tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76952485800995055612024-02-07T00:16:26.360-05:00Maid to Queen: Meditations on PersephoneOn Persephone's Path there are many interesting things.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger187125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695248580099505561.post-76201458528824795252012-02-26T18:47:00.001-05:002012-02-26T18:47:19.064-05:00The Daffodils are BloomingI don't really have anything to say except that in spite of freezing overnight temperatures and a recent blizzard on the mountain, the daffodils have bloomed! <br />
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Praise the return of Spring! </div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695248580099505561.post-61358952122650491772012-02-01T19:38:00.000-05:002012-02-01T19:38:09.659-05:00Blessed Imbolc<a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/wildhunt/2012/02/happy-imbolc-5.html">While today is a day reserved to honor Brigid</a> (the Celtic Goddess of healing, the home and the forge) it is also a day reserved in the Pagan blogosphere for sharing poetry as part of the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BrigidPoetryFest?sk=wall">Brigid Poetry Festival</a>. This tradition has been happening every Imbolc for 7 years. So I thought I would post something myself. I wrote this last year to honor Persephone, of course. <br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In Her Hand She Held The Flower</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Did she know that fateful hour?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That her place would be as queen.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Did she know that fateful hour?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She escaped from that ivory tower.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She felt a love not obscene.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When in her hand she held the
flower.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Deep in snow, the earth will cower.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In the winter she goes unseen.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Did she know that fateful hour?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The brand new vines climb the bower.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In the spring the world will green.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When in her hand she held the
flower.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">With each season changes devour.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Moaning winds wail and keen.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Did she know that fateful hour?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When in her hand she held the
flower.</span></div>
</blockquote>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695248580099505561.post-78191763689516606462012-01-26T14:22:00.002-05:002012-01-26T14:22:59.375-05:00Reaching for the Sun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have had a very strange feeling lately. The last three years have been very action oriented for me. I was always doing something. Either I was working on building the <a href="http://120squarefeet.blogspot.com/">tiny house</a> or I was working on selling our other house. At some point in there I found some time go to to South Africa which was less a vacation and more an exploratory trip to start building something there as well. But now, the tiny house is nearly done, we live in an apartment in the city, and the <a href="https://zuluorphans.org/Support_Us.html">next trip to South Africa depends on how much money we can raise</a>. <br />
<br />
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I feel a little stagnant. I feel like the bulbs of the daffodils, just below the surface of the earth waiting for the first warm days of early spring before I can push my shoots through the thick black soil. I feel a bit like Persephone. There are some big changes coming my way. I can't talk about many of them for some very practical reasons, but I am eager for the that time to arrive. As I was sitting here feeling terribly uninspired and festering with the thought that I am not moving forward I was once again faced with how my life and the story of Persephone's journey is once again at the same place. Is it a coincidence that this stoppage is happening in the thick of winter? Or could it be Persephone telling me to slow down, reassess, and begin to prepare for a reemergence - a reemergence that will be a complete transformation That is scary as hell. I need this downtime to get my shit together and be able to unravel my new green leaves in the springtime sun. <br />
<br />
This is just another turn on the wheel. Another cycle of life, death, and rebirth. I have trusted Persephone to follow her down many times in my life. I follow every time knowing that beyond the darkness there will be sunlight. The turning of the seasons has never failed me, and my own personal seasons are turning along with them. Big changes are terrifying. I should just snuggle deep in the darkness of the winter waiting patiently for my turn to reach up toward the sun.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC9s7QLxMSOzhBLI7x-22k1GUkZ783kdFJN98LqhtegCgMCvCFO4SP0LYO4CnHvmDxk_tnooksY126abnabXN1R_QLzhnYZbBCWoZfIflZXVueIkbeZJiXQdyeMVyXgEUrIgNhNmkElMfa/s1600/IMG_1753.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC9s7QLxMSOzhBLI7x-22k1GUkZ783kdFJN98LqhtegCgMCvCFO4SP0LYO4CnHvmDxk_tnooksY126abnabXN1R_QLzhnYZbBCWoZfIflZXVueIkbeZJiXQdyeMVyXgEUrIgNhNmkElMfa/s320/IMG_1753.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695248580099505561.post-73362993295663435202012-01-25T10:43:00.000-05:002012-01-25T10:43:51.615-05:00A Date With Adonis (Repost)<em>It isn't often that I simply repost things here. But I have been thinking about Persephone and Adonis lately, so this short story came to mind. I just spent some time up at our land in North Carolina and it was so beautiful in its starkness. Waiting for both Persephone and Adonis to return with a green blanket to cover the earth makes me both grateful for what has happened and excited for what is to come.</em> <br />
<br />
“You’re thinking about her, aren’t you?”<br />
<br />
They sat in the field of asphodel, their red and white checkered picnic blanket laid out beneath their legs. He sat with his perfectly toned and tanned legs crossed. She lay back stretching her white limbs out from her body. He was silent in answer to her question. He fiddled with the hem of his shirt and didn’t look at her. <br />
<br />
“I understand,” she said. “I know we’ve run out of things to talk about.” <br />
<br />
“Its not you,” He said finally, quietly. <br />
<br />
“I know. I know better than anyone else, really. The Olympians are always figuring out ways to divide our time between there and here. I hate being a pawn in their ridiculous games. It is okay if you’re thinking about her. I owe her a debt myself.”<br />
<br />
Adonis looked up at her, his dark green eyes inquisitive. She knew he wanted to hear the story. She was certain he had heard it before, but she knew he liked to hear her tell it. <br />
<br />
“Yeah. It is all Aphrodite’s fault. My mother had made it quite clear that I was never to be married off like some commoner. She wanted me to be elevated to the very pinnacle of the Greek pantheon – an eternal virgin like Hestia, Athena and Artemis.” Adonis smiled a little and so Persephone responded, “you better believe I’m glad that didn’t happen!<br />
<br />
