Next weekend, Pagan pride descends on North-Western NY in the form of the Central NY Pagan Pride Festival in Liverpool, NY (near Syracuse). I'm really excited about the keynote speaker, Patti Lafayllve. She's a practicing heathen devoted to Freyja and seidh work. Even though I follow an Irish-inspired path, I do have Norse blood in me and know that the Celtic nations often interacted with them (hence my mixed ancestry!). I feel that I could learn a lot from seidh. Really, I think any trance-related workshops would be greatly beneficial to my spiritual growth*.
I was delighted to hear that Lafayllve is performing a rite using oracular seidh. Unfortunately it's the night before Pagan Pride Day... And I live an hour and a half away. Now it wouldn't have been an issue if things had gone according to plan. My husband now has to go into work Saturday morning for a meeting that he cannot get out of. We didn't anticipate this and had been talking about going to Syracuse Friday for the rite, getting a hotel, and staying for Pagan Pride. Bugger! A part of me really wants to go to the rite anyway. It's something I've never seen before and I want to learn more about it! Yet the driving... An hour and a half down, an hour and a half back. Then the next day we would do the same thing!
"But Grey," you chime in, "don't you deserve to go? Don't you have every right to further your knowledge? It's not that bad of a drive."
Yes, I know... But there's a part of me that would feel like a huge hypocrite. Druidism, to me, is very Earth-centric. I work so hard to make sustainable choices. If I do so much driving for selfish reasons, it seems spiritually counter-productive. It practically negates everything else I do... We recently figured out how many miles my husband drives to work every week and it's depressing. We really need to move between our two places of employment.
It's not that bad if I miss the rite... I'm hopeful that I'll get the opportunity to see something like it in the future and learn more then. And as long as Weretoad's meeting gets done in time, I should be able to make the two workshops Lafayllve is giving then - one on Ásatrú and the other on deepening relationships with Goddesses - in her case, Freyja. It just stinks. I'm so often faced with these transportation dilemmas. I'm hoping to get a second car soon so that I have more freedom - freedom to pursue grad school and other areas of interest. Even so... it's so much pollution and so much driving...
I'm so ready for mass public transportation in the US now.
*Well...almost any...
( For My LJ Friends: http://adfcatprints.blogspot.com/ )
Showing posts with label Norse culture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Norse culture. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Thinking About Storms
Now if it were to happen tonight, I would like my husband to be home from work so I can cuddle with him under a blanket.
I love storms but I don't feel like I have any real connection to storm spirits or Gods*. At least not in my hearth culture. Whenever I hear thunder, my thoughts first turn to Thor - not to Taranis. I don't feel any pull to the Gaulish deities, actually. My husband has this "thing" with Thor. I say it like that because he doesn't worship him or necessarily consider him real**. To Weretoad, Thor is an entity (mythical, fictional, or real) to be admired. He bonds with him through comics like Marvel's "Thor" or Eric Evensen's "Gods of Asgard***." My husband thinks Thor is "cool" but in a distant way and I so dig it.
Weretoad is agnostic but we actually have more spiritually in common than most think. For example, I'm pretty agnostic about some things - like the afterlife - and we are both animistic to some degree (although he doesn't label himself as such). Needless to say, my agnostic, semi-animistic Thor fanboy gets along quite well with myself and other ADFers most of the time.
There was a time I worried about our religious differences. I wish I could go back and whisper in my younger self's ear about how compatible we really are, how we're happily married, and how I can't wait for a thunderstorm so that the two of us can cuddle up and think about the amazing Thor throwing Mjöllnir around****.
*Really, my life is more consumed in art and study, so the patrons I have are very fitting! I'm not complaining at all. :)
**Nor does he consider him unreal.
*** "Gods of Asgard" is very good. I'm not as well-read on Norse mythology, but from what I know it seems in tune with the lore.
**** We both grinned giddily when Mjöllnir appeared after the credits ran for Ironman 2. :P
[ For my LJ friends, please visit me at: http://adfcatprints.blogspot.com/ ]
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Great Outdoor Expo and a Different Perspective on Ancestor Veneration
As I said in my last entry, my husband and I saw "How to Train Your Dragon" this afternoon. After that we went to the Watertown Great Outdoor Expo.* The entrance fee was only $3 per person so I figured it would be a fun thing to check out. It's true that my husband and I are both vegetarians and not hunters, but we have an interest in other outdoor activities. My husband has also become quite interested in (and good at) target practice after going a few times with other family members and friends.
