Work-in-Progress Update #3

(Sorry its sideways. I might flip it later.) Well, the most time-consuming yet easy part is over. Now the hard part (that being the border) begins. At least in this phase of production--once I have the yarn its a totally different story. That printed tracing paper is coming quite in handy.
Yes, that was printer ink I was talking about before--boy do I WISH I actually had a tattoo! I've had one planned for years, its just a matter of money.

Work-in-Progress Update #2

I HAVE INK!!!! That is all.

'Life is Good' meme

By now I think we all know I have a love/hate relationship with awards.  I'm very flattered by them, but I also don't like the obligation it forces on people (send this to at least 15 people in the next 5 minutes or you won't be happy ever again in your life!!!!).  That being said, Magaly over at Pagan Culture (http://pagan-culture.blogspot.com/) has nominated me for the Life is Good award, complete with meme.  Now I am quite appreciative, and in an effort to show my appreciation I'm willing to go halfsies on this.  I will answer her questionaire--in my opinion memes are just fun--but I will not be targeting people afterwards.  Sound fair?

1. How old were you when you first showed interest in the written word?

Umm...ya know, I don't really know.  When I was little my mom read to me every night before I went to sleep, and I always enjoyed the stories.  In kindergarten I had trouble putting letters together to make words--I got the letters themselves, but this strange alchemical way in which they came together to make words boggled me.  I do remember my 'Aha!' moment, when I figured out "The".  It was the first word I ever learned to read, and credit goes to my favorite book at the time, "The Berenstein Bears and The Spooky Old Tree".  Once I learned to read, however, I had little interest in reading until somewhere between ages 8 and 10.  I reread a book my mother had once read to me, C.S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.  It was a struggle at first till the book sucked me in.  Then I made the awesome discovery that there were MORE books continuing the story.  That was absolutely amazing to me.  Since that point I have been a certified bookworm--I just have to find a good story.

 

2. What is your favorite old time book and why?

Old time, hmm...bah!  I like Shakespeare, and Poe, and Jane Austin--Macbeth, The Masque of the Red Death, and Pride and Prejudice, respectively.  Older than that?  I love Beowulf and The Canterbury Tales.  In fact I would love to learn Old and Middle English...the growth of the English language fascinates me.  Its the one thing I would actually be willing to teach in a classroom setting.

 

3. Superstitious?

Umm, I'm a witch.  That generally comes with the territory.  My mottos are "There is no such thing as coincidence" and "Expect the Unexpected".

 

4. Are you afraid of the dark or do you chase the things that go bump when the lights are out?

Combo, actually.  If I've watched or read something scary I'm terrified because I know without the slightest bit of doubt that even if I do fight I can't win against...I don't know, the boogey man.  If its something real-world I chase after them (I love ghost hunting).

 

5. Done any skinny dipping lately? Ever? 

I've had multiple chances, but I never have, no.

 

6.  What makes you go "DAMN!" when you look at an attractive person?

A lean muscular body and long hair.  Long hair on guys drives me WILD.

 

7. What do you know about Witches?

....?  Am I really answering this question?  That would take forever...and what I DON'T know about witches would be just as long!

 

8. Environmentally friendly or environmentally terrorist? The last kind would get really pissed if others don't conserve water.

Friendly.  I'm guilty of a lot of 'no-nos' myself, but I am trying.

 

9. Have you been in a strip club?

Nope.

 

10. What was the last book you read?
"Ken's Guide to the Bible".  Really quite amusing.  http://www.amazon.com/Kens-Guide-Bible-Ken-Smith/dp/0922233179

Work-in-Progress Update #1

Well, that was a big resounding flop. Apparently tracing paper, when having lines drawn on it, likes to roll up at any given opportunity and not let you draw the knitting grid lines straight. *grr*

However! I've come up with a solution, and easier in the long run too. I've printed out a smaller version of the banner, cut the tracing paper down to size, and printed the grid pattern onto the tracing paper! One slight problem though; I'm out of ink!! T_T Oh woe is me! *sigh* Ah well...buying ink delays me buying yarn, but I'll get there eventually!!