“Anyway, Aphrodite was angry about it, as you might expect. She didn’t want anyone out of her realm of dominance that wasn’t already. She thought hard about another God who might need a partner. Several gods had auditioned for the job, including Hermes who had been Aphrodite’s lover once. But she decided on Hades, my very own uncle. I think she might have been a little jealous of me. Or maybe thought I would be too much of a rival, that by her hand she could banish me to the deepest recesses of hell. And so she bade Eros to shoot Hades with the arrow of love. The rest is history, as they say. I have been here with my husband ever since. And I do love him.”<br />
<br />
“Then why did you fight so hard for me?” asked Adonis. <br />
<br />
“Maybe to get back at her a bit? I am not angry at her for introducing me to Hades. But I am angry that she started the battle over where I get to spend my time. That is the part of my life in which I had no control. When she brought you here, she was begging for me to help her. She needed to hide you because she knew she couldn’t keep you to herself.” Persephone reached out with her slender fingers and gently traced his jaw line. “You are beautiful, you know.” Adonis smiled and looked away shyly.<br />
“Tell me about her.” <br />
<br />
His eyes brightened. He looked straight into her violet eyes. “I know she has a bad reputation. And I know she has had a lot of different lovers. But there is something magnificent about her. She has a draw. A magnetism. I love the feeling of her hair in my hands and the weight of her body in my arms. Her hair smells like roses and her skin glows with gold.” Adonis leaned over Persephone’s prone body, his face very close to hers. <br />
<br />
She turned her face away from him. He brushed her ear with his lips. She knew they both thought about different lovers, but he was the embodiment of passion so why not make the best of it. “You never describe me like that,” she said.<br />
<br />
“You are very different,” he whispered. “Your hair smells like daffodils. Your eyes shine like amethysts. Your skin is like the glorious moonlight.” <br />
<br />
Persephone sighed. “I haven’t seen the moon since summer,” she said.<br />
<br />
“Me neither.” <br />
<br />
She turned her face to him. She knew that when the seasons changed they would be apart again. They might be in someone else’s arms all together. But this night was their night, their longing was a yearning for the springtime.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695248580099505561.post-1963442361531439822012-01-16T07:34:00.000-05:002012-01-16T07:34:18.681-05:00The Song of PersephoneBecause of my time celebrating with Celtic Pagans, I developed a love for a particular poem called The Song of Amergin. <a href="http://al-tirnanog.blogspot.com/2007/11/song-of-amergin.html">This blogger does a very nice write up of the poem</a>. I have used this poem as a basis for <a href="http://maidtoqueen.blogspot.com/2011/02/imbolc-cyber-poetry-fest-2011.html">a couple of poems I have written myself</a>. It just flows so well and feels so god-like when spoken aloud. <br />
<br />
I have always wanted to do a similar poem for Persephone but for some reason I just never got to it. Recently, Dionysian blogger Sannion posted his 99 Adorations and the <a href="http://thehouseofvines.wordpress.com/2012/01/11/i-am-really-adoring-all-of-these-adorations-posts/">Pagan blogosphere lit up with other version of the prayer</a>. <br />
<br />
I didn't feel it necessary to write my own Adorations for Persephone, as <a href="http://maidtoqueen.blogspot.com/2012/01/adorations-to-persephone-and-anthology.html">it had already been done</a> and was done nicely. Instead I decided to revisit my old idea of writing the Song of Persephone. <br />
<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq"><div class="MsoNormal">I am the maiden with the daffodils<br />
I am the queen of the underworld<br />
I am the savior from death<br />
I am the daughter of the earth<br />
I am the protector of pigs<br />
I am the juice of the pomegranate<br />
I am light in the darkness<br />
I am as strong as iron<br />
I am as gentle as the grasses<br />
I am not lost but I am sought<br />
I am whose name must not be spoken<br />
I am the last face of sweetness<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>…who creeps forth from the rocks<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>…who whispers the mysteries<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>…who is honored in life and death</div></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695248580099505561.post-2287181830650653462012-01-07T12:30:00.001-05:002012-01-07T12:30:48.496-05:00The Pagan Poetry of Edna St. Vincent MillayYesterday, Star Foster wrote <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/pantheon/2012/01/pagans-caught-in-the-twilight/">this post</a> over at the Patheos Pagan blog. She speaks about one of her favorite poets, Peggy Pond Church, and how her poetry evokes Pagan ideas and images in a time when Paganism wasn't necessarily a thing.<br />
<br />
This made me think of one of my favorite poets, a woman who lived and wrote poetry in the 20s and 30s and manages to evoke very specific Pagan themes in her writing.<br />
<br />
I first learned about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edna_St._Vincent_Millay">Edna St. Vincent Millay</a> when I was very young. My mother had been an English teacher before I was born and she still had several volumes of poetry on our bookshelves. I specifically remember a time when I was attending <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catechism">Catholic catechism</a>. Because I went to public school, I took catechism classes as a kid. They were usually taught in the home of another parishioner. At one teacher's class, I remember that us kids rotated who would bring in and read an opening prayer for the class. I think I might have been in the 6th grade, just on the cusp of teenager-hood. I spent a lot of time agonizing over what prayer to read and couldn't think of anything. My mom suggested looked for a poem in one of her poetry books. And that was when I discovered Edna St. Vincent Millay.<br />
<br />
The poem I read at catechism that night was "Afternoon on a Hill."<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq"><span class="f14px fntAri clr333333">I will be the gladdest thing <br />
Under the sun! <br />
I will touch a hundred flowers <br />
And not pick one. <br />
<br />
I will look at cliffs and clouds <br />
With quiet eyes, <br />
Watch the wind bow down the grass, <br />
And the grass rise. <br />
<br />
And when lights begin to show <br />
Up from the town, <br />
I will mark which must be mine, <br />
And then start down! </span></blockquote><br />
Of course, at the time, I was Catholic but the reverence of nature clearly resonated with me even at that age. No one new at that time how deep my relationship with the cycles of nature went, least of all me. Those those cycles of nature would eventually speak to me through the story of Persephone and would lead me to honor her throughout my life. <br />
<br />
Curiously enough, that brought me back full circle to the poetry of Edna St. Vincent Millay. It was after became devoted to Persephone that I discovered some of Millay's other poetry. I don't think anyone can say that Millay herself was Pagan but her use of mythology in her writing was undeniable. <br />
<br />
She wrote about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_and_Daphne">Daphne and Apollo</a> in "Daphne".<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq"> <span class="f14px fntAri clr333333"> Why do you follow me?—<br />
Any moment I can be<br />
Nothing but a laurel-tree.<br />
