A holiday song

I was given an MP3 player for Christmas this year, and when searching for some new songs to listen to I came across this fun Christmas/Solstice one.
Wishing you all love and peace this season, whatever your faith.
Enjoy



The Christians And The Pagans

Amber called her uncle,
said We're up here for the holiday,
Jane and I were having Solstice,
now we need a place to stay.
And her Christ-loving uncle watched his wife hang Mary on a tree,
He watched his son hang candy canes all made with red dye number three.
He told his niece, Its Christmas Eve,
I know our life is not your style,
She said, Christmas is like Solstice, and we miss you and its been awhile,

So the Christians and the Pagans sat together at the table,
Finding faith and common ground the best that they were able,

And just before the meal was served,
hands were held and prayers were said,
Sending hope for peace on earth
to all their gods and goddesses.

The food was great, the tree plugged in,
the meal had gone without a hitch,
Till Timmy turned to Amber and said,
Is it true that you're a witch?
His mom jumped up and said, The pies are burning, and she hit the kitchen,
And it was Jane who spoke, she said, Its true, your cousins not a Christian,
But we love trees, we love the snow, the friends we have, the world we share,
And you find magic from your God, and we find magic everywhere,

So the Christians and the Pagans sat together at the table,
Finding faith and common ground the best that they were able,

And where does magic come from? I think magics in the learning,
Cause now when Christians sit with Pagans only pumpkin pies are burning.

When Amber tried to do the dishes,
her aunt said, Really, no, don't bother.
Amber's uncle saw how Amber looked like Tim and like her father.
He thought about his brother, how they hadn't spoken in a year,
He thought he'd call him up and say, Its Christmas and your daughters here.
He thought of fathers, sons and brothers,
saw his own son tug his sleeve, saying,
Can I be a Pagan? Dad said,
Well discuss it when they leave.

So the Christians and the Pagans sat together at the table,
Finding faith and common ground the best that they were able,
Lighting trees in darkness, learning new ways from the old, and
Making sense of history and drawing warmth out of the cold.


Dar Williams

WHAT YOU DO WITH WHAT YOU'VE GOT

I have been listening to this great song, sung by Eddie Reader and written by Si Kahn.
I love the lyrics and it gives me goosebumps to listen to the song.

WHAT YOU DO WITH WHAT YOU'VE GOT
(Si Kahn)

You must know someone like him - he was tall and strong and lean
With a body like a greyhound and a mind so sharp and keen
But his heart just like a laurel grew twisted round itself
Till almost everything he did brought pain to someone else


It's not just what you're born with
It's what you choose to bear
It's not how big your share is
It's how much you can share
It's not the fights you dreamed of
It's those you really fought
It's not what you've been given
It's what you do with what you've got


What's the use of two good legs
.....if you only run away
What's the use of the finest voice
.....if you've nothing good to say
What good is strength and muscle
.....if you only push and shove
And what's the use of two good ears
....if you can't hear those you love

Between those who use their neighbours and those who use the cane
Between those in constant power and those in constant pain
Between those who run to glory and those who cannot run
Tell me which ones are the cripples and which ones touch the sun

Aldarian

Well I have a new virtual home.
I have moved into the realm of Aldarian.

I looked at many different realms, but never really felt at home in any of them. Then I was pointed in the direction of this new single sim realm.
As soon as I arrived I liked it. It is well made by someone with an eye for beauty and a nack for atmosphere.
It is only one sim, but it has all the elements for a good roleplay place. Homes for elves, fae, human and dark (although not really for dragon's, unless there is something in the sky I have yet to see, not enough space for dragons I guess)
Castle, village, gypsy camp, church, stone circle, ships, pub, blacksmith, guild buildings etc. They have packed lots in, yet it still feels natural.
The only thing missing is some secret places (like the great ones in Carmarthen) for rogues and the like. Perhaps I just havn't found them yet!

Then I heard that the admin/creative team was EU and UK based ,what more could I want.
I approached them and expressed an interest in joining as a healer and they kindly let me set up in a small roundhouse near the church. I now have two others who have said they would like to be healers also and am planning a get together, and possibly holding some basic RP classes for newbies as well.

Last night spent my first ever full ball in a RP realm (usually I have to go to bed halfway through). Finally something scheduled at a good time of day!!
I am in heaven.

SL Update

Finding Carmarthenshire a little frustrating at the moment.

They closed the realm a few weeks ago, with the promise that it was being redone and would be up and running again soon.

However all work seems to have stopped, nothing new seems to have appeared or disappeared in the last week or more and it all looks mess. Half finished buildings, old items left around, things floating in the air etc...
I wouldn't mind too much if I knew what was happening, but there have been no new announcements from the people in charge and I am unsure if it is progressing or not.
Meanwhile I pay my rent simply to have a home place to land in and wonder how long it will remain.

I wish I was rich enough to have my own place, I would love to do some more building and creating. Or that Carmarthen would let Hobbit and I loose on the realm to finish things... *grins
I have even started looking for a plot of land to rent somewhere else, or perhaps a quiet sandbox.... feeling the creative frustration building.

Malakyte has asked me to make her some more animations for the Clerics in Triskele, (I was glad they liked my first one, although I was not totally happy with it. Funny shoulder things happening!) so that is something to get on with I guess.
I just wish I had a roleplay place of my own. (will start looking again soon I think)

The only joy has been some pretend Avatars in the pub, a swarthy lot, who I have had lots of fun chatting to. They are remotely controlled (speech wise) by Draco and I nearly got in a fight with the barmaid the other night, shame she cant move *chuckles.
I must resist the temptation to place a party hat on one of their heads!

Sacred Season

I was reading a bedside book which a friend gave me,(Earth Prayers, from around the world) this morning and came across a poem which has an essence of what I was trying to say with the previous blog. So I thought I would share it.
.......

O sacred season of Autumn, be my teacher
for I wish to learn the virtue of contentment
As I gaze upon your full-colored beauty,
I sense all about you
an at-homeness with your amber riches.

You are the season of retirement,
of full barns and harvested fields.
The cycle of growth has ceased,
and the busy work of giving life
is now completed
I sense in you no regrets:
you’ve lived a full life.

I live in a society that is ever-restless,
always eager for more mountains to climb,
seeking happiness through more and more possessions.
As a child of my culture,
I am seldom truly at peace with what I have.
Teach me to take stock of what I have given and received;
may I know that it’s enough,
that my striving can cease
in the abundance of God’s grace.
May I know the contentment
that allows the totality of my energies
to come full flower.
May I know that like you I am rich beyond measure.


As you, O Autumn, take pleasure in your great bounty,
let me also take delight
in the abundance of the simple things in life
which are the true source of joy.
With the golden glow of peaceful contentment
may I truly appreciate this autumn day

~Edward Hays

A forgotten harvest

Soon my children will be having their harvest festival at school. They will sing songs about the bounty of the earth, tell us to think of those who do not have enough to eat and read poems about Autumn. Parents used to be encouraged to bring food into the school which was collected up and taken to a local old peoples home, but this is no longer the case.
A couple of years ago we collected all the food but the care home didn't want it because it contained fresh veg from some of the parents gardens. I presume this was some sort of health and safety thing, either that or they just didn't know what to do with fresh vegetables.
Any harvest festivals I attend now, seem to consist of lots of tins of baked beans and spaghetti hoops.

It makes me sad that this country just doesn't 'harvest' anymore.
The children sing about the Earths gifts but how many accept (or even understand)them? Harvest is solely for farmers now, and is done from the back of huge machines.
Fewer and fewer people collect apples from the tree's, pick brambles from the wayside, know the fungi to eat or grow their own small harvests.

