tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87136179266631060762024-03-14T03:33:01.155-05:00The Raven's SwordRants, raves, random thoughts, ponderings, rune readings and interpretations. Dreams, visions, and Divine instructions. Spirituality, religion, politics,. Family, community, world, universe. All these and more. This is my blog and I will be expressing my views, my thoughts, and my questions. I welcome all constructive input.
~Namaste~
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger25125truetag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713617926663106076.post-61255025101077856182017-09-12T18:00:00.002-05:002017-09-12T19:08:53.334-05:00Difficult afternoonI'm finally starting to feel soemwhat better. The crushing depression is lifting, and I have a little more energy. However, Mother has been particularly frustrating today. She's asked the same questions -- mainly where's her mama and daddy and when is she going home and now, can she go to bed (at 5:45 in the evening) -- every few seconds. I am not exaggerating. It's wearing having to tell her that her mama and daddy have been dead for decades and not know if she's going to be upset this time or notm then have to answer the same question seconds later. I really do mean seconds, hardly enough time to get back to my desk.<br />
<br />
It's fortunate that she knows who she is and can remember family, even if not in the current time and place. Things could be far worse. But some days it doesn't feel like it.<br />
<br />
To top it off, I found my dream job. At this point, though, being able to work an on-site job is impossible. Sometimes, at-home work isn't possible either.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713617926663106076.post-19878332496684865742017-09-12T17:50:00.000-05:002017-09-12T17:50:16.744-05:00I feel like shit. I have for awhile now.<br />
<br />
24 hours later. A new day. Feel a little better than yesterday. I got up before 1 p.m. as if it matters, but still...<br />
<br />
I'm depressed. I'm angry. I'm restless. I feel isolated. I feel trapped. I feel like a real shit for feeling any of this. Writing it down makes nothing better; it just sounds whiny. It's not near as bad as it feels; so why I'm whining about it?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713617926663106076.post-55560258432275810312017-01-31T14:37:00.001-06:002017-01-31T14:37:30.149-06:00Censorship is UnAmericanSilencing the media. Barring citizens from criticizing the government. Such is addressed specifically in the First Amendment -- the FIRST Amendment. Numero Uno. Wouldn't that make it more important than even the sacrosanct Second Amendment? Ya think?<br />
<br />
I've enjoyed reading many of the blogs over at Patheos Pagan over the years, but this cannot be allowed to go unnoticed. Linked is John Halstead's recent article at The Allergic Pagan. It's hosted at the moment on Gods & Radicals because Patheos Pagan has removed it.<br />
<br />
https://godsandradicals.org/2017/01/31/repost-read-this-before-patheos-deletes-it/<br /><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713617926663106076.post-54551571933992868592016-12-01T18:59:00.002-06:002016-12-01T18:59:25.609-06:00They delivered my sister's ashes to me today. Except for the seemingly endless bureaucracy surrounding it, her death hasn't been real to me. I didn't see her every day or even talk to her on the phone or online up until the last few weeks. But I knew where she was. I guess I still know exactly where she is -- in my back room, waiting for Spring to come.<br />
<br />
It's really an ugly little white box. I think I'm going to plaster it with glittery butterfly stickers. <br />
<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713617926663106076.post-26630770669124552192016-09-22T11:40:00.000-05:002016-09-22T11:40:32.746-05:00She did not simply like to read. She read voraciously, fiercely, carnivorously. She would lie in wait and pounce on unsuspecting books. She would rend and tear the paper-flesh of fiction and nonfiction alike, leaving barely a binding or a smear of ink, then lie down in the shade, sated. -- 5/28/2012Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713617926663106076.post-87589306689818029422016-08-19T21:45:00.000-05:002016-08-19T21:46:05.926-05:00ApologiesMy apologies for not updating my scheduled pages this week. My sister's health has taken center stage lately and my blog has been an after-thought while I focus on her. I will be back in full force over the next few days and especially on Sunday with Druid Works. So tonight, I'll leave you with one thought -- a saying my sister is fond of.<br />
<br />
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<br />
Be excellent to each other, my friends.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713617926663106076.post-81364802511899747732016-08-08T12:10:00.001-05:002016-08-08T12:10:09.220-05:00Getting back on track and setting a scheduleHello, all. It's been a little while. I'm getting back on track here and will be writing more frequently. :) <br /><br />I'm setting up a loose schedule for categorical postings, such as Druid/Dedicant work, Opinions/Rants, Favorite Authors/Books. Thursdays, I think, will be my Favorite Authors posts -- so you can pick up something new to read for the weekend. I have many friends that are authors, and I want to highlight their work.<br />