<br />
Any moment of the chase<br />
I can leave you in my place<br />
A pink bough for your embrace.<br />
<br />
Yet if over hill and hollow<br />
Still it is your will to follow,<br />
I am off;—to heel, Apollo!</span></blockquote><br />
She wrote about Odysseus's wife in An Ancient Gesture:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq"><span class="f14px fntAri clr333333"> I thought, as I wiped my eyes on the corner of my apron:<br />
Penelope did this too.<br />
And more than once: you can't keep weaving all day<br />
And undoing it all through the night;<br />
Your arms get tired, and the back of your neck gets tight;<br />
And along towards morning, when you think it will never be light,<br />
And your husband has been gone, and you don't know where, for years.<br />
Suddenly you burst into tears;<br />
There is simply nothing else to do.<br />
<br />
And I thought, as I wiped my eyes on the corner of my apron:<br />
This is an ancient gesture, authentic, antique,<br />
In the very best tradition, classic, Greek;<br />
Ulysses did this too.<br />
But only as a gesture,—a gesture which implied<br />
To the assembled throng that he was much too moved to speak.<br />
He learned it from Penelope...<br />
Penelope, who really cried. </span></blockquote> And this is an excerpt of her poem "<a href="http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/invocation-to-the-muses/">Invocation to the Muses</a>" which she read at a dedication at Carnegie Hall in 1941.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq"><span class="f14px fntAri clr333333">O Muses, O immortal Nine!—<br />
Or do ye languish? Can ye die?<br />
Must all go under?—<br />
How shall we heal without your help a world<br />
By these wild horses torn asunder?<br />
How shall we build anew? — How start again?<br />
How cure, how even moderate this pain<br />
Without you, and you strong?<br />
And if ye sleep, then waken!<br />
And if ye sicken and do plan to die,<br />
Do not that now!</span></blockquote><br />
But none of these make me feel like one tiny little poem does. It is said that she wrote this poem when she was mourning the death of her lover, another woman - certainly scandalous in the 1920s!<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq"> <span class="f14px fntAri clr333333"> Be to her, Persephone,<br />
All the things I might not be:<br />
Take her head upon your knee.<br />
She that was so proud and wild,<br />
Flippant, arrogant and free,<br />
She that had no need of me,<br />
Is a little lonely child<br />
Lost in Hell,—Persephone,<br />
Take her head upon your knee:<br />
Say to her, "My dear, my dear,<br />
It is not so dreadful here." </span></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695248580099505561.post-90694897409361578512012-01-05T10:26:00.000-05:002012-01-05T10:26:05.737-05:00Climbing a MountainI was surprised to find that blogger and adventurer <a href="http://roguepriest.net/">Drew Jacob</a> had mentioned me in <a href="http://roguepriest.net/2012/01/04/this-blog-exists-to-challenge-you/">a blog post</a> published yesterday. I was happily reading the post thinking "Yes, I agree with this!" when I came to this paragraph:<br />
<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">You might not be interested in climbing a mountain. Neither is Laura LaVoie, as far as I know. Her challenge was to <a href="http://www.120squarefeet.blogspot.com/">build her own tiny house</a> and downsize her life to fit into it. Then she went to Africa to use her house-building skills to <a href="https://zuluorphans.org/Support_Us.html">help orphaned children</a>.</blockquote><br />
<br />
Wow. He even links to my <a href="http://120squarefeet.blogspot.com/">Tiny House blog</a> and the donation page for the <a href="https://zuluorphans.org/Support_Us.html">Zulu Orphan Alliance</a>. I was stunned. I was more stunned because <a href="http://roguepriest.net/2011/10/27/uncomfortable-questions/">this isn't the first time</a> Drew has mentioned me in his blog. <br />
<br />
Other people always see you differently than you see yourself. I don't consider myself heroic in any way. In fact, what I do is nothing compared so some of the heroes I've been working with <em>in</em> South Africa. <br />
<br />
But one thing I do agree with is that profoundly changing your life changes everything. If we had never decided to build a tiny house, we would have never had the opportunity to travel to South Africa. Small steps became bigger steps and next thing you know, we were doing this thing. I don't want to live a conventional life. I've done that. I want to live an extraordinary life. And while it is exciting to see people like Drew talking about the things I do, I don't do any of it to be famous. I want to live an extraordinary life for <em>ME</em>.<br />
<br />
One of my primary mottos or mantras is to <a href="http://maidtoqueen.blogspot.com/2011/02/just-do-it-isnt-just-for-selling.html">Just Do It</a>. If there is something you want to see happen, I promise you it won't just happen. You have to make the change you want to see in your life. I have done this. I am doing this. I have failed just as much as I have won. Sometimes that happens, and it has to be okay. But if you put forth the effort to make positive change in your life, positive change will happen. Maybe not in the way you expected, but it will. In order for anything to happen, though, you have to actually do it. <br />
<br />
I had to laugh, though, when Drew suggested that I didn't want to climb a mountain. He's right. It just isn't my thing. But interestingly enough, climbing a mountain was one of the things that gave me the strength to do what I am doing now. You can read about it in the Winter 2007 issue of Neokori's newsletter, He Epistole. (<a href="http://www.neokoroi.org/heepistole/issues">Go here and click on Issue #15</a>).Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695248580099505561.post-30762195647162547522012-01-04T19:43:00.000-05:002012-01-04T19:43:02.632-05:00Adorations to Persephone and an anthologyThis post is two fold. <br />
<br />
The other day, I saw <a href="http://thehouseofvines.wordpress.com/2011/12/27/the-99-adorations/">this post</a> over at Sannion's House of Vines. I thought to myself "Hey, that is a really great idea!"<br />
<br />
Apparently, I wasn't the only person who thought so. Another Persephone devotee, Melitta Benu, <br />
was inspired to create her <a href="http://melittabenu.wordpress.com/2012/01/04/93-adorations-to-persephone/">93 Adorations to Persephone</a>. As she mentions in her post, many of the associations are personal to her so I don't know that I will find myself using her prayers verbatim. But it is lovely just the same. <br />
<br />
Of course, one of the reasons I began following Melitta's blog is that she is the Editor of a new devotional anthology dedicated to Persephone. I am eagerly awaiting the publication of <a href="http://neosalexandria.org/bibliotheca-alexandrina/forthcoming-titles/queen-of-the-sacred-way-a-devotional-anthology-in-honor-of-persephone/">The Queen of The Sacred Way</a>. One of the reasons I am excited is because I have an essay in the book, but I am also excited because of some of the other authors included, such as <a href="http://maidtoqueen.blogspot.com/2009/12/persephone-unveiled-by-charles-stein.html">Charles Stein</a>. I can't believe I will be published in a volume along with <a href="http://melittabenu.wordpress.com/2011/11/10/queen-of-the-sacred-way-table-of-contents/">people like Mr. Stein</a>. <br />
<br />
