We just completed a three-day long Winter Solstice Festival which we hosted at our home place.  We had a good turnout and a good time was had by all!  Some old friends came as did some new friends.  It was a good chance to get to know all just a little better.

At the event we had archery competitions, knife and hawk throws, weight and accuracy tossing and much more.  There was singing and dancing, drumming and flutes, chanting and ceremony.  We had a Feast each day and Fires throughout.

Thank you to everyone who helped out and all who attended.  Our Winter Solstice Festival gets bigger and better each year because of everyone's contributions. 

There is so much that happened, yet the words are hard to find and cleanup remains to be done.  We also have to get ready to host again for the Full Moon on the 31st.  We are going to host a mini-event on that day for the Lady's Glory.

As always, things have been busy.  Circles, workshops, celebrations and general enjoyment of life have all once again conspired to keep me away from here. 

However, I am going to take a little time to try to share a video our oldest daughter and I put together featuring one of the basic songs our family musical performance group has recorded, called "The Hermitage."  The video is a slide show consisting of 13 pictures from one of our temple sites of a variety of ceremonies. 

With a little luck, I might actually make this work.

“Whatsoever you do to the least of my people, that you do unto me.”

There will, as usual, be those among you who are non-Christians who will be offended by my quote, and an equal amount of Christians who will be offended that a non-Christian used scripture.  Weird.

Is wisdom not wisdom?  As I have written before, while I am not a Christian, I hold Christ in reverence as Divine. Yahweh is another matter...

Why use this quote?  What am I getting at?  Here is a relevant song, called "Cost of Crown" and it is a Mercedes Lackey piece.  The lyrics tell us how to do it, and if we pay attention, we can see that this is unfortunately NOT how it is being done in either religion or politics.

"Cost of Crown"

The stars are very beautiful-above the Palace walls,
They shine with equal splendor-still above far humbler halls.
I watch them from my window, but their bright entrancing glow,
Reminds me of the freedom I gave up so long ago.

The royal circlet of bright gold rests lightly on my brow,
I once thought only of the rights this circlet would endow.
But once I took the crown to which I had been schooled and bred,
I found it heavy on the heart; though light upon the head.

Although I am the head of state, in truth I am the least,
The true queen knows her people fed, before she sits to feast.
The good queen knows her people safe before she takes her rest,
Thinks twice and thrice and yet again before she makes request.

For they are all my children, all, that I swore to defend,
It is my duty to become both queen and trusted friend---
And of my children high and low, from beggar to above
The dearest are my Heralds who return my care with love.

The dearest are my Heralds, swift to spring to my command,
Who give me aid and fellowship, who always understand
That land and people first have needs that I may not deny---
So I must send my dearest friends to danger and to die.

A friend, a love, a child--- it matters not, I know indeed
That I must sacrifice them all if there should be the need
They know and they forgive me--- doing more than I require,
With willing minds and loving hearts go straight to grasp the fire.

These tears that burn my eyes are all the tears the queen can't shed,
The tears I weep in silence as I mourn my Heralds dead.
Oh gods that dwell beyond the stars, if you can hear my cry---
And if you have compassion---let me send no more to die!

It is an on going theme in my writings and meetings that I talk about what I consider one of the greatest failings in modern leadership and egalitarian democracy in general. That failing is the acknowledgment and balancing of rights and duties, privilege and obligation. 

Time and again in history, and now in our own era, we see privilege increase and the idea of obligation or duty cast aside for selfish reasons.  While this topic covers a lot of ground, I will spend my time today taking a brief look at this issue as applied to religious and political leadership.

Concerning organized religious leadership: I have no desire to cast dispersions on people's belief sets.  What I am going to discuss has to to with material and practical considerations, issues which at their heart differ to an extreme degree with how my people handle similar endeavors.

One of the major differences between my own and most of the major organized faiths is how the clergy are compensated and interface with members of their group.  Among my people, the leader of a ceremony does not stand higher than the people, in front of them, commanding their obedience and attention.  Nor do we at any time do we pass a "collection plate" or tithe in any other way.

