Oh, my aching gluts!

I must say...  All that reiki healing yesterday gave me such an ache in my bum.  Too much gassho while kneeling and slouching over bodies laying on the floor...  I think my gluteus maximus needs some healing.

Spring and Reiki

Happy spring!

Yesterday was the Vernal Equinox and I went down to Utica for a reiki workshop led by friend and reiki master Imagickat.  This was her first class on reiki and the first time she's given attunements.  I must admit, before the class I knew very little about reiki.  She's given me reiki treatments before and they always really helped.  They make me feel at peace, like massage but in a different way.  This will sound strange, but I love to be touched.  Not in a sexual way - but spiritually.  It's warming and comforting.  

Back to what I was saying.  I've been largely ignorant about reiki.  It's something I knew existed and, like I said, even experienced from time to time.  For whatever reason I never bothered to read about it.  This is mostly because I have so many other interests that it never dawned on me.  I always (wrongly) assumed it was derived from Shinto  practices in Japan.  I didn't think it would be appropriate for me to dapple with.  However, I learned that it's adaptable to any spiritual practice and that it was even brought to America (by the Japanese) and changed so as to be better understood by Westerners.  It's also incredibly modern, the practice only having been founded in 1922 by Mikao Usui.  

Learning this put me at ease.  Originally, I felt inclined to attend the workshop because I wanted to learn more about using and sensing energy.  I wasn't sure if I would actually want to go further than learn, but in the end I'm glad I did.  The attunement wasn't orgasmic, but I definitely felt something.  I'm much better able to sense energy within myself at the moment, but practicing yesterday enabled me to better sense it in others.  I was practiced on so much yesterday that my sinuses cleared for a whole day.  I later practiced on willing family members who said they felt at peace, that headaches vanished, and that they felt something sucked out.  I sensed a weird energy in my mum's knees and she said they've been bothering her recently.  It's all very interesting.  

Unfortunately I wasn't able to attend the ritual at Muin Mound in Syracuse.  I was feeling ill yesterday morning and felt that I shouldn't go after an already busy afternoon (especially considering the necessary and long drive home afterwards).  I missed it but it was wonderful to see my old Pagan friends in Utica.  I'm hoping to do a Druidic ritual with my husband later.

I hope everyone has a blessed celebration of spring!  Just ignore the snow we had this morning.  ;)

Another Sketch*

I did this yesterday after work.  I wanted to sit outside on the patio and sketch something, deciding on a fallen oak leaf.  I borrowed a stone from my "fairy pot" to keep the wind from blowing it away.  I had a lot of fun with this drawing and am really proud of how it turned out.  The sun was setting when I drew it which created some really great shadow effects.  Unfortunately, by the time I was ready to make that shadow behind the leaf, the sun had dipped behind the trees so I had to guess.  I much prefer drawing leaves to teacups and Xbox controllers!



* For my lj friends: http://adfcatprints.blogspot.com/

What's New in the North Country?

Study Programs


My progress is slow.  I'm waiting for my books on magic in Northern Europe to arrive.  I cannot wait to attack them!  As far as the art SP is concerned,  I have to combine my working outlines into one document.  I was going to do laundry today but I think I'll do that instead!  Last night I finished my book about Brighid and, oh my goodness, I learned so much.  A full review will come soon.  I promise.

Where were you when I needed you?!


The "former" MVPN forums* have a new member - a person who just moved from the "North Country" (not sure from where, exactly) to Utica.  Not only that, but she and her husband have recently become interested in Druidism!  When I was in Utica trying to start a protogrove, where were the other Druids?  Now I'm up here, and they move to Utica.  Bugger all!

Unfortunately for them, although the MVPN forums are still an open, networking space, the group no longer exists as it was.  The Wiccans are having more intimate gatherings at their homes and have every intent to focus more on their liturgy for the sake of personal development.  I hope the new Druid sees my reply in which I encourage her to check out ADF and Muin Mound in particular.  I hope to see her there!  

Sad News


I discovered a couple nights ago that my "oath ring" was not on my finger. That's right, the ring that belonged to my mother.  The one I used to replace to broken ring.  I'm officially bummed.  That ring was important on so many levels.  I've looked everywhere...  I know it's not tragic and that there are people with way worse problems, but I'm allowed to feel sad about it.

