Ritual of Stardust

A Desnan shrine.

The Ritual of Stardust is one of the few formal religious holidays in honor of the goddess Desna. It is held on both the summer and winter solstices: the longest and shortest nights of the year, respectively. In other words, the best day for travel and the longest night to view Desna's stars.

Followers of the Song of Spheres gather at dusk and light enormous bonfires and hold feasts, watching the sparks and embers float out into the darkening sky. After it is fully dark, the celebrants chant and sing songs as they watch the fires burn low. When only embers remain, sand mixed with ground star gemstones (either star rubies, star sapphires, or rose quartz) is thrown on them or into the air downwind. At this point, it is common to make proclamations of love and friendship and of promised journeys to come. The twinkling of the sand is thought to mirror the night sky and demonstrate Desna's witnessing of these pronouncements.

References

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