For ceremony, my people sit or stand in a circle. If it is a large gathering, the people sit amphitheater style, higher than the "leader."  In our traditions, the leader of ceremonies is known as the Servant, to remind them that they are there to serve the people, not command them.  The Servant is expected to make their own way in life, in addition to the hours of work it takes to be in a position of guidance.

Does the Servant get special privileges?  Food, money, honors?  A different set of rules or a free pass from sin and crimes?

NO!  In fact, the rules are much more strict and the penalties much more severe for our Servants than for a person not in their position.  The Servant can, of course, wield significant power, but there are other checks in place that can displace them quickly should the need be felt by their people.  In fact, there is little motivation for a person to seek being named Servant and almost no chance for someone who wants the job for their own glory to get it.  The job is given by endorsement of the people in recognition of the ability to do it.

To be Servant means that you do all the work to set up a Ceremony, moderate and conduct it, clean up afterward, and, like a stage manager, fill in for any people missing.  Servants are the first to wake, last to sleep and by tradition, lead their people in battle by being first on the field and last to leave.  A Servant is expected to be and expert in as many disciplines relating to their job as possible and to be always the scholar, seeking greater ability and performance of self.

There are no gold trappings, no bows or kneeling of reverence, no hand-kissing, no vacation homes very little credit and fewer thanks for the Servants of my people.  If you are a Servant, you do the job, a job or duties and obligation, not one of privilege.

And that is how it should be, but so seldom is in other organizations.  I have never understood how a "man of the cloth" could afford a ski house in Vail, CO or drive a $65,000 custom automobile and not have a non-clergy job.  I have known many folks as I describe who live off the offerings, quite well at that, of their people.  It is not that way for us.

The family of each Rose (a high office in a Circle) pays for and provides facilities for the Ceremonies that fall under each of their seats.  None of that payment, however, goes to the Servant; their time, as always is freely given, as are their travel expenses to Circle and other costs.  All of the Servant's costs are covered by the Servant.  A Rose who sponsors a event would never, out of tradition and pride, ask people attending for money for that which should and ultimately must be given freely.  The sponsoring Rose also covers the food and drink costs or any other associated costs for the ceremony or event.

The Servant does not charge for ministerial services, such as marriage or funeral rituals.

Because each Circle is autonomous and there is no central ecclesiastical organization for my people, or desire for the domination of their fellow man, there is no need to collect funds for missionaries or to send up the church food chain.  Ordination, promotion and scholarship are all awarded on merit, not money.

How does this all survive?  Exactly as I have described it; by people working hard.  What sort of world do we live in that your church takes 10% right from your payroll check just to let their fat-cats get fatter?

For politicians, I feel the same way.  Why does a politician eat well and have material wealth given to them in exchange for doing what should simply be their duty?  Why do both types of "leaders" have so much when there are many putatively under their "care" that have almost nothing.

Am I advancing socialism? Heck no! I am all in favor of a merchant or tradesperson getting out there and doing the best to do the things we all need done, with limited regulation, to the best of their ability.  Free trade and a free market are some of the most basic freedoms human beings have.

I just wasn't aware that politics or religion should be a business. 

"Let me explain...no, there is too much; let me sum up." 

It is a lot like this mis-quote.  When you get so busy with other things, some things slip through the cracks.  If this happens long enough, it becomes nearly impossible to make up for lost time and all you can really do is try to hit the highlights and start moving forward from here.

It has obviously been many months since the last time I posted here.  It is not even so much that I haven't written much of anything, it is more that so many non-writing efforts filled the schedule.  Sometimes when you are fully involved in living life, writing about it becomes less important.

For the last several weeks, I have had the additional barrier to writing here that comes from the sure knowledge that you have no where to begin.  For those of you who were reading this regular, I am sorry for the long hiatus, but only a little bit.  For the many more of you who not only read this, but live my life with me, you all understand how much we did over the last several months.

I last wrote about an event we went to a had a great time doing. We followed that event with a summer consisting of three other Rendezvous, a Renaissance Faire, a Pirate Faire, a Pow-Wow and seven arts and crafts festivals.  Add to the mix our garden, Circle Ceremonies, holiday gatherings, family celebrations and the day to day of living and loving a household full of joy...

