Raining Down From Heaven

Charmed

webofstars@hotmail.com — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 15:46:56 GMT

Am thinking about volunteering to lead a discussion-workshop on Charms & Charming for this year's Twin Cities Pagan Pride. Both the creation of actual physical charms or laying a charm on an object, plus the writing of verbal charms.

Also putting in the idea of a charmed person...as that is why some people are said to be "charming." They are lucky or just have something about them that when they walk into a room everyone notices them.

BUT NOT the tv show "Charmed." I think I'll leave that one out...

Maybe, I can get an article out the topic at the same time. :)

webofstars@hotmail.com — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:01:35 GMT

Saw The Half Blood Price last night. Veddy veddy good. Way better than the last movie. Highly recommended!!!

webofstars@hotmail.com — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:27:28 GMT

This weekend was crazy crazy busy. Managed to get a wee bit of writing done on Saturday, after I went to our apt complex's summer continental breakfast get-together. Its nice to be able to go once a month and have free coffee and fruit and juice, etc.

OMG, but the next Harry Potter movie has crept up on me. Once they set the release date back I kinda put it out of mind, but now have been seeing previews...can't wait to see it, but I don't think I can do the midnight showing, not and get to work the next morning. Bah!

This weekend I've got two parties to go to back to back. Don't know what to bring yet. Can't bring something to the second party that can spoil while I'm at the first one. Not without taking over their fridge.

Got the info on the Spirit Familiars class updated on the website. Downloaded the info to do a last edit on the Totems article for Megalithica.
Found some cool stuff online regarding Norse mythology and spirits which accompany people to their fates.

Want to relax tonight, but its laundry night. Oh, the life...

DVD woos and woes

webofstars@hotmail.com — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 20:45:22 GMT

Supernatural Season 4 is due out on DVD September 1st. Can we say whoo and hoo?!?!?! I'm half way through re-watching Season 3 so its perfect timing.

Now, I just need to be patient for the 2nd season of Trueblood to come out on DVD...which will take patience as it hasn't even completed being shown on HBO. (sigh) Oh, sometimes, I wish I had the money for cable tv.

Anything else good I'm missing? Besides never having been able to see Season 2 of Torchwood yet?

Sweet Temptations

webofstars@hotmail.com — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:57:05 GMT

People were tempting me with cookies today...but I'm trying hard to be good and resist eating wheat right now. But, oh, did I ever want that cookie!!!!

It didn't help that I have pretty dern good gluten-free frozen brownies at home right now. I still wanted that cookie.

Aftermath of CONvergence and panel commentary

webofstars@hotmail.com — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:11:02 GMT

Still recovering...though, now that I've gotten back into the swing of staying up Way Too Late, its hard to return to normal hours.

I must say I'm thinking about suggesting to the con crew that if they don't already have a How To Run Or Be On a Panel, that one be written and made available. Nothing fancy, but just a quickie list of Good Ideas and Bad Ideas. I ended up on 5 panels and most were good, but a couple...eh... While, some of the ones I attended also had issues.

Mainly, there was either way too much drift from the actual topic, or the panelists went off on soapboxes or spent every spare moment pitching their books, or...well...it was just boring. Sure, not everyone can be the Life of the Panel, but maybe if you're not quick on your feet you should prepare and bring some notes. (aka revoluntionaryjo, who DID bring notes and ran some fun panels!) Boring is not good and neither is spending too much time in Angry Rantville or Pay Attention to Me I'm a Published Author Buy My Book Won't Yah?

On the plus side, spent great time with friends and, hopefully, made some new friends, and got some goodies...less than I would like since $$ is tight, but at least a couple of books and some hand-made glass pendants that weren't very dear. (sigh) Just once I'd love to be able to go to con and buy what the heck I want. Too many pretties.

webofstars@hotmail.com — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 23:33:13 GMT

I must admit to only having a vague understanding of the new in-thing, Twitter...someone from Brazil is using the handle Sorgitzak for Twitter and it ain't me.

Much with the weirdness.

The Convention, in Brief

webofstars@hotmail.com — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:14:04 GMT

So, hey...did I miss anything big on LJ while I was in another plane of reality, ahem, at the local sf/fantasy con?