<br />
So, keep watching and reading this space and tell your friends.<br />
<br />
BrendaUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713617926663106076.post-16648644754008220372015-04-10T11:35:00.000-05:002015-04-10T13:32:28.239-05:00Questions to ponder: NamesHere are a couple of questions to ponder:<br />
<br />
When you name a child or even a pet after a god or a hero from myth or history, what expectations do you have for their behaviors, personalities, and futures? Do the stories influence your choice or is it simply that the name sounds "cool"? Do you take into account the personalities and actions of those with the name originally? <br />
<br />
And further, when you meet a person named for a god or mythical hero. do you have certain expectations of their personalities or behavior?<br />
<br />
Do you believe that the name foreshadows the person? In giving a child a name like Loki or Hercules, what characteristics are you hoping your child will display?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713617926663106076.post-35118393256872810352015-03-30T16:53:00.000-05:002015-03-30T16:53:59.084-05:00On Being Naive<div class="MsoNormal">
Sorry, but you don't recognize me. Your knowing smirk only
reflects what you think you see. You don't think I truly understand your pain,
that I've never been where you are, so I couldn't know. Just because I'm quiet
about my pain doesn't mean it's not there. I may not join in vilifying your
monster, but that doesn't mean I haven't faced my own…and won. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Many see me as privileged, idealistic, and naive as to the
way the world works. In many ways,
they're right. I am privileged and
idealistic. I am not, however, naive. To mistake my optimism for blinders is to
grossly underestimate me. I simply
refuse to allow the monsters to win. You
may never see my pain or my scars, but understand this, I am battle-worn. I have been tested and found true. <o:p></o:p></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713617926663106076.post-30840335050258736342015-02-23T16:02:00.000-06:002015-02-23T16:02:22.787-06:00Monotony & Melancholy<div class="MsoNormal">
Monotony<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Melancholy<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Every day is the same. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Eye issues keep me from going anywhere on the spur of the
moment, even when money allows. Always having to rely on others for transport
even the short distance to the library sucks. And being treated as an
inconvenience is galling. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Forced isolation is horrible for an extrovert. I shudder to
remember the days before I "plugged" in to the internet, in those
days before social media exploded and broadened my circle of interaction. Many
mourn the loss of face-to-face exchange, but for those of us who are effectively
homebound, electronic socializing is a lifesaver. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And so my days are filled with ersatz socializing. Or
napping. Ambition gives way to somnolence and sloth. I try to keep some
semblance of discipline: no sleeping till noon; I keep a mostly proper meal
schedule; fairly regular bedtimes. And I make a strong effort to go out to
physical meetings at least twice a month. Definitely not as active as only a
couple of years ago, but still something. In the end, it's not much good; the
goals I set for each day go unaccomplished. Sometimes even the most basic
chores are put off. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lifting myself out of this morass is herculean. A task I
know in my very soul I am capable of but still unable to make the first move.
Ambition without motivation? Motive without action? The story of my life. Great
dreams and plans on paper and no ambition to put them into action. Even the
promise of fame and fortune have never been quite enough. Is it complacency or
fear? Am I just lazy? <o:p></o:p></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713617926663106076.post-44675662501639804872015-02-16T17:31:00.000-06:002015-02-16T17:31:11.821-06:00Yuck<div class="MsoNormal">
I hate cold, rainy, yucky days when I'm stuck inside with no
sunshine coming through the windows. Rain
on a sunny day is a thing, right? Why
can't I have that <i>now</i>? Rainy, yucky days tend to depress me. I begin to think. Not just any random thoughts, though. Old toxic thoughts. I think about past mistakes, past hurts, past
anger – things I no longer have or ever had any control over. Imaginary hurts that never happened and
potential hurts that probably never will. I brood.
I'm restless and bored. There's
plenty of constructive activities with which I could fill a rainy day –
reading, watching movies, crocheting – but instead I brood. Or eat.
