Lughnasadh

Hail and Welcome One and All,
I would like to welcome any new readers of my blog and also to wish you all the happiest of Lughnasadh/Lammas blessings.  The ritual has been written and will be performed tonight in the Clan's home.  The weather isn't at all ideal outside so unfortunately this calls for an indoors ritual.  I'm really looking forward to it.  So all it needs is for me to hope your festivities are joyous and that your cupboards will always be full of food at the time of this first harvest.  Beannacht Gail - in the Peace of the Grove, Seren Meadow, Clan Of The Wolf Moon  /|\

Olympia

There has been a lot of hype recently about the Olympic torch coming to my home town but I've let it all just float over my head.  As a country in deep financial difficulty I've struggled with my patriotism as far as the Olympics is concerned.  All I can say is that I hope we generate a larger income than we have spent in expenditure towards the whole 'circus'.

Talking about the Olympics....the torch arrived in my hometown today (Portsmouth, Hampshire)....I knew it was happening but didn't think much about it.  However, I think 90% of my local friends were out in force to see it happen.  I'm glad they all had a great time, I just find the whole thing boring.  I'm dreading the opening ceremony.  Is Britain going to be the butt of the world's jokes for the foreseeable future?

On the upside of it all I wish all our athletes the very best of luck and hope they win us a record amount of gold medals.  :-)

Part-time Blogger, that's me!

It's been a while since I posted anything and I apologise.  I've had health issues and added to that having to cope with all the symptons of Cosmic changes, I just haven't had the energy to keep up with the blogs.

I find it amazing how the Cosmos works sometimes, forcing you to do their bidding when you cling to what you know instead of moving forward in your life.  I can definitely say that they have maneuvered me into (or out of, depending on how you look at it) a situation.

It's very hard to let go of the past when you've been using it as a crutch.  However, I've discovered I CAN walk without that crutch and have moved on with my life.

As a consequence of some of the changes going on around me I decided to start my own Grove.  This was mainly to help my daughter practice ritual at her own convenience but we'll see how it progresses.  I'm quite happy being a Hedge Druid but still felt the need to have my own Grove for some reason.  Sooooo...I would like to introduce to you The Clan Of The Wolf Moon.  It's an hereditary Grove and closed to the general public.  For the time being I just want to keep it for myself and my eldest daughter who is also a Druid.  My younger daughters have agreed to support us when needed but they are atheist and don't want to be drawn into it completely.  I can understand that, they have to find their own paths to walk.

This is our Clan's logo!

Hopefully, I'll have written a dedication ritual in time for Lughnasadh so we can actually say it's an up and running Grove.  We're still members of another Grove, so we can still practice ritual in a group circle.  So many Cosmic changes are happening, it's quite an exciting time. :)

Still Weaving!

Hi all,  I thought I'd give you an update on what I've been up to.  Firstly I warped the 4 shaft table loom up .... wrongly!  And it took me a few days to sort everything out so it weaves smoothly.  And that's when I accidently discovered why I wasn't getting a big enough shed to push the shuttle through.  Apparently I should have put the apron over the front bar.  While I was rearranging the threads that I had sleyed the reed with I put the apron over the front bar and as I then sleyed the reed I tied smaller bunches of threads to the apron.  When I had finished I discovered that now the thread was tied to the apron, I couldn't put the apron under the bar.  So I thought, what harm could it do?  And the answer?  No harm at all :)  As it turns out having the front threads high over the bar actually creates a larger shed....woohoo :) ... one happy weaver!