Something has been lost.
The apples sit and rot under the tree's.

It's not the food, we all have plenty of that, it is the recognition of the Earths seasonal gifts to us all and it is the thankfulness to creation for caring for us in this way.

I wonder how many other 'harvests' we have forgotten?
What else are we forgetting to bring home and be thankful for?
Our health? our friends and loved ones? our gifts in life?

I hope that each of you has a Harvest of your own this Autumn and that it sustains you and you are thankful.


...and if you want some of my apples, I have tons. (this is one basket of three from a single tree, there is only so much apple pie I can make!)

Gory Stories

This past week people have been asking me what I did to my finger and I have taken great delight in telling them.
It has been almost worth the accident just for the fun of watching peoples faces change as I explain what happened. The concerned smiles turn to shudders and winces, and they wonder if they should have asked at all?

But they keep asking...

Humans like a gory story, especially one they can picture doing themselves. Perhaps it's the 'what if?' factor.
They think what if I had done that? how would I have reacted? If I had cut myself?, broken my arm?, crashed the car?, fell off that? would I have fainted?, cried?, stayed calm?... and by thinking these things they get as close as they could to exploring the thing (without suffering the pain) and feel more prepared.
Or maybe its just simple curiosity and the joy of a brief shudder and wince and then a thankfulness that it wasn't them after all.

In any case, you can explore the feelings yourself and have a look at my poor finger, but only if you want too....*hehe
....
...
..
.
.
.
.

Ouch!

Apologies to my second life friends if my typing is even slower than normal in the next week or so, but I have had a bit of an accident.
Making dinner tonight and slicing through our lovely home grown beetroot, I forgot the golden rule 'keep you fingers out the way when slicing beetroot'. Consequently I have just come back for the minor injuries clinic with a bandaged finger, having cut halfway through the top of it, nail an all. Doh!
They have bandaged the two middle fingers on my left hand together and I am back to one handed typing.
Boo!

Being creative

Inspired by Malakyte and all the work she has been doing in Triskele, I have come up with an idea (some help from Hobbit)for a 'welcome to the realm' type of quest in Carmarthenshire.

The idea is to give new people something to do when they arrive, even if the realm is quiet, and to help them to find their way around.
It involves a kind of treasure hunt (I know, I know, its not that interactive, but it is easy for beginners to do) at the end of which the player will have gained the 'keys to the realm' and explored most parts of it also.
I have passed the demo's and ideas to Oracle and will wait and see what she thinks.

I wont go into quest details, but what i wanted to share with you all was a couple of things which have helped me with it.
First the video's of the fantastic Torley Linden, especially the one on how to make tiny prims (so I could make the keys)
and second a fab site which makes basic scripts for you...genius!
A huge thank you to Torley and Hilary Mason and people like them, for giving so much free time and idea's to us all.

I will let you know what the realm think of my quest.

Long live Carmarthen?

Sadly things in my RP home don't seem to be getting any better now that everyone has come back from holiday.
In fact they are breaking apart...

The realm changes every time I enter it... not small changes... huge ones, like a whole hill and church vanishing overnight, and I have no idea what the grand plan is...my worry is that those managing the realm don't either.
I had a very bemused visit from the good knight Kendell the other day, he came back from a spell away and couldn't quite believe what had happened. We both tried desperately to RP our way around it, but sadly there is no RP plan in it.
I wish the realm would just shut.. sort itself out.. and then re-open.

I have tried hard this time not to get to involved too early, and I am very glad I did as tensions seem to be running high in the admins.
I find the whole thing very sad however, as the realm has so much promise, it just needs a stronger purpose.

I still hold a glimmer of hope... but time will tell

The best medicine.

You have probably all seen it before, but I thought I would share it just for fun and because it made me laugh.

Silence

When I was at college, there was someone in the year above me who wrote poems. Many of his poems still toss around in my head. I have no idea if he ever published them, or even what his full name was, but I thought I would share one with you.

Silence

A thousand stuttering words
Could never match
The eloquence
of a silence
and the library of context
in which it is heard

.

Childish?

I was shopping today in a large supermarket, and watching the other people as they walked around the shop.
I was thinking about my Second Life, full of dragons and dwarves, orcs and fairies, and wondering if any of the people passing me also had this kind of other identity.

We all look like fairly normal, everyday grown-ups, going about our grown up business. Planning dinner parties, packed lunches, picnics and midnight snacks, but some of us play 'childish' games as well.

When we are kids we play games pretty much non-stop, my children spend hours and hours in fantasy worlds of their own making, in make believe, and wild abandon. As we get older we are taught that its not appropriate to run down the street laughing, or dress up as a princess, wonderwoman or a tiger called Twinkletoes, or to make sandcastles and get muddy just for fun.
But do we really lose the urge to do these things?

Many of us seem now to turn to computers to give us the play we want, either on our PlayStation's, Xboxes, Wii's or in Second Life. This seems to be the acceptable face of adult playtime. Tucked away in our studies, or in front of the sitting room TV, private and hidden from disapproving stares.

But when I was a girl, I spent hours and hours playing beside the canal in Edinburgh. Riding my bike, making dens, catching newts in jam jars and staring at leeches with fascinated horror. I didn't really care what people thought of me, I was just so amazed and lost in everything.
I suspect many adults might sometimes like to do that now, but we just don't, because we might look silly and its not 'proper' for adults to behave that way.

Childishness is seen as weak, foolish and stupid.
I would rather look at it as innocent, inquisitive and fun.

When I am an old lady I hope I will still roll up my trousers and wade into rock pools looking for creatures.

Fun in the Shire

Well I finally have some Second Life news

After spending a month or so getting a feel for Carmarthenshire, beginning to work in the Apothecary, setting up my cottage in the town, meeting people, drinking mead, doing the grail quest and generally settling in, the realm suddenly went quiet.
It seems everyone is on holiday or busy, all roleplay quests seem suspended until they come back and the place has been a little ghost town like.(see picture)

However last night, when out collecting herbs, I was set upon by a very hungry Orc, bashed over the head, tied up and taken to the Orc camp to be munched on for tea!!

(suddenly things were not so quiet after all!)

Thankfully the brave Knight, Sir Kendell heard my screams and yells and came to the rescue.
At first the Knight and the Orc did battle, but it soon became clear, as I was tied up at his feet , that many of the blows directed at the Orc were hitting me.
The Knight then set about convincing the Orc that he would bring him a better meal than me and he set off to kill a deer to bring to the camp.The Orc then placed me in a cage for safe keeping.
While Kendell was gone the Orc weighed up whether he should kill me anyway, put my head on a pike and wave it above the walls and pretend I was still alive.
I was torn between laughter at the Orc putting on a girly voice and prancing around being a 'lady' and terror at the thought that he might actually do what he suggested.

Thankfully I managed to stay alive long enough that Kendell could return having fetched the deer.
The Orc then ordered me to skin it(blrgg) for the him , which I did (not very well) and then while he chewed Kendell and I legged it.
The handsome Knight then gave me a ride home on the back of his horse.

What a great evening!
thanks to the Knight and the Orc

A healthy breakfast

My daughter said to me today that she wanted weetabix for breakfast tomorrow morning as it will make her brainy.
I asked why she thought this and she replied that the teacher had remarked, when one of the other children in her class did well today, that he 'had had his weetabix this morning'.
It reminded me of an advert I enjoyed when I was younger for this cereal, trading on the fact that having it in the morning somehow made you stronger/cleverer/quicker etc..

Surprise surprise, guess what I found on You Tube....

