Property of a Lady

Deborah Lipp goes on about Wicca, politics, movies, Paganism, and cats. Not necessarily in that order.

Since I go to a lot of Pagan festivals, this is a question that I get asked. Especially by Pagans thinking about going to their first one. Or by non-Pagans wondering why I camp when there’s dirt and bugs and air mattresses and aren’t hotels nicer?

Anyway, via Jason, here’s a fabulous account of Lothlorien Elf Fest. I’ve never attended this particular festival, and each has its own personality, but in terms of what it feels like to be there, this is a perfectly typical, indeed quintessential, description.

Part of my time is spent cruisin’ the strip.
There’s a gravel road that makes a circle through the campground area. I walk this strip, round and round. The merchants are set up on either side of it so I get to see who’s selling what. I get to say hello to the merchants who come back year after year, and see what new things they have and what kind of barter they’re willing to participate in. It’s a lovely walk, too. This also gives me a feel for what the mood of the festival is like. I can kill HOURS doing this, because I nearly always wind up in some deep discussions along the way.

Read the whole thing.

A few days ago, I was discussing hair treatments with my sister. (If you just snickered, bite me.) I’d recommended she try this conditioning treatment, and I was asking her if she’d had a chance to use it. And she said, yeah she had, but she just didn’t have time to use all these treatments, and who had the extra three minutes in the morning to do the deep conditioning anyway?

A day later (I’m slow) I thought, You don’t need three extra minutes. You put the treatment in when you first get into the shower, then you do all your washy showery stuff, and then you rinse your hair.

(Maybe my sister was kidding. Doesn’t matter.)

I thought everyone knew that. Or I never thought about it, even long enough to assume it (because it is, after all, just conditioning your hair and has very little effect on world peace). But if asked, I would have said well, yes, that’s how it’s done, that’s how everyone does it.

The grooming part here isn’t fascinating. What’s fascinating is how none of us truly know the private inner mind of another human being. We think everyone knows the stuff in our head, and we hope they don’t. We assume everyone is like us and we assume we are unique, and we never really know. (more…)