So stay tuned for the publication date! Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695248580099505561.post-89469415278918305132011-12-31T10:36:00.000-05:002011-12-31T10:36:13.864-05:00ShrineI was just going through some of my old photos for a different project and I found this one. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihc6z1VefgdwekN2FZkc5_ji2N-VZGfZDYboHfE2a_ynHo6Qbw_qLt3fn7VKuQiGz5EDzcGvUaL042JQ89qXU_kNkI06UMfybK6Pww4eN42bgftNOcpe3pETKsqwE39N8uTc5INoIWPWGI/s1600/IMG_0769.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihc6z1VefgdwekN2FZkc5_ji2N-VZGfZDYboHfE2a_ynHo6Qbw_qLt3fn7VKuQiGz5EDzcGvUaL042JQ89qXU_kNkI06UMfybK6Pww4eN42bgftNOcpe3pETKsqwE39N8uTc5INoIWPWGI/s400/IMG_0769.JPG" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I love the placement of the dying hydrangea with the image of Persephone and Hades along with a simple pomegranate oil lamp, a clay pig and the incense. It seems so serene and peaceful. I thought I would share it on this New Year's Eve as we cross the threshold from 2011 to 2012.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695248580099505561.post-28468347318187236832011-12-27T14:07:00.000-05:002011-12-27T14:07:53.286-05:00Beer, Dionysos and ChristmasEvery post I've put here lately has begun with apologies for not being around much lately. I have to say I am still processing many things that have happened to me recently and am also processing some of the things I am about to do. I am about to jump headfirst into what looks like a shallow pool and all I can hope for is that I won't break my neck.<br />
<br />
But no matter what scary things lie before me, I always love to celebrate the winter holidays with my friends and family and knowing they are around and support me means everything to me. <br />
<br />
Even though Persephone is very close to me all year long <a href="http://maidtoqueen.blogspot.com/2009/12/thinking-of-dionysos.html">I can't help but honor Dionysos this time of year</a>. One of the many divine births to happen around this time of year was Dionysos himself. Also, the very essence of him is celebratory. <br />
<br />
I don't make wine, but I do brew beer and I do find that a contemplative and celebratory way to honor my gods. This year, I made a Yule Gingerbread Porter to share with our friends and family. I'm pleased with it - a hearty brown <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porter_%28beer%29">porter</a> made with ginger, allspice, clove and cinnamon to make it taste like gingerbread. I hope they like it but most of all I hope they know that I made it to celebrate them and to celebrate life and love and happiness. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOVj3dDgkH4Q55yS_bAuHi7l_sjb8IuBLqoTTvVDA5Wf_vhKMt3HmALQk7dJzycIqbYwf64A0qxwW0NGq7sTuWo7TDg_TzRi1LBKFkVztv7m-zWxLpOZHUKcBglhqffEC5XJgEHITeJfVf/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOVj3dDgkH4Q55yS_bAuHi7l_sjb8IuBLqoTTvVDA5Wf_vhKMt3HmALQk7dJzycIqbYwf64A0qxwW0NGq7sTuWo7TDg_TzRi1LBKFkVztv7m-zWxLpOZHUKcBglhqffEC5XJgEHITeJfVf/s400/009.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dionysos and my Yule Gingerbread Porter</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695248580099505561.post-24570194517499037802011-11-24T08:04:00.000-05:002011-11-24T08:04:56.923-05:00Prayers to Athena and Artemis<div>We just got back from our trip to South Africa that I had mentioned before. I can't even begin to articulate some of the things that happened. If you want a general recap, go to our <a href="http://120squarefeet.blogspot.com/">tiny house blog. </a></div><div></div><div>But I wanted to offer the followings Homeric hymns to Athena, for her Wisdom and Justice and to Artemis, protector of children.<br />
</div><div></div><div><blockquote class="tr_bq">I begin to sing of Pallas Athena, the dread Protectress of the city,who with Ares looks after matters of war, the plundering of cities, the battle-cry and the fray.It is She who protects the people, wherever they might come or go.Hail, Goddess, and give us good spirits and blessed favor!</blockquote></div><div></div><div>Athena, may you grant us wisdom in the decision we'll have to make and allow those decisions to be just and fair.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6SwcZsdBklOyMkMy3IUOFc9gPt1kXD5zZTzmi8CyrVbPz6n5uTbq1XfjfbdtaaaN-ZJQuXC9oICdftx6xqNhJMbZecU-X4JNrr-MkAfvA_bSmHIJQgymN0fEpvuFivsSsWQe0g7aA10Cz/s1600/athena_18856_lg.23801750_std.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6SwcZsdBklOyMkMy3IUOFc9gPt1kXD5zZTzmi8CyrVbPz6n5uTbq1XfjfbdtaaaN-ZJQuXC9oICdftx6xqNhJMbZecU-X4JNrr-MkAfvA_bSmHIJQgymN0fEpvuFivsSsWQe0g7aA10Cz/s320/athena_18856_lg.23801750_std.gif" width="199" /></a></div><br />
</div><div></div><div><blockquote class="tr_bq">Muse, sing of Artemis, sister of the Far-shooter, the virgin who delights in arrows, who was fostered with Apollo. She waters her horses from Meles deep in reeds, and swiftly drives her all-golden chariot through Smyrna to vine-clad Claros where Apollo, god of the silver bow, sits waiting for the far-shooting goddess who delights in arrows. </blockquote></div><div></div><div>Artemis, may you please watch over our project and protect the children above all other things. </div><div></div><div>If ever I have poured libations in your honor, hear my prayers.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZxn94e9-1f6AiF7ZSLBrHjQAgmJXnEehj6nybciU4fQaGvBqor0GwoSvzFNRdsdQstwUE2_4Ab_kHawQXIZzLXpaOJWz-cDVnEGkHHwQf4Bg-LLAE5bHsfKY0d4FaYOv0EInRR1VoMATq/s1600/artemis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZxn94e9-1f6AiF7ZSLBrHjQAgmJXnEehj6nybciU4fQaGvBqor0GwoSvzFNRdsdQstwUE2_4Ab_kHawQXIZzLXpaOJWz-cDVnEGkHHwQf4Bg-LLAE5bHsfKY0d4FaYOv0EInRR1VoMATq/s320/artemis.jpg" width="186" /></a></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695248580099505561.post-81000705702389164082011-11-01T19:42:00.001-04:002011-11-01T19:42:40.797-04:00Libations to the Gods and Ancestors<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWMaK8KvFGPDGzfQ8Svy1yrU4Br4APMA7EXKR_hI4UgzjfD5gkMOLJnj6PgKJGOybg9Dy2P9MiTjMk8xw2GstBKCcbqgpZLtC5f_rXf6Vd1wyxdzHSmn26mXIXk5zckwKu-peyy-u6kjDp/s1600/014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWMaK8KvFGPDGzfQ8Svy1yrU4Br4APMA7EXKR_hI4UgzjfD5gkMOLJnj6PgKJGOybg9Dy2P9MiTjMk8xw2GstBKCcbqgpZLtC5f_rXf6Vd1wyxdzHSmn26mXIXk5zckwKu-peyy-u6kjDp/s320/014.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Yesterday, I held a very subdued Samhain celebration. I set up my altar for Persephone and Hades as the king and queen of the underworld and for the ancestors, as represented by a photograph of my Great Aunt and Grandmother taken in 1921. I also had a dried pomegranate on the altar as well as a coin for the underworld and a small figure of Hecate as the maid that leads the way. I also placed two small glasses on the altar. One for the Gods and one for the ancestors. Then I cracked open a bottle of the Pomegranate Wheat beer I recently brewed and poured it in the two glasses and then a small serving for myself and my partner. We sipped the beer in silence as were privately honored those who have gone before us. I hope everyone had a blessed Samhain. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNKWBOIv57Y8hqieLvJ5M519QLNL58hhC6YTQBUyuYhn5denlCmIQ1euJlAnb2kxxyhH3Afx8rX_2bSKszEqIewnFTHqUddKVdC-LDTAYnJVPfjHj5NMwpTRSIzX6Yd-feUjHoOQZKdrGR/s1600/015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNKWBOIv57Y8hqieLvJ5M519QLNL58hhC6YTQBUyuYhn5denlCmIQ1euJlAnb2kxxyhH3Afx8rX_2bSKszEqIewnFTHqUddKVdC-LDTAYnJVPfjHj5NMwpTRSIzX6Yd-feUjHoOQZKdrGR/s400/015.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695248580099505561.post-38125656873810687452011-10-13T16:36:00.000-04:002011-10-13T16:36:33.294-04:00In which I brew beer for the GoddessAs you all know, <a href="http://beerandnow.blogspot.com/">I brew beer</a>. I brew beer because it is awesome. I brew it because I like to drink it, but also because I enjoy the art and science behind a good brew. It has a certain magic. <br />