On the plus side, I felt driven to sit down and *really* meditate before bed.  I was having a difficult time getting into it for a little while.  As soon as I entered my "mental nemeton," I found my fox spirit waiting for me.  I've been seeing and hearing about foxes everywhere recently so I wasn't surprised to see her there.  She lead me through the forest and over a hill to a lake where she told me to bathe.  I washed and somehow felt better but also felt the desire to cleanse myself in a physical lake.  I also felt an overwhelming validation that the ring was not my spirituality - it was merely a symbol of it.

Hmmm...  I should do a reading.  I definitely feel that there are lessons to be learned from this, but I would like to hear what the Kindreds have to say about it.




* I say "former" because, although we have decided to change the name, the boards are still called The Mohawk Valley Pagan Network.  I'm really pushing for a name change and for the group to become a networking site for all of Upstate NY.  For more on this, please see my post "On the Vital Importance of Pagan Community."

It's that time of year again!

When I was a jaded high schooler, newly converted from Catholicism to "Wicca,"*  I didn't have a good understanding of ancient or medieval history.  I knew quite a bit about American history thanks to years and years of emphasis in school, but otherwise...  I knew a bit about feudalism, I knew that the Egyptians were some sort of polytheists who built the pyramids and believed in an afterlife, and I had a vague idea that the Druids were from Ireland.  For years after, even into my earliest Druidic studies, I was convinced that St. Patrick's Day was a crappy holiday because it celebrated how mean old St. Patrick kicked the Druids (aka The Snakes) out of Ireland.

Fast forward to the last ... oh, year and a half.  My interest in Druidism has grown so that it's an incredibly important part of my life.  I read about it a lot.  Inspired by Celtic Reconstructionist methodologies, I read history book after history book, even the dry ones, to obtain a greater understanding of my ancestors and the culture I feel most inspired by.  It is impossible for me to wag my finger at St. Patrick after reading as much as I have.  I'm not alone in this revelation.  Several Pagan bloggers have been discussing their feelings and understandings of the holiday.  To make a long story short, St. Patrick has been framed.  He's a scapegoat among the Pagan community - a largely innocent Christian victim to our community's "Waaaa, you stole my toy!" attitude.**

In other words, I have less of a "bah humbug" attitude about St. Patrick's Day.  A couple years ago, a friend of mine (I swear, I think it was one of my sister-in-laws), who is neither Pagan nor Christian, told me that she prefers to celebrate St. Patrick's day in the spirit of her Irish ancestry.  I've come to feel similarly, especially when considering what my immigrant ancestors went through.  I come from a proud, strong, spiritual, creative, and tenacious people.  I am honored to have Irish blood flowing through my veins.

That said, St. Patrick's Day cannot escape my criticism entirely.  Although I don't get very "into" St. Patrick's Day,***  I'm not against celebrating my culture.  I also recognize that many minority groups join in because the Irish are, more or less, a success story in America.  Although they were persecuted and abused, they climbed the social ladder and many of us are successful and happy today thanks to their efforts****.  However, the celebration is just way, way too commercial.  There are too many crappy, plastic trinkets that end up in garbage limbo, too many styrofoam shamrocks, too many greasy attempts at Irish food, and too much ignorant debauchery.  I use such language because it's true!  I love a good drink and a reason to party, but on St. Patrick's Day, at least I know what the hell I'm celebrating.  It's unfortunate how many Irish wannabes and, even worse, Irish descendants haven't a clue what their ancestors went through.  Worse yet, most don't care.  They just like the excuse to drink.  The only reason St. Patrick's Day continues to thrive is, in my opinion, because of its association to booze.  Why do you think St. Joseph's Day isn't a big deal in the States?  Why is Cinco de Mayo a hit  but Chinese New Year isn't?  It's the booze.  The ignorant masses just want to drink.  Any excuse.  If you asked them what they were celebrating and why, I bet they wouldn't be able to explain.  Bah humbug to that!

So roll on my Irish loving friends!  Have a fun (responsible) time but remember what the day is about.  Sláinte!





*I put Wicca in quotations because I'm coming to the conclusion that, while I read about it and attempted to practice Wiccan liturgy, I wasn't really a Wiccan.  This has nothing to do with initiation or anything.  I simply wasn't living a Wiccan life.  I called myself one, but I was more akin to a Catholic who rarely prays and only goes to church on Easter.  I should expand on this in a future entry...