Overall, the weekend was a good time, though I thought the parties weren't as much fun as the ones last year. Probably, one of the problems was that people didn't have as much money to put into them this year. The dealer's room had a nice selection, as did the art show. I didn't buy too much, money also being what it is with me and the worry about dental bills and all. I did pick up one new fantasy book and a research book about female-female relationships in the 1600's-1880's which will likely be a great and useful research tool. I got on the elevator while reading it and someone commented that it must be quite the page-turner. I suppose they were expecting it to be a hot new sf or fantasy book...but no...

My pirate costume went over well again and I got my pic taken about a half dozen times (that I was aware of). And, yes, I still enjoy dressing up for cons, even if sometimes being an author on a panel I get funny looks since nearly all the other authors are dressed in nice normal clothes. Heck, why not? Isn't dressing up part of the con experience?

Two of the panels I was on didn't turn out the way I expected. The topic wandered way too far afield what was listed on the schedule, I felt. (future or would-be moderators take note) Promoting your recent book is fine, but pounding it at people over and over again is not, IMHO. Ah, well...

Met some nice people and exchanged a few email addresses. Had yummy flavored coffee drinks. Spicy "dragonfire" chicken dinner at TGI Friday's while (strangely) Return of the Jedi played on the tv. Admired various corsets way out of my price range (sigh). Picked up some stone pieces for just a few bucks for an upcoming class workshop at Eye of Horus.

And then...was ever so glad to go home and crash.

Small Rant Re Craft Discussion on the Net

webofstars@hotmail.com — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:05:00 GMT

Had a nice time last night with drinks and conversation and OMG how nice it is for a place to cook a burger just how I likes it. :) Went for an hour and a half walk afterwards while chatting on the phone. Was lovely and cool, not pool weather but nice for cuddling down under a blanket.

Tonight, however, I need to finish packing for CONvergence. All my panels are on Thursday and Friday night, save for a lone panel Sunday morning. I think this means that Saturday is the big mooching around having fun with no responsibilities to speak of day. Be good, girl--no volunteering for anything on Saturday!

Been feeling a bit down of late regarding how much arguing I see in the Craft community. I know part of it seems to stem from the Net as people appear to feel like they can say pretty much anything no matter how bad or mean or nasty it may come off, stuff that they would likely never say to that same person if they were face-to-face.

I try to steer by that rule for myself. Would I say this to someone if we were in the same room together? If not, then I shouldn't be saying it online. It's almost as if folks forget about common civility in emails and blogs and the like. Plus, the qualities of letter writing have fallen by the wayside since the days when snail mail was the only way to go. Letters used to be pretty damn important and powerful and you honed your skills in getting across your ideas and feelings and took care with what you wrote. Now, in the days of email and textmessenging...well, emoticons can't fix everything and people often push the send button before re-reading what they've written and considering how it might sound to the other person.

Many in the Craft are odd ducks as it is (myself included) and we sometimes seem to have a difficult enough time making our not-so-shared-all-the-time worldview make sense to each other without the added problem of the virtual anonimity that seems to lend itself to rudeness far too often.

I assume other folks have run into this issue?

webofstars@hotmail.com — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:52:04 GMT

Saw a lovely statue of Hera this weekend...ivory and gold with Her standing near Her bird, the peacock.

It made me wonder if there is any connection--symbolic or otherwise--between Hera and Melek Taus, the peacock angel/God. Hera is the Goddess of marriage and that's what sprang to mind immediately, the union of opposites into a oneness and is greater than the two parts.

Still thinking on this one. Ain't pondering fun? :)

EDIT: The eyes on the tail of the peacock are supposed to also represent the stars. The peacock is depicted on the traditional Persian peacock throne and Hera is Queen of the Gods, a Queen of Heaven. Two of Hera's other symbols are the sceptre and the veil and crown, hence the tradition of brides wearing veils and crowns goes way way back.

