Ostara 2023

It's been a while, but just wanted people to know what's been going on: Happy Full Moon! I'm in MN until 3/21 for Paganicon and other events. The weather really sucks. It's snowing a lot and barely above freezing during the day. I was diagnosed with acute bronchitis on Monday with acute morbidity without immediate treatment. I started antibiotics, steroids, and cough meds. My doctor faxed in all the prescriptions as urgent, and told me they would be ready in 20 minutes; and they were! They can usually take hours to days to obtain. I was feeling better the next day! I'm staying with my Minnesota Vikings, and they are taking great care of me which is why I went ahead with my trip rather than staying home alone. I've spoken with our HP Daniel, and we shall celebrate Ostara on Sunday March 26 at the Wave Organ in SF at Dawn with a ship offering. Crash space available at Capt. Patt's Satyrday night. Contact him or me if you need it. We shall also have a shield and egg decorating party at Patt's from 6-9 pm on March 25. Tomorrow, Friday, I'm giving a lecture on the runes at a local meadery, and Saturday will be their kindred, Daughters & Sons of Yta's, Ostara. I'll be at the event but staying inside a heated building. The after party will be at Shane's including his sauna, but I'm not going outside if I don't have to, and will likely pass up the party, too. By next Friday, I wish to be much better as I'll be attending, vending, and presenting at PaganiCon in Plymouth, MN. The vending room is open and FREE to the public. I have a great spot. I'm the first booth as you enter the hall on the right. My presentation is on Sacred Spaces in the Baltics. On Walpurgisnacht, I'll be officiating at CL Hankins' memorial symbel in Indianapolis. He incorporated the American Vinland Association and was one of my original board members when I was the first Steerswoman of the Ring of Troth. He also made a 'travelling altar' that made many appearances at Ravenwood. At the end of June, I plan to attend the European Congress of Ethnic Religions in Riga, Latvia. I have been named an 'Elder' in the Romuva tradition. All for now. Need more liquids and rest.

