The archetype meme all the cool Pagans are doing. ;)

This was neat.  Pretty accurate about myself, I think!

Your result for Awakening the Hero Within: Hero Archetype Test ...

You are the Creator

71% Innocent, 17% Orphan, 67% Warrior, 63% Caregiver, 83% Seeker, 71% Lover, 38% Destroyer, 88% Creator, 76% Magician, 71% Ruler, 67% Sage and 63% Fool!

Goal: Identity

Fear: Inauthenticity

Response to Dragon/Problem: Claim it as part of the self

Task:  self-creation, self-acceptance

Gift:  Individuality, vocation

Addictions: Work, creativity

The Creator is the center of improvement, always striving to create and better her/his surroundings. The Soul is the center of the Creator’s dance, and it seeks to find a deeper sense of self and wisdom even at the price of the Ego’s functions of keeping us healthy and functioning. The Soul is the source of our freewill, and the healthy creator can tap into the potential, creating circumstances while others feel acted upon by her/his actions.

The Creator is driven to be authentic despite the costs. Creators are threatening to Warriors and Seekers, who are very concerned with how things are ‘supposed’ to be.

Shadow Creator:

The Shadow creator creates without any sense of responsibility for what s/he is making. The Shadow Creator often will deny his/her responsibility in events. Most often, the Creator is shunned by the community, and a Shadow Creator seeks to create to disturb the community from which s/he is shunned. If a creation comes out badly, a Shadow Creator will blame circumstances.

http://www.okcupid.com/tests/awakening-the-hero-within-hero-archetype-test 

Folkish Heathenism vs All of Pagandom?

Having worked with many wonderful Pagans in an open network/group, I've experienced the frustration, sometimes even disgust, with other Pagan paths/traditions.  I've also experienced the mental and social reconciliation that can happen when two people who believe very differently can come together, learn, and make something beautiful like a ritual or even a lasting friendship.

In MVPN down in Utica, there was always a huge lack of Heathens.  We had one come during a meet and greet (I was not lucky enough to make his acquaintance) but he never returned.  He was looking for others like him and not the Wiccans that were present.  My friend Parallax worships Heathen deities but I'm not 100% sure if she calls herself a Heathen.  She practices through an ADF context, as do other would-be Heathens who take issue with Asatru's folkish (sometimes racist) stance.

Jason Pitzl-Waters, author of "The Wild Hunt" blog, steps up and questions the often deliberate distance placed between "us" (All of Pagandom) and "them" (the "traditional" Heathens) in his entry entitled "Asatru and the Alternative Right."  The whole she-bang is definitely worth reading, but the best bit is the final paragraph:

In the end it comes down to this. I don’t have to like all Pagans, I certainly don’t have to practice with all Pagans, and I’m long over the notion of any sort of real “Pagan Unity” ever being feasible, but a broader idea of solidarity is important if we are to capitalize and build on the legal, political, and social gains we have made. When we trash each other to impress other groups or individuals, we don’t damage the integrity or utility of those other religions and traditions, but we do harm the vital solidarity necessary to get the things we all want. This doesn’t mean you can’t draw distinctions or even civilly criticize paths different from your own, but when folks start implying that you shouldn’t be in the larger movement, that’s counter-productive and drains enthusiasm from the activists working for the rights of all Pagans.

Jason is brave to stand up for everyone, and I applaud him for doing so.  At the same time, we need to remember that not all self-described Heathens are like that.  It's unfortunate that many Heathens have ostracized its more liberal members - the ones who see beyond skin color and country of origin.  Thankfully they have a home in Ár nDraíocht Féin  and the larger Pagan community.  We have our differences, but we need to stand together for our rights.

Exploring Watertown and Sewing a Skirt

I had a lovely day with my husband and parents yesterday.  I showed my parents the Paddock Arcade, where I broought my mother Moontide Arts, the New Age shop, while the men waited outside.  She really loved all the clothing there.  We also went to some boutiques on Court St. like the fair trade/thrift shop and the new "Spinning Wheel."  It was nice to walk around the city on such a gorgeous day.  I bought myself a sun dress, a locally made soy candle, some incense, and a dragon soap dish for the bathroom*.  We had lunch at The Mustard Seed where my mum bought me some yummy vegan cookies.  Later I served my family a homemade meal of shepherds pie, bread, and deviled eggs from the local farmers.  My mum provided the wine and my dad brought us some dill mushrooms.  Mmm!

Hubby and I are having a fun day today.  We went outside to throw a football around, then walked our ferrets which was fun.