As I think I've mentioned before, I am totally self taught and this loom didn't come with any instructions whatsoever.  I have almost finished weaving my piece on it.  However, it hasn't all be plain sailing.  I started off making a red cushion cover but ran out of thread 20 inches into the project, so now I have a red and white cushion cover with some red fabric to make something else with, or to incorporate into the cushion covers I'm making.  I refuse to waste any fabric that I've laboured over for days....weeks.... ;-)

While I have been weaving on the table loom during the day, I drew up a pattern to weave on my Inkle loom.  It was a proper 'inkle' pattern (I usually do card weaving!) and it only took me a couple of days to warp and weave it.  I'm very pleased with the result and will be incorporating the band on my cushion covers.  I can 100%, categorically say, that there will be no other cushion covers like mine in the whole world because I have designed and woven them myself from start to finish (I didn't spin the wool though...not this time anyway!).  So, watch this space for photos ... coming soon!

Also, I had an unusual experience while shopping the other day.  I went into the local haberdashery and bought 1.5 metres of black leather thonging to tie the connecting rod to the foot peddle on my loom.  Yes, I know I didn't need that much but I wanted to make sure I had some replacement if it broke.  Opposite the sewing shop a Sue Ryder charity shop had opened up so I went in for a mooch around (you never know what treasures they have lurking in the corners!) and found a leather belt that was designed with the leather cut into long thin strips, like thonging.  I can get 20 one metre thongs out of it...woohoo!  All for £1.25...bargain!  I've looked online for leather but it's so expensive, even for offcuts.

It wasn't much of an update but I've been busy with lots of things just lately.

Thanks for reading....byeeeeee! :)

Motivation ... or lack of!

So, I finally got round to warping the loom, well, half of it anyways!  My problem is motivation, I don't have any!  I also have an extremely low boredom threshold and need lots of different activities to keep me interested.  All this doesn't bear well for achieving any goals....like starting the weaving project.  The main problem is the internet.  I love surfing, facebook, blogging and I'm very good at using them to get out of doing what I'm supposed to be doing.  I am the Queen of Procrastination!

At this moment in time, when I'm supposed to be warping, I'm surfing and blogging.  Trying to find some leather thong to tie my spinning wheel connecting rod to the treadle.  String breaks withing 5 minutes of use and wire doesn't last much longer.  I'm hoping leather will do the trick.  However, finding some cheap enough is a problem.  I shall keep looking though.

Anyway, my eldest daughter and her boyfriend are taking hubby and myself out for a Harvester meal tonight so I think I had better start getting ready.  I'm not driving so I can have a glass...or two...of wine, yummy! :)

If you're lucky I won't blog again for a couple of days...if not, you'll just have to put up with alcohol infused nonsense!  Tally-ho, orf I go.  Have a great night fellow bloggers! ;)

Are Humans Clever Or Just Destroyers Of Worlds?

I've just read an article, of which the link is below, about ways of cooling the Earth by 1-2 degrees.  Don't get me wrong, I'm all for saving the planet.  I consider it to be very high on my list of priorities, otherwise, what's the point in having a list of priorities without a planet?  But, I sometimes wonder whether these 'clever' sorts are doing more harm to the planet than good with some of their wacky ideas.

Instead of spending hundreds of billions of pounds on creating a massive volcano effect (which could have catastrophic adverse effects on our food sources!) why don't they spend a few billion pounds on building spaceships that can take us all to another planet to live while the Earth Mother does what she does best and heal herself without us parasitic humans causing her to become dis-eased!

Or maybe she'll resolve the problem herself and destroy the bacteria infesting her body.  As humans and the guardians of this planet for future generations we have to do something soon to reverse the damage that we have caused.  We all need to re-connect with the Earth, to not take what we have for granted because it wouldn't take much for it to be taken away and then how would we feed ourselves or clothe ourselves?  It's a frightening thought.

However, here's the article that provided the seed of deep thought for me today!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2012/feb/06/artificial-volcano-cool-planet-sun?fb=native&CMP=FBCNETTXT9038

Pagan Sun Worshippers

I really want to attend this next Imbolc or at least start one here in the south. :) ✯

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2096842/Imbolc-Festival-2012-Pagan-sun-worshippers-battle-winter-traditional-ceremony.html