For my Pagan readers, I highly recommend you pop over to my sister’s blog, Roberta’s Voice, and read her wise ruminations on the phenomenon of fitting in and exclusion in the Pagan community.
Archive for June 22, 2007
Friday Catblogging: In Yer Face
The following monologue accompanies this photo:
You were away my GOD away for a week pet me pet me I missed you are you staying PET ME I’m right here where were you you were away PET ME.
Blessed Solstice to You!
Today is the Summer Solstice (Midsummer). The sun is at its peak and the warmest season begins; paradoxically, this means that the sun begins to wane and winter is assured.
Opposite today on the Wheel of the Year is the Winter Solstice (Yule). The sun is at its zenith and darkness has truly begun. Paradoxically, we celebrate the birth of the sun and summer is assured.
In these two holidays is seen the eternal conflict of Oak King and Holly King. The Oak King is the waxing sun, he grows from Yule until Midsummer. The Holly King is the waning sun, he rules from Midsummer until Yule, and these two holidays mark the points where power is shifted from one to the other.
It is interesting that the Winter Solstice is most often celebrated as a birth; the Holly King is seen as the father of the Oak, and he voluntarily recedes from the spotlight to let the Solar Child be worshipped. But at Midsummer, there is often ritual combat. The Oak and Holly Kings are both seen as strong men, rivals and/or brothers. They fight for rulership or for the love of the Goddess.
Why these two very different conceptions? I think it is as simple as this: That we celebrate and welcome the birth of the Sun, but fight and resist His departure. In other words, you can pry my Summer from my cold, dead hands.
Answers to Tuesday Trivia
That was fast!
I didn’t realize this in advance, but three movies had Bond connections this week. #3 was a Bond movie. #5 starred a Bond girl, and was directed by the just-announced director of Bond 22. #6 featured Daniel Craig in a supporting role.
If you long for hints…
your longing may now be fulfilled.
Memish Behavior
I got tagged by ahab, and I dunno, I guess I’m being nice.
First, the rules:
1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.
2. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write to their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names. (You’re not the boss of me!)
5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.
Random Deborahisms:
1. I think my new tattoo might be infected. I have eleven tattoos. Which means I’ve been tattooed more than 20 times, because you go back for touch-ups and so on. And this artist uses impeccable sterility techniques. I blame myself. I’m using topical antibiotics. Oy.
2. Right now, at this very moment, I am writing the index for my new book. What kind of crazy masochist volunteers to write an index? I have no idea. Not me. I am compelled to do this by my persuasive editor. I hate it. I hate it so much it is possible that the sheer force of my hatred infected my tattoo.
3. I have a sister, three half-sisters, two step-sisters, and two sisters-in-law. Please never tell me “you’re like a sister to me;” you may get lost in the crowd! (A loveable crowd, to be sure.)
4. A couple of months ago, the nail on my left index finger became ridged vertically down the center. I have to trim it down the the very edge or else it splits and cracks. The ridge grows below the nail bed so I don’t anticipate it going away anytime soon.
5. I want to marry John Goodman. But I want to have sex with Antonio Banderas on the side.
6. My great-aunt was engaged to Mel Brooks. They broke up.
7. I am a little obsessive about what chair I sit in when I’m home. I have to sit in a particular chair in the kitchen. Arthur refers to it as “my spot.” As in, “Where did you put the note from your teacher I have to sign?” “At your spot.” Sometimes we have guests and one will sit in my spot and being polite I won’t say anything. But I will fidget. If you knew how haphazard and laid back and even sloppy I am, this whole spot thing would blow your mind.
8. From the time I could read until my mid-twenties, I collected Marvel comic books. I cut my teeth on Spiderman, the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, and Daredevil, which my brother and I referred to as “the big four.” These were soon joined by the Hulk, the X-Men, Captain America, and more. In my teens, I favored the more artistic stuff, and was a huge fan of Captain Marvel, the next incarnation of the X-Men (and then the next after that), and Killraven. My GODS did I love Killraven.
If you are reading this and have a blog, consider yourself tagged. That means you, Roberta.
Funny Trivia Story
So Roberta just phoned me. Those of you who are regulars at this blog know she comments regularly and avidly attempts to solve Tuesday Trivia.
When she checked the blog earlier today I hadn’t yet posted the trivia. So on the phone she asked, and I said yes it was up, and she said “Read it to me. See if I can get any. By the time I get home they might all be solved.”
She got #5 but Evn had just solved it. But the funny part was really her trying to get me to log in as her so I could post answers.
Tuesday Movie Trivia for June 19
1. A briefcase that glows from within.
Solved by maurinsky (comment #1).