The Knowledge

I was chatting to my daughter the other day, and explaining the story of the Garden of Eden. She wondered why eating from the tree of knowledge (of good and evil) was such a bad thing.
It got me to thinking...
Is having knowledge a good thing or not?
There are certain things which I really don't want to know....how I will die, what war is like, how to kill, what people say about me when I am not around. *grins
There are certain things which I don't care enough about to want to know.... what the FTSE 100 is, who is going to win Big Brother this year, how a traction engine works, the periodic table.
But generally I am hungry for new knowledge and information, I like to see how the world 'ticks', to understand things in greater depth and often I wish was better educated or born clever.
But is ignorance bliss? Is knowledge dangerous?
Would life be happier and more fulfilled if we were largely ignorant of the world, other than our own small area? Would we be less frightened, worried, jealous and unsatisfied if we never saw the world outside?
Probably, but maybe its better that we KNOW whats happening, even if we suffer a little.

What if this question is applied to Faith?.
Do we need to be knowledgeable or ignorant to have faith?
Faith is defined in the dictionary as 'confidence or trust in a person or thing' or 'belief that is not based on proof'' or 'the obligation of loyalty or fidelity to a person, promise..'
Is a person who studies theology, knows the historical background to their Deity, questions, looks for proof, or considers modern contexts, more faithful than the person who simply accepts without question?
Do we need to let go of some of our 'rational', to experience true connection to our Gods?
Like I explained in my post Little Treasures, do we need to hear the music rather than identify each individual instrument. Or will hearing the instruments within the music, increase our pleasure when we see how they blend together.
Is it better to KNOW? or not.
.
Please share your thoughts.

Email disasters.

Have you even sent one of those emails that you really wished you hadn't?

Until yesterday I never had.

Unfortunately a slip of the 'send' button is all that you need to turn a joke into a nightmare.

Its all too easy to be flippant and silly and then regret it.
Sadly it was my work email address too.
I think I may have made things worse by trying to make them better.
*Cringe*

Little treasures

Well here I am, back from holiday, warmed by the sun, washed by the sea and calmed by the rest.

I hope you have all had some time to enjoy being outside in the last two weeks and thank you to all those who wanted to come along with us and do the (rightly pointed out although not intended) 'Parlamay' quest.
.
Before I explain my item for the finding shelf, I want to describe something I realised on this holiday.......
I spend much of my time explaining nature to children, identifying all sorts of creatures, looking for tracks and signs, explaining natures processes and mans effects on them. This means that when I take a walk in the country I see the world around me through those eyes, I see signs of climate change, notice pollution more and tend to keep a sharp eye out for anything of interest and usually have my camera to hand to take a photo for ID purposes or to record something. But I realised this holiday that I have lost something along way.
Its like knowing the songs of all the birds and listening to the dawn chorus.
You listen and hear the blackbird nearby, and then the thrush in the big tree. You hear a robin over there and a dunnock over here. You can hear and identify the birds around you.
You spend all the time concentrating on the instruments but when the chorus is finished you realise you missed the melody.

So my 'moment' this holiday is a moment free from camera's, ID books and learning. It was calm, quiet and simple.
Here it is...
.
"I had been feeling very ill during the holiday with a cough I couldn't shift and running a slight temperature. It was a warm evening and my family wanted to go for a walk through the fields around the village we were staying at. I really didn't feel up to it, so I took some medicine and went to bed with a book while they headed out.
I was reading 'The day I died' a book about near death experiences.
The book was lent to me by my mum in response to the feelings we have all been having since my grandfather died. Watching him and being with him as he left this world have prompted us all to have thoughts of death and made us look at our lives closely. I think my mum thought that this book would bring some comfort, which it did.
After about half an hour I began to feel much better and decided to go out and try and find my family. I knew they had intended to do a circular walk around the village and I thought I could perhaps meet them if I went the opposite direction. Of course I got totally lost (I blame the medication!)
As the sun began to set I came to a slight rise in the road and the corn field in front of me glowed warmly in the last rays. The swallows were high above, their calls distant, there was no wind and the world smelt warm and green.
I stopped and stared,
at that moment I felt completely at peace with the world,
I was not scared of anything, worried about anything, angry, happy, sad.
I just was.
There
in that moment
there was no baggage.
Just me and the world.
at peace.
.
It was a true gift and a treasure.
I stayed there a long time, until the sun finally sank and I began to get cold, then I retraced my steps and headed back"
.
I have no item to share, no photo, just my feelings. I hope they are enough.
I brought back loads of things of course and took many photo's, you can see them on my flikr pages, but nothing compared to those moments on the farm track as the sun set.

If you still have a moment or treasure you want to share please do.

Holiday Findings

We are all away on holiday tomorrow, back in a couple of weeks.

I thought it might be interesting to get you all to leave your computers and enjoy some fresh air along with us.

So the kids and I came up with an idea, take part if you want to.

.

We would like anyone reading this (and we will do it too) to look for some sort of special natural object over the next two weeks.

It could be anything at all, a stone, a shell, a flower, a jewelled bug, anything. But it should grab you, speak to you somehow, evoke some sort of reaction.

When we come back we thought it might be nice to share our objects, either here or on our own blogs. Explain why we like them, where we found them and what drew us to them, give everyone a feel for the moment in time when we spotted that special thing.

Take a picture if you want to, draw, write a poem, express yourself in whatever way you want, but bring some of that good summer feeling online and share it.

.

Love and hugs to you all. Wren and family

A new realm

Back to work today, feeling a little more human.
Teaching 40 kids about the most amazing birds in the world. Great fun.
Last couple of weeks have been a little lost, slightly unreal.

Speaking of unreal......

On the recommendation of dear mister Hobbit, I have been spending some time in Carmarthenshire.

After Triskele it became clear to me that I need to have a roleplay place in SL. Wandering around SL randomly confirmed much of what I felt when I first joined over a year ago. So much of the virtual world is shallow , concerned with commercialism and strangely false. Yet I feel at home in a roleplay environment, where the concerns are more human (or elf, dragon ,fae). More about people, less about money

Weirdly some of the most real encounters seem to come in these doubly unreal places. Perhaps it is because I am slightly shy. Taking on a mantle of 'Wren the villager' or 'Wren the healer' helps me to feel more able to speak to people. The words are still my own and generally come from the heart, but the mask helps (most of the time) to hide any awkwardness.

It probably says a lot about me that I find other SL interactions tricky, and invariable end up on the perimeter feeling like a wallflower. I don't suppose this is a good thing, but its me I guess.

Anyway, it seems for me to 'be' in the virtual world I need roleplay. So Carmarthenshire is being scoped, and so far it's looking very interesting.

For David

For my Grandfather
6th Sept 1921 - 12th June 2008
who looked for the goodness in humanity,
and who carried so much of it within himself.
.
Imagine

.

Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today
.
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace
.
You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one
.
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world
.
You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one
.
John Lennon

Sacred Nature

My husband and I were watching a documentary the other night about the nomadic horse peoples of Mongolia.
As part of this documentary it was noted that they regarded the animals at a particular lake as sacred, the wildfowl and particularly the whooper swans which nested there.
There have been similar documentaries we have also watched recently in which certain cultures or religions hold animals in a high regard, as special or sacred to their Gods.

It occured to me that Christian belief doesn't have this connection to animals and nature.
Is this right?
Thinking back on my Bible stories I cant think of any which venerate animals or nature? (other than the Arc) and I am unaware of any animal sacred to Christians.
I am sure those of you who know your Bible better than me (I am looking at you Old Crone!) might put me right, and I welcome any stories that I don't know about.

