The Sumptuary laws would have gotten me for sure

The gold and royal blue brocade surcoat (more properly, a Giornea), mostly finished. I added a storm grey silk collar, since the brocade can be itchy. I may place a few tucks near the waist, or do something with the front, in order to show off more of the undergown. (I don't like the way the front corner hem turns back and shows up under the back hem.) But I am putting aside the Ooh Shiny project for now. I have more astrology charts to do.

Some things I don't understand at the moment

but with a little more time and work, I might.

Things experienced in the circle last night. Large ornamental koi, a crab, seafoam and a red dragon that swims as well as being able to fly. What does any of this have to do with a full moon in Saggittarius?

Dreams experienced after the ritual last night-about books and authors. One dream had me reading a book that was itself a list of books recommended. The book was written by someone I know (whom, to my best knowledge has not written any books), and the books most highly recommended were all on the subject of seidr (again, to my best knowledge, not something this person has experience with) and written by women. A second dream had another acquaintance (who has written books) as a long term family friend of the people who live across the street from me. They were surprised to hear that I knew him. He was coming to live with them and eventually buy their house. (hmm, the house in question is actually waterfront...)

And, something else, while I am discussing things not currently understood...

Something else I don't really understand-the current blogosphere issue of Christianity/Jesus/Christ/belief/Golden Dawn/etc. etc. etc. Christianity is/has become a "universal" religion. Thus, it must absorb and incorporate, like the Borg, all that has come before it. Anything that will not, or cannot be absorbed is thus in conflict with it. (btw, Christianity is not the only religion with this stance.) Thus, the hermeticism that has become the basis for most Western magical systems. But, if your basis (religion, code, ethics, whatever) is tribal, racial (in the modern world, a very ugly term), or in any other way non-universal, you have a far easier time shrugging off the "other" as simply that. Other.

I am not confused in what and how I believe, I just don't really care if anyone else agrees with me. I also have no ego issues with saying "I don't know."

Grounding and Centering

Do you want a good test of how effective your grounding and centering practices are? Try phoning your local motor vehicle bureau. Between the absurd upbeat psuedo jazz soundtrack and the recording telling you that customer service representatives are eager to assist you, you will find your talents truly stretched. Whatever you do, do not watch a clock as the minutes go by, interrupted by further messages that much information is available 24 hours a day on the DMV website. Because if the information that you were looking for was available on the website, you would not be spending your time sitting on the phone.

How well do you think you would do on this test? Do you want to reach out and blast something, yet?

Out of the frying pan...

In celebration of my having finished not one, but two hand drawn, with-no-help-from-computer-program astrological charts, I have succumbed to the Ooh, Shiny! and have started making a royal blue and gold metallic thread brocade surcoat. Thereby guaranteeing, that had I lived in the Middle Ages or Renaissance, if I escaped being accused of witchcraft, the sumptuary laws would have gotten me.

Money

Recently, there was a spate of blog posts on the subject of money and wealth spells-do they work? Are they a good idea? I didn't get involved in the discussion because my view of wealth does not so much involve actual dollars and cents, but the quality of my life, and the lives of those I love, and the lives of those who touch my life, however tangentially.

Jason Miller made a point at his most recent workshop that asking for help from a Celestial spirit to become "rich" might be less than totally effective-at least from the point of view of the magician doing the work. The reason Jason gave was that pretty much anyone in the Western Hemisphere, much less someone who has the time and inclination to do such magic, IS rich compared to the rest of the world.

Want to know how rich (money-wise) you really are? Try here:

http://www.globalrichlist.com/

The Wheel, She Turns

This past Sunday was Mother's Day in the United States. It was the 22nd occurrence for which I was one of the honorees. It was also likely to be the last one for me with one of my children resident. The Friday before the holiday was my younger daughters high school prom. Next week, my older daughter graduates from college. In less than a months time, the younger one will have her graduation from high school. Come the end of the summer, they will both leave, one for college, one for graduate school, heading in opposite directions, to other states.



Life moves on, which is as it should be.



I am not a sentimental person, although I am a person of strong emotions.



I posted a picture of my daughter in her prom finery, and in addition to the totally deserved "wows!" (well, she is gorgeous and she had designed and made the gown, which was also gorgeous), there were comments referencing the existence of sodden tissues and a sense of the bittersweet. I simply do not understand. This was an occasion of pure joy, a celebration of what has been achieved so far.






I could understand sadness if she hadn't chosen to do and be who she is and had accepted, without thought, to be mediocre, run of the mill, or ever less than that. I could understand a sense of the bittersweet, if I were discontented, if I would have preferred to have had a different life. Or even worse, if I had preferred to be in my daughters place, to be belle of the high school ball, again or still. (If there is anyone reading this, who knew me in high school-feel free to laugh at the idea.)

But I chose my life, and having chosen it, did the best I could at it. The preliminary results look promising.

Not to say that is has been easy, it certainly hasn't been. I am absolutely convinced that neither child slept through the night until they were teenagers. As soon as they could handle books and flashlights, we would stash them under the girls pillows so they could have something to look at or read at night. And very very early on, I taught them how to get their own breakfasts (assembled by me, the night before), in a effort to get "just a few more minutes of sleep." Both girls are now very well read and good cooks.

Because my younger daughter has played in the honors section jazz band, and DH works an "unusual" work schedule, I have been getting up between 5:30 and 6 in the morning, and counting myself lucky to be in bed by midnight. For more than 3 1/2 of those years, I just did it. Wasn't easy, but I managed. The end is in sight, the final jazz concert in 3 weeks. And all of a sudden, my body says "enough!" I have taken more naps in the last 3 weeks, than I did in the 3 years preceding. Body and Spirit know that this period in my life is coming to an end and that is just fine.

I love my daughters beyond the ability of words to express. I have every Mothers Day card they have made me (and they always made their cards for me). I have every birthday card, every letter they wrote from camp, the portraits they drew of me, every newspaper clipping that mentioned them. They have been amazing (and challenging!) children.

I can't wait to see the amazing adults that they are becoming.

postscript to last night.

Clearly, I was a little loopy last night, with the last blog post. Salamanders were not the point of the evening, although they were among the guests. I wouldn't have minded more two legged guests, a drummer or two perhaps, and people to dance with. There should have been more people than just me dancing around the fire. Eventually, there was another. He was always on the far side of the flames from me, keeping time. I could feel his presence more clearly than I could see him, but he was there.





I did not sleep restfully afterwards. There were many, many dreams. One was a warning? Or an explanation of what was possibly to come? Others were just strange. Former President Carter hacking a Star Wars computer game?





The first bird sounds of the morning came a little before 5am. I got out of bed and went back outside. Near the rose bush by the kitchen door, I knelt down and rinsed my face with the morning dew that had collected on the grass. I said "good morning" to my daughter, who was awake for the day by then. I went back to bed. Finally, I slept well.

(The picture at the top is not a rose, it is one of the peonies. The roses will start blooming next month.)

Where do the salamanders go
When the bright coals turn to ash?

Hmmmm

I don't know if this should amuse me or not. I've noticed that adults address me as "MiLady" at RennFaire type events. But children point me out as a witch. Even when I am wearing blue and talking on a bright red cell phone.