition just weaves its way through the lives of the people there. They're Christian folk but they still carry out some of the older Pagan rituals during harvest, for example, and they're always coming to one another's aid without question, baking bread daily, finding ways to welcome newcomers and bring them into the community. They've been my comfort and joy lately, I'll be sad when I've finished them all. I'm under no illusions about how easy their lives were, they've just seen off the plague and there are bandits on the roads, but they're wonderfully written and so cozy.

Oh. I'm also part of a wheat growing project locally (started during the flour shortages) which is just lovely, and low key too. It's too late to plant winter wheat now but spring wheat exists... bit of delayed gratification to be had. Depending on available space you could grow enough to bake a cupcake

I’m feeling the same,
I looked for local event such as those suggested around my border North Wales Town and sadly there is nothing. Nobody is interested and if you suggest growing your own bread or veg or even walking outdoors to most people here you get a

Making bread not growing lol

Get yourself a copy of, 'Tales From The Green Valley' on ye olde DVD! It's the original Ruth Goodman series living as on a farm in 1620. I love it... perfect for when you want to escape from our current world! Lots of Wassailing going on amongst other traditions.

My wife and I can't drink beer these days without one of us lifting up a suitable mug, shouting, 'Wassail' while the other replies, 'Drink Ale'! It works best when we're in front of the open fire!

@ghostmouse if bread grew on trees I'd be done for my old home town is a bit like that, my heartfelt sympathies. Hope you find someone likeminded to revel with!

Have you ever read any Trisha Ashley books? Lots of them are about someone ending up in a rural community in a fictional North West village where lots of traditional stuff like this goes on. Lots of them set at Christmas and brilliant escapism.

I crave it - was going to try to do some wassailing this winter solstice but got dragged into work.

Look at Druidery. I'm a member of OBOD and we meet up to mark the moon cycles and the wheel of the year. They're very welcoming and run courses on herbal medicine, plants, trees, meditation etc. It's more of a philosophy than a religion and you don't have to be pagan to be involved.

Do you have a garden? I have sweet pea seedlings in my little growhouse and I look at them every day. They are the promise of Spring. The Morris men were here on Boxing Day, and also came on their Summer tour. I sing along to some of the tunes with a good whisky. So many people just hurried on by.
I gave up TV a few years ago, and I bake or read or craft instead. My days seem longer, there is a gentler pace to it, and I am more relaxed.

Everything that once fulfilled us is still there, we just dont pay attention to it anymore. We can still do it, with the benefits of modern medicine!

We have a national trust pub near us that does loads and loads of these things. Wassailing, mumming, Morris dancing, singing, all sorts!

I might read The Magic Apple Tree- that's a cosy book about country life and seasons