Holy Solstice

This is my first post since Covid! I feel like I've just come out of a coma. Have a blessed Yule! From Maryte Danute 1 The Baltic bit is a bit wrong. Saule dies during the solstice and it is through our songs she is reborn. The Lithuanian word for December, Gruodis, means death as that is when the sun dies. THE DEER MOTHER * Written by Freyja Mae Lomas In a time long before Santa flew across our skies, it was the female reindeer who drew the sleigh of the sun goddess at Winter Solstice. Today it is not Rudolph that adorns our Christmas cards and Yule decorations but the deer mother’s beloved image. Because unlike the male reindeer who sheds his antlers in winter, it is the doe who retains her antlers, and it is she who leads the herds in winter. 18 The Northern tribes in the Neolithic era depended on reindeer to survive, the earth was much colder then and the reindeer more widespread, the female reindeer was especially venerated by the northern people. She was the “life-giving mother”, the leader of the herds upon which they depended for survival, and they followed the reindeer migrations for milk, food, clothing, and shelter. 19 Through the lands of Scandinavia, Russia, Siberia, Britain and across the land bridge of the Bering Strait, the deer mother was revered as a spiritual figure associated with fertility, motherhood, regeneration, and the rebirth of the sun. Her antlers adorned shrines and altars, buried in ceremonial graves, and were worn as shamanic headdresses. Her image was etched in stone, woven into ceremonial cloth and clothing, cast in jewelry, and painted on drums. And across the northern world, it was the Deer Mother who took flight from the darkness that engulfed the northern lands to bring light and life to the new. 20 The red and white colors of Yule are thought to descend from Siberian legends. Folktales tell how shamans, dressed in red suits with white spots, would collect the Amanita Mushroom (the archetypal red and white mushroom) in large sacks, then dry them over a fire and deliver them via his reindeer sledge to the community as gifts at the winter solstice. The extra spring in the steps of the reindeer due to them feasting on these mushrooms is the reason the reindeer are said to have taken flight. 21 While many historians observe the link between Santa’s garb and the red and white amanita mushroom ingesting shaman, few mention that it was the female shamans of Siberia who originally wore red and white costumes trimmed with fur, horned headdresses or felt red hats. The traditional ceremonial clothing worn by the Sami women healers of parts of Sápmi (Lapland), were green and white with a red peaked hat, curled toed boots, reindeer mittens, fur lining and trim. Sound familiar? 22 The Reindeer was a sacred animal to our ancient ancestors of Northern Europe. The doe was seen as the giver of light and life and is linked to many ancient goddesses of these areas. 23 Beiwe is a Sun Goddess of the Sàmi, the indigenous people of whom the Northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, and most of the Kola Peninsula call home. The Sàmi are reindeer herders who rely on the reindeer for their survival. In Sàmi folklore, Beiwe nourishes them and their herds and helps her people maintain mental health during the difficult months of darkness. In their stories of her, she flies through the heavens on the Winter Solstice with her daughter, Beaivi-nieida (sun maiden) in a ring of reindeer antlers flinging fertility and life back onto the land. At the Winter Solstice, warm butter (a symbol of the sun) is smeared on doorposts as a sacrifice to Beaivi so that she could gain strength and fly higher and higher into the sky. 24 Rozhanitza, the Slavic Winter Goddess is associated with reindeer and the Winter Solstice. She is depicted as a horned Goddess with reindeer antlers. Folk art of red and white embroideries were made of her for solstice celebrations. On her feast day, December 26, cookies made in the shape of deer were given and eaten for good luck. 25 Saule, the Lithuanian and Latvian goddess of light and the sun, took to the skies on the Winter Solstice in a sleigh pulled by antlered reindeer. She journeyed with the aid of her smith, who forged a golden cup in which to catch her tears which then transformed into amber. During her flight through the heavens, she threw these pebbles of amber, like little bits of sun to the world of humans below. She was a spinning Goddess who used her skill to spin the rays of sunlight onto the world. 26 Horned Goddesses are found in the Celtic world also. Ellen of the Ways, in her most ancient form, was the Guardian of the Leys, the ancient track ways. As a Horned Goddess, she led the way on the migratory tracks of the reindeer. 27 Esther Jacobson in her book, The Deer Goddess of Ancient Siberia, concludes that the deer images found throughout the early nomadic and semi nomadic cultures of the vast steppe and mountainous regions of Eastern Europe and Asia are evidence of a Deer Mother as the source of life and death. 28 "We can learn from the wisdom of the past, a time when humans understood more clearly our tiny part in the cosmic web of life. and the necessity of honoring the earth and all its life. At this time when the shadow side of human nature once again seeks dominance through naked self-interest and the promotion of fear and hatred of others, let us remember and honor the ancient’s belief in the Reindeer Goddess, the Sun Goddess and the Mother’s Night when She both flies high in the sky and dives deep into the earth to nourish and promise a renewal of life in the coming spring. Though it may be dark now, the light will return”.

Long Story Shorter

  

I've had a lot of trouble lately with my kindle which I use for a camera. For over two weeks I wasn't able to receive photos from it which were sent to my e-dress.

 

But, I called my favorite 20-year-old, and John came over and fixed it. Then it was Halloween, and I'm just now catching up on my postings, so I thought I would share my most recent painting, and only my second acrylic painting of a black cat for Halloween. This painting was a long story, too. I had signed up for an online painting class, and about halfway through, the lady who was teaching the class lost the broadcast, and I was unable to get back on her class, but did manage to finish it.

 

Picture one is just the painting, 

and the other a 'Ready for Halloween' tableaux.

 

Enjoy November and stay safe!

 

Been a While, But I Didn't Travel Very Far

 

I have the nicest neighbor. So far over the past year he has fixed the roof on my carport, built a new fence between us [the old one was falling apart], and just yesterday he finished this piece of curb between our properties.

 

Last year, one of my dearest friends, Kim Currie, died in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. This year I had planned to spend my birthday in Hamilton with a lot of our Canadian friends; and not only her death, but the virus struck. She and I were notorious as the "Bad Girls" at WicCan Fest, and we hostessed many a "lewd, rude, and crude" event.

