I'm just popping in to say that I'm still alive and well, despite being rather quiet.
My summer has been going well, and been keeping me busy. The weather here has gotten more seasonal but now it's bordering on being a bit too hot for my liking. It seems like we have extremes here - cold or hot, and only just a little bit of in-between time. The humidity is what really does me in though, and right now it's really bad. I hate feeling like I'm swimming in the air, and today I feel exactly as though I'm doing that. It seems that no matter what we do to try and keep our apartment a decent temperature, nothing works. I know this will change soon though, so I won't complain too loudly about it.
On a personal level, my spiritual practice is also still alive and well, though not as active as I would like it. I really like having my altar in its new spot - I pay more attention to it overall, and it just feels more mine, if that make sense. Our little household altar could use some sprucing up though, so hopefully we'll be able to get to that this weekend.
I'd like to be doing more meditations, on the whole, but I just haven't been in that mindset for the past few weeks. It's just too warm, and when I get home I usually have to do some domesticated adult things, before making supper (after I've had time to check my Facebook and e-mails, of course) and then some getting time to myself before having to head to bed. I'm usually tired, and it's late, so meditating isn't a great idea at that point. I'm really going to try and make it a priority to do that on my days off. Well, Monday really. I have less to do on Mondays than I do on Sundays usually.
Holiday celebrations have been going well for my coven. Lammas went really well, and was the first ritual a coven-mate ever did, so it was a really exciting time. It was all about celebrating one another, and thanking one another for what we all bring to the table, so-to-speak. We all got to make different kinds of breads too, which was fun. I always love when rituals involve food :P I don't necessarily know this would have been an idea I would have had for a ritual, so it's also been really great to have all the different perspectives from everyone for things like this. It's actually one of the things I enjoy most about working in a coven - all the little things that everyone brings to the group, and how different we all are, but also how well we all work together even though we are so varied. I'm pretty excited to see what's in store for the next one!
So I know I was talking about a Christopher Penczak workshop a while back. I'd been looking forward to it quite a bit, but unfortunately it got cancelled. They needed to have a certain number of people signed up for the workshop by August 1 in order to get his travel stuff secured, and that was unfortunately not able to happen. In my opinion, it was a pricy workshop. The only reason I was able to sign up was because of the taxman. It was good timing for me. I paid the early-bird price, and I still think it was a bit much. I mean, I understand where the cost was coming from, but when I'm paying that kind of money for a weekend it would be nice to have something physical to take away at the end of it. The organizers are hoping to try again in 2017, after they've had time to establish themselves a bit more, so hopefully I'm able to sign up for it then. I really enjoy his works, so it would have been awesome.
Because I usually take some money from my tax return for a new tattoo each year, when I got the refund for that workshop, I was able to "re-invest" it into a new tattoo. I'd been wanting this one for probably around 10 years, so I was really excited to finally be able to get it.
As you can see, it's The Hermit tarot card. I got it done by the same guy that did my key - Anthony Robicheau, and he did it in the watercolour style. It turned out better than I could have imagined, and I'm so happy to have it on my arm permanently!!! I still smile when I look down at at, and I haven't even had it for 2 weeks yet.
The Hermit has a lot of meaning for me. It's actually my birth card (when you use the add-up-your-birthday-and-reduce-to-a-number-less-than-21 method), but it I've always liked the imagery of it. I've been telling my co-workers (or anyone that asks) to think of him like Yoda, when Luke when to search him out on Dagoba. That wizened sage-type character that's removed himself from society and the hustle and bustle of daily life. He's the guide that can help show you the path and help to light your way along it, but he won't do the work for you - that's all on you. He's already been there, and done that. I also kind of have a thing for lanterns, so it's been an aesthetically pleasing image for me as well.
So yeah - that's been me lately. Friends of mine that I met last summer from Orlando, Florida came up last week for a fundraiser, so it was awesome getting to hang out with them a bit more and see them all again. It's funny. I've never met people that I've intrinsically had such a strong connection to (aside from Heather of course). It's like we're on the same wavelength and I've known them forever - we just "click". It's funny how life works. I'm so blessed and so lucky on so many levels. <3