CONvergence 2009 panels

webofstars@hotmail.com — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 20:36:16 GMT

When Should Writer's Stop?
Start: Thursday 10:00 pm End: 11:00 pm
Sometimes a novel is good enough. Publishers like series but are writers trapped into writing popular series when they would be creatively challenged far more if they were allowed to explore other worlds?
Panelist(s): Dana Baird, Karl Wolff, Susan Price, Gerald Nordley, Veronica Cummer, Naomi Kritzer

Supernatural-The Panel
Start: Thursday 11:30 pm End: 12:30 am
Angels, demons and Metallicar, oh my! Come discuss what's new with the Winchester brothers and speculate on the show's upcoming fifth season.
Panelist(s): Heather Johnson, Matt Weinberg, Holly Spotts, Veronica Cummer, Jody Wurl, Jo Thomsen

Fanfiction
Start: Friday 10:00 pm End: 11:00 pm
Is Fan Fiction a waste of creative ability? Is it the best thing since sliced bread? Do you invest time in reading, seeking out, or writing fanfic? Should this medium get greater respect?
Panelist(s): Veronica Cummer, M. K. Melin, Genevieve Alberti, Brett Thompson, Anna Waltz, Daniel Wallace

Using Spiritual Gifts in Your Writing
Start: Sunday 9:30 am End: 10:30 am
About: Can gifts in other areas help? Discuss how spirituality can affect your writing.
Panelist(s): T.K. Hall, Taylor Kent, Tim Lieder, Veronica Cummer

And 11:30 pm Friday, a "fake" panel...join us if you can find us!!! ;) I will be scooting right there after the Fanfiction panel.

Sunday Sunday

webofstars@hotmail.com — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 20:13:18 GMT

Last night went pretty well, I feel. I was nervous part of the day about doing the Faery class (partially due to an off and on again migraine, I think), but once I got there and set things up I felt better and settled in. The altar looked very nice. I had a teal altar cloth and a copper tray with a green depression glass bowl on it and two green and clear small goblets that used to belong to my grandma. It was all red and green and teal and white and I felt the color scheme definitely suited the topic at hand. Burned Russian Rose incense, a warm sweet scent.

Afterwards, the relaxing time heralded a trip to Bob's Java Hut for coffee (raspberry mocha) and a walk to find ice cream at 11 pm. OMG, and the strange thing is there there was an ice cream place open until midnight--so now I know if I get an ice cream urge after 10 at night.

Today, is mooching around, enjoying the warm breezy day and the thought of a nice swim later this afternoon. Tonight, I think will be writing time on the book while PBS plays in the background.

Less than 1 week to con!!!!! I have my costume all picked out and now I'm working on what other outfits to pack. Plus assorted jewelry and boots of all heights and colors and sparkles, sparkles, sparkles...

CONvergence!!!!!!!!!!!

webofstars@hotmail.com — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 21:52:04 GMT

So...CONvergence is less than a week away! I've begun sorting through outfits to pack and going shopping for snacks, sparkly hair and skin stuff, and other odd assortments of necessity for attending one of the best sf/fantasy cons I've ever been to. Must be why I keep going back year after year, huh?

Four panels this year, plus what looks like a "joke" panel turned real thing if we have anything to say about it. That'll show em. Give us an empty room and we'll have a panel, hah!

Not sure if I will bring my "traditional" pirate gear, but why not? If all else fails, pirate is the way to go.

RUM!!!!!! And FUN!!!!!! And COSTUMES!!!!!! (friendly flirtation must fit in there somewhere, right?)

webofstars@hotmail.com — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:37:24 GMT

Note to universe: You can stop making my car and my teeth need work now. Thanks much!

Note to self: Pick up new flashdrive and get cracking on Sorgitzak follow-up. The end of the year is not getting any further away, even if you are half done...

Note to others in TC area: Who wants to go camping?

webofstars@hotmail.com — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:51:59 GMT

My mouth is half asleep and I'm wiped out. Episodes of Supernatural I think tonight and napping seem in order.

I've got the vast majority of my notes for the Faery class all whipped into shape. I just need to add the pieces for the workshop part of it to the notes and make my "to bring along Saturday" list.

I guess Pride is this weekend, as well, so I might have to leave earlier than I thought due to possible traffic. I can ALWAYS make the "big sacrifice" and go to Bob's for coffee for an hour or so. Oh poorest me...