Or sleep. Napping usually keeps
my mind quiet for a while. Unless the
brooding thoughts seep into my subconscious. Then disturbing angry or
frightening dreams add to the general ickiness of the day. Usually, though, I don't do any of that, I
sit and play games online or cruise Facebook and brood a little more. And wait.
I wait for Spring. I wait for
Winter to give way to burgeoning Life. I
wait for the bright greens of new plants and bright yellow sunshine. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pffffttttt, it's only February. Where's my yarn and Netflix? Maybe a little chocolate, too.<o:p></o:p></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713617926663106076.post-21312918284414981962014-05-31T09:08:00.000-05:002014-05-31T09:08:02.326-05:00Striving & BecomingIt is the Human Condition<br />
to strive to be More than we Are<br />
and to despair when we fall short.<br />
<br />
However, we must always Remember<br />
that we are More than we Were<br />
but still Less than we Shall Be.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713617926663106076.post-64513794789192676352014-04-02T11:54:00.000-05:002014-04-02T11:54:14.452-05:00Giving the gods the credit (or the blame)<div class="MsoNormal">
It is not my belief in the gods that creates my prosperity.
Neither is it my disbelief in other gods that creates my strife. It is rather
my actions and interactions within this world as well as above and below that
creates the momentum driving my life forward. I am ultimately responsible for
the good and the bad in my own life. Worshipping the right gods or the wrong ones
or none at all has nothing to do with whether I can be happy, healthy, or
moral. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When you credit the gods (or God) with the good things, you rationally have to blame them for the bad as well. If you have good health or make a good grade on a math test and credit an outside force with that success, would it not stand to reason that failure in those things would be the responsibility of that same outside force, especially if you consider that outside force to be omnipotent?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rather accept and take credit for your own hard work and achievements as well as the responsibility or blame for what goes wrong. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Note: The concept of wyrd, luck, and fate is a conversation for a later blog post.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713617926663106076.post-43290374989613677772014-02-19T19:00:00.001-06:002014-02-19T19:00:08.863-06:00Clearing the cobwebsMy mind has been locked and forgotten like an attic in an old house waiting to be rehabbed. A century of dust coats the synapses, and tiny ghost spiders of ideas spin fragile webs in the shadowy corners. Thoughts skitter about unseen across the floor. Self-doubt and inertia nest like unwanted squirrels in the rafters.<br />
<br />
But it's Spring-cleaning time. Throw open the shutters and let in the sunlight.<br />
<br />
For too long I've allowed myself to just sit; my creative voice becoming derelict and moldy. Time to sweep away the cobwebs, wash down the windows and floors, and re-purpose the attic. It'll no longer be simply a storehouse of old papers and discarded toys. It'll be a workspace filled with bright colors and sound; a place to incubate and initiate new ideas and plans.<br />
<br />
And I'm definitely evicting those damn squirrels!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713617926663106076.post-12869525689036562192013-04-12T12:58:00.000-05:002013-04-12T12:58:00.520-05:00Drums and fire at HawkfestFinally, festival season is here. The hubby and I got to attend our first festival in 3 years last weekend -- Hawkfest at the wonderful Dragon Hills in Georgia. It began on Thursday with many arriving Wednesday evening, but we weren't able to make it out until Friday, arriving around 2 pm local time. Storms had passed through both Wednesday and Thursday with cold rain and strong winds. One of our friends had her booth completely blown down; others had damage to tents and pop-up booths as well. I was a more than a little concerned about a soggy, muddy, cold weekend, even while I kept telling myself, "It WILL be wonderful and beautiful!" (Because I firmly believe in the power of positive affirmation.) And guess what! It WAS beautiful and it WAS wonderful. The mud had mostly dried in the 60-something-degree temps on Friday afternoon and the sun felt like the warm blessing it should. <br />
<br />
i spent the days just hanging out and visiting. I took a sacred dance workshop that gave me lots of insight and great new ways to move. I met some fabulous people that I can't wait to see again. <br />
<br />
I do wish I had spent <i>some </i>time exploring and meditating in that wonderful place, but I didn't. I also wish I had spent more time dancing around the fire in the evenings. I wimped out both Friday and Saturday nights and was in bed by midnight. Ah well, there's always September. ;)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713617926663106076.post-66102375614794198202013-03-27T14:52:00.000-05:002013-03-27T14:52:06.395-05:00Camp NaNoWriMo April 2013I'm participating in Camp NaNoWriMo 2013 starting on April 1. Join me, why don't you? I'll be posting updates on my progress at my writing blog <a href="http://thoughtscrapsonpapernapkins.blogspot.com/?zx=d0d7b60da2318487">Thoughts Scraps on Paper Napkins</a>. My goal is 25,000 words before May 1. <br />