Well, busy seems like such and understatement.  I don't mean the kind of busy that a lot of folks out there use as a euphemism for "being lazy and watching too much TV," I mean REALLY busy, the sort of busy that makes you get up early and stay up late to enjoy!

We ended the season with a huge road trip with the bulk of the family back to some natural sights and family sites back in Ohio. As with any road trip, there was several entries worth of material from just that alone.  I won't be doing that, but suffice it to say, the trip was well worth the effort and time.

All the other events are like that too.  I have stories of the family winning awards, winning competitions.  I have tales of excitement from criminals trying to vandalize festivals to after-hours parties that lasted most of the night.  I have deep and fond memories of hours of drumming around fires, getting to know the terrific people we have been meeting.

The best part of all of this is that we are doing most of it and more of it all again next year.  So, it is in that spirit that I have summed up to move forward; not to lament the lost time, but to use what was gained in that time to build an even better season next year.

My illness has had a lot of ups and downs in the last several months.  We have gotten one of the five nearly cleared, with three of the five stabilized.  The one that was giving us the most trouble has lately been responding in a positive way to recent treatment changes and adjustments. We are, as always hoping for the best.

As we look to the future, we look at both the immediate and the long term.  We have scheduled next season and we are looking forward to four Rendezvous, the Western National rendezvous in Creede, CO, four Renaissance Faires, a couple Pirate Faires, a spirit gathering festival, a half dozen arts and crafts festivals and all the other things we do as a family including camping trips, fishing, rafting, our garden, Circle Ceremonies, holidays, family celebrations and more!  With any luck, we will make next year even more busy than last year.

For now, we are making small preparations for a birthday party, a Circle Ceremony and of course Thanksgiving next week.  All of it should be a good time.

The big thing on the immediate horizon is our Winter Solstice Festival which is a three day event we are hosting here at the house.  We are going to set up an encampment, we have games and competitions scheduled, performers lined up and we are encouraging everyone to wear their special clothes.  And when we say feast, we mean Feast.  We will have three different fires, gifts for everyone and a lot more!  It should be a really great time.

Sometime in the coming weeks, it will be time to set up our sweat lodge/steam house again.  We are going to modify the design a bit and make it a more portable setup as we would like to take it on the road a bit next year.  We put aside a large supply of herbs and flower petals and I certainly am looking forward to the Awen and Oniwan.

The rest of the winter will be spent prepping art and craft pieces for next season, getting our gear up to snuff for the shows, getting an Interfaith project off the ground and getting ready for the precursor of our Great Gathering Festival this next year.  We have a lot to do on all these fronts, with the usual pursuits of life thrown in for good measure.

For the Interfaith project, we are looking into finding a venue to help hold and moderate Interfaith meetings.  We are also working on all the legal hurdles and paperwork that entails.  If we get it rolling, we  will hold meetings every week in the winter and once a month in the summer.

Mention of the Interfaith project brings up a topic that may need more room that I have here today.  While I do not believe that I need any greater authority to be and do what I do than that which gave me the ability to do the spiritual things that I do, it is nevertheless necessary sometimes to go through the motions that the government may require for the sake of getting something accomplished in this life.  To be more specific, some of us in our group have gone through an ordination process to help with the paperwork.  We found an organization that requires no money or compromise of beliefs or acceptance of theirs willing to see some of us through the process.

Also this year, I worked on and have received my doctorate in Metaphysics.  While I already had what I needed spiritually, it came to my attention that there were certain movements afoot and that some shows we do might start requiring such documents.  Out here in western CO, it sometimes feels like the novella "Magic, Inc." has come alive and is manifesting itself.

Both my formalization of spiritual education and the sought legal status through the Interfaith project we are working on will hopefully go along way to letting us continue doing all of the things that are our right to do and that we have been doing.  I have gone on this topic longer than I intended, but it is a changing world, one in which I hope the changes stop soon.

As most of you know, I was active in politics this last year and was doing a lot of writing towards that end. Am I still doing that?  Yes and no.  I have found better things to do with my time than try to point out the obvious to people who don't really want it pointed out.  I am still involved, but differently.