**It's obviously more complicated than this.  There are other stories the Patrick myth has grown out of, and people do love to perpetuate falsities or hyperboles.

*** It's still a Catholic holiday and has a history of solemnity in Ireland.  I'm not Catholic, don't care to celebrate the St. much, and prefer to let Catholics do their thing in peace.

**** Before anyone points this out, yes I'm aware this was facilitated by skin color.

Walking in a Springtime Wonderland

The weather up here in Northern NY is amazing.  I can actually go outside without a coat in the afternoon and early evening.  It's especially amazing when you consider the frost we had this morning.  I'm definitely not putting any plants out yet!

After work I convinced my husband to take a walk with me in the nearby forest.  The last time we tried the ground was too soggy.  There are still over-saturated sections, but there are ways around them.  It's difficult avoiding getting into the forest and this creates a physical boundary between "this world" and "the other world."

The more I explore this new forest, the more comfortable I become there.  I'm slowly learning the landmarks and enjoy studying them.  There's a beautiful small boulder covered in bluish lichen and green moss.  It looks like a tiny Earth.  There's also a small rocky hill.  That's one neat feature of the forests here.  Although there were a few large stones behind my parents' house, they were few and far between.  This forest is almost as rocky as the mountainous Adirondack forests, only the land is significantly flatter.  It's interesting.

After a few minutes in the forest, I found myself wishing I had something to offer the spirits of the place.  I've been meaning to make peace with them.  I must remember to do that soon.  The best offering I can see myself making at this moment is an afternoon spent picking up the copious amounts of litter.  There is so much garbage there.  Some of it probably blew in from the development.  The rest was undoubtedly dragged up there by environmentally ignorant people.  There seem to be a lot of those in this neighborhood.  I actually shooed (in a gentle, polite way) a child off my lawn the other day.  She was ripping a branch off the young tree in front of our apartment.  Who does that?  I mean, for one, it angers me that anyone would unceremoniously rip - not cut but RIP - a branch from a tree.  In addition it's on my small patch of lawn in front of my apartment!  If you're going to be so disrespectful to nature, at least don't trespass while you're doing it!

But I digress.  This weekend I'm attending a reiki workshop in Utica followed by celebrating the Spring Equinox in Syracuse.  I think next week would be a good time to start picking up the litter.

I'd also like to do some sketching next time.  There were some lovely mushrooms.  I actually sketched a mushroom last night, only it's based purely on fantasy.*

 


* For my lj friends: http://adfcatprints.blogspot.com/

The Game Plan

As you saw in my last post, I'm working diligently on the Artisan Guild study program.  I want to get into the Initiate Study Program as well and was suddenly feeling overwhelmed with the possibilities.  Kirk gave me some perspective that really helped.  I need to find a balance between the practical/experimental and the academic.  This goes for my art studies as well since I'm doing them at the same time.

I was thinking of doing Divination 1 for the ISP.  I may yet start the research components of it, but I don't want to start the journal until I've created a new set of ogham and I'm planning to do that as part of my Artisan Guild study program.  So here's what I'm thinking (bear with me if this seems complicated - it makes sense to me!):

1) Submit my working outlines to the Art Guild preceptor.
2) Use some online drawing tutorials to refamiliarize myself with perspective, scale, shading, etc...
3) Continue sketching and, eventually, create the necessary pieces for my portfolio.
4) By then I can start "Technical Competence" requirement 3 - "Single Ritual Piece," aka my new and improved ogham.
5) Then I can use the ogham to practice divination for Divination 1.

In the meantime!

1) Start Magic 1.  I just ordered a few books to help me complete this portion:

•  Practical Magic in the Northern Tradition
  Nigel Pennick
•  Irish Celtic Magical Tradition: Ancient Wisdom of the Battle of Moytura
  Steve Blamires
•  The Magic Arts in Celtic Britain  Lewis Spence

I'm really excited to dig into these!  

2) By the time I finish Magic 1, I'll be able to do Magic 2 and overlap the journaling with Trance 1.

3) Hopefully, after all the above work, I'll be able to start my divination journal at this time.  

4) Throughout all of this I'll be studying Irish, working towards the goals outlined in Indo-European Language 1.

So, yeah.  I have a *lot* of work ahead of me.  How exciting!  Seriously, I love this sort of stuff.  (Yes, I miss college already!)