<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713617926663106076.post-81925111167192579222013-03-25T21:14:00.002-05:002013-03-25T21:14:25.765-05:00Ostara 2013It's been a busy couple of weekends and the next couple are just as jam-packed. Not to worry, though, I'm taking my vitamins and trying to stay rested in between goings-on. <br />
<br />
On the 16th, Hallowed Oaks Grove held its Ostara/Spring Equinox open rite. This is one of my favorite high days along with the autumn equinox. There's something about the clear change of seasons that really sets me aglow. This year was no different. Spring has been a little reluctant this year, and the weather has been erratic -- one week warm and sunny, the next temps near or below freezing and stormy. But Saturday was beautiful, just warm enough with some sun. We had an egg hunt for the children before the actual rite began, which also allowed for any stragglers to arrive. At the given ritual time (we actually started on schedule!), everyone gathered on or in front of the porch for the pre-ritual briefing and the procession to the fire ring. I didn't manage a head count at that time, but going back later, I counted 28 people standing in ritual. I think that's the largest attendance I've seen in the 3 years we've been holding rites on this property. The rite went pretty smoothly; any bumps went unnoticed in the flow of energy (you'd think after 6 years, I'd know The Portal Song all the way through). Our sacrifice to Eostre was well received -- a basket full of sweets, seeds, and flowers eagerly consumed in the sacred fire. The omen was both positive and cautionary -- wunjo, thurisaz, and nauthiz, which was interpreted as a successful community needs to stand together to protect and support its members; basically, together we are stronger than we are as individuals and none of us need fight alone. Later, in some cases a few days later, some of the participants told me they had seen entities/Beings watching the rite or had felt strong energy in the circle, nothing threatening though. That says successful rite to me. The potluck feast following was a grand fellowship as always with such a marvelous quantity and variety of food. The people who attend the High Day rites with us at Hallowed Oaks Grove really are what make them such festive and spiritually satisfying events.<br />
<br />
Then I got a break -- nothing pretty much from Sunday the 17th through Thursday the 21st except helping a friend sort stones at his new business <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DragonKised">Dragon Kissed</a>.<br />
<br />
Then came Friday the 22nd. Friends had asked me to officiate their wedding. Such an honor! Just between us, this was my first. But I certainly didn't let that stop me! The rehearsal was Friday afternoon at a lovely park in Blount County filled with gorgeous overlooks and boulders, truly an inspirational setting. I went through the ceremony outline the couple had written with them, and the walk-through allowed us to tweak a spot or two. The rehearsal dinner was delicious too -- barbecue and baked beans and chips; there was also pie around but I was too full to eat any, though the aroma certainly tempted me mercilessly..<br />
<br />
Saturday the 23rd was the Big Day for my friends (and me). It started out wet and chilly -- so different from the weekend prior -- but the rain ended early in the morning, long before time for the ceremony. Nerves were stretched tight among the wedding party, and there were a couple of glitches, though nothing devastating. I managed not to cry and ruin my mascara during the ceremony. I did choke up a couple of times which was a good cover for looking at my cheat sheets. Everything worked out, even if not exactly as scripted, and it was beautiful. The bride, the groom, their families, and the joy in their faces made any minor bump just that -- a bump that barely registered. Congratulations, Shannon and Berwin!<br />
<br />
The very next day, Sunday the 24th, the local metaphysical store, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Books-Beans-and-Candles-MS/56719987204?fref=ts">Books, Beans & Candles,</a> held their Ostara ritual. My husband and I offered our yard and fire ring as ritual space again as we did last year. I encourage this practice; it means this social butterfly gets to see more people more often! This ritual was very different than one I led for Hallowed Oaks the last weekend. Rather than ADF COoR, it was an eclectic rite with Wiccan elements including casting a circle and calling the elements/quarters. Even though there was approximately the same number of people standing in ritual as the Hallowed Oaks rite, the energy was far more concentrated with plenty of power raised to fuel our personal workings and to tap into the renewing spirit of spring. This group ritual is always lighthearted and fun with bright colors on the altars and flowers, all the way down to sacrificing a chocolate bunny to ensure fertility in our lives and our lands. There was a potluck feast after this ritual as well. Again, it was plentiful and varied, and I ate myself silly...again...as always. <br />