The attacks I wrote of before continue, which is sort of a good sign in that it means we are still who we are and that we pose at least a small threat to those who would corrupt and control free people.  The motivations of our attackers are always superficially religious or political, with the true motivation being money and the power that money brings.  We will continue to fight and obviously we are still here.

After another long hiatus, I am also returning to the shop today, mostly confident in my ability to use tools without hurting myself.  It has been too long.  I bet the shop gnomes have long since eaten all their candy!

So, that's at least a partial summary of the intervening months. If I can, I will do this more often; no more promises, just a hope.

We have just returned from a trading trip, one that took us to a Mountain Man Rendezvous!

I think we represented ourselves pretty damn well.

I have been involved the last few months with politics, at a political blog website.

This has been an interesting experience, one which I may share here, at a later date.  There is much to still get my mind wrapped around, so it will have to wait.  I might start sharing my thoughts here, too.

Here is a sample of a recent post of mine:

Drug Use a Victimless Crime?  NO!!!

We have a problem in this country of equating legal/illegal with moral/immoral, legal/illegal with ethical/unethical.  Until this is corrected, we will have a lot of problems.

This misbegotten turning away from ethics and morals, not only fosters an environment for the drug abuser, but also keeps proper punishment and effective law enforcement from occurring.  Corruption is one of the key ways in which liberties are lost for the majority by the actions of a minority. Statists of all flavors thrive on the corruption and immorality of a society.

This moral and ethical equivalency and degradation is encouraged  purely for the benefit of the Leftists and 99 other flavors of Statists to justify oppressive response.  Irresponsibility does nothing for Liberty.  The selfish people in our society whine about their rights and privileges without once talking about what their responsibilities and duties as a Free Person are!

If people base their decisions solely from a selfish, loophole oriented perspective, you end up with a decayed society, much like the one we live in.  The society and individuals relinquish their own self-responsibility to another authority, for bad or worse.  A Free Person must evaluate their decisions not only from a rights and privileges perspective, but also from a responsibilities and duties perspective. 

Authority without responsibility is a very, very stupid way to run a society.

For narcotics, much less any drug to be other than illegal or regulated, requires a population which has a tradition and accepted duty towards self-responsibility or otherwise, society will suffer.  A society which would not be destroyed by drug abuse is one in which it would never cross a person's mind to abuse drugs..

I do not use narcotics, nor do I drink to excess or abuse tobacco.  Why?  Because of legality or illegality? Heck no!

I am a Free Man, and as such, I not only recognize my rights and privileges as such, but also my responsibilities to my Nation and community.  If I incapacitate myself, I become a burden upon not only myself and family, but to my fellow man as well.

If I do stupid things while so incapacitated, I risk not only damaging another, but also damaging their Liberty.  I have the freedom right this minute at use and abuse all manner of things, legal or not.  But because I am a Free Man, I will not damage another person's Liberty for the sake of my own selfishness.

The sort of people given to drug abuse, legal or illegal, not only make a selfish decision right from the start, but are also engaging in a behavior which will increase their selfishness and diminish their judgment and responsibility. Legal or illegal, society will degrade.

What in the world makes anyone think that an irresponsible person. acting in an irresponsible fashion will be anything other than irresponsible?

It has been stated that narcotics are a victimless crime.  Up the thread and probably later down the thread, it will be contended that the drug abusers, illegal and otherwise, are only committing a crime when they commit a crime, ignoring the decrease of responsibility and increase in selfishness demonstrated by drug abusers.

When a drug abuser, illegal or legal, injures themselves or another, does that not potentially affect my insurance rates, my taxes, my quality of health care and run the risk of legislation and regulation being increased on otherwise legal activities, all because of a drug abuser's selfish lack of responsibility?

When a drug abuser, illegal or legal, damages property (even their own,) does that not affect my insurance rates, my taxes, my law enforcement availability, my piece of mind, my sanctity of property and does this also not risk the increase of regulation and legislation potentially affecting my property?

When a drug user, illegal or legal, commits a crime or is irresponsible with a gun, does that not affect my chances of keeping my own lawful and rightful ownership of weapons?

The list goes on and on.  I am very much impacted, in many ways, in serious ways, by drug abuse.