But perhaps this is part of the reason I have always felt a little detached from the Christian tradition (that and the role of women, which OC and I were also discussing recently).
I find in my RL as well as my SL, that I gain great spiritual strength from the natural world. For me just 'being' with the world can reveal wonders and beauty which often my everyday life can block.
When I spend time outside I can almost feel the connections that bind us to each other as humans, that connect us to the rest of creation and , I believe, connect us to something greater.

Vulture . by Robinson Jeffers

I had walked since dawn and lay down to rest on a bare hillside
Above the ocean. I saw through half-shut eyelids a vulture wheeling
high up in heaven,
And presently it passed again, but lower and nearer, its orbit
narrowing,
I understood then
That I was under inspection. I lay death-still and heard the flight-
feathers
Whistle above me and make their circle and come nearer.
I could see the naked red head between the great wings
Bear downward staring. I said, 'My dear bird, we are wasting time
here.
These old bones will still work; they are not for you.' But how
beautiful
he looked, gliding down
On those great sails; how beautiful he looked, veering away in the
sea-light
over the precipice. I tell you solemnly
That I was sorry to have disappointed him. To be eaten by that beak
and
become part of him, to share those wings and those eyes--
What a sublime end of one's body, what an enskyment; what a life
after death.

One year on

So my Rezz day has come and gone, and I seem to be back to the start again (only with slightly better hair)

Wandering the vast expanse last night, aimlessly looking for a place of meaning I pondered what SL is, has been and could be.

I first came to SL because of a newspaper article I read about the place which intrigued me. I didn't really know what to expect, I guess I was interested in the technology, the gimmick , the new experience.
What surprised me is that under all this, SL is fundamentally about people, the human race, the human mind.
It is never satisfied with itself.
It is full of emotions, negative (greed, lust, pride, jealousy, anger,) and positive (love, caring, creativity, friendship and joy).
It carries the weight of all the outside influence, the things we are bombarded with in our daily lives, advertising, expectations, the media, our cultural stereotypes. Yet it also frees us from much of this, we can become who we wish, we can loose some of our chains and take to the skies.

It is unlike anything I have ever been a part of and yet so much of it is familiar.
Hidden in the layers and layers of the pulp of human existence are jewels that sparkle. If you are lucky you might come across them before you sink in the quagmire.

So I don my waders, and set off hunting again.
Throw me a rope if I start to sink.

Walking for breast cancer charities

My good friend and work colleague will be walking a marathon through the streets of Edinburgh in her decorated bra in the next few weeks. She is part of a local group who are doing the Moonwalk to raise money for breast cancer research.
I admire her hugely not only because she is doing this as part of the many charity things she is involved in, not just because she has found time to do this despite work and family life (she has 4 kids at home and one away from home), not just because I have a family member who has suffered from breast cancer... but because on top of all of this she has suffered from chronic back pain for a large part of her life and this 26 miles will be all the more of a challenge because of it.

She sent an email to friends that reads..

"Some of you may already know that I am taking part in the 'WALK THE WALK' MOONWALK CHALLENGE, which is a full 26 mile marathon.
This will take place on June 14th to raise funds for Breast Cancer charities. I will be walking within a team of five ladies from my village -'THE KIRKBEAN FLYERS'!.
We have one particular friend who is fighting this disease at the moment, In fact we all know someone who has been affected by Breast Cancer.
As we walk we are celebrating the lives of of the brave ladies who are winning the battle and of those whom we have lost, so I am humbly asking for your support by sponsoring our team.
You can do this by following this link to our fundraising page.
If you don't want to donate this way then cheques or cash gifts will be gratefully received. THANKYOU.
I must go and tend my blisters now!"

If you want to help donate to them it would be well received ,if you want to donate but not online let me know and we can work something out.(removed my email as I am already getting junk mail, the spammers are so quick to pick up on it!!grr)

Burning bridges

Well I finally stopped debating and took some action.

I have left the Clerics Guild for good.
I wrote a farewell note, which I handed to Scyber to send to the Guild as a whole, I packed up all of my things from the guild building and I left.
(I still have my island, and will keep it until I can find another quiet spot to make a natural haven in.)

I realised the only thing keeping me was the people.
I had lost all faith in the stability of realm, the likelihood of anything happening for UK timed people, my search for the natural in the 'realm of castles' and my ability to work with the 'free' roleplay model.
So my heart wasn't truly there anymore. Better to have a cleric who still has faith to lead.
So I say farewell to Parlamay, my created Goddess, and hope that she ends up in safe hands.
I say farewell to all the wonderful clerics who I have had the honour of being with over this year,
and as I approach my Rez day, I look at how I might find future inspiration in Second Life.

Anyone with any ideas?

Freedom

Last night I was inworld for a cleric meeting. It was to be a speakers meeting with our new Divine Emissary Scyber Magne, to go over various Guild things and plan ahead.
Malakyte, Scyber, Alphonsus and myself attended.

I must say it was great to see Alph again after so long, even if it was to see him cut down his involvement in the guild and step down as Emissary.

Anyway it became apparent soon that the meeting was going to take a different tack, when we discovered that the new dark realm ruler Sarin had started his own cleric group, with 9 members worshiping 5 dark Gods who don't even appear in our Pantheon. Then we also discovered that the founder of the group was the realm queen Leanne.

I have spoken briefly to Sarin in the past about another issue, and he seemed OK, just having fun roleplaying and doing his evil thing.
However he has a very different view of the realm than I do I suspect. His world is driven mainly by him, he plays the moment, not the game as a whole, 'If it feels right, go with it'. I guess he's a shootem up player, rather than a strategist.
I tend to over think things, look at the intricacies of the world, feel the threads that bind us and try and strengthen them. I have always played strategy and puzzle games.
I would love to know how the realm leaders play Triskele.

It has always been billed as a freer place than Everwind was, in fact Leanne recently told me in plain words that all Guilds were instructed to NOT copy Everwind in any way.
And yet Guilds were formed, and encouraged to develop and make rules and guidelines and get people involved in 'group belonging', not just individual roleplay.
I was asked to help out, despite wanting to be just a plain acolyte again, and I agreed (foolishly or not)
So for the last 4 months or so, Alph, Mal and I have been working hard to make the guild, form orders, recruit clerics, write spell lists, create Pantheons, provide a place for worship, decide ranks, make tasks etc, etc,... which we have been hard at work doing.

So the question is this. Have we got it wrong?
Is what they want in Triskele a truly free roleplay? one driven by the individual, free to do as they please. Anarchic, independent, dynamic, ever changing and unbound.
Or is it one where the individual is guided by the group? Ordered, loyal, steady, joined by friendship and boundaries, honourable.

One is very different from the other, both can be great in their own ways, both with brilliance and flaws.

If the first is what is wanted, then we have wasted the last 4 months setting boundaries that were not required.
If so, then the Clerics can be freed, to roam where they will *chuckles* do as they please, worship whomever they choose, and I can head off into the ether and find my nature Goddess somewhere else.

Thinking of loved ones

Two people who are very dear to me are seriously ill right now.

One is a young man, father of two, who was due for an operation next week, but due to the serious nature of his illness will now be going for his operation on Friday.

The other is a very old man, who's frail body is slowly giving in, despite his mind being as alert as ever.

I cannot help either of them, other than offer love and support.
This is life.
Full of sorrow and happiness, health and sickness in equal measure, harsh and cruel as well as beautiful.
The past weeks have brought this home hard. I recognise this, but its still difficult to deal with sometimes, our individual insignificance in the nature of the world as a million sorrows are played out under the sky.

