Why I've been absent, take two

Well. I had composed an entry about why I've been gone, but Blogger decided in the ten minutes I'd typed it up, to log me out. (Even though I'd logged just prior...)

Anyway, long story short, Sascha and I are moving from North Carolina to Maryland at the end of May; I've been busy apartment hunting, and the next month will be a lot of going through our things and getting rid of stuff we don't need, as we're downsizing from a 3 bedroom to a 1 bedroom. I apologize for my absence, but it may continue until after the move. I miss this blog though, so I promise I'll be back!

PGP - Waiting for Godot - or how NOT to wait

Waiting for Godot is a two-act play by Samuel Beckett. It's a somewhat bizarre little play, with two main characters and three supporting character. Estragon and Vladimir are waiting at an assigned spot for Godot, who never arrives, but sends messengers to tell them he'll come tomorrow. The next day they receive another messenger, saying he'll come tomorrow. They don't know who Godot is, or why they're waiting for him, and spend the time talking nonsense, entertaining a passerby, or debating whether or not to hang themselves from the tree that is often the only prop on the stage.

I read this play in high school, and to this day if I'm waiting for something that doesn't seem like it will EVER arrive, I call it "waiting for Godot."

It's an odd little play, with odd little lines.

Estragon: Nothing to be done.
Vladimir:  I'm beginning to come round to that opinion. All my life I've tried to put it from me, saying Vladimir, be reasonable, you haven't yet tried everything. And I resumed the struggle. So there you are again.
Estragon: Am I?


How often in our lives do we find ourselves in a holding pattern, doing the same things day in and day out with no end in sight, no distraction, and only a vague "maybe it will be better someday" to keep us going forward?


I see Waiting for Godot as both a lesson in patience and a lesson in how NOT to wait. Estragon and Vladimir come to the tree every day, waiting for Godot - and the days blend into each other so seamlessly that they're not sure how long they've been waiting, or when Godot said he'd come - only that they need to be there, waiting. And sure, that's a lesson in endless patience, but surely that time could be used more productively. 


As a military wife, I've had ample time to learn patience. When my husband was deployed to Afghanistan, I could have moped around the house and let the days run together until he got home - but there are far more productive things to do. I worked. I went back to school. I meditated and prayed. I spent time with friends and family. And you know what? The time went by far quicker than it would have otherwise.


I think we get so caught up in the waiting sometimes that we forget how much TIME we are spending obsessing about the thing we are waiting for. 


Maybe that's one reason why I dislike the Christian god, or more aptly, the idea of a Rapture or End of the World or whatever. Why spend my time waiting for something that might come, or might not, and even if it is a sure thing that it WILL come, who knows WHEN it will come? I have far better things to be doing than preparing for a hypothetical. It's one thing to prepare for the future; it's another thing to prepare and wait for a future that may never come, and that is out of my control. I'd rather make plans and goals for myself, and live in the moment when I can, even when it's hard to do so.


What tricks do you have for living in the moment? Do you worry too much about the future? Is there something big that you're patiently waiting for?


Vladimir: Let us not waste our time in idle discourse! (Pause. Vehemently.) Let us do something, while we have the chance! It is not every day that we are needed. Not indeed that we personally are needed. Others would meet the case equally well, if not better. To all mankind they were addressed, those cries for help still ringing in our ears! But at this place, at this moment of time, all mankind is us, whether we like it or not. Let us make the most of it, before it is too late! Let us represent worthily for once the foul brood to which a cruel fate consigned us! What do you say? (Estragon says nothing.)

April Fool's Day Sunday

Happy Birthday, my precious little girl! Boudicca turns two years old today!

I shall also leave you with this song, by one of my favorite artists:

Gee Whillicker to Goddammit - Curse Words and Paganism

Warning: If the title wasn't clear enough, there will be curse words in this post and a lot of them!

My husband and I were talking recently about English curse words, and how the vast majority of the commonly used ones these days are monotheistic. I mean, look at this list:

Oh my god (or the internet OMG)
Dear god.
Dear Lord.
For christ's sakes. (or chrissakes)
Goddammit.
Jesus! (or Jesus Christ)

And these words are so ingrained in us - at least my husband and I - that we still commonly use them when swearing. We discussed if we should try to change our language (oh my gods!) or leave it be. Hell is easy enough to change - who knows if you're saying "Oh, Hell" or "Oh, Hel"? The husband rather liked the thought of "Jupiter's COCK!"

Ultimately we decided to just leave it be; it's kind of a private amusement to be "blaspheming" against a god we don't think exists.

Do you curse? Do you use pagan-specific curse words if you do? Was it hard to switch from traditional epithets?