Thinking I need to go back and upload a coffee icon!!!

webofstars@hotmail.com — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:30:55 GMT

Started work late today due to car repairs. They finally figured out what was making that sound and fixed it. That's the good news. The bad news is it cost $$$. Tomorrow, I go in and get my new crown. Then, the rest of the week, I'll need to keep working late to make up time.

This Saturday is the Faery class at Eye of Horus. I'm looking forward to it (even if I get nervous beforehand). I guess there are a few folks signed up for it...whoo!

Still pondering what talk to lead at Pagan Pride.

Geesh, this summer is moving into high gear.

Stay Tuned...

webofstars@hotmail.com — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:59:18 GMT

I'll be posting something soon regarding a HedgeRiding/Hedgewitchery anthology that will be looking for submissions.

Veronica

Looking Ahead to October (already?!?!?!)

webofstars@hotmail.com — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:17:24 GMT

Debating about what to volunteer to do at the Twin Cities Pagan Pride this year. Have narrowed down a possible talk-workshop to Charms or Shielding/Warding.

The Charms workshop would mean I'd need to create some handouts and bring in some basic supplies for folks to make at least a small something with.

The other one I'd like to do is more of a discussion type thing, but am still pondering the theme. Last year, Janus and I did a discussion on ritual channeling/possession/drawingdown. It was very well attended and a lot of people talked about their experiences...more than many might have expected.

Thoughts on the other topic am debating include a discussion of Totems/Ancestors or Tapping the Bone or Paganism and the Arts...

thinking thinking thinking

webofstars@hotmail.com — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:47:52 GMT

Does anyone want to send me a toy stuffed goat?

Just thought I'd ask...

webofstars@hotmail.com — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:33:00 GMT

Argle fargle fidder fath...

What's this with the work making you crazy??!?!?! Of course, probably, some of it stems from staying out chatting until 10 pm and then not getting to bed until after midnight. Yikes. I know midnight is the proverbial witching hour and I love midnight...but not when I have to get out of bed by 6:30 am at the absolute latest.

There's a very cool Dunn Bros in Eden Prairie MN (not that Dunn Bros is my fav coffee) that is in an old farmhouse from the 1800's. In addition to coffee, they now serve wine and beer, as well. Hardwood floors and a few overstuffed chairs inside and wicker chairs and ivy outside on the patio. We stayed long enough catching up that I had both a passionfruit smoothie and a white mocha coffee.

Quite a change from Bob's Java Hut on Tuesday night.

I've wanted for the past few years to take a tour of strange coffee places all over the county (on a Grand Old Book Tour) (um, yeah, when I make oodles of money Any Day Now)...any suggestions? What makes a coffee place strange? And cool?

New Poem

webofstars@hotmail.com — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:17:28 GMT

Lightning Rod

Answers
No answers
Questions
No questions
Too many things jumbled up behind my eyes
I'm overwhelmed
Dizzy with sharp lines and curving edges
All leading everywhere
And nowhere all at once

There's a door in my heart
It used to stand open
But too many walked in
Without knocking
Claiming they were friends
When they were not
For their own hearts were shut
Knowing or unknowing
The balance wasn't right
How could it be

The Gods have spoken
Teach with love
Show with love
Be with love
And if they learn not
See not
Feel not
Are unable to open their hearts
Then there is nothing you can do
Nothing at all

Nothing
But stand aside
As the lightning strikes
As their chests are burst wide
By the dread hand of Fate
Leaving them
To live or to die
Their choice

As it was yours
To walk away
In sorrow and in pain
That it had to be that way

Weekend All Over the Place

webofstars@hotmail.com — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:58:55 GMT

This weekend was full of ups and downs. Downs were the lingering soreness from the dental work and ups were the bright warm days just made for jumping into the pool and floating around. Tan? Do I get tan? Well, not much...but that's okay.

Saturday I worked on the classes I'm going to teach this summer and typed up more on the book, but then my floppy drive died on my computer (yes, my computer is JUST THAT OLD) and I'll be forced to use the other drives to copy stuff and cart it around, oh well. On Sunday I went to a Graduation party and had a nice time--lovely farmhouse and horses hanging out and good food and it was relaxing there under the trees.

