There is an energy in the air which is indescribable. These look like my kind of folks, I am comfortable, I feel home. There is a welcoming ritual, and for the first time, I meet my friend, Pathwalker. I am invited to the Bonfire Circle. As I round the bend in the road, I see ahead a huge bonfire.
Flames reach skyward, clawing their way into the crystal darkness of the night.
The sound of distant drums has already penetrated my ear, like a heartbeat at first, and my pace quickens to meet what becomes the predominant thunder arising from the edge of the forest. Bodies are writhing in time with the drums, colorful swirling figures lit from behind with the golden glow of the fire. Glints of light sparkle off the jewelry of the dancers as they gyrate and move to the insistent beat of human hands on animal hides. I stop for a moment, my breath taken away by the sight. It is so familiar, an ancient ache welling up inside me.