Tonight is Beltane, my favorite festival of the year, a time to light the fires for the coming summer, a time of love and fertility, the promise of things to come.
But what awaits us I wonder, as we stride or stumble forward, perhaps the Gods and Mother Nature know.
The path ahead doesn't seem as bright this year.

Decisions

So, I have made some important choices, which hopefully sort things out a little.
I wont be leaving SL altogether, simply cutting down my time there.
I have sent a note out to the order asking if anyone would be interested in becoming Speaker , or if anyone wishes to suggest another person they think suitable. Already I have received a couple of suggestions.
I will stay and get the new person or persons set up, and will remain as a cleric of Triskele and Parlamay, but be able to cut down the time inworld.
I have had a request to hold a cleric meeting, as I think that those in the guild want to know whats happening. But as I have been away I am not sure myself what the status is with our Divine Emissary and the guild. I will try and get inworld a bit this weekend and find out.
I have a small island in Triskele which I have been landscaping, and I think Wren will most likely become a kind of 'cleric of the isle', helping those who visit and quietly growing herbs and sitting by the fire *smiles*

Moving on

I thought I should let you all know that I am seriously considering giving up on Second Life all together.
I have always had a bit of a love/hate relationship with the place, and as the summer gets nearer and the days get longer, I feel the need to spend my free time outside rather than on the computer.
I have been feeling stressed at the idea of coming inworld, and a lot of the fun seems to have gone. I have enough worry in my real life without adding to it with my second life.
There are other reasons of course, and many things and people will be sad to say goodbye to, and part of me feels gut-wrenchingly sad at the thought of leaving, but I thought you should all know how I am thinking at the moment.
Still thinking it through though.
Wren

Brief note from holiday

Greetings all from my fancy hotel!
They have Internet connection in the lobby, so I couldn't resist a wee note to you all.
The hotel is all business suits and briefcases so unfortunately we don't fit in as we are all walking boots and woolly jumpers, but the breakfast is good and they have a small pool so the kids are happy.
We seem to have crammed in a million things in the last few days and my feet ache, but we have all had fun.
Back home tomorrow and back to work on Friday... boo.
See you all soon.
Wren

I have had a couple of meetings in SL the last few weeks with a most interesting person. His SL name is Soren Ferlinghetti, and I referred briefly to his survey in a previous post.
He is an Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Manhattan College, and has been doing some research into virtual worlds, religion and AI.
I have really enjoyed discussing our world with him, he has prompted me to look closely at what I do in SL, what I believe in in RL and how these things meld together (or not), and he seems like a nice guy too.
If your interested you can take his survey here:

http://home.manhattan.edu/~robert.geraci/SLSurvey.html

it only takes a short time to do, you don't have to be religious to do it and the results could be most revealing.
I think he has missed out a few questions which I would be interested in exploring, however the idea's in it are good.

I suspect I will be blogging about some of the things he has got me thinking about soon.
I really like getting a bit of brain ache looking at all this *chuckles*

Off on holiday with the family for a few days now, see you all soon!

A public announcement

Apologies to everyone for my absence in SL recently but RL is very busy. I have been finishing my annual report for work and both my children have had their birthdays this week.
They are 8 years old (today) and 10 years old (Tues just passed), and time with them has flown. In about the same number of years they might well leave the nest and find their own place in the world.

So on that note I wish to make an announcement!


*shouts out loud*........... I LOVE MY CHILDREN!
No apologies for being sentimental, no moaning about parents being soppy over their kids, just the honest truth.

I try and tell my children everyday how much I love them.
There are too many children in the world who never hear these words.

So if you are a parent, or a carer, a daughter or a son,or just have someone you love who you haven't told for a while.
Go tell them you love them, don't be shy, don't feel its silly, just do it, its simple, easy, and can brighten up someones life.

A poem

I found this on anothers blog and thought I would share it.

Anam Cara by Ulrike Gerbig

The sun
Bears you

The wind
Knows you

The rain
Cries you

Water
Holds you

Night
Sends you

Day
Claims you

Valleys
Hills Meadows
Woods Brooks Rivers
Ponds Lakes
Desert
Sea

Pass by

In my heart’s many folds
I carry your image

I feed on your love

Inside
And out

My search for you
Is endless

Your call made me
A pilgrim

I follow
Your song




*in Gaelic Anam is soul and Cara is friend

January 2007

Avatar

If you met your second life Avatar in your real life, what would you say to them?

Avatars fascinate me. How do you feel about yours?
Do you see them as separate from yourself? a part of yourself? a relative, friend, child? a simple picture or a game piece/pawn.
Could you give up your Avatar? how would you feel if you did?.

I have two Avatar's (secrets out!) Wren being my main one, and another (who shall remain nameless) with whom I come online when I want some peace to explore.
Personally Wren and I are very similar and I tend to think of her pretty fondly, like a close friend. She carries parts of me in her , but I don't think she is fully me. Wren allows me to explore parts of myself that perhaps I cannot normally use. She speaks some of my words, but strangely has her own things to say also.
If I had to say goodbye to her forever, it would be very sad.

My alt is a simple game piece, a useful tool when things get too much, but I don't have an emotional connection to her, well not yet. If she had to go, it would be no great loss.

How strange to feel emotionally connected to a virtual character of my own creation. Perhaps its like a computerised piece of art. Artists put much of themselves into the work they do. They often express parts of themselves in their paintings or sculptures, and I am sure they feel sadness when some pieces have to go to new homes.
Perhaps we are all virtual artists, with our moving, speaking, interactive creations.
What do you think?

Many Worlds?

Last night I watched a fascinating documentary called "Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives". It followed the singer songwriter Mark Everett as he tried to understand his father Hugh Everett's scientific theory, and ultimately to try and understand his father better also.

Hugh Everett came up with an interpretation of quantum physics which essentially meant that every time we make a decision or choice we split, and somewhere there exists a universe in which we made the opposite choice to the one we are living now.
I am no scientist and the finer details of this theory leave me baffled, so i wont delve deeper into the science. But it certainly caught the imaginations of many writers, filmmakers and artists. The Parallel universe idea seems to appeal, I suspect because we all wonder, when we look back, what if I had done this? how different would my life be now?

It occurred to me last night that if we apply the theory to Second Life, then there are millions of other second lives also out there,where we have all made different choices.
I wonder what they are like?

On a totally different note, I read a really interesting study of Second Life religion recently, http://nwn.blogs.com/nwn/2008/02/the-soul-of-sec.html
its not finished, but it makes stimulating reading.

A creative mind....

....a blessing or not?

I had my yearly appraisal in my Real Life job yesterday. I was very nervous about it, but it turned out I needn't have been. My boss was very pleased with what I have been doing and said lots of complimentary things about my work in the last year and direction I am taking the team.
I don't take compliments very well, and am quite critical of the work I do, but I do recognise one of the skills which is valued by my boss. I am a very creative person, always have been, and I am always full of ideas. This has been good for my work, and I have been put into all sorts of creative thinking groups. Many of the ideas I have come up with have been taken up by head office, some are seen as best practice and others are now used by teachers across the country. However it can be curse as well as a blessing to have a creative mind.

I was reading Hobbits blog yesterday.. http://hobbitripley.wordpress.com/2008/02/20/stress-top-tips/ .. and Ben had written about not letting things get out of control, about planning ahead. Unfortunately my creative mind often doesn't listen to sound advice like this. When something new comes along that interests me, I invariably get excited about it, my mind kicks into gear and a million ideas come up. Then, being the active doer type of person that I am, I want to make my ideas into reality and thats where things usually start to unravel a bit.
Often the idea is a great one but I don't have the skill or expertise to actually put it into practice.
Or the idea is a rubbish one and I fail to see that until I am halfway through putting it together.
But the most common thing is that there are just too many ideas, and I try and do them all and end up burning myself out or I create lots of half done things which 'could be great'.
I am not very good at delegating either, once I have an idea I usually want to do it all myself.
If I am lucky, which sometimes I am, I will have a good idea, be able to make it happen and enjoy doing it.