I believe tonight is tah-dah "laundry night," and another dip in the pool seems a must.

Monday, Monday...and, geesh, Midsummer is this weekend already!

webofstars@hotmail.com — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 20:14:15 GMT

Last night was tough--pain meds did not play nicely with me. Today, though, is improved and not hurting so much.

My aunt called and Grandma is doing better. They have her in a place for physical therapy/learning to use her walker with a broken wrist and its where my aunt can pop in and see her several times during the day. They put her name in the waiting list for the home my aunt works for, which is a nice place and close to the vast majority of the family. In the meantime, she might stay with my aunt and uncle until her name gets to the top of the list. Thanks for all the concern from everyone!

Sent off some poems for submission to an occult/witch poetry anthology. I still am working on the essay I want to submit. The deadline isn't until Oct 1st, though. In the meantime, am working on my notes for the classes coming up and picking up supplies for them. Am getting excited about them. :)

Watched all the way through the first season of TrueBlood again. Mmmm...what a good show. Too bad I can't afford HBO and will just have to wait until season 2 comes out on DVD. I really love the opening song and need to get more by the artist if I can.

Can't hardly believe its less than a month until CONvergence! What am I going to wear this year? (besides my sparkly blue wig I didn't get a chance to wear last year) No pirate this time around, I think. Maybe, Goth or Victorian?

Ups and Downs

webofstars@hotmail.com — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 20:18:48 GMT

Tuesday night all the stress caught up to me and I got upset and couldn't sleep and all, woke up too early, still not able to sleep (grandma worry and other junk) and went around Wednesday in a daze. Felt better last night and got more sleep, though still not enough.

At least, I got some work done the last couple of days with sorting through old papers. I found some articles I'd forgotten about that just need a bit of re-write and can be sent out or posted somewhere. One of the things I found was the book I actually finished before Sorgitzak and then, once it was done, realized that it was really 3 books (at least) and not one. After I figured this out, I pulled out all the material related to Sorgitzak, which left a bunch of poems and personal experiences and thoughts that I believe I can now polish up and make use of either in the next book or elsewhere.

I'm trying to collect all my poems in one place, too. I have way more than enough for a book. Probably more than enough for two books. :)

Generally, I work piecemeal (I know other authors do the same) and just write and write and let it all flow and then put it into place in the book and then re-write, re-write, re-write and make sure that it works. Sometimes, that means I come at the same idea in two different ways and, when that happens, I pick the best of the two or merge them into a cohesive unit. That's the hardest part about writing, but it works for me. Though, it means you have to be brutal sometimes.

In Masks of the Muse, for instance, I cut out 15+ pgs entirely from one section because I realized it was not what the chapter was about...I kept it, though, since I think it can be a stand-alone article re King Arthur etc. No matter how in love I might be with a turn of phrase or paragraph, if it doesn't work it doesn't work and out it comes. If I really love it, I put it aside and think, hey, maybe it can become something else someday. But, not always...

When working on Sorgitzak there was also the issue of how can I get this idea across and if a better metaphor shows up later then I re-write yet again. Same thing is going on with the follow-up at present. Even after Sorgitzak came out, we were practicing with the basic ritual and things got changed/added because they naturally fell into place and seemed to "hit" the right note better than what we were doing before. Its sort of like you know the tune, but not all the lyrics, and so keep trying to find this old song that part of you knows and most of you has forgotten.

Tough Week

webofstars@hotmail.com — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:20:04 GMT

So, besides the dental stuff, my grandma is currently in the hospital. She fell this past Friday and no one found her until Sunday (or so they speculate). She is 94 years old and had been doing pretty good with a lady coming in 2X a week to clean and look in on her and so on, but now that's going to have to change.

She's doing better now that she's been in the hospital and they are getting her rehydrated and so on, but she won't be able to go back to her apartment. She is like way stubborn and doesn't want to go into a home (who can blame her?), but at least they might be able to get her into one nearer to my aunt (her daughter) and the rest of the family so they can drop in more often. I think part of the issue is that she needs more company...she does better, eats better, etc, when people are around.

Other than that, she is still pretty alert and knows everyone's name and so that's good. I need to get her a card...