 

It is a custom of mine to plant a tree in memory of dear ones to me who have passed. Isaac planted this lemon tree exactly between our homes when the Moon was waxing in Pisces. We shall share the fruit with all of our neighbors.

New this century!

Some of you have already seen these photos of the car I want, but here's the follow up as well: My first car this century! PT update: https://stockton.craigslist.org/cto/d/tracy-2005-chrysler-pt-cruiser-turbo/7015904251.html   Drove to Tracy today [11/12] to check out the purple PT cruiser, and it's wonderful, [even under the hood, some of the parts are purple] and I made a down payment, and will probably pick it up this Sat. [or next Tuesday if  the checks haven't cleared]. I was going to have my old Toyota painted, but the Maaco in Antioch has closed! I was going to take it to the one in Fairfield next week, but don't have to since I'll have a new [for me] car.    And, for more serendipity, on my way back from Tracy, I stopped at my nearest-to-home gas station to wash the dirt off of my windows [between the smoky dust, morning dew, and bird do, they needed it]. The man at the pump across from me came over, and said that he worked at a nearby body shop, and, would I be interested in having a 6" square of white paint on the edge of my left bumper removed? "How much?" "$15," he said, "and I can do it while you wash your windows." "Okay," I said [that paint blotch had been bothering me for a couple of months], "It really needs a new paint job, but Maaco's closed," I lamented. "It doesn't need a paint job, it needs a 'clear coat.'" "How much does that cost?" "I can do it for $120," he replied, "Let me give you my number. Are you interested in selling the car? Call me when you are. . . ."   What a nice day! My front bumper looks great. My first time in Tracy, too.   Have I told you how much I like my sleepy little beach town? Often, and for good reasons.

Main Frankfurt

After my peaceful stay in the German countryside, I took the bus back from the Hahn airport to the Frankfurt train station. Riding through Frankfurt, my impression was that it's huge and impersonal like Chicago. Supposedly, my hotel, the Tokyo Inn was close by. It was! It was literally around the corner from where the bus dropped me off. I don't think the bus could have dropped me any closer. It's a big chain that's very convenient, well equipped, and comes with a free European & Japanese style breakfast buffet, including miso soup. I really thought of Kim. She was so interested in Japan and Japanese culture and had been there many times. [At this point, I hadn't heard that she'd died.]

By the way, the blue in these paintings is the original 'Prussian Blue.'

 Although the room was small, it was quiet, and did have many amenities including a safe, and a soaking tub in the bathroom to go with the Japanese toilet which basically does everything but the dishes, and you can make the seat warm or cool.

I was tired, so I went to the train station to buy some munchies - there was even a Burger King in the food court, but I settled for some ham & cheese croissants, and a marzipan one, too. On my way in, I noticed a man sitting on a bench, and it looked like he had a cigarette hanging out of his nose!

As I drew closer, I saw that it was too thin to be a cigarette, so then I pondered why he had a lollipop stick in his nose. As I drew even closer, I was appalled at the condition he was in. His eyes were closed. And I still have no idea what the white stuff was that was dripping out of his nose, and he might have been dead. I did report him to one of the security guards. 

After I bought my munchies, I went out of the station and took the street back towards the hotel since I didn't want to see that guy again. I was cutting through some bus stop areas when I went past two young Asian men sitting on a bench in one of the bus shelters snorting a white powder off of one of the guy's Rolex. Welcome to Frankfurt!

I enjoyed my quiet dinner and my single malt, took a long bath, and actually slept quite well.

The next day I spent shopping and exploring after ravaging the buffet and washing it down with three cappucinos. I went to a currency exchange to buy some Romanian money, checked out some galleries, had lunch, and went back to the hotel for a while.

Later in the afternoon, I went for a walk down by the river.

On my way I passed this bench near the river, and loved the chair someone had put out.

There was a lovely outdoor restaurant on the river bank, and I went inside to check it out. Unfortunately, it was a seafood restaurant, and I can't eat it. But, while I was there, I decided to use the restroom. The picture below is of the baby-changing station. Just adorable.

Walking across the river at sunset.

Headed back to the hotel, but didn't find any restaurants I liked. So I headed across the street from the other side of the train station, and found an Irish pub that looked great, but it was packed to the gills with people watching a soccer game. I kept going down this large street away from the train station when I passed this "Canadian Street Food" restaurant!  What!! I've never even seen a Canadian cuisine restaurant [except maybe Tim Hortons?], and I live near SF. What could their cuisine be? Only thing I could think of was poutine? Jackpot!

Couldn't believe it; had to try it.

 Picture's kind of dark, but it says BBQ Pulled Pork Poutine.

Poutine is delicious, but is not really on anyone's diet.

I went in and ordered the Montreal Poutine [What do you think, Alex?]

It came with mushroom gravy and a side of mayonaise, and was pretty good.

Sated, I returned to the hotel and packed for my flight to Bucharest on the morrow.

Arose early, had another good breakfast, and took the train to the airport.

Bye, bye, Toyoko Inn - I'll be back October 14th to fly back to Dayton.

frankfurt v. frankfort

Silly me! When I booked my trip to Frankfurt [Main], I thought I'd

booked a room at Frankfurt, but it was Hahn, not Main. Right airport,
wrong town. The man at the info desk at Main called Hotel Venezia
for me, and they told him they were 100 km away, and there was no
shuttle. They told him I could cancel my reservation, but then I might
have the same problem, and would just have to spend more time
dealing with it after a loooong flight from the US. He also told me
there wasn't anything to do in Sohren, except that it was close to the
Hahn airport.

So I decided to take the bus to Sohren, Germany, rest up, and make
plans later. It was a beautiful trip through the brightly-colored
countryside. The Hahn airport is one of the smallest I've ever seen,
and it had the best prices as well. I went inside the terminal, which
was more like a small shopping center, and asked at information for
them to call the hotel. While I waited for the shuttle to arrive, I had
cappucino for one euro, and raspberry gelato for 1.5 euro! Sohren is
absolutely charming, and I'm glad I stayed! I did change my four-
night reservation to two, since I was flying out of Frankfurt Main to
Romania. My hosts were great, their on-site restaurant was excellent.
I had dinner there the first night of his tortellini and a beer, and when
I paid the bill, he asked about adding the room to it? After he did that,
his wife came out of the kitchen and told him I was staying another
night. "Really? Almost all our guests only stay one night.'' [He's
Italian, and his wife was born in Sohren.] It was a very restful visit.
I think I'll let the photos speak for themselves.

Does anybody know what time it is?
Does anybody care? [lobby clocks - none of which have the correct time]

This hotel was absolutely beautiful. The restaurant had a cigarette machine in its foyer!
When did you last see one of those? Actually, the streets of Sohren were spotless,
except for the occasional cigarette butts.

So, the next day, I walked up the hill to find a bank, but they were all closed. Good news is everyone
took Visa, and I figured I could find a currency exchange in Frankfurt. It takes a max of 20 minutes
to walk from one end of town to the other, even dawdling, but I really enjoyed this glimpse into a
tiny town in Germany.

This was a war memorial about halfway up the hill.

Just next to this lovely window was an amazing local bakery. I had a coffee and pastry and listened to "If You're Going to San Francisco" on their radio. Fortified, I continued my trek on up the hill [and I went back early the next day for coffee and more goodies for my plane trip later.]

Heading back down from the bank view.

Hard to see, but I enjoyed watching this man trim and pick his grapes.

Another interesting building purposely painted this way.



Had to stop here - a cross between an Eastern European deli and a Dollar store.

Gothic church and view of nothing beyond it.



Rainbow paint store next to the lane back to the hotel.


Cool junque in the lane close to my hotel. Note the ancient John Deere in next photo.





Gorgeous window on the landing on the way up to my room.

My sink is amber, and the toilet is purple.
I went to their restaurant for dinner. I think they were my best choice. I checked out the menus at the other three in town. Tonight I tried the canneloni with more beer, and when I visited their restrooms, the women's fixtures were a dark rose porcelain, and the men's [I was the only person downstairs, so I peeked] were lime green. Amazing color schemes, but didn't take my camera with me.
Leaving tomorrow. More later.