I wouldn't change it, I like to be creative and a little chaotic, its who I am. But sometimes I wish I could be a little calmer in my mind.
Perhaps I should take up meditation?

Isn't it funny...

.......you moan about the lack of buses and then three come along at once.

After my gloomy post earlier, it seems fate is determined to show me up.

Arriving in the realm tonight I decided to go explore the new islands. Passing the gyspy camp on the way, I stopped to warm myself at the fire and ended up, three giant mugs of mead later, chatting away. I have missed that kind of RP, I have spent so much time sitting in the guild doing admin.
Unfortunately I crashed and had to re-log, but arrived at the guild to meet two new people, one of whom joined as a Twilight sister, and the other who took away information on the guild to enable her to make up her mind.

Then, glory be, I made contact with Alphonsus, and cleared up about three things in the space of a couple of minutes ,I could have kissed him if I knew how!

Suddenly the realm doesn't seem so gloomy

*whistles a wee tune as she heads off to bed*

Alone

Sometimes I feel so alone in Triskele.
The nature of my timezone means that although I am helping to create RP opportunities in the realm, I have no idea of the master plans. Those who do RP there are more often than not coming online at about 3am my time, just when I really need to be in bed!
If it weren't for Malakyte (Goddess bless you) and the Acolytes in the order, I would have given the whole thing up by now.

For example. We recently received an order from the Queen and Alphonsus, to search for 5 scrolls hidden in the realm. Although its likely that my character Wren would not do this (leave it to the Dawn clerics), the order seemed pretty insistent, so dutifully I went off to find them. In due course I found them all, and they tell an interesting story of the history of the King and Queen.
However it took quite sometime to find them, I met only one other who was searching, and now I have them I have no idea what they are for, why I had to search or what the point of the whole thing was.
Especially as everyone in the realm has just now been handed the story in the general welcome pack.
We have received no notice if the search is finished or ongoing, so I have to advise the acolytes to do it, even if its pointless.
Its probable that the whole thing is being discussed by roleplayers in the twilight hours when I am in bed, but when I am online the place is empty and I am clueless.

The new Guild has arrived, a huge church like building, and it needs filled. But I have no idea of Alphonsus's plans for it. Malakyte and I have been adding things, being creative, filling empty spaces. But its very piecemeal, and some things are simply to fill space until the true furniture arrives. But what the plans are, I have no idea?
Our spell list has yet to be approved so we are powerless, and my acolytes want to know what's going on, but I cant tell them.
And to top it all off Everwind is back up it seems , so Triskele is likely to lose many of its roleplayers back there.

I know that things have been hard for Alphonsus recently with personal illness and other saddening second life things, so I understand his not being around. He has a huge job as leader, and when there are so few of us its even bigger, but I miss his guiding hand and his knowledge of the management to the realm.
I am trying hard to make it work, I love to be creative and enjoy managing things, but I don't want to do it alone anymore.

Some nights I am but a few steps away from packing up and leaving.

(I want to add that Malakyte has been great thoughout this, although she has a million things she is doing, she has taken the time to chat, discuss idea's and help create things for the guild. Thank you Mal!)

I really have to write something....

I have been in Geek for too long methinks!
Even if only to get rid of the last post, its time I wrote something, just haven't been too inspired by anything recently.
A quick Triskele catch up then.
Alphonsus has been off sick (hope you feel better soon) and I have missed him. While he's been away I have been doing all sorts of things, but have been unable to clear them with him, so I hope he approves when he gets back.
I have rented a cottage in Triskele village and set up a temporary Cleric Guild in it. I checked with Wisold (the king) and he said this would be ok, he even waived the prim limit a bit for me, which is good because it is only 80 prims and I have added over 160! I really hope I am not pushing it too much, but I am sure they will tell me if I am.(no more to add now anyhow its all done)
I made some candles and cloaks for the others in Paramay order and I reworded the cleric spell list to make it less mage like (have passed on copies to Alph and Mal for comments).
I have also been having fun creating a few cleric animation's, and am considering having a vendor in the market, but have never sold anything before so I am not too sure about it.
I also have been making a temple, based on some of the things I saw while on holiday in Orkney last year (and I don't mean the inside of Aberdeen children's hospital, which I saw a lot of on that holiday too, long story). I don't know if I will ever have a place for it, but its very enjoyable being creative.
So even though RP is minimal, creativity has been high.
In RL, work is starting to get busy now, so SL will have to take a back seat soon I think.
That's about it, glad to lose the last post (but one day I will post the wonder woman costume picture)

Am I a Geek?

Dictionary.com

geek Slang.
–noun 1. a peculiar or otherwise dislikable person, esp. one who is perceived to be overly intellectual.
2. a computer expert or enthusiast (a term of pride as self-reference, but often considered offensive when used by outsiders.)
3. a carnival performer who performs sensationally morbid or disgusting acts, as biting off the head of a live chicken.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Origin: 1915- 20; prob. var. of geck (mainly Scots) fool < D or LG gek]


*chuckles*
Well I certainly have never bitten the head off a chicken, but I was wondering about my relative geekieness the other day.

I was attending a parents meeting at my kids primary school, and when chatting to a couple of other mums, mentioned that I spend some of my time in Second Life. After briefly describing the place to them, I got a look of complete bafflement, and a polite smile.
Most 'normal' people I meet and chat to about this can't understand it, and god forbid what they would think if I were to mention dragons, hobbits and elves being friends. My husband would term me as a geek I guess.
I have always thought of a geek as a young adolescent boy, who spends his time quoting Star Trek, doing difficult maths, reading comics and playing computer games. I never considered that I might fit this category too.

I do play computer games and always have, but not obsessively.
I have watched Star Trek in the past, but I cant speak Klingon and have never attended a convention.
I used to read comics, and still seriously respect certain comic artists and writers.
I have read many Sci-Fi/Fantasy novels, although I have read many other kinds of books too.
My maths is awful, although I do have a very logical brain and enjoy puzzles and codes of all sorts.
I am certainly shy and awkward in busy social situations, and have always been a little 'odd' (in a nice way)
and now I spend my evenings playing with Gods and Goddesses, fairies and orcs, in a virtual world.

I blame it all on my mother making me a Wonder Woman costume for my 6th birthday

Perhaps I should be termed Geek, embrace the geek in me and declare it proudly. But I really wish that others could understand and not look at me as if I am not quite right *grins*

The Good, the Bad and the Neutral

Things in Triskele are a bit all over the place at the moment. Bri, the leader of the clerics guild has resigned, and there is a feeling that he was pushed rather than give a golden handshake. I have no idea what it was all about, and I don't really want to know, but I have been plodding along in my UK timezone, working on Parlamay as I go.
From reading Malakytes blog, it seems that Alphonsus will be taking over as leader, so I am sure he will inform us all of the situation once he's 'in post'.