There were a lot of interesting things to see: animal calls (an old interest of mine), baby ducks, a giant, hand-carved chess set, rock climbing demonstrations, some small animals from the local zoo, and even a scuba pool! My husband took scuba classes several years ago in Syracuse but was never certified. It's something we'd both like to do one day. I tried to convince him to try the scuba gear with me but he didn't feel like it and I didn't want to do it alone. I got some information, though. I would love to take a class. The North Country is a good place for scuba diving so we should take advantage of that sometime! I also got information about white water rafting, another activity to try on the local Black River. Any of my friends want to try it out?
There was also a chiropractic table set up and I was asked if I wanted a free screening. I basically said, "oh what the heck, why not?" and the lady said I had some problems, including swelling in my lower back. I do get a lot of aches there. They were offering a low price for further consultations, but I decided that I want to go in to the local doctor for a full check-up first and see what he or she says. It is discouraging to think I have some back problems that could become more serious as I age... When I went to the reiki workshop last week, a lot of people who practiced on me said they felt a weird energy around my lower abdomen but I don't recall anything specific about my back. Hmmm... I'll have to see what another doctor says and then I'll consider a regime of chiropractic consultations, massage, and reiki.
In other news, a new blog I've been following, Flame in Bloom, has a great post about ancestor veneration among heathens and what that means when you have little respect for recent ancestors. It's a perspective I've not thought much about. Ancestors are just as important in Druidism and Celtic Reconstructionism, and I've been blessed with a family I feel close to despite their idiosyncrasies. Those who have passed are still cherished for the lessons learned and the positive impact they had on me. Michelle Daw, an ADF member and practicing stoic, kind of touched on this is his recent video chat on stoicism. I remember him discussing family members who were not very kind or responsible. They taught him how not to behave. The lessons may have been painful, but they were important and he thanks them for that. Anyone having difficulty forming a relationship with their ancestors should definitely check out Flame in Bloom's most recent post** and/or start a conversation with Daw. He's very approachable and willing to help.
That's all I have for today! Again, I'm working on some book reviews which I should post soon. Remember Earth Hour tonight! Turn your lights off from 8:30 to 9:30!
*For my lj friends: http://www.greatoutdoorexpo.com/
** For my lj friends: http://flameinbloom.wordpress.com/2010/03/27/on-ancestors-and-our-bodies/
There were a lot of interesting things to see: animal calls (an old interest of mine), baby ducks, a giant, hand-carved chess set, rock climbing demonstrations, some small animals from the local zoo, and even a scuba pool! My husband took scuba classes several years ago in Syracuse but was never certified. It's something we'd both like to do one day. I tried to convince him to try the scuba gear with me but he didn't feel like it and I didn't want to do it alone. I got some information, though. I would love to take a class. The North Country is a good place for scuba diving so we should take advantage of that sometime! I also got information about white water rafting, another activity to try on the local Black River. Any of my friends want to try it out?
There was also a chiropractic table set up and I was asked if I wanted a free screening. I basically said, "oh what the heck, why not?" and the lady said I had some problems, including swelling in my lower back. I do get a lot of aches there. They were offering a low price for further consultations, but I decided that I want to go in to the local doctor for a full check-up first and see what he or she says. It is discouraging to think I have some back problems that could become more serious as I age... When I went to the reiki workshop last week, a lot of people who practiced on me said they felt a weird energy around my lower abdomen but I don't recall anything specific about my back. Hmmm... I'll have to see what another doctor says and then I'll consider a regime of chiropractic consultations, massage, and reiki.
In other news, a new blog I've been following, Flame in Bloom, has a great post about ancestor veneration among heathens and what that means when you have little respect for recent ancestors. It's a perspective I've not thought much about. Ancestors are just as important in Druidism and Celtic Reconstructionism, and I've been blessed with a family I feel close to despite their idiosyncrasies. Those who have passed are still cherished for the lessons learned and the positive impact they had on me. Michelle Daw, an ADF member and practicing stoic, kind of touched on this is his recent video chat on stoicism. I remember him discussing family members who were not very kind or responsible. They taught him how not to behave. The lessons may have been painful, but they were important and he thanks them for that. Anyone having difficulty forming a relationship with their ancestors should definitely check out Flame in Bloom's most recent post** and/or start a conversation with Daw. He's very approachable and willing to help.