Encouraging the abuse of drugs, illegal and legal, in an atmosphere of "do what you feel moral equivalency" does nothing more than increase the chances of irresponsible behavior, thereby giving the Statist mentalities room to justify the removal of my liberties.

Victimless crime?  Heck no!

Drug use, legal or illegal is only victimless if I never see it, never deal with it, never have to see the aftermath of it and don't have to fund it.

I have yet to meet a self-responsible drug abuser, and I have lived a long and interesting life.  So as soon as a crack-head can show me that they are a stand-up citizen and are not incapacitated by what they are doing, I will be more "open-minded" about it.

The bottom line is that every time someone is irresponsible, I end up paying the bill.  Increasing potential and allowing, as a society, for irresponsibility is beyond stupid; it is suicidal.  And very expensive, not only in terms of money, but also in terms of other rights abridged and in areas of domestic tranquility.

Before worrying about getting more privileges and helping the Leftists and Statists get more justification for oppression, try educating the populace as to their rights and responsibilities as citizens.  You need to get people back to understanding the difference between rights and privileges and remind people that privileges are earned and can be lost.  Accountability must be restored, corruption crushed and dignity made a priority.

Talk of increasing privilege without obligation is truly stupid.  It serves no one.

People want the privilege of drug abuse, legal and illegal.  Okay.

I want the privilege of horsewhipping them for their stupid, selfish, jackass behavior that I end up paying for.

For all our love and understanding, our compassion as caring human beings, we need to recognize that drug abuse is a selfish choice, a choice made by an individual. Drug abuse is a jackass thing to engage in.

As much as we may love and care for someone, however much we might want to help them and work with them, the choice to stop will also be theirs, and theirs alone.  They chose to be a jackass and have to pay the many penalties accompanied with not only being a jackass, but the long road back from such behavior.

We can help, but the best way we can help is by getting a grip on our common sense as a Nation again and get back to some basic standards.

To add a little to this:  I understand that some people get caught up in use and whatnot.  I do feel empathy for them, truly I do.  What I will not do is tolerate the idea that weakness of mind and spirit, cultivated oppression, or irresponsibility serves people in any way that is good.

People have to be accountable.

Some of you are thinking of the song. Some of you are thinking a passage in a book of the Bible.

Turns out you would both be right, as the Bible is where the song came from.  But either way, there is a lot of truth to this.  One does not plant in the dead of winter, nor harvest before the plant has matured, nor till in the summer.  Everything we do has its time and place.

For us, this is true of the times not only for mundane things, but the spiritual as well.  A few days ago was the time of the month my people call The Growing Light. Of course this time of the year, the Spring, also holds that message and truth. It is a time for beginning and ending things.  A number of activities were enjoyed throughout the day, including garden and orchard work, fellowship and time in spiritual reflection.  The day left us tired, joyful, empty and filled, ready to start and continue the goodness within and without, ready to put to rest those things about which we find unhelpful, for ourselves and around us.

For many people, the current climate of this our nation is one of despair.  And such feelings grow daily, justified by the events which have occurred.  Unless things are put back on track soon, and we turn away from the willful self-destruct of a great nation, the suffering will be far beyond what most people have known in their life.  While it is true that adversity builds character and strength, too much, too soon, for a person not ready or steeled to it, can destroy instead.

While this nation has been slowly being picked apart for a long time, compromising freedom for the illusion of security, the last few months have surprised even the pessimist in me.  I expected this turn of events, but I thought it would take longer, slowly backing us into the corner of tyranny.  It seems instead that we have and are being herded quickly and efficiently to that destination.

All our history shows us some things, one item in particular. We are shown that time and time again, there are bad times.  And that just as surely, good times will come again, as the the sun will rise to destroy darkness.

Our history shows that people will suffer, survivors will survive and that those who make it will be stronger. 

The tragedy of history is that we will not learn from what happens, as times get easier, we lose our edge, place comforts before thought and promote false ideas.  The wheel will turn, we will dance this dance again.

Times are tough. They will get harder, beyond imagination, before the sun rises again.  Stay strong, get practical.  Remember those old lessons at grandma and grandpa's knee.  Remember that this too shall pass. 