<br />
So, yes, today, Monday the 25th, I am a little tired. I've spent a lot of metaphysical energy lately, joyously and to great benefit, but still it was a chunk. Now, I will replenish and get set for the next two weekends with a wonderful Easter lunch with my mother and sisters on Sunday the 31st and a 3-day camping trip to Georgia and <a href="http://hawkfestdrumanddancegathering.com/">Hawkfest </a>the weekend after that. Then I have 2 free weekends before Beltaine! I'm gonna be so bored!<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713617926663106076.post-63819469788775759312013-03-25T14:36:00.001-05:002013-03-25T14:36:42.979-05:00What have I been up to?Still a little tired after an extremely busy weekend, mostly energetically/emotionally depleted but sweetly so. A wedding rehearsal, the actual wedding, and a great Ostara ritual with another group, all within 3 days, not to mention being less than week since our own big Ostara ritual with my Hallowed Oaks family. I'll set down the details and my impressions in just a bit. Right now, I'm going back for a nap.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713617926663106076.post-24611962888772823682013-03-13T12:47:00.002-05:002013-03-13T15:16:09.363-05:00Reflections on Feminism (or its lack) in today's cultureBetty Friedan's Feminine Mystique was published 50 years ago. The idea that women had actual rights and were every bit as capable and entitled to the same or equivalent opportunities as men was revolutionary and set a generation on fire. And change happened.<br />
<br />
Fifty years later where are we? The backlash from religious ultraconservatives was and is to be expected. Centuries of being told that women were inferior to men and should be subjugated to male rule "for their own good" made taking the ability to determine one's own destiny from those who wanted to make that determination for you difficult. What is disappointing is the backlash from women of the last two generations and the apathy among teenage girls. The apathy may be more explainable; they simply didn't see the sexism of the earlier generations. They have the opportunities that their grandmothers and great-grandmothers fought to secure; why should they fight to move further?<br />
<br />
No, it is the women in their 20's and 30's that disappoint me more. Instead of taking up the banners of equality and opportunity, they complain that feminists have ruined it for them. Now, they are "expected" to go out and work or are "looked down on" for choosing to stay home. They seem to have forgotten this is not an issue simply about equal pay for equal work or breaking the glass ceiling or being able to choose to go out to work or stay home. The greater goal was and is changing attitudes, changing the mindset. This should be about choice for everyone -- women and men. I heard a woman comment that she was lucky she had a husband who liked to cook and stay home so she could work and go to school. But really she is lucky simply to have that choice. Most men do not feel they have the choice to stay at home or go out to work. If they did, how many would? Would more men take the opportunity to be "house-husbands" and let their wives work?** <br />
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I think younger women continue to think from a position of privilege. As women, we have this choice (in theory -- for some, economics have taken their choices away), and the choices seem mutually exclusive: you can't be one and be the other as well unless you are some sort of superwoman and even then you are ridiculed. This is sexism in disguise. That we as women must have special considerations or accommodations makes us weak. We don't need "special" anything; we need to recognize that we all -- women and men -- deserve the right to exercise our choices. To continue to relegate this to "just a women's issue" and to argue that feminists are hurting women in the long run is to be disrespectful of the achievements of those who fought that today's women can have opportunities. It is short-sighted and pretends the fight should be finished. This attitude ignores the call to take the banner and lead the next wave. <br />
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Human beings as autonomous individuals should have the right to choose in all aspects of their lives. Equal rights regardless of sex, race, sexual orientation, etc, <i style="font-weight: bold;">should </i>be a non-issue in the 21st century. But it's not. And because it's not, I will continue to be a feminist and fight for and promote equal rights for all. <br />
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**All my examples here involve heterosexual couples. Same-sex couples and polyamorous mixed-sex groups lend different perspectives and additional questions. Perhaps we'll explore them at a later time.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713617926663106076.post-52992339708297935402013-03-05T12:06:00.001-06:002013-03-05T12:06:30.499-06:00My thoughts on Faitheist by Chris Stedman.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I read <a href="http://faitheistbook.com/">Faitheist by Chris </a><a href="http://faitheistbook.com/">Stedman</a> as part of Teo Bishop's book club over at The <a href="http://www.bishopinthegrove.com/archives/faitheist-unpacking-1/">Bishop in the Grove</a>. How did I feel reading it? Inspired. He sets an example of strength and perseverance in the face of some hefty obstacles, both personal and cultural. And I want to grow up to be just like him, except for already being twice his age, pagan, straight, and female. Still, I want to be part of building bridges between the different religious and nonreligious communities. . <br />
