- Sunday Jan. 5, 1997
- Norse Fellowship met for the first time on the new night. After some discussion we decide that the group will be called Kindred Spirits.
We then proceeded with the Dedication rite for the fellowship. This went very well. I was especially pleased as the Ranger and the folks that hadn't
been there for New Year's were there and could take part. Using the bread that consort and I consecrated we performed a modified sumbel as part of the rite.
Each person placed their hand on the bread and swore their oath or wish for the Kindred. Then the bread was cut and shared with the deities. We deliberately
cut it so that there was a single rune on each piece. Originally, I thought it would be really cool if people got a random piece but instead folks choose what Rune
they got. Mine was random and was Laguz. I was very careful to stress that the rite was an open one and that if folk present wanted to act as witnesses rather
than formally join the Kindred they were welcome to do that. There were a few folks that choose this. Several people attend the study group sessions just to learn
about the deities and Asatru but are more committed to a different path. One of my wishes for the Kindred is that it will always be open to people who want to attend
the rites or study group in this fashion.
After the rite, as a way of winding down, we watched a History Channel video on recent Archaeological work on the Vikings. Most interesting to me was the theory
of how their navigation system might have worked by means of a sundial-like artifact. Secondly, there was an interesting discussion of Egil which all the scholars pronounced as |A: al|.
- Wed. Jan. 8, 1997
- Rune workshop. We complete Nauthiz and start Isa. I have very good insights into Nauthiz and the way that it has affected me over the last 2 week period. Most notably the
influx of creative energy and drive. P. says that this Rune means "Discontent" and I can see that as an excellent keyword. I realize that the creative energy I have manifested over the
last 2 weeks is an essential aspect of who I am and the Nauthic energy drives me to actualize that. Interestingly, there is no conflict in this for me. The energy arises naturally and I
didn't consider the possibility of not letting it manifest through my actions. In some aspects the "discontent" is subtle and in others quite overt. I recall the saturday during this period
when I suddenly could no longer stand the conditons of the house and proceeded to clean and organize it with consort in a flurry of energy!
Ranger had some very intriguing commments about "Dead Gods" referring not to the usual Aeon of Osiris but rather the Gods, including the Norse that were displaced (Slain) by the
encroachments of Christianity. Certainly, this applies to the Norse deities although I can see that the Ragnorak cycle could be seen as Odin's way of continuation on his quest to
further consciousness. Edred believes that our goal is to bring these myths back into General Awareness and I can see why a multimedia genre is appropriate for a Masterwork.
Pretty awesome to realize that we are nearly half way through the Elder Futhark and have been working at it for more than four months. The work has a comfortable feel and fits well with my
daily activities.
- Thurs. Jan. 9, 1997
- Found an internet site, a personal web page with photos of New Orleans Spiritual Voodoo Temple and forward URL to Louis for his perusal. Register Black Moon site with several
search engines and install the page counter. It will be interesting to see how many hits we begin are getting.
- Sat. Jan. 11, 1997
- Capricorn Capers party for community. I hae a great time and really enjoy drumming with Ranger and others. Seemed to push my drumming envelope a little!
Got the Black Moon Archives regenerated and installed on the web site.
- Sun. Jan 12, 1997
- Treat Consort very badly. Not sure where my random cruelty arises from but my words are sharp and
hurtful. Feel very bad about this. Wonder why I am provoked by stupid minor detail to such a degree... should have laughed at the predicament of being human and gone on enjoying the ride...
Norse Fellowship meets. We discuss Thor and related readings. Interesting conversation about the fact that of all the Norse Deities, Thor seems to be the one that "never went away" this might
be a popular idea with little basis in fact...
Some talk of Sif. Bob thinks that cutting of her hair by Loki is an aillusion to some sort of Medaeval punishment for adultery. I can't by this, as it would seem that
her husband Thor would be the one to cut the hair not Loki. I think it relates more as symbolic encoding for her attribute of the harvest. The hair is the grain waving in the field. Loki takes the hair in his aspect as
the god of fire: slash and burn agriculture?
Talked about getting W. to come in for a Seith session sometime.
- Mon. Jan 13, 1997
- Two packages arrive from New Orleans: Initial Oswan article and Luis' Manuscript. I should know better, but it still amazes me that an entire book can be on a single floppy. Even in one file! I strike a deal with Oswan
and convert and install his file on the website immediately in exchange for him not wrecking havoc on my computer system. I would like to get the color of his head loa for the backgound and a picture of him. Down the road,
we could create a sort of virtual ancestor altar to feed the ancestor's cyber energy...
Luis's book looks good and I discover that MS Word still needs Internet Assistant addon to save files in HTML. I have to get it at work so
conversion process is postponed until weekend.
Much happening with decision to apply to MS Degree program. I am excited about the prospects. How ironic that I will try for a higher degree considering my first abortive attempt
at college... I guess things happen in their due time, or perhaps more correctly you get your shit together when you are ready...
Continue course of Runic work. Have added the Runic Ring to daily rites. Need to take the time to
work on visualization skills, but for now, any work is better than none... I am facile about doing the ring but don't have a real strong image.
Old English goes well, and I see many connections to the Rune work. Got a beautiful book
on Anglo-Saxon magic with the AS Rune Poems in this Old English script that I can't read as yet. Also has the regular romanized version.