Prioritize, consolidate your position and families, put your shoulders into it.  Your ancestors survived and triumphed over greater odds; take strength from them.  Take strength from your faith in your Divine.  Give strength to those who need it.

An interesting quote comes to mind. When asked why a person was so tough, why they did things the way they did, they responded, "Ask me again when the tide is high and the water is still rising."

The tide is high and the water is still rising.  But if you think you are lost, think you are going to lose, then you won't survive or win.  When things are their worst, when you are on the ropes you have got to get mean, refuse to go gently.  Die hard.  Make your enemies pay for every inch they get.  When it looks like there is no where to go, no way to win, all hope is lost, then advance.  Charge straight into it. You might not win, but then, you might not lose.

We are overdue for bad times.  We can make it.  We were once a practical people.  We can be again.

For everything there is season.  Now is the time to find who you are, deep inside.  To connect with your ancestors and your descendants. Please know that when you struggle against the darkness, you are not alone.  We are there with you, we are still here, there are others in this battle.

Another quote:  "It is not how hard you can hit, but how hard you can get hit, how much you can take and still keep moving forward.  That is how winning is done."  In his battle there is no blue ribbon, no trophy, just the knowledge that if you lose, if you don't fight, all that you believe in will be lost.

I believe in this Nation.  I believe in the ideals of Liberty and Freedom.  I see a Nation of the Eagle, wounded, but ready to once again take to the skies.  I believe in the Constitution of the United States.  We will not go gently, we will survive, this Nation shall not perish.

We can overcome the forced march to tyranny being perpetrated.

Remember, your money is not you.  Money is not wealth.  Keep yourself happy, your children healthy, keep your faith, believe in our Nation; that is the REAL wealth.  They cannot take that from you.  Money can be made again.  Your ancestors started with nothing.  Do not let the fearmongering of those in authority make you feel helpless.  You are a great and powerful creature, capable of anything you set your mind to. 

A person with a heart of faith and an agile mind has all the wealth they need to make their life a good one.

Stay strong.

It has been quite awhile since I did this.  And ultimately, that is a very cliche opening.  Sometimes cliches are true, though. And sometimes they are an oversimplification. 

There are many things that have gone on of some interest to some who may read this.  There are thoughts which may connect with someone out there which have rattled around a bit here.  We have had several attacks to this site, which leads to unfortunate results emotionally for us here.

I would like to clear a little air concerning these attacks.  The first item is that I am not afraid to post because of them. I do, however, find myself editing joyful announcements and progress reports out of prudence.  These are not the first attacks we have received (both online and in person) nor the first threats to ourselves and our children.  So, much thought and reflection have gone into this issue.  I have no perfect answer thus far, but I may be ready with a workable solution.  It is tough enough to do this amidst all the things and projects we have underway, but if it is going to become a harassment point, then it becomes that much easier to NOT write this.

For those of you with gentle dispositions or tender hearts, please skip this next part.  Those of you who would threaten our children, virus our data or wish us ill, ignoring the goodwill we extend the world, please, continue reading...

Go fuck yourselves. I know, I know, pretty low-brow of me. 

If you wish the dignity of discourse, you have crossed lines to ever again be treated as anything but a wild, sick creature, to be dealt with as vermin are to be dealt with.  You who would treat us in such a matter deserve much lower than I can go.
 
The words will never truly hurt, the data can be repaired, our children will be defended to the bitter end but they will never become your prey. We do not wait in fear, but in preparation.  For you kooky, snarky, smarmy little internet dipsticks, with no original thought or depth of tradition or character, we hold nothing less than you. 

You are not important. 

This is not a knee-jerk defensive reaction.  It is instead a long-meditated, carefully considered response.  We may be spiritual, but spiritual does not necessarily mean wimpy. 

We are a tribal people. 

People of the Sun and The Moon. 

We come from a long tradition of Warriors.  We will live in peace if we can, but if we fight, we fight to win. The Way of the Arrow and the Path of the Blade are still open to us.  Attack us with words, will will return in kind or in silence.  Attack us in other ways we will respond, similarly, with greater accuracy and overwhelming ability. 