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Even though this book is called a memoir, it is far more than a string of anecdotes about his life up to a given point. It is a journey from the relative innocence of the love of family through the fervor of belief in God through disillusionment and bitterness back to the fervor of belief in humanity and community and finding his place within it. Many would have simply sat down and kept their opinions to themselves when faced with disdain, disbelief, dismissal, and even violence against their efforts. But Stedman held steady, faithful that building these bridges was the right thing and that telling his story was essential. <br />
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I look forward to watching this very young man work to further the building of bridges between communities for the betterment of the world and its people for a very long time to come. Telling one's story and listening to the stories of others is a simple step that is often overlooked and dismissed in the bigger picture of religion and politics, but it's one that works. Seeing individuals and knowing their motives counters the stereotypes the media attempts to feed us. So, to paraphrase Stedman at the end of Faitheist, what's your story?<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713617926663106076.post-73615123002713949962013-03-03T13:34:00.002-06:002013-03-03T13:34:47.032-06:00BITG Book clubI'm participating in Teo Bishop's book club on his Bishop in the Grove blog. The inaugural selection was Faitheist by Chris Stedman. I got a late start, and due to innumerable reality distractions, I still have a handful of pages left. I'll start adding to the discussion probably tomorrow. Until then, check out Teo's discussion and the current responses. Also, if you've not read the book, pick it up and do so. <br />
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http://www.bishopinthegrove.com/archives/faitheist-unpacking-1/Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713617926663106076.post-73975526692506083242013-03-01T12:59:00.002-06:002013-03-01T12:59:42.826-06:00New beginningsFeeling a bit frustrated today. I had the rug pulled out from under me a couple of days ago, and while I'm actively moving on, today is a bit of a letdown. I had some plans to go out and take care of some errands and now those have had to pushed aside. So, I'm housebound for the moment and a little stir-crazy. I hope my plans come through before the end of the day at least, but right now, I'm still stuck here. So, rather than rant and get angry about things I can't control, I think I'll take a nap. Maybe I'll dream up some creative inspiration in the land of Nod. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713617926663106076.post-69897897726767903932013-02-28T11:55:00.000-06:002013-02-28T11:55:08.240-06:00Rune reading -- Wednesday, Feb 27Three rune draw: GEBO, NAUTHIZ, ALGIZ<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713617926663106076.post-47148368557906063872013-02-25T11:24:00.000-06:002013-02-25T11:24:10.727-06:00Rune Reading -- Monday, Feb 25Three rune draw: Ansuz, Tyr, Wunjo. <br />
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I see it as Listen, Stand Up, Celebrate.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8713617926663106076.post-60673774626989139732012-07-15T23:07:00.000-05:002012-07-15T23:07:17.769-05:00My spirituality is a conundrum, to myself and to others. It encompasses, Neo-Paganism, Druidism, Heathenism, Buddhism, and even atheism. No possible way these things can work together. And yet, for me, they do.<br />
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I don't believe that taking a creation story/myth, any creation story/myth, to be factual is a necessary part of religion. I don't believe that religion is external to the human experience, or at least doesn't have to be so. I don't believe the concept of an external Grand Designer/Creator is necessary for creation of the universe or human existence. The ancients, those that as they became self-aware and reached beyond themselves tried to relate and explain their surroundings, developed these stories, and as they were passed down generation to generation, they became larger and more integral in their culture. In time, probably fairly quickly, such stories grew to be accepted by the general populace as fact. however, there were always those who understood the stories as limited observations and metaphor. Those who looked beyond the stories to search out the evidence and observe the true facts of the surrounding world, scientists. Even in the earliest days of human existence, there were the scientists, those whose curiosity drove to experiment with what was edible and what was not, how to build and create and mimic the natural world.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0