I have used the three aspects idea, and made a note for new clerics about them, which is the reason for the blog. I showed this to someone tonight and we ended having a conversation about how to define 'Good' and 'Neutral'.
Here is the notes on Parlamay and her aspects, sorry if its a bit long, but it informs the debate.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Parlamay- Goddess of Nature
Favoured Weapon: Longbow
Alignment: Neutral
Portfolio: Forests, Fauna and Flora
Parlamay. The ever changing Goddess of Nature.
Like the cycle of the seasons, followers of Parlamay recognise that nature is fluid, it waxes and wanes, it is born, dies and is reborn a new.
As nature is, so is She.
Beautiful, ugly, loving, destroying, kind and harsh.
Yet without one there is no other, nature in perfect balance.
Followers of Parlamay live in harmony with the world around them, they are in tune with the land, they know its secrets and protect its children.
All those who respect nature can expect help, guidance and protection from the clerics of Parlamay, yet those who would harm the land and its creatures can expect the wrath of the Goddess through her chosen ones.
Clerics of Parlamay reflect the different aspects of the Goddess, and as a novice cleric you will be helped to find the path right for you. You will progress up the normal cleric ranks ie: Acolyte, Subdeacon,Cleric,High Cleric, but your duties will depend on the aspect you are aligned with.
Parlamay cleric aspects are Dawn, Noontide and Twilight, sisters and brothers

DETAILS OF THE ASPECTS
Dawn brothers and sisters
Dawn clerics run like the deer, see like the hawk, and fight like the mother bear. They are the active, protectors of the land. They roam the wild woods with the rangers, and dance with the elves and fairies. When battle is called, they are first to attend, running among the injured and helping where they can. They carry the bow, and will not hesitate to use it to defend the children of the Goddess. They are the keepers of Spring/Early Summer, and lead worship at these times of the year. They also help those who are pregnant or trying to conceive.
Dawn clerics wear blues and greens only

Noontide sisters and brothers
Noontide clerics care like the mother elephant, protect like the polar bear, and teach like the meercat.
They are the mothers and fathers of the order. They work with the peoples and creatures of the Goddess, listening, healing and caring for Her children.
They welcome new clerics, and are always ready to help a stranger. They tend to the land, grow the herb's, and keep the guild and temple well cared for. They take the time to discuss the Goddess with those who would listen. They do not carry weapons, and will not rush into conflict, but are able to protect themselves should the need arise. They are the keepers of Summer/Harvest and lead worship at those times of year. They help those with children or young animals, and preside over weddings.
Noontide clerics wear gold, yellow, orange or red only

Twilight brothers and sisters
Twilight clerics are wise like the raven, secretive as the shrew, and sharp as the peregrine.
They keep the secret knowledge of the Goddess.
They are advisers in times of need and able to judge a situation well. They know what happens in the realm, and may have contact with mages and rulers. They see the dark side of nature as being an important counter balance to the light, and although never evil, they will speak with those of the dark side. They do not rush to give opinions, but watch and choose their timing carefully.
They are the keepers of Late Autumn/Winter and lead worship at those times.
They may carry knives, and will use them if deemed necessary. They understand that death is a part of life, and will help those who are dying or have lost a loved one. They know the secrets of resurrection and are in charge of bringing loved ones back through the veil.
Twilight clerics wear, purple, black and silver only.
--------------------------------------------------------------

SO...In my mind I had the Dawn as neutral, Noontide as good with neutral leanings and Twilight as neutral with dark (not evil) leanings.
However my friend felt that Dawn was good, Noon was neutral and Twilight neutral/dark.

My reasoning was that the Dawn are like the rangers, protecting the creatures of the land and the land itself from harm, not aligned to political sides, but simply to the Goddess. Go getter's, action types. Therefore Neutral
Where as Noon, are non-combative, nurturing types. Healers and counsellors. Working with the people of the realm more. Pacifist activists. Therefore Good

In a roleplay environment the ideas of Good and Evil are very clear cut, whole races are automatically considered Evil (with few exceptions), or Good. A 'Goodie' would be unlikely to help an evil race, even if they were dying in front of them, where as a neutral character would.

So my friend argues (roughly, excuse me friend if i get this wrong) that the Dawn clerics are much more black and white, going with gut instinct , rushing into battle to defend, more childlike in their viewing of the world, therefore aligned more with 'Good'
Whereas the Noon clerics are more able to weigh a situation, helping whoever comes their way, even healing the evil races. They stand back passively from a fight, not involving themselves. Therefore 'Neutral'

This is something I struggled with in Everwind realm, because characteristics that I would consider in RL to be good, ie: helping all in need or not carrying a weapon, might actually be considered 'neutral', or even worse I might be seen as aiding the Dark side by healing one of their number.

I suppose this happens in Real Life sometimes also. The Quakers who refused to fight in the War, were doing what they felt was good, however many didn't see it that way. Do we sometimes have to do hard things for the greater good? or are we simply justifying evil.

Is 'Neutral' more good than 'Good'?
In roleplay, Good, Neutral, and Evil are much more sharply defined, and perhaps I have to face the fact that Wren the Noontide sister is not such a roleplay 'Goodie' after all.

All comments on the nature of Good, Neutral and Evil are welcomed

Wrens

It has become clear that many people arrive on this blog looking for information on Wrens in general. Below is a rather naff blog on Wrens, however further information on Wrens can be found at the RSPB

or in the US Audubon Baby Wren

So on a very random note, I want to tell you a wee bit about my namesake.

Wren's are one of my favorite birds, they are the second smallest bird in the UK , but that doesn't stop them. Despite their size they are the most numerous bird in Britain.

This is partly down to the enterprising and hard working males in the spring time.....

I tell a story to (primary) school children about this:

The male Wren is a very clever chap, he builds at least three nests, before he has met even one lady Wren.

Once his nests are built, he goes off to find a female. He takes his new girlfriend to one of his nests and shows it off.

He says ...*full of pride* "Look at my lovely nest, I made it myself you know, don't you think it would look nice with some lovely eggs in it?" *wink*

She says ...*none committal* "Hmmm... I don't know.." *points at it* "that side looks a bit loose and the neighbourhoods very noisy"

So he tells her to come and see his other nest... and so on. Eventually she finds one she likes, and she lays her eggs in it and begins to brood them.

Meanwhile...off Mr Wren goes to find another young lady, who might just like his first nest, and so on..

Soon there are at least three females sitting on eggs, one in each nest.

Now this is all fine for Mr Wren.. until.. the eggs begin to hatch. Soon Mr Wren has three squeaking, squawking, tweeting nests full of hungry chicks to feed. You can guess just how much hard work that is! But before long, all being well, the youngsters fledge and leave, off to face the wide world.

Now why does he do this? Because he's very clever.

You see, he wants lots of children, so that the world will always be able to hear and see beautiful Wrens. But if something should happen to one of his nests... like a bad cat finding it... or a big storm bowing it away, he still has two lovely nests full of baby birds left,

and Wrens will always rule the roost and be the most common bird in the country.

......................................................

Its a simplified story, but essentially true, and shows that you don't have to be big to be clever.

If you want to help Wrens this winter, consider giving them a little food. They are insect eaters and as such rarely visit bird tables, but a little grated cheese, sprinkled along the bottom of the hedge (because they are shy) will be greatly appreciated.

Also consider a specialist Wren nest box, as they will roost in it in winter to keep warm, as well as nest in it in the spring. This is really important because they are so small that, sadly, hundreds freeze to death on cold nights.

Did you know the most Wrens ever found to be roosting in a nestbox was 63!

And I thought my house was a squash and a squeeze!

The nature of things

The other night in Triskele, I was having a hard time trying to be inspired by the 'nature' of the place. As mentioned in a previous post, I cant find the 'wildness' there, and being that my Goddess will be looking after the natural side of the realm, its causing me a few problems.