On Scooby Doo and the Witch's Ghost

I have a love-hate relationship with this movie, I really do.  For those of you who have seen it, you can probably guess why.  The movie attempts to educate the public (through children...bwa ha ha, corruption of a minor!) about wicca.  Unfortunately it does this by making 'Wiccans'--which are apparently some humanoid race with supernatural powers like the Numenor--the good guys, and evil stereotypical hollywood witches the bad guys. 

 

'Oh no, they're not witches, they're wiccans.  They're good people who are in tune with nature and us their special powers to heal, not like those evil witches.'

There's a character Thorn, the band leader of The Hex Girls, who is "1/16th Wiccan on my mom's side."  Yeah...'cause wiccans are a mythical breed of human with superpowers that are slowly dying out.  Thorn's really just like Aragorn from Lord of the Rings, except she's female. 

 

All that being said...when I was alone and starting out on my path, locked securely inside my broom closet, this movie gave me a ray of hope.  Not only did it give me a couple pagan-y songs (which for me didn't exist before this movie) it gave me hope that maybe one day I could be who I was and not be judged for it.  That maybe people wouldn't hear 'witch' and think of a green-faced warty old hag.

 

Despite all the unhelpful things about this movie, I still have a soft spot in my heart for it.  You can tell the writers were trying to be helpful...they just went about it the wrong way, and may have done more harm than good.  But this movie gave me strength, it gave me some great catchy sing-along witchy tunes, and most importantly it gave me reassurance and hope.  For that I am most grateful.

My amazingly Beautiful Bow...

Isn't she gorgeous?! The bow that is...the apartment and the girl are both terribly cluttered and could use a good purging. As within so without, after all. So disregard the clutter and admire the beautiful bow!

To Charge or Not to Charge?

I think its a very good question.  I am applying this question in regards to the charging of currency for a form of Fortunetelling.  This post has been brewing in my head for a good long time--since I was comfortable enough in my beliefs to begin to question them, in fact.

 

You see, when I was first learning my path--and I was in that newbie phase for a few years--a friend informed me that you must never charge for a reading.  I was just learning the runes, and she was an established tarot reader who knew what she was talking about.  Being new to the whole fortunetelling thing I accepted it without question, although I did feel dissapointed that I would never be able to make a living doing something I was already rather good at.

 

Her reasoning was as follows:  The ability to read tarot, runes, palms, astrological charts, etc. is a gift from the gods.  As a precious gift, an ability we have been granted, we should not impose human limitations like currency on it.  As a gift it should be given freely (with perfect love and perfect trust and all that) to those around us, better our fellow man etc., and we have no right to charge (in my mind this translates to "corrupt with money") for something like that.

 

This is all very well and good and sweet and well-intentioned.  That being said, an artist has to make a living.  If someone paints, and they're good at it and they love it, chances are they are going to try and make a living out of it.  The ability to paint is a gift just as fortunetelling is, just as anything you have a natural knack for is (imho).  You would not expect a painter to give their paintings away for free simply because they have a natural gift for it.  As wonderful as life would be if we were all just one big loving commune, real life tends to set it.  If you're going to paint you have to be able to attain the three basic requirements for life:  Food, Water, Shelter.  In order to attain said requirements, one needs the necessary amount of money to pay for them.  In order to attain the necessary amount of money, you need to provide a service (product, labor, time, etc.). 

 

I don't know about you, but I'm very unhappy being a lifeless drone mechanically performing my duties on a weekly basis for a paycheck.  I don't enjoy it, and right now I'm just existing.  Just get through the day.  Just earn the paycheck, spend it, and repeat.  I need to do something I love, something I'm good at, even if it doesn't earn me much of a living.  At least I'd be LIVING.  If I don't find something like that...well, I don't really know what will happen.  I could just slowly die inside.  No, I'm not being melodramatic, if the amount of nervous breakdowns and hysteric crying sessions since I've started this job are anything to go by.  I've become the most antisocial person I know because being around and interacting with people makes it much worse--in fact more often than not social interaction triggers said nervous breakdowns.