Pagan Blog Project: The Fallibility of our gods

This is one thing that I actually really, really like about paganism. Our gods are FALLIBLE. Let me explain.

The Christian god is said to be omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. (All-powerful, All-knowing, and All-present)

This has always bothered me. There's a quote attributed to Epicurus that states: "Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then He is not omnipotent. Is He able, but not willing? Then He is malevolent. Is He both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is He neither able nor willing? Then why call Him God?"


I prefer my gods - they are fallible. They lie, they get tricked, they lust, they make mistakes. Certainly, they do this less than we mortals do. But they are not omnipotent, nor omniscient. They don't pretend to be. If an omnipotent god lets the horrible things happen that happen in this world, then that's not a god I want to follow! 


I much prefer the thought of gods that guide, and change what they can, but need us to work for ourselves as well. It makes far more sense to me. 

Thursday Book Review: ....on a Rotten Day

Born on a Rotten Day: Illuminating and Coping with the Dark Side of the Zodiac
and
Love on a Rotten Day: An Astrological Survival Guide to Romance
by Hazel Dixon-Cooper

This one's a two-fer! Have you ever gotten annoyed at the books that advertise Taurus as "determined" but ignore the "stubborn and bullheaded"? Or Gemini, who is "good at communication" but doesn't mention how annoying they are when they jump around from topic to topic and expect you to keep up.

These books explore that. These are hilarious, well-written books that explore the darker side of the zodiac. They aren't the most serious books; they're designed to be fun. And to poke fun. I enjoyed both of them thoroughly - there's apparently a third, Friends on a Rotten Day: The Astrology of Friendships, but I haven't seen that one in person.

Born on a Rotten Day: Illuminating and Coping With the Dark Side of the Zodiac
Born deals with natal/sun signs. They're divided up into Elements, Qualities, and Polarities, as normal, except....these aren't your momma's categories. The elements are "Selfish", "Hardheaded", "Flighty" and "Moody." Qualities are "Bossy", "Stubborn", and "Inconsistent." The Polarities are "Aggressive" and "Emotional Manipulator." For example, instead of Taurus being a Feminine Fixed Earth sign, I'm an Emotional Manipulator, Stubborn, and Hardheaded. Well, the last two I will admit to!

The chapters on each sign are divided into the following sections:
Approach with Caution
If You Love One, Man or Woman
If You Are One - Born Rotten
It's ALL Relative - The Family
Office Party - Bitches, Snitches, and the Chronically Inert
Cant We ALL Get Along?
Quick Tips For Emergencies
A List of the Infamous and Ridiculous

I do like one of the 911 tips for Taureans: "If they go ballistic, reach for the chocolate and keep your head down."

Love On a Rotten Day: An Astrological Survival Guide to Romance
This book deals more with Love and Relationships between the signs, obviously. It's a little more detailed than just the sun signs, however; it also goes into the Moon, Mars and Venus through the signs. So the sections are as follows:

'Til Death Do Us Part (long-term relationships, this includes Catching One, Surviving One, and Keeping One)
Moonlight or Gaslight? (moon in the sign)
Mars is Afflicted (Mars in the sign)
Venus is a Nympho (Venus in the sign)
Fatal Attractions (sun sign combinations)
Scoring (more on the sun sign combinations)
A List of Famous and Infamous Lovers

Written in the same lighthearted, humorous style as Born On a Rotten Day, it nonetheless explores the more ...unsavory aspects of the signs.

Both books highly recommended!

Thursday Book Review: Goddess Spirituality Book

Goddess Spirituality Book: Rituals, Holydays and Moon Magic by Morgan, Ffiona published by Daughters of the Moon Paperback, by Ffiona Morgan

So the first thing that annoyed me about this book was the purposeful misspellings. I mean, Holydays on the cover, IN THE TITLE, first. Throughout the book we get "womyn" and "wimmin" and "womon" - pretty much anything without "men" in it. I mean, I understand some Dianic traditions feel the need to erase every instance of "men" from their worship, but really. It's how the word is spelled, get over it. /end grammar nazi

OTHER THAN THAT, heh, this was a decent book. There are many rituals, and many ritual suggestions, all throughout the book. It's really the main purpose of the book, given that the sections are as follows:
The Magical Path
Elements of Ritual
Specific Rituals
Sacred Wheel of the Year
Lunar Magic

The rituals are almost always geared towards groups, but there are a few solitary rites, and as always, you can customize them to fit your needs. I found the "Elements of Ritual" section particularly interesting; it teaches how to prepare both yourself and your space for a ritual.

Overall I'd say if you can find it for a decent price, it might be worth picking up, unless you're a grammar/spelling nazi like I am, then skip it. Reading it will just irritate you.

