Sinking into Earth

[Labrys]

The element attuning continues!  I began knitting right after disassembling the "Water" fountain!

Knitting always seems both magical and grounding to me.  And while more specific earth based projects are ahead for me before fall, my first act was to take a bag of cotton yarn I salvaged from Goodwill and get to work.  There were nine skeins of cotton yarn, all flat and as wide as linguini and silver gray in color.

Perfection...gray is my magical thought.  Down to earth, not too high-flown 'white', nor remorselessly 'black'---not that any of the color connotations really strikes me as really useful.  But gray...in the middle of the road, like most of daily life, is perfect to me for lots of symbolic reasons.  So, I made magical shawls with mirrors attached last...the "bounce off bad mojo" shimmer and fun of these shawls....two of them from the nine skeins.  One for me and one for a dear friend. (And don't ask why my hair looks brunette....THAT is a real mystery to me, lol!)

[Jennie]

(And don't ask why my hair looks brunette....THAT is a real mystery to me, lol!)

Maybe it just shows that you are more attuned to Earth than you thought...

[MyValenwind]

Wow, that's amazing and pretty! Great work! ^_^

[Labrys]

Jennie, oh shhhh!  Don't say that...or when I get to "air" I will have to blow away! 

I was in the shade...but honestly, I have blond hair so that was a peculiar case of shade falling. 

[Lark]

I love the shawl.

When I went to Pantheacon earlier this year I went to a workshop on fiber arts where the presenter was showing us exampled of Pagan prayer shawls that she made. Some were Elemental, some devoted to particular Goddesses.  All of them were beautiful.  I particularly like the one she had down for water which was done in a shell and wave pattern in beautiful blues/greens and which was embellished with tiny irridescent blue/green beads.  It's one of the reasons I've taken up knitting again, I'd like to do one or two for myself.

-Lark-

[Labrys]

Oh, that sounds lovely, Lark!

I am trying to get back to knitting, but need fast projects that don't frustrate me.  My abilities have declined and are but slowly reviving since the spinal injury that made fusion of most of my neck necessary.  I had a lot of neuropathy before they fused...and it is slow to get nerves to switch over and do fine control again!

[Sorsha]

I used to get freshly spun wool from my neighbor when I had my farm in Virginia. When shearing time came, I'd help hold her stock for shearing, help wash the wool, and she hand spun on an heirloom wheel that is amazing!

It's strange how some things that you looked forward to so much each year, can become something you look back on when it's gone and realize how much you took it for granted.

The dieties seem to be having a field day as of late, teaching and pointing out just how much I DID take for granted. I have been trying very hard to be a good student though and take these lessons to heart!

And Labrys, I can relate to the nerve damage you have....25 years of wrangling young, rebellious, 350 to upwards of 1500 lb. horses sure do take a toll on the ole hands!

The pic isn't showing up but, I imagine the shawls you made are exquisite!

*hugs*

~~Sorsha~~ 

[Brijrian]

Thank you for sharing your picture Labrys! Your shawl is delightful to behold I really like it. It must have taken some few hours to complete too...I'm not certain that I'd have the patience! (Still have cross-stitch from 7 years ago around here somewhere that I haven't finished!)

[Labrys]

It was dead easy knitting, sort of fun since I didn't have to look at the pattern once I had the basic idea down.  So, I enjoyed it.

[Ara]

Labrys, While I love your shawl, and am totally jealous that I can't do that, I am even more in awe of your tattoos.  LOVE them.

[Labrys]

Labrys, While I love your shawl, and am totally jealous that I can't do that, I am even more in awe of your tattoos.  LOVE them.

Thank you, about the tatts.  And yes, you, too could knit this shawl....very very simple.

[Labrys]

It is the last month of Earth attunement.  And what a ride the elements have taken me on thus far!  Fire was very positive and productive; Water was very emotional and wrenching.  Earth should have been a relief and grounding....
but became a bit too much that way.  Like being buried in it up to my throat!

The situation that had evolved with my son's tentative attempt to find a Nordic spirituality group ...beginning late last year fueled so much of THIS year, my attunement year.  In February, in the midst of Fire time, I hosted a blot here for him.  It was a mixed bag of blessing and shock---certain things bothered me and him greatly, but we were uncertain if it was so bad as we thought.

By May, we were sure, the leaders of the group were getting very cultish, displaying misogyny and racist tendencies that made us very unhappy.  Worse, there was a preoccupation with weapons and alcohol---in concert.  We bailed, yep, right in the middle of Water and it felt like going off the high board into a deep black pool with uncertain denizens within!  A few others made bailing out motions, too...with accusations of domestic abuse and statutory rape making the rounds of blots we did NOT attend.

I opened my message board as a place for these few to try molding something new and positive.  And by July, it was more than apparent I had made a mistake to do so---spies came, pretending to be ethical refugees.  They reported back to the ever more paranoid leader. People who visited my actual home to discuss the issues turned out to be spying for this man---who openly told his group I was an evil sorceress who would be doing them "damage."  Well, Earth time or not---that lit the fuse in me.  If I was going to be accused, I might as well do it.  I blogged about their suspicious behaviors, their fanaticism and misogyny, their anti-government ranting on one hand and their stated goals to get restraining orders against those who would testify at the Nordic Althing against them.  Earth got a bit volcanic!

But it is winding down.  Summer guests, a couple who really fled this sick group, proved to have more than sufficient flake-content than most Kellogg's products.  Most of two months of Earth time was spent trying to nurture them into taking control of their disintegrating lives; instead they acted as if my house was a permanent bed and three squares a day place---but with no rent due.  We finally sent them on their way, asserting control over our own small bit of the earth!  Spells made to protect vulnerable members have been dismantled---I cannot protect those who will do nothing on their own behalf.  Friendships were severed.

 I went back to the Earth of my garden.  I harvested wormwood and melissa, white sage and woodruff and set a batch of absinthe to making.  By month's end it will be all tidily bottled and labeled.  I am working on the Earth craft project---a mop doll done as the infamous absinthe "Green Fairy"...photos later.  And as the Earth is the place of burials---this week, I buried my message board.  Down it came and without regret, it was done and time.  I am weary and long for winter now.

I began with Fire and Will and set forth.  I nearly drowned in Water, dealing with my own vulnerability and pain.  Earth was tumultuous and laden with very real material threats, but is being condensed into a green harvest and committed to grounding control.  I am more than ready to flee back to Air and the peace of mind that has too seldom been mine in this attunement year.  

It has been educational!  Only at year's end will I know if I am "attuned" or not, I guess.  I hope I have saved the best for last...my favorite time of the year begins in October and since I am accused of living in my head, may Air be my homecoming!

[Brijrian]

Wow, sounds like you have had a real ride (and it's not over yet!) I admire you taking a stand and marking your borders while clearly and cleanly cutting that which needs to be cut. I am getting a bit of this lesson myself lately...

[Labrys]

Wow, sounds like you have had a real ride (and it's not over yet!) I admire you taking a stand and marking your borders while clearly and cleanly cutting that which needs to be cut. I am getting a bit of this lesson myself lately...

(1) I got the most giggle-worthy image at your 'marking borders' comment, of me peeing on my guests (marking boArders?) in response to some of their crazy-making behaviors.

(2) You know, a LOT of people are getting "cutting" lessons lately.  Almost makes me wish I "got" astrology to see if there is something cosmic going on there!

[Brijrian]

Ha! I never thought of the pun That's pretty good! Talk about doing what you have to do!

I wonder about what's up astrologically too. I'll have to go see if I can find out what's up...I'm super novice at astrology.