 

My point is, I need a job that I enjoy and am good at.  I'm talking enjoy so much that I would be happy doing it day in and day out, and as much as I love all my crafts they just wouldn't fit that requirement.  Reading Runes would.  So would anything related to magick.  Since owning a magick shop isn't in my immediate future, I need a stepping stone in the meantime.  In fact I wouldn't mind being a radio host/dj either, as it involves performing and also qualifies, but I hear they get shit for money.  I don't know what I'll do, frankly, but I think the first step is to offer readings on my currently defunct Etsy shop.  Sure I'll need to actually make get a banner, clean up my profile and whatnot, but I'll be doing something I love and making a bit of a living with it.  Its a start.

 

And no, I'm not just advertising for my new shop (that comes later, when its actually up and running. ;) )  I am however recording my thoughts and feelings at this point in time.  Any thoughts from the peanut gallery?

100TH POST!!!!

....because I had to do something. Still on a quest for tracing paper, and it seems that for now that will be my best bet. ((Did everyone just forget that I existed, or is my idea really the only viable option with my limitations? Who knows?)) In any case, yay 100th post for me. If anyone knows where I can get like a stack of tracing paper let me know!!!

Work-in-Progress...The Beginning

I have determined to pick up a new project...in fact, it is to be the first knitting project I have ever created (besides simple bags and whatnot...). I am creating a wall hanging of the band Omnia's logo.

Now if you don't know what Omnia is, its only the best pagan band evar! Seriously, go check them out www.worldofomnia.com . They allow you to download several of their songs right from the site, including the masterpieces they have put to music such as The Raven (Poe), Jabberwocky (Lewis Carroll), and Witches' Brew (the spell from Macbeth).

I have determined that as this is to be a somewhat lengthy project, I shall be posting in progress pictures as it slowly creeps along.

The first step is to blow up this image, clean it up, and get ready to trace into knitting grids. Yes, I have none of the technology that would make this infinitely easier, so old-fashioned method it is. And yes, the logo does include a triskelle and a crescent moon superimposed over a Chaos Star.


Hmm...Not too shabby. Now the sad part is that the graph paper I have is a) a perfect square, which is not what you want for a knitting grid and b) not nearly see through enough to trace with. Hmph. Suggestions anyone? Find tracing paper, print the appropriate grid on it, and use that you say? Hmm...its a thought. Anyone else in the peanut gallery?

Par~tay, Mad Tea Par~tay!

Will you be joining us, my sweets?

Happy Beltaine!

I don't know how it happened, but I managed to spend yet another Sabbat at Nero (larp). This was the National event, with people traveling from Texas, California, New York, Florida....you get the idea. How far did I have to travel, you ask? 1 1/2 hours. Yup, the National event was held here in humble *snort* little Illinois. Convenient, and I appreciated it. While I wasn't able to celebrate Beltaine with my man yet ;) I did spend a good deal of Saturday doing rune readings. And making a killing off of them! Nero actually mints its own coin, and I made at least 60 gold--quite impressive, really, especially for someone who's only been playing since August.

Business was slow for this humble *snortguffawcoughcough* gypsy at first, but once I managed to get two readings under my belt word spread like wildfire and I was practically booked for the rest of the day! Murmurs spread of the gypsy fortuneteller who was 'scary good'...everyone had to see for themselves. I charged five gold per reading (pretty cheap actually...gypsies usually employ themselves with massages and charge 10 gp), but the trend soon took hold that if I did a good job people tipped me five extra! I did NOT start this, I swear...all it took was one Noble who was really thankful for her reading, and it was an avalanche effect! I was consistently making the five extra too...even with those few skeptics who made derogatory remarks on how my runes helped me to 'guess'.

But boy, I have to tell you I was wiped after that. I passed out by midnight and missed meeting the Great Sage Dragon. :(

No, it wasn't the most traditional Beltaine. I didn't light incense and hold a ritual and *ahem* ensure a good crop the traditional way. But really, I had a day full of fire, energy, adventure, and plying my craft. What more could I ask for? It may be non-traditional, but it sure as hell works.