That's all I have for today! Again, I'm working on some book reviews which I should post soon. Remember Earth Hour tonight! Turn your lights off from 8:30 to 9:30!
*For my lj friends: http://www.greatoutdoorexpo.com/
** For my lj friends: http://flameinbloom.wordpress.com/2010/03/27/on-ancestors-and-our-bodies/
"How to Train Your Dragon"
The following is my attempt at a review of "How to Train Your Dragon." There may be some spoilers between the stars.
Hubby and I went to see "How to Train Your Dragon" this afternoon. We both enjoyed it a lot. Now, part of this is because I've always liked dragons. I've also always found Vikings to be incredibly fascinating. So I'm a little biased! But in addition to dragons and Vikings, the story and animation was spectacular! Rather than relying on goofy pop culture references that will lose their humor generations later, "Dragon" had a timeless quality and lovable, organically humorous characters. The environment was so lush, and Toothless, the dragon, was adorable. I'm aware that such an adjective is a little strange to use with a dragon, but it's the best word. He reminded me of one of our cats; hilarious and feisty at the same time.
Although the portrayal of Viking life was probably quite inaccurate* (it's not my area of specialty), I thought it was a positive portrayal of polytheism. The Vikings said little prayers to Odin and I think I even heard Thor's name. Hiccup, the protagonist, said something about "Gods." It's nice that the creators showed the Vikings as regular Pagans just trying to live and maintain the security of their little island - decent Pagans rather than the shifty, unscrupulous Pagans presented in the 3D version of "Beowulf."
There was also, I will argue, a subtle environmental theme. The the beginning, the Vikings conquered the wilds which were the dragons. In the end, the road to peace for everyone was through an intimate, symbiotic relationship. The dragons were occasionally referred to as pets, but they were really treated as friends and equals in the end. Relationships like that are possible with horses, cows, and the very Earth Mother herself. We need to return to that or else our own dragons, in the form of environmental change, will threaten us further.
I highly recommend the film. It's quickly become one of my favorites. I give this movie five out of five prosthetic dragon fins!
* I have recently learned that Vikings probably didn't wear horned helmets, for instance. I'm also very curious how accurate the runes in the story were!
***
Hubby and I went to see "How to Train Your Dragon" this afternoon. We both enjoyed it a lot. Now, part of this is because I've always liked dragons. I've also always found Vikings to be incredibly fascinating. So I'm a little biased! But in addition to dragons and Vikings, the story and animation was spectacular! Rather than relying on goofy pop culture references that will lose their humor generations later, "Dragon" had a timeless quality and lovable, organically humorous characters. The environment was so lush, and Toothless, the dragon, was adorable. I'm aware that such an adjective is a little strange to use with a dragon, but it's the best word. He reminded me of one of our cats; hilarious and feisty at the same time.
Although the portrayal of Viking life was probably quite inaccurate* (it's not my area of specialty), I thought it was a positive portrayal of polytheism. The Vikings said little prayers to Odin and I think I even heard Thor's name. Hiccup, the protagonist, said something about "Gods." It's nice that the creators showed the Vikings as regular Pagans just trying to live and maintain the security of their little island - decent Pagans rather than the shifty, unscrupulous Pagans presented in the 3D version of "Beowulf."
There was also, I will argue, a subtle environmental theme. The the beginning, the Vikings conquered the wilds which were the dragons. In the end, the road to peace for everyone was through an intimate, symbiotic relationship. The dragons were occasionally referred to as pets, but they were really treated as friends and equals in the end. Relationships like that are possible with horses, cows, and the very Earth Mother herself. We need to return to that or else our own dragons, in the form of environmental change, will threaten us further.
***
I highly recommend the film. It's quickly become one of my favorites. I give this movie five out of five prosthetic dragon fins!
* I have recently learned that Vikings probably didn't wear horned helmets, for instance. I'm also very curious how accurate the runes in the story were!
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