- Thur. Jan 16, 1997
- Get an excellent letter from CL. I am pleased to hear from him. He grants me permission to use the children's names in the article for The Bower on the Norse naming rite that I have written. Wants a copy to show the children as well...
He mentions a Gathering in June that I am invited to... Looking forward to that...
- Sat. Jan 18, 1997
- Got Santeria manuscript this week. Today in a flurry of energy, converted all but one chapter into HTML and installed on the Black Moon website! I am intrigued by the divination methods which suggest a computer program. Probably not
vaid as tool for Divination since the preliminary prayers and Ebos need to be done, but might be a great teaching tool similar to my Rune program that is in progress. Side projects away from the Norse will have to wait until the end of my "year and a day".
Normally my lack of time for any reading outside of what is requied for my studies makes this an easy vow to keep, but I can see the whole program in my mind and could code it over a weekend. Later for that work!
- Sun. Jan 19, 1997
- Norse Fellowship meets. We discuss Frowe Ing, also know as Freyr. I like Freyr but have less of a "feel" for him than Odin... On the shallow level, it's just my attraction to another horny, priaptic deity!
The way that he blends the 1st and third function
attributes is interesting...
We decide to do the Feast of Thunar at next meeting and vote on doing Kveldulf's rite with some Ring of Troth additions, mainly a more Thor-focused versio fo the Hammer Rite to start the Ritual. Rob is the unanimous choice for the
role of the Goat!
- Tue Jan 21, 1997
- Student group met after a long winter hiatus due to scheduling problems and my lack of concerted effort in this area. Gave a rather difuse talk on Basic Wiccan stuff which did go pretty well since it generated a good discussion... We also made the arrangements to
get the necessary paperwork filed again with the University. I also got things going to get the group to re-manifest and build momentuum.
- Wed Jan 22, 1997
- Rune group meets. We finish Isa and start Jera. So far it seems that Nathiz is the rune that has "spoken" to me the most since we began the work. I still seem to be riding comfortably on the high-energy creative current that seem to engender when we did that rune.
I didn't notice a lot from Isa except for a sense of focusing. I find that my studies are getting done in amore timely fashion and that I am more inclined to try and master the material than just complete the coursework. This is very pleasing to me.
Ranger describes how to do
the basic japa of the Shiva Mantra (Om Namah Shivaya) with the Rudhraksha bead mala's that I recently got from a friend who returned to India for a visit. Again, I will keep to the one path for my year, rather than doing Shivite meditations but decide that wearing and handling the mala in the evening will be an
interesting experiment. the incense from India is really excellent!
Offer the rest of the runic bread from the dedication of the Fellowship to the local nature spirits...
- Thur Jan 23, 1997
- Arrive home tired from late work and decide with Consort to celebrate the Full Moon rite tommarrow evening instead of this evening as planned. Have a GDT meeting at M's to plan a fund-raiser. Hope to get that done fairly early and return home for rite. Will be helping Mom move on Sat.
which should be pretty vigorous.
- Fri Jan 24, 1997
- Consort and I are both tired and I am in shitty, black mood. We begin the private Full Moon rite and I'm really not into it. About halfway through when we are doing the Galdr, I stumble on some of the phrases and just start laughing. Instantly, my entire mood changes for the better! Very strange.
- Sun. Jan. 26, 1997
- We do the Feast of Thunar at the Norse Fellowship. I had thought that D was going to act as Godhi for the rite but discover that since that hadn't been made explicit, I am. I enjoy performing ritual, but feel that the Fellowship would be the stronger for rotating the Godhi duties. I am unprepared and must read
the rite from Kvedulf's book as it goes along, which I really dislike doing. Despite this the rite goes pretty well.
Bob H. does a modified version of the Hammer Rite that calls on Thunar at the four directions, this is from the Ring of Troth material. Rob plays an excellent Goat! After all, he is an old hand at being slain and resurrected! We have a good turnout for the rite and there is a good feel to it and the crowd. During the
preliminarys, we are watching the Super Bowl halftime and I muse on the spectacle as a typically Pagan event with the splendor of national decadence. I learn that a young woman died a few days before in a bungie jumping exhibition that would have been part of the show. This strikes me as a part of the whole
process with a (human) sacrifice to the deities... I have absolutely no interest in the sports entertainment genre and still resent the cultural programming that I haven't been able to re-engineer in this area. Maybe once all those games and contests were celebrated for the glory of the deities...
An odd thing about this
is that Louis and I had some discussion about it and I didn't realize that a great deal of his perspective came from the fact that the game was being held in New Orleans.
- Mon Jan. 27, 1997
- Have a phone conversation with Lord Spam concerning facets of priesthood, specifically counseling. He expresses frustration about some personal work that he is doing and feels that he must accomplish this in order to be able to help others. I counter with the idea that one can help others by sharing ones
weaknesses and faults as well as out of ones strength. We both have a background that allows us to relate to (and I hope) appreciate people that come from a variety of backgrounds. My concrete ashram experiences and his travels and tour in the service. I realize that I need to try and be more patient with consort. I tend to expect more from her
and fail to give her the basic considerations that I allow for people I meet in an everyday context.
Got the ballots for Green Dome Temple Trustee. This is an interesting non-race for us... Three good candidates, none of whom have an agenda, each of whom is willing to serve as needed and when called by the community.