Pagan Blog Project: F is for Fearless Feline

I'd hesitate to call her my familiar; Boudicca, our cat, doesn't seem terribly interested in my magical workings. What she IS interested in is me. She could be curled up in bed with Sascha, who went to bed early, but instead she's sitting in the same room with me, staring intently at me, and occasionally complaining that I haven't gone to bed yet.

Boudicca - Boudi for short, pronouced Bo-dee, is a pure-bred Maine Coon. After a couple of years of wanting a cat, but unable to get one per our lease, we moved again for the military and made sure to get a pet-friendly place. We knew we wanted a Maine Coon, and at the time thought we might eventually get stationed overseas, so a pure bred from a breeder, with a known medical history, seemed like the way to go. She's registered as Megacoon Boudicca Cailleach. We wanted a fearless cat, so naming her for the warrior queen who sacked Londinium seemed like the way to go. And as you can see, we did indeed get a fearsome beast:

She was born on April 1st, 2010. She came home on the weekend of the 4th of July. The breeder warned us she might take a couple days to come out of hiding, but in less than 12 hours she went from this:

to coming out and playing at our feet and on our bed. It's hard to remember that she was ever that tiny, as she weighs about 20 pounds now! She really did bond to me, because unfortunately Sascha was gone for the first four months she was home, then home for three, then gone again for eight more months. So by the time he got to spend those three months with her, she was already mine. And the eight month deployment just cemented it. He saw her like the above photo, then like this:

and then, when he got home from Afghanistan, like this:

The artillery practicing nearby and shaking the house doesn't faze her. Fireworks don't faze her. Thunderstorms don't faze her. Wrecking the car made her a little clingy for a few weeks, but then she was back to her normal self. She travels with us when we need to; we have a large kennel, and a harness and leash that she doesn't mind. 

She just curls up in the back and goes to sleep! She's been across the country twice, from North Carolina to Oregon and back. In and out of hotels. (She likes their sinks.)

But I think it was really tonight that I realized she is a familiar, and not just a house cat. A house cat would go sleep in bed and take advantage of my side being empty, right? Instead she's here by my feet. I've seen her leap off the bed and run for the door, growling, when someone knocks unexpectedly. Usually when I'm also napping; if I'm awake she doesn't tend to do that. I swear she understands me when I speak. She comes when called, and sits for her treats like a lady. 

She's gotten a little too big for sinks, but she still tries. (And let me tell you, the urge to turn the water on is almost overpowering sometimes!) She's absolutely huge, and can stand up and reach things on the counter without hardly trying:

That's a normal-height table! She really wanted that bowl of crow feathers. She turns two years old this April, and sometimes it's hard to believe. Have I really had her in my life that long? Gods willing, she'll be with us for years to come, through more moves and more changes. I'm sure she'll take them in stride. In fact, I could probably learn a lot from her on taking changes well. And on being fearless. 

Thursday Book Review: Goddess Aloud!

Goddess Aloud!: Transforming Your World Through Rituals & Mantras, by Michelle Skye


Another goddess book by Michelle Skye, and well written and informative again. This one focuses more on rituals and mantras, as the title says. And instead of focusing on each goddess, there are sections divided up by category, with suggested goddesses. The sections include Peace, Caring for the Environment, Love, Self-Love, Forgiveness, Healing, Growth, Hope, and Spirituality.

Peace, for example, includes sections on Pax, Our Lady of Fatima, and Branwen, while Forgiveness includes Tlazolteotl (the Aztec Eater of Filth), Mary Magdalene, and Arianrhod. Each chapter is concluded with a ritual on that subject.

The rituals are very thematic, and mostly simple and easily customized. For example, the ritual for "Caring for the Environment" involves going outside, meditating under a tree, tying a ribbon around it, and watering it.

Overall, another wonderful book from Michelle Skye!

You can see my Master Book List with links to previous reviews here or from the link in the upper right sidebar to "Witchy Books."

Thursday Book Review: Goddess Afoot!

Goddess Afoot!: Practicing Magic with Celtic & Norse Goddesses, by Michelle Skye

I found this book a lot of fun. There are large sections on twelve different Celtic and Norse Goddesses, including Arianrhod, Blodeuwedd, Cessari, Eriu, Macha, Frigga, Sif, Skadi, and others. The individual sections have backgrounds on each goddess, meditations on the goddess, pathworking suggestions, invocation and magic activity suggestions. Magic activity suggestions are divided into separate categories; you might have candle magic, or written word magic, or physical magic. I like that she covers some of the lesser-known goddesses.

I really enjoy all of Michelle Skye's books I've read so far; she has a nice style, and provides a lot of information and suggestions. Highly recommended.

You can see my Master Book List with links to previous reviews here or from the link in the upper right sidebar to "Witchy Books."