They are constantly adding things and changing things, and my deep desire is that they ,one day, make a wood. There has been some talk of adding more places for the elves, and I am hoping this will be more relaxed and natural, not another hulking great castle.*please*

So I decided to leave it for a bit and be creative in another way and have been working on a symbol for the order.

Its a Dawn, Noontide and Twilight symbol, using the triskel and some Celtic influences.

Let me know what you think.

Parlamay

Well, I've gone and done it!
I really should learn not to let ideas and enthusiasm lead me into more work, but I cant help it.
When I start to think about something that interests me, my brain goes into overdrive and the ideas (good and bad), start tumbling around and eventually want to spill out somewhere.
And being a person who likes to organise things, I invariably end up volunteering to do so.

So, after chatting to Bri last night,I have said I will be speaker for the Goddess of Nature, Parlamay.
She has no backstory and is not based on any actual deity, so I will have to think long and hard about how I approach her. Bri has said I could give the triple goddess idea a go, but I would like to speak to some potential acolytes about how they feel, I don't want to complicate her even further.
If I do go with the triple aspect idea, the clerics will be: Dawn , Noontide, and Twilight brothers or sisters. That keeps it gender neutral, and doesn't carry the Wiccan aspects of the Maiden , Mother, Crone model.

So, trying not to ignore my RL work, but still thinking hard about this, I better get on.
See you all soon!

Some SL Goddess ideas

I was thinking about a conversation I had with Alphonsus and Malakyte last night. We were talking about the pantheon in Triskele and how it would work. One of the things that came up, is how difficult it is to classify one God or Goddess as Good, Neutral or Evil. Malakyte and I wrestled with this in Everwind when thinking about our nature goddess Illustree. She was classed in the 'good' camp, however we had various discussions about her being much more neutral, as nature can be violent and harsh at times, and is not always 'good' in the do gooder way we might perceive.
Alphonsus said he had struggled with similar things with his god Castan, also in the 'good' camp. Castan was a god of honour, loyalty, truth and justice. He represented many good qualities, and was associated with knights and warriors. However, Alphonsus talked last night of how difficult it might be at times to see a god that glorifies those who took part in wars as totally 'good'. He's got a point!

With this all in mind I came up with an idea for a Goddess today, please let me know what you think!
I thought we might approach the triple goddess idea.(fits with the Triskele of the realm too)
So we would have one Goddess (as part of the pantheon) , name unknown yet, who represented all aspects of life and who's followers would choose (or be placed) in three categories.(not age related)

Maidens - who would essentially be neutral.
They would be expected to be without a partner? They would be the active, run around the kingdom types. They would be the ones in the centre of battle, healing the injured. They would be allowed to carry weapons for protection of themselves and the natural environment. They would be expected to work closely withe the rangers in the realm. They would lead the spring festivities, and be associated with the new moon

Mothers - who would essentially be good
They would be the organiser, caring, nurturing, councillor types. They could have partners. They would be in charge of the temples, the healing centres. They would be the guides and welcomers to new clerics, they would be teachers and pastoral carers. They would be associated with childbirth, they would work the land, grow the herbs, tend to the vegetables. They would lead the summer and harvest festivals, and be associated with the full moon

Crones - who would be neutral, but understanding of the darker sides of life (not evil)
They would be the clever, intellectual types. Keepers of the secret knowledge, masters of the spells. They would be more secretive, insular, they would have contacts with the dark realm. they would preside over matters of death, and resurrection. They would probably work closely with the mages, and their secrets too. They would lead the winter festivals, and be associated with the waining moon.

This would allow the different aspects of one goddess to be played by different people. In some churches, priests and clerics fill many different roles, we don't have to all do the same thing just because we follow the same God. One God can have many faces.
I realise this doesn't cover men, and it would be good to have a male voice in this. But I was looking for a male equivalent of Maidens, Mothers and Crones? ....Buck?, Father?,Wise man?

So its just at the idea stage, and has been rolling around in my head today.... I welcome any feelings about if this would work or not, or your input or ideas.
Alternatively just tell me I am completely mad to even consider this!

Some random musing about God

A friend of mine said the other day, something along the lines of "I know your not religious but..."
I think he got this idea from the fact that I said I wasn't a church goer, but he is wrong... well kind of. I nearly pulled him up on it, but changed my mind as I didn't want to get into a deep conversation at that point. However I have been thinking about it a lot, and thought I would jot down a few notes...

I would say I have had the most bizarre upbringing in terms of religion, which might explain some the ways I view the world.
As a child my parents were hippies (in a big way), they followed a Guru, and were part of the Divine Light Mission (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divine_Light_Mission).
We travelled all over the world to hear this man speak, although as a child I rarely went to the actual talks. I do remember one of the ceremonial things however, as it was wonderful to do. We all (hundreds of us) dressed in white, and went down to a huge field. There the Guru would stand on a raised platform and fire huge water cannons (like super fireman's ones) filled with coloured water over everyone. It was like a huge party, and at the end, all the white had turned to rainbow colours, and we all went back, wet, colourful and happy to our tents. You can imagine how amazing this was to a 7 year old girl, and it has always stuck with me.
In stark contrast, my primary school in Scotland was a Christian one, and we stood every morning and said 'The Lords Prayer' before classes, had regular visits from the minister, and held weekly services at the school.
I was a little confused. At night when I went to bed, I didn't know whether to ask the angels to watch over me or the Guru . *chuckles*
I have to say that both brought me comfort though

As I grew up things changed, my parents split and my mother stopped following the Guru.
She became a Quaker, and this became a large part of her life, (if not mine). I did attend some silent Quaker meetings, and found them very beautiful in their own way, and I understood why my mother wanted to be part of this group. But by this time I was ready to leave home, and make my own way. Nowadays, my mother trains as a Church of England minister, and will be ordained in a few years!

I have met Buddhists, Pagans, Born Again Christians, Wiccans, Humanists, Jehovah's Witnesses and others, and one thing that has struck me over the years is that whatever you call yourself, and whatever church you go to, its whats inside you that counts.
Pagans believe that all Gods and Goddesses are one God, and that the icons we use simply enable us to identify, get close to, and understand our own inner spirituality.
People of all religions seek to understand themselves and the world around them better, to make sense of things which are beyond other more conventional explanations.
A person of good heart who seeks, not to glorify, but to understand, themselves better and to 'see that of God' in the world and the people around them, can, for me, be seen as spiritual no matter what religion (or not) they belong to.
I hope that my 'religion' leads me close to being this person everyday, however slowly that may be!

Apologies

Apologies to anyone reading this blog, for my melancholy post over the new year.
A combination of a long day and a couple too many Ciders, were a contributing factor I think. *chuckles*
Things are never as bad in the morning, and I do not seek to pass my worries on to anyone.

Your words and poems help to put things in perspective, both here and on your own pages, and I DO look forward to the year ahead, and all it might hold.

With this all in mind I have signed up as an acolyte in Triskele today, although things are completely in their infancy. It will be interesting to see how they unfurl.
As Alphonsus said, it doesn't matter where you are, its what you do that counts and being a cleric is something that has brought me great satisfaction in the past, and has made me think about some things in a new light. I hope that this will continue.

a poem for the new year

Damaged
There's not a single tree in the wood
that isn't damaged.
Yet they grow tall and old
and when at last they fall they are noticed
not by their malformations
but by their absence, sudden blue
astonishments of sky.

Being is its own achieving.
The fabric of things
mends in spans accomplished and the joy
of particular wounds. Do not ask to be cured
nor pass your parcel of injuries
to others. You were damaged, let yourself
be changed and grow and live.

BY DONALD ADAMSON: