How much truth can exist in any given moment?  What is true for me as I write is not always my truth.  My truth moves and changes, always rolling over itself.

I try things on in my journal to see if they fit.  This scarf, that hat, these sunglasses.  Sometimes I buy them.  I integrate them into myself, I speak them aloud to others.  Sometimes I look in the mirror and I see how silly I look.  Then I swiftly discard an entry back to the sales rack.  Back into the compost heap to turn over again.

For the retreat we had the inspired idea to hand out custom printed blank books with our schedule printed in the front rather than typical event brochures.  This gave everyone at the retreat a place to journal. 

I loved my journal so much that I've nearly filled it up already.  What I really liked about it was the fact that it was a truly blank book -- no lines, no margins.  I can sketch or doodle when I feel like it and journal as much or as little as I please. 

I've been using two different colors of Pilot G2 gel pens so I can switch colors from entry to entry.  That way I know exactly where one entry ends and another begins, but I don't take up extra space in my journal. 

Tonight I bought a cheap 70 page 11"x9" sketch diary at Meijer.  I plan to use this as my next writing journal.  It's big, cheap, and unlined so I can fill it with whatever my mind spews forth without worrying so much about quality.  I can just write freely. 

Fancy journals are lovely and make me feel special, but they also carry the unspoken notion that they must be filled with only my deepest and most sacred insights.  I don't need to call down a holy book with my morning pages.  I just need to practice the act of writing!

In addition to starting a writing group (see previous post) I've been visiting Grinny Possum Fiber Arts in Jeffersonville to learn knitting, spinning, & weaving.  This has been a goal of mine since I started working with Athena about a year ago.  I enjoy visiting Grinny Possum because it is a nurturing circle of creative women of all ages coming together to share their art.  I've always wanted to learn how to knit, and with the season turning to the dark half of the year this seems like a good time to start.  I'll try to keep this journal updated with my progress.

If you live in the Louisville area and are looking for a writer's group Laura and I are starting one here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CalliopeWritersCircle/  We're thinking of meeting once a month at a coffee shop, probably Perkfection, for those of you familiar with the area.  Join the group for more information.

Working through some stuff, and Stevie is getting me by.

Still need to polish this one.  Here it is rough and still in its matrix.

( Compost )

Laura & I often read books aloud to each other, taking turns with each chapter and discussing how the work inspires us. Currently we are reading Writing Down the Bones, which has prompted us to write more and to start a writer's group.

I've been trying to journal daily in my hard copy journal, and I've finally got some good stuff cropping up there. Here's an entry I'm transcribing from this morning.

( Read my morning reflections on writing... )

I am still on LJ, I just mostly use it as an RSS content feed & a private journal. I've been doing a lot more hard copy journaling these days, though and am considering using this journal as a public blog again.

I'm usually a lurker on LJ (I primarily use it as a personal and private magical diary and a place to keep up with distant friends) but certain aspects of a recent ongoing witch war have bothered me enough to de-lurk for a moment.

Look, people. The issue at hand is not if subject X is a good person or a bad person. The issue is not even how disgusting the content of a certain ridiculous publication from the late 60's is, or how silly it is that a fringe vigilante promoter wants to capitalize on that publication's wackiness.

The issues are:

1.) How do we privately and publicly handle our community's dirty laundry? How do we keep ourselves separate from the lunatic fringe that continues to associate itself with us?

2.) How do we, as individual circles, covens, tribes, and groups of Pagans, with no formal religious affiliation or governing body to regulate us stay informed and educated about convicted sex-offenders, and what do we do when sexual abuse happens? (Because it does happen, folks. Some sexual predators would call our community the perfect hunting ground.)

3.) How do we handle instances of libel and slander in our community?

4.) How do we respond to acts of public attempted premeditated black magic?

5.) If we cannot answer even a few of these questions without resorting to personal attacks and counter-attacks, character defense, and name calling, do we even have a community at all?

Okay, back to my nest for now.

All festival Babalon Rising attendees are welcome to come out to Our Haven Nature Sanctuary a day early (Wednesday, June 6) for pre-festival setup! Although no events are planned, this is a great opportunity to pick out a choice camping spot and relax in 175 acres of sacred woods and clothing-optional fields before the festival begins.

The Babalon Rising Festival is the largest Thelemic Festival in the Midwest. It is a place for occultists of all kinds to come together to discuss and perform magick and ritual, and to live the law of Thelema in a primitive camping environment. Babalon Rising encourages self-exploration, spontaneous ritual, and lively magick. For more information, visit our website at:
http://www.babalonrising.org/

Not sure how to get to Our Haven? Use this link to bring up a Google Earth Map, and get driving directions to the entrance! (It's pretty nifty to see the land -- right down to the firepits -- in satellite-view, too!)
http://tinyurl.com/24e5wp

Do you know someone that would like to attend Babalon Rising, but can't make it out for the entire festival? We have day passes! A single-day admission to the festival can be purchased at the main gate for just $30.00 per day. Single day admission includes one adult admission to all festival events from 8am on day of purchase to 8pm on day of purchase. Single night overnight admission may be added for $10.00 more per person. Single night admission includes one adult admission to all festival events from 8pm on day of purchase to 8am the following day.

Only two days left until the festival begins! See you there!

1. Take a text you are familiar with, say, in this case Liber Oz.
2. Go to http://babelfish.altavista.com
3: Run the text through the English to Japanese translator
4: Copy it and then run it through the translator again, this time from Japanese to English.
5: Post the hilarious Engrish results...

Law being strong: This is our laws and the joy of the world. It does, the thy will which does not wilt try whether the whole of hast of Law.thou where some thou is right. If it does that, the others do not mean that nay.Every is the person and all woman stars. There is a God person and is not. Simultaneously with the fact that it makes because in the person he when, how him his will works simultaneously to with the play simultaneously with his will in remainder him there is a right to live the will which dies with his himself law in order to live with the method of deciding. What which has the right to eat in the person in his dwell his will what the will which drinks in order to move will like him will of the surface of his earth. He being, him he him, should pull in order to paint in order to wear the clothes in the person, will the will which writes those which are carved, the will which speaks those which are etched, the right to think of those which are formed, being to make, there is his will. There is a right ye he being, ye will, the time, takes your earth laid and will of love at the place, that being, to love who in the person. There is a right to kill the people who disturb these rights in the person. The slave is useful. Love is law and love will.

LOLZ!!!!

Poll #958521 Change my haircolor.
Open to: Friends, detailed results viewable to: Friends, participants: 4

I am planning to change my haircolor dramatically, and would like your opinions on which shade of red should grace my mane this summer. Review the choices below, and make your voice heard!

random meme.
1. Can you cook?
2. What was your dream growing up? Is it still the same now?
3. What talent do you wish you had?
4. Favorite place?
5. Favorite vegetable?
6. What was the last book you read?
7. What zodiac sign are you?
8. Any Tattoos and/or Piercings?
9. Worst Habit?
10. Do we know each other outside of Livejournal?
11. What is your favorite sport?
12. Do you have a Negative or Optimistic attitude?
13. What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator with me?
14. Worst thing to ever happen to you?
15. Tell me one weird fact about you.
16. Do you have any pets?
17. Do you like to dance? Is there a specific type (arm flailing counts ^_~)
18. What time is it where you are now?
19. Do you think clowns are cute or scary?
20. If you could change one thing about how you look for one day, what would it be and why?
21. Would you be my partner in crime or my conscience?
22. What color eyes do you have?
23. Ever been arrested?
24. Bottle or Draft? Or neither?
25. If you won $10,000 dollars today, what would you do with it?
26. What kind of bubble gum do you prefer to chew?
27. What's your favorite spot to hang at?
28. Do you believe in ghosts?
29. Favorite thing to do in your spare time?
30. Do you swear a lot?
31. Biggest pet peeve?
32. In one word, how would you describe yourself?
33. In one word, how would you describe me?
34. Will you repost this so I can fill it out and do the same for you?

The Babalon Rising Festival now has a public discussion group at Yahoo. Join as you Will.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/babalonrisingforum/