2. A mute black man who fixes pinball machines.
Solved by Melville (comment #5).
3. “Speak now or forever hold your piece.” [spelling is intentional]
HINT: This movie is famous in part for its location filming in Phuket, Thailand.
Solved by Evn (comment #7).
4. A horse and buggy ride in Central Park heals the rift between Broadway co-stars.
Solved by Melville (comment #5).
5. “My son was FAT. He was so FAT!”
Solved by Evn (comment #4) and also by Roberta (on the phone).
6. A boy wants to know why water is leaking from the casket at a wake.
HINT: Based on a graphic novel.
Solved by TehipiteTom (comment #10).
7. “I rang a few people, to get a general picture of how ________ was regarded by those who met him. Fat seems to be a word people most connected with him. Terribly rude also rang a lot of bells.”
Solved by maurinsky (comment #2).
Leeks
They’re like, big scallions, right? But the national vegetable of Wales. So…
A pat of butter (because Butter Is Good)
A chopped, washed leek
…allow the leek to saute while preparing
A handful (about ten) baby carrots sliced longwise (slivers)
About 3 tablespoons of chicken broth
…cook covered over medium low heat for about seven minutes while preparing
Minced fresh rosemary, oregano, and dill
Continue to cook about another seven minutes and voila! Yummy sidedish.
Free Spirit
Phew.
Back from a week (Tuesday through Sunday afternoon) at Free Spirit Gathering. FSG is a beautiful event. The camp is lovely, and the setup is easy; cabins, a swimming pool, a dining hall. Real luxurious compared to most camping events. The people are great. There’s a lot of vending, but not so much it becomes overwhelming. The program is pretty active, although I don’t usually have time to attend much. The music is a plus; Kiva performed Saturday night and that’s always a pleasure.
Tuesday was mostly catching up with people, seeing old friends, making connections, and relaxing. There was getting settled and all that, but I do love a cabin; makes it so easy.
Wednesday night I led a healing ritual for Orien Rose. I have to say, it was absolutely beautiful. We had about fifty people. I never wear black in ritual, I always have colorful robes, but this time I ended up in black, and my partner Dave, to my left, was also in black, and to my right was Arthur all in white, and to Dave’s left was Abraham, also in white. So the altar and those of us leading the ritual created a hot visual impression.
Roberta held the space for the first part of the healing, and she totally channeled eight year-old girl energy, and danced around the circle gathering energy into her. Then Abe led the second part, creating all of us as parents of an injured child, and then creating hope and strength and peace in each of us as those parents. Finally, I had Arthur, representing the Pagan kids, holding the pictures of Orien Rose to charge and send home with people. Abraham and Gordon also led the fundraising effort, which was wonderfully successful.
The love and energy poured out to Orien Rose was amazing. The Amber Rose School, which does classes for the Free Spirit kids, sent energy to her every day, and sent us home with gifts for her. (This is the first year that Orien Rose hasn’t attended Amber Rose school. I cried like a baby at the graduation ceremony.) Just about all of the eighty photos I brought with me were taken by people who wanted to continue to pray for her at home.
After the ritual Abe did my new tattoo, and also touched up my Kali tattoo from last year. It was weird shifting from the love energy of the first tattoo to the hot spiritual energy of the second, but it was wonderful.
Thursday night I led (facilitated) a Group Leaders Conclave, which had about 25–30 people. It was a lot of fun to form connections with other group leaders, and I emphasized that people needed to look around, know who other leaders are, because that is your support group.
Was it Wednesday or Thursday that the huge thunderstorm blew through? That was exciting. Also wet. The weather got cool and stayed cool for most of the event, and I discovered that I really hadn’t brought appropriate cool weather wear, so I was annoyed with myself. You wrap yourself up in layers you end up looking like a Pagan bag lady. Pagan because of the purple and velvet, but still.
Friday I taught “The Way of Four,” and I love teaching that one. It is always different, and I am confident of the material.
Saturday was my first time teaching “Pain Management for Pagans.” I was nervous about how well my material would be organized, and I screwed up one of my exercises, but I got a lot of positive feedback. I had envisioned it as primarily addressing brief-term pain, like tattooing, body modificiation, wound healing, and childbirth, but just about everyone who showed up (about a dozen people) had a chronic pain condition they were living with. So I had to shift focus.
Also on Saturday, I attended the “Young Magick” workshop. It was for Pagans in their teens and twenties, but since my new book is written for that audience, I got permission to attend. And I have to say it was grounding to be with real, in-person young Pagans rather than just talking to them online.
Sunday it was pack up and go, and of course that’s when we got the ninety degree weather. Phew, that was tough. The drive, wow. Normally three hours, traffic and construction stretched it to five and a half.