I finished assembling my sleeve skirt**.  It was super easy.  My husband had some button-down shirts that didn't fit him.  Most of them are going to charity but I selected a couple to construct this fun and simple piece***.

I have to iron it again but I'm happy with it.  I was thinking of adding some sort of trim but hubby thinks it looks fine as is.  I may add some jingle bells but we'll see...






* Some of you may think that's awfully kitsch.  Just remember that taste is relative!
** I got the idea from this Thread Banger tutorial.
***For my lj friends: http://adfcatprints.blogspot.com/

I tried to meditate before bed last night but kept falling asleep.  I hate nights like that.  Obviously I need to start earlier.  

New Book!

One of the other books I ordered for Magic 1 came!  It's called The Magic Arts in Celtic Britain by Lewis Spence.  I'm excited to have another book on Celtic magic to read because the first book, Irish Celtic Magical Tradition, while very good, also has meditative practices in it that the author encourages the reader to do several times before moving on.  I've been doing the first one but have only had a significant amount of success once.  The other times I've either fallen asleep or made it to the outside of a city but couldn't get in.  The one time I made it into the city, I spoke with one of the teachers of the Tuatha de Danann and this really helped solidify my current understanding of the Gods.

I've yet to start The Magic Arts in Celtic Britain but it's supposed to more broad, whereas the other book focuses on the first and second battles of Moytura.  

On the creative front I did a bit of sewing today.  I started to take in a button down shirt that my husband received as a gift.  It's a couple sizes too large for him and I've been meaning to experiment with it.  I also took a couple of his old button downs that are now too small and started a skirt inspired by a Thread Banger tutorial.  I just have to hem it and I'll have a fun skirt to wear in the warm weather we've been experiencing!

I haven't been drawing much recently.  It's not that I don't want to, it's just that I keep forgetting!  I'm suddenly pulled back into my sewing so other creative pursuits are on the back burner.  I've been thinking about what I could do for my still life and I think I may draw my traveling altar with all the items spread around it.  That could be neat.

Pagans of Upstate NY

This post is to let other Pagans in Upstate NY know about the newly reorganized and renamed forum Pagans of Upstate NY (PUNY).  It was originally for Pagans in the Mohawk Valley, but some of us moved and the core group decided to form more of a private Wiccan study group/coven.  The forum remained open for networking purposes until it was suggested that we reach out to other geographical regions in Upstate NY.  There are a lot of groups and, unfortunately, we're often isolated from one another.    Although I don't advocate for all groups to be open, I do think it's important for Pagans of all paths to communicate with each other and network.  We need each other for support.  We need to be knowledgeable about what else is out there in case a seeker comes who isn't right for one group but would be perfect for another.  If someone is moving from one region to another, we hope to be of help in sharing knowledge of who and what is available in certain areas.  We should be sharing what sort of workshops are happening in different regions.  Witchvox is excellent in many ways but it doesn't always have everything, and a forum for otherwise isolated Pagans could be really helpful.

So if you are from Upstate NY, or have any interest in our area, please consider yourselves invited to forum!  We're still working on reorganizing some things and getting a complete mission statement on the main page of the forum, but input from other regions would be really helpful.

What a gorgeous day outside!  I spent a lot of time in the sun, walking around the village and helping to clean a park.  I'm not sure what I did to myself, but my ankle hurts.  Perhaps a full reiki treatment is in order?

Last night I heard tree frogs for the first time.  That's always a big deal to me.  It's one of my favorite sounds, probably because I grew up falling asleep to them outside my bedroom window.  It's so comforting.  Living in Whitesboro, NY (the more developed areas) most of last year, I didn't often hear them so I'm glad to find them around my new home.  Added to their chorus are the sounds of bigger frogs from the ponds surrounding the southern edge of the development.

I did some sewing last night.  The Sif doll I've been working on is nearly done*.  Her hangerock is done.  It's fancier fabric than any Norsewoman probably ever used but she is a Goddess.  I need to find some oval brooches** for it.  I was going to try making some with polymer clay but I want to see if I can find any suitable buttons first.  I also made her a belt and have to find some appropriate things to hang from it.  Finally I'll attach the hair.  I have long, saffron colored wool for that.  I'm not sure if I want to leave it as is or braid it.


* Her outfit is not modeled after the illustration on the Wikipedia page.

** A friend told me they're called turtles.  This was really confusing to me at first.  I thought "Wait... is there a story about Sif and some turtles?  That's one I've not heard..."