<br />
Recently, I brewed a <a href="http://beerandnow.blogspot.com/2011/10/pomegranate-wheat-beer-was-somewhat.html">specific recipe</a>. It turned out to be delicious, which is exactly what a brewer hopes for. It was crisp and clean and just a little bit of the fruit flavors came through. But I didn't just brew it to have a tasty beer beverage to enjoy. I brewed it as an act of love and devotion to Persephone and her mother. This is why I chose a wheat beer base, for Demeter, and added pomegranate for Persephone. In one sense, it is an offering to bring about a long term goal of mine. I want to be a brewer. Not just a homebrewer, but I want to start my own beer company or brewpub. And not in the whimsical "one day I'll do this" sense, but in the "I have a plan I will execute" sense. I want the Pomegranate Wheat to be one of my staple beers and so I thought I might want to get to practicing. There are a lot of modifications I will make the next time I give it a try. After tasting it, I thought of several different ways to get a more complex flavor out of the brew. But even still, it was a delicious beer bringing together the symbols of two goddesses. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihGRS5RsVdzevSvvfSmaAvFJ3H1vMTCL_zi-zKaDc3TPe6wS-xqs_QNpomRdVCpoEzsUtmuVassYUMfGzXNszjqbN3Ti5d01PGOy51fEm1SwDp7PpiG9EtHgmxOoAzWVm70-VHjxFAmzw/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihGRS5RsVdzevSvvfSmaAvFJ3H1vMTCL_zi-zKaDc3TPe6wS-xqs_QNpomRdVCpoEzsUtmuVassYUMfGzXNszjqbN3Ti5d01PGOy51fEm1SwDp7PpiG9EtHgmxOoAzWVm70-VHjxFAmzw/s320/006.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>So here is to Persephone and to Demeter. May they bless my path. And may I always be able to offer them a Pomegranate Wheat Beer to thank them. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695248580099505561.post-54452773143445587112011-09-27T20:18:00.000-04:002011-09-27T20:18:33.888-04:00My Equinox Celebration in Pictures<span style="font-size: small;">I was up in Asheville this weekend <a href="http://www.120squarefeet.blogspot.com/">working on our tiny house</a>. </span>Since I was there just a day after the Equinox, I wanted to pour libations and present offerings to Persephone at her Glade.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXa77sMVB8eHOpMqnGTwgP6IvgvnLBCxXrt3pT8HkILKZ48rLHXr42VxFmwJkd_oeA-lw17rgXCzQBsBrmUZLk2Avk1-IIv74OJUyl_ithjDqENSQ-WdAP8RFNk3mBtA_qFehQf6p-fCd3/s1600/018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXa77sMVB8eHOpMqnGTwgP6IvgvnLBCxXrt3pT8HkILKZ48rLHXr42VxFmwJkd_oeA-lw17rgXCzQBsBrmUZLk2Avk1-IIv74OJUyl_ithjDqENSQ-WdAP8RFNk3mBtA_qFehQf6p-fCd3/s320/018.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I offered her some local Asheville beer, the <a href="http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/811/45109">Highland Brewery Octoberfest, Clawhammer</a>. Since craft beer is one of my favorite things, it seems very appropriate for me to offer it to the Goddess. The autumn seasonal beer was perfect. I poured most of it out for, her but I certainly had a few sips myself. I also picked her a small bouquet of purple wildflowers. I placed the offerings at the base of her statue in the glade.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggIF-ItRz2ynMez-ybRzpkUbW3NRmRZR6jigCN4mx6zSdaKdVCBi729Vh8mtoRKixzIgSDDTvIHz03sSlt8cteN_6oYl5NPhzAT2-KgOm-Vu_vmJkIjbJN9jEmdEVPLaO6tdoQQiOBNSbH/s1600/022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggIF-ItRz2ynMez-ybRzpkUbW3NRmRZR6jigCN4mx6zSdaKdVCBi729Vh8mtoRKixzIgSDDTvIHz03sSlt8cteN_6oYl5NPhzAT2-KgOm-Vu_vmJkIjbJN9jEmdEVPLaO6tdoQQiOBNSbH/s320/022.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>A really cool black pointy spider had set up shop on the statue as well. I considered removing her, but somehow she seemed to belong and Persephone didn't seem to mind the company. I did find out that this kind of spider is called a Spined Micrathena and apparently their are really common. And I just love their name. Apparently, only the females make webs and all of the ones I seem to walk into with my face are Micrathena webs. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgALeONgo6lzuSNgWIpdakyIfhJNyo7RtNmCiAHjq-rIo93fh9BlGCMLC8ouGl8XS19UZZsExFhg6YBYqxj_CXvpyL4bmIRwq2t6tJKqjph2NzPxhVl08JzZu5DQP5PfF9wFfyeTEHdBzXp/s1600/026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgALeONgo6lzuSNgWIpdakyIfhJNyo7RtNmCiAHjq-rIo93fh9BlGCMLC8ouGl8XS19UZZsExFhg6YBYqxj_CXvpyL4bmIRwq2t6tJKqjph2NzPxhVl08JzZu5DQP5PfF9wFfyeTEHdBzXp/s320/026.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>And to to honor Persephone and the changing season, I wanted to repost <a href="http://maidtoqueen.blogspot.com/2009/10/persephone-laughing.html">this poem</a>. <br />
<br />
<blockquote>Little girl running<br />
Blonde to her autumn mother<br />
Dancing among the daffodils<br />
Embracing butterflies<br />
Little girl laughing<br />
Springtime laughing<br />
<br />
Womanhood come little girl<br />
Blossoming to fullness<br />
Breasts and hips and legs<br />
All full, beautiful<br />
Little girl grown<br />
Summer laughing<br />
<br />
Then He come up<br />
Man, misunderstood<br />
Not the mother love<br />
Daughter love<br />
And with him is wed<br />
Autumn laughing<br />
<br />
The underworld reached<br />
Little girl becomes queen<br />
Queen of darkness<br />
Last face of sweetness<br />
Little girl is the wise one<br />
Winter laughing<br />
<br />
</blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695248580099505561.post-5116427432875553132011-09-21T19:53:00.000-04:002011-09-21T19:53:12.775-04:00Autumn in the AirEven here in Atlanta, I am starting to feel the pull of the seasons. I didn't intend to be away from this blog for so long, but there are just so many other things going on. We have been making a push to finish the <a href="http://www.120squarefeet.blogspot.com/">Tumbleweed House</a> so it is 100% inhabitable by next Spring.We are also getting ready for our trip to <a href="http://maidtoqueen.blogspot.com/2011/07/as-i-embark-on-new-spiritual-journey.html">South Africa</a>, which is feel is being looked after by a very different Goddess. But I still can't deny the beauty of the Autumn Equinox as the time where Persephone descends once again into the Underworld to be with her husband. <br />
<br />
I thought, to honor the turning of the season I would provide a "Greatest Hits" of the past posts on this topic.<br />
<br />
Like the song <a href="http://maidtoqueen.blogspot.com/2009/11/meet-me-on-equinox.html">Meet Me on the Equinox by Death Cab for Cutie</a>. Just pretend it isn't tied into the movie <i>Twilight</i>.<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-DxUWGSiyt4" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
<a href="http://maidtoqueen.blogspot.com/2010/09/journey-back-to-underworld.html">There is also the post I did last year on the Equinox</a>. I had woven a crude crown of orange flowers and placed them on Persephone to honor her return to the Underworld. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://maidtoqueen.blogspot.com/2010/09/recipe-time.html">And I always do enjoy a good seasonal recipe from the Greek cookbook</a>. <br />
<br />
And, last year I also posted this photo I took of Persephone up at the land in Asheville.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ9oXa12cDByoYCTzRc7oMBrzvEWxYoZbxwH2TSaoFYMz2vkjldJ-YDaasMTuOOv6Xf4AyIMTjyy5EapM8dRKN6DhDeNCHmtpug2fxXOFj4-iy9j7oz2eddxugPuz0ywAa59RnMWCmNTRZ/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ9oXa12cDByoYCTzRc7oMBrzvEWxYoZbxwH2TSaoFYMz2vkjldJ-YDaasMTuOOv6Xf4AyIMTjyy5EapM8dRKN6DhDeNCHmtpug2fxXOFj4-iy9j7oz2eddxugPuz0ywAa59RnMWCmNTRZ/s320/004.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
And not to mention, the Autumn Equinox marks the two year anniversary of this blog. <br />
<br />
So, Praise Persephone and this changing season. Rejoice in her descent. I leave you with this poem, my favorite by John Keats; <i>To Autumn</i>.<br />
<br />
<blockquote><b>TO AUTUMN.</b><br />
<i>1.</i> <br />
S<span>EASON</span> of mists and mellow fruitfulness, <br />
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun; <br />
Conspiring with him how to load and bless <br />
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run; <br />
To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees, <br />
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core; <br />
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells <br />
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more, <br />
And still more, later flowers for the bees, <br />
Until they think warm days will never cease, <br />
For Summer has o’er-brimm’d their clammy cells. <br />
<i>2.</i> <br />
Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store? <br />
Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find <br />
Thee sitting careless on a granary floor, <br />
Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind; <br />
Or on a half-reap’d furrow sound asleep, <br />
Drows’d with the fume of poppies, while thy hook <br />
Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers: <br />
And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep <br />
Steady thy laden head across a brook; <br />
Or by a cyder-press, with patient look, <br />
Thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours. <br />
<i>3.</i> <br />
Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they? <br />
Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,— <br />
While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day, <br />
And touch the stubble plains with rosy hue; <br />
Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn <br />
Among the river sallows, borne aloft <br />
Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies; <br />
And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn; <br />
Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft <br />
The red-breast whistles from a garden-croft; <br />
And gathering swallows twitter in the skies. </blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695248580099505561.post-11293641785165102372011-08-24T18:38:00.000-04:002011-08-24T18:38:01.235-04:00Detroit 2011 Film Festival: PersephoneOn one hand I like this because it was made in Detroit, which is where I am from and still have a Stockholm Syndrome-esque draw too. On the other hand, it is titled Persephone and seems to be some level of retelling of the story. <a href="http://vimeo.com/27370464">On either hand, it is freaking awesome</a>.<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="225" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/27370464?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="400"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/27370464">Persephone</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user4667317">Adam N.</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695248580099505561.post-18561649350529032652011-08-07T10:21:00.000-04:002011-08-07T10:21:04.654-04:00Photoshopping PersephoneNot too long ago I was having a conversation with a friend over coffee and I mentioned that I have never seen Persephone the same way twice. I figured, as a goddess, she doesn't have to have a corporeal form so why not change it up a bit. My friend said that sounded like Persephone, since she is very "Changey". Each time I do see her, I know precisely who she is but the constant reinvention in my mind means I can never accurately describe her. I write stories and poems about her and all of them feature very different physical attributes. <br />
<br />
I just ran across this video. While the story is extremely simplified and not entirely accurate (the myth had no baring on the names of the seasons, after all), I think the Photoshop work on the statue is lovely and kind of play into my image of Persephone as an ever changing Goddess.<br />
<br />
<object height="390" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SjX4-tbuanQ?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SjX4-tbuanQ?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" height="390" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695248580099505561.post-37934861149572965882011-08-05T20:37:00.000-04:002011-08-05T20:37:53.242-04:00You can never go home again.<div class="msg"><div>It was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Wolfe">Thomas Wolfe</a> who said that you can't home again. This is something I think about all the time. I think about Place. What is home? Where on earth do we belong and does it matter? </div><div></div><div><object height="390" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/z645MnME160?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/z645MnME160?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="390" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div><div></div><div>All my life I wondered where on this planet I actually belonged. Where I was born was a circumstance, not a choice. I knew that I didn't want to be there forever. The place didn't call to me. I felt no magic. Detroit has its own kind of magic, most of which I feel is negative right now though I realize that is a biased opinion. It is actually heartwarming for me to see people who care so much about the city where I grew up, but it wasn't the place for me. Being surrounded by all the decay and all the depression was not good for me. </div><div></div><div><object height="390" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/WasmZyQ6ZIs?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/WasmZyQ6ZIs?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="390" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div><div></div><div>When the opportunity arose to move to Atlanta I jumped at the chance. It was absolutely the right decision for me at that time. Atlanta was a great move and this city is fantastic and there are lot of things I like about it. I was pleased by how easily I made friends here and how quickly we fit into life in the south. I knew the South was where I wanted to be, but was Atlanta my place on earth?<br />
<object height="390" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/HHNTXbi0yJ0?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HHNTXbi0yJ0?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="390" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div><div></div><div>I always yearned for a place that would make me feel connected. I didn't know what that felt like so I kept waiting for it. I was concerned that my desire for place was masking another problem. Were there things about myself that made me feel inadequate that I felt only a "change of scenery" would fix? I spend a lot of time with introspection and you know what, while I'm certainly not perfect I really do like myself. I am proud of myself and my accomplishments. I am always looking for ways to improve. But having a connection to a place was not about fixing any problems, it was about filling a need. Fitting that last piece of my life story puzzle. </div><div></div><div><object height="390" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1gX1EP6mG-E?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1gX1EP6mG-E?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="390" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div><div></div><div>Some of my favorite music is about places. It is s staple of folk music. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwARpaKHx_w"> John Denver fell in love with Colorado</a>. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9C0AjZCHQU">Jason Isbell sings about his home in Alabama</a>. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71obYuVi25w">Cowboy Mouth is rooted in New Orleans</a>. I want to feel that kind of draw and that kind of magic when I think of a place - my place. Everyone's place is different, but everyone has a place. People might even have more than one place. I didn't know what it would feel like but that is the beauty of it. Then, as soon as I set foot in Asheville North Carolina, I knew it was home. It has been a great journey to come to that place. We are still in the middle of it as we <a href="http://www.120squarefeet.blogspot.com/">build our own little house</a> in the woods. There is magic in that place. Something I can't explain. I feel better simply being there. Certainly that doesn't mean it will fix all my problems or make everything perfect, but it is comforting to be embraced by the mountains and the trees. It is comforting to know I belong somewhere. </div><div></div><div><object height="390" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rthswv4MmzY?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rthswv4MmzY?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="390" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div><div></div><div>They say it is the journey, not the destination that matters. The journey shouldn't stop just because you've found your place in the world. But there is certain comfort knowing that there is a place you can come back to rest your head. </div><div></div><div><object height="390" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fvkpx-1RqRI?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fvkpx-1RqRI?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="390" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695248580099505561.post-71001983593648679252011-07-28T21:05:00.001-04:002011-07-28T21:06:02.735-04:00Morning TheftI heard this song for the first time last week. My partner, Matt, played an open mic at a local folk music venue. While there, another kid performed this song. It made me think of Persephone and Hades. I had no idea it was by Jeff Buckley until I Googled it. <br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />
<i>Time takes care of the wound, so I can believe.<br />
You had so much to give, you thought I couldn't see.<br />
Gifts for boot heels to crush, promises deceived<br />
I had to send it away to bring us back again.<br />
Your eyes and body brighten silent waters, deep.<br />
Your precious daughter in the other room, asleep.<br />
A kiss "Goodnight" from every stranger that I meet.<br />
I had to send it away to bring us back again.<br />
Morning theft, and pretender left, ungrateful.<br />
True Self is what brought you here, to me.<br />
A place where we can accept this love.<br />
Friendship battered down by useless history,<br />
Unexamined failure.<br />
What am I still to you?<br />
Some thief who stole from you?<br />
Or some fool drama queen whose chances were few?<br />
Love brings us to who we need,<br />
a place where we can save<br />
A heart that beats as both siphon and reservoir.<br />
You're a woman, I'm a calf.<br />
You're a window, I'm a knife.<br />
We come together making chance into starlight.<br />
Meet me tomorrow night, or any day you want.<br />
I have no right to wonder just how, or when.<br />
And though the meaning fits, there's no relief in this.<br />
I miss my beautiful friend.<br />
I had to send it away to bring her back again.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695248580099505561.post-69061954284500083792011-07-20T19:36:00.000-04:002011-07-20T19:36:32.515-04:00As I embark on a new spiritual journey...I have been away. Not because I am abandoning this blog, but I have been doing a lot of other work that has taken some time away from this writing. Most notably, <a href="http://120squarefeet.blogspot.com/2011/07/i-could-have-never-imagined.html">I have an opportunity to go to South Africa this November to help an organization plan a sustainable building project</a>. <br />
<br />
Certainly, being involved with the tiny house movement and sustainable living was a big factor in this process. But there was something else that led me to this path as well - My Gods. In May of 2010, <a href="http://maidtoqueen.blogspot.com/2010/05/consequence-of-moving.html">I lost a friend</a>. Unfortunately I hadn't spoken to that friend in a while and his death hit me very hard. As the seasons turned, by October I still felt the loss but I also felt <a href="http://maidtoqueen.blogspot.com/2010/10/samhain-for-aaron.html">gratitude for having known him</a>. If I had never known him, I would have never met the wonderful people who live in South Africa and <a href="https://zuluorphans.org/About.html">do much for the children there</a>.This project may have never happened.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9yrYdQX_cOrapGjdg9nH1IY02zieEA98-3sL0RKb5tknrnqKXwlzCANkWy1BkQPsaVjNdfDTVHhEIv0Q1dPefXmOsPa9Pvyedy9EjMzWbX43btuDnOxj3Tis2rIaoBlaIOqosJM41Ppju/s1600/Artemis300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9yrYdQX_cOrapGjdg9nH1IY02zieEA98-3sL0RKb5tknrnqKXwlzCANkWy1BkQPsaVjNdfDTVHhEIv0Q1dPefXmOsPa9Pvyedy9EjMzWbX43btuDnOxj3Tis2rIaoBlaIOqosJM41Ppju/s320/Artemis300.jpg" width="227" /></a></div>Persephone is certainly with me on this journey because she is always with me, but there is another Goddess I must honor during this time. <a href="http://www.theoi.com/Olympios/Artemis.html">Artemis</a>. I have never been particularly close to Artemis, but I feel her calling me as I begin planning for this project. She is so much more than just a Goddess of the hunt. She is also a protector of children, especially girls. As if I needed additional confirmation of her presence, one of the organizations that my friend works with is <a href="http://www.bobbibear.org.za/">Operation Bobbi Bear</a>. Since the bear is one of Artemis' most sacred animals, this seems appropriate and powerful.<br />
<br />
I do, of course, consider the project deeply spiritual. I am grateful and humbled to be involved and marvel at all the things that have led me to this place. If you want to know how you can help, check out the <a href="https://zuluorphans.org/What_s_Next.html">Zulu Orphan Alliance website and their projects page</a>.<br />
<br />
Here is a poem I wrote to honor Artemis a couple of years ago. May she bless me on this journey. <br />
<br />
<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"><i>Huntress, Artemis, you are silver moonglow</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Sunlight stops his chariot to watch your dance</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Hunter’s arrows in shadows of the oak tree</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Artemis Bless Me</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Spring-like water, mountain streams over rock beds</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Wildlife; deer, bear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wilderness Personified.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>You are the cat and serpent, the dog, the bird</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>I praise Artemis</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>I give gifts to your temple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your land; wild, free</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>I honor you; honor your brother hand in hand</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Starlight, Moonlight, Dark Twilight you are Goddess</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Artemis Bless Me</i></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695248580099505561.post-1676614317151817582011-07-10T11:45:00.000-04:002011-07-10T11:45:15.110-04:00The Myth of Persephone: AnimatedCheck out this <a href="http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/573793">video about the story of Persephone and Hades</a>, made by a kid in England. It never ceases to amaze me how often this story is told and retold and how many different ways different people chose to tell it. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695248580099505561.post-87404174953226229262011-06-25T10:10:00.000-04:002011-06-25T10:10:34.232-04:00What does Hades do when Persephone isn't around?I have been pondering this question. We pay so much attention to the Lady herself in this story that I begin to wonder how lonely Hades must be without his wife. There is only <a href="http://maidtoqueen.blogspot.com/2009/11/jealousy.html">one mention in infidelity in his story</a> (and in Persephone's for that matter). I don't believe that the story of Minthe plays out year after year, so what does happen when Persephone is away. Does Hades sit solemnly on his stone throne surrounded by dull gray and apparitions in the underworld simply waiting for months for his wife to return? While Persephone rejoices in the sun and spends time with her Mother, what solace does Hades have? <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_cp2DTI-8kK67Xc1U6S5UsfK3OtTYcVHAb_EH-lBXlB3nTbhbxoxqZdUNpK7DTA2EIQ08IYVRL9Si0hRnJyz-vPKGtfrQZJHitM0_Ax0jcCc4O9j9EUuQHHuL9LPuUGRIzczGSf_WtMDt/s1600/250px-Persephone_Hades_BM_Vase_E82.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_cp2DTI-8kK67Xc1U6S5UsfK3OtTYcVHAb_EH-lBXlB3nTbhbxoxqZdUNpK7DTA2EIQ08IYVRL9Si0hRnJyz-vPKGtfrQZJHitM0_Ax0jcCc4O9j9EUuQHHuL9LPuUGRIzczGSf_WtMDt/s1600/250px-Persephone_Hades_BM_Vase_E82.jpg" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695248580099505561.post-20878506581212147432011-06-21T07:41:00.002-04:002011-06-21T07:41:42.201-04:00Blessed Summer Solstice Everyone<object height="390" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DPsLeHR26xM?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DPsLeHR26xM?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="390" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695248580099505561.post-31364178105112469332011-06-16T14:11:00.000-04:002011-06-16T14:11:11.218-04:00Trust The ProcessThere is a weird contradiction in my life. My friends will tell you this is true. I really love to plan things. I like to know what is coming up so I can make the best possible preparations. I know what I am doing pretty much every weekend through, say, September. And by July I'll have October and possibly November figured out. Well, all right, I already know what I am doing in December too. I'm sure this is some form of OCD but it also some form of Day Dreaming. I like to imagine how an event will go and process all the possible outcomes to make something the best it can be. <br />
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At the same time, when it comes to actually doing something I like to throw caution to the wind and just do it. I know this sounds like an impossible combination, but trust me it isn't. Years ago I read a business article that made me reflect on this aspect of my personality. I have no idea where that article was or anything else about it. It was about careers or whatever, something I might have read for my job. It indicated that there were two types of decision makers. There were people who excelled at making the small decisions and people who excelled at the big ones.<br />
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And I realized that I was a big decision maker. I have no problem making large, life changing decisions. I just say to myself "Trust the process." If I jump, everything will be okay. For example - do you want to quit your job and move to Georgia? There was no internal debate. There was no fear. I was ready to pack up my stuff and get going. As you know, I did just that 8 years ago and it was honestly the best decision I have ever made. Sure, I miss some folks from my home town but since moving south there have been so many good things that I could have never experienced in my life.<br />
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But small decisions - those I have a hard time with. Waffles or Pancakes? I don't know! I like both! Can someone pick for me? Green or Blue? Um...I like both! OMG, this decision is so hard. <br />
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Built a tiny house in the woods? Sure, when do I start? Should we put shelves on this wall? Well, the might be nice to have, but I don't know...what does that entail? <br />
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Seriously. <br />
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There are parts of my life where I am willing to just "Trust The Process." There are some decisions that I suppose I think are bigger than myself. Many people would consider this divine inspiration or some type of God. When I trust the process am I trusting myself or am I trusting a power greater than myself to guide me in the right direction? I don't believe that I am not responsible for my own happiness or success, but I am willing to jump into some things with both feed because Persephone won't let me fall. <br />
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Persephone won't let me fall. <br />
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I didn't say she wouldn't let me fail. Failure is sometimes the greatest gift. But that is part of trusting the process. Once I decide to let something go, sure I might spend a lot of my time making charts and lists to organize everything, but by then the decision is made. Persephone won't let me fall. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695248580099505561.post-62069656526795314262011-06-05T11:46:00.000-04:002011-06-05T11:46:08.130-04:00Persephone's Tears...sadness or joy?I recently took this photo of my Persephone statue up at our land in Western North Carolina.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVcimVkjHcukYKgeHvKdLxeHxy7Am2s0ME6Zlh0AUo8z4o4HrhsUnfPgcrMtrGTU-3tmnGGm-ZOtH0afQwaWml3pkeH7q-Y1elGVs6_hj-qbSKt2wS3roocgUP3mVzoz0ooyOsMZOmBiex/s1600/055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVcimVkjHcukYKgeHvKdLxeHxy7Am2s0ME6Zlh0AUo8z4o4HrhsUnfPgcrMtrGTU-3tmnGGm-ZOtH0afQwaWml3pkeH7q-Y1elGVs6_hj-qbSKt2wS3roocgUP3mVzoz0ooyOsMZOmBiex/s400/055.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I always think of the summertime as the hardest time for Persephone. The underworld is her home and yet she is torn from it and forced to live in the sun, where everyone can see her, for these months. Persephone is nothing if not resilient. She not only faces the sun, but it makes her stronger. There are many lessons I have learned from Persephone's journey and one of them is that Happiness Is A Choice. Perhaps it isn't sadness at all that she feels in this half of the year but joy. The I realize my projections are not really Persephone's problem, but my own. And isn't that the core of every problem with every relationship? We simply don't understand one another and we don't talk to find out, even when we think we do. So this summer, rather than recognizing Persephone's sadness being away from her home, I will relish in her joy of being in the sun.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5