Hurt us and you will lose.

So simply put, go fuck yourselves.

For you bleeding hearts who don't understand, please try.  I have a bit of a softness and peacefulness myself.  But our people have not survived this long by going gentle. 

I have not beaten my swords into plowshares.  My Blades hang upon the wall, heirlooms, symbols of a long struggle survived and a willingness to see my descendants survive.  I till my fields, I raise my children, I live every moment with the hope of peace for my people.

And we live in peace, with much laughter and celebration. 

We enjoy the gifts of the Divine, the great and small of all things.  We hope that our conflicts may be solved around a fire, sharing food and drink.  If my Blades never leave the wall except for ceremony, then so much the better.  Tribal Spiritualism is no flaky cousin of peacenik Liberal New Age silliness.

Onto other topics.  Religion.  Now there is a fun one.  I am not a Christian.  Obviously you say, look at the name of our site and the content.  Look at the art you work on.  I do however hold as one of my Divine Jesus Christ.  Not Yahweh, not Jehovah, not monotheism in any way.  Just Jesus Christ as Bringer of Light and a Warrior for Good.  How anyone could claim that Jesus is the "God" of the old testament is beyond me. 

Frankly, if I am wrong and the Petty Child "God" Jehovah is the "One and Only", then I will prefer Hell; at least I know what the score is and I don't have to spend eternity with the cosmic equivalent of Eddie Haskell. 

But my beliefs are strong and I know them to be the truth of my existence.  Jesus is not alone in my Pantheon (each member of our Tribe creates their own Pantheon of gods and heroes), but more on that another time.

So, when we go to shows, I get hit with bullshit from both sides; the bible thumping sheep and the hedonistic "pagan/new age/whatever".  Our people offend everyone, not through intent but through honesty and decency. 

We have no dogma, no church, no collection plate, no heaven, hell or preachers.  Yet, time after time, we demonstrate a stricter adherence to ethics and morality, deeper meaning and joy in life and decent openness that most of the "One-True-Faith" types are ever able to.

We are a proud people, full of respect for ourselves and respect for those who would at least meet us halfway.  Not try to control us, judge us, own us.  If I want to make knives and wands and at the same time make icons of Christian, Jewish, Taoist, Shinto, Egyptian or whatsoever I am called upon to make, I shall do so.  These are all worthy beliefs and a part of the history of humanity. There are dark faiths out there, I will never make symbols for them.

So before you put me in a box, harass our people or pass your judgments, remember that I do not require your approval to exist.  Think of this: if you showed up at my house, regardless of your choice of Faith, as long as you comported yourself with kindness, respect and dignity, you would receive the same. 

You would be invited to dinner, time and time again. 

Discussions, even arguments could be held, within the context of polite society.  You would be invited to share in or simply observe our ceremonies.  You would be able to ask us the how and why of what we do.  In all this and more, we have been and always be open to, provided it was done with kindness, decency and respect. 

You could warm yourself by our fire without ever having to subscribe to our beliefs.  Impossible?  Not for a people who know who they are, where they are from and what they believe.  We are a proud people. 

After all that has been done to us, we greet each dawn, saying:

"We are still here!"

There is more to come.  Politics, Art, you name it, I think about it.  In the meantime, I do hope any who read this are okay, that their life is something they can be proud of.

Onto announcements:  our new daughter born last month, very exciting!!!! And no, I was not disappointed that she wasn't a boy.  Why do people keep asking this?  I already have three sons, four daughters, a couple grand kids and another on the way. I think a little girl is a fine gift, a giver of life.  A tribe must have daughters.  Our greatest magic and highest offices are held by women.  She will be a great Warrior and a Noble person.

We are prepping the garden and orchard for another season.  We have also switched sources for fresh milk. Our home cooking continues to be such a hit that our friends call dinner at our house "eating out!"

My cancer is still present, but I seem to be holding my own.  I am struggling and my wife has me headed to a political blog out there to see what I can add, distract my mind and keep me active at a time when I am just a bit incapacitated.

We cut back on shows this year as so many have been canceled, but we will make some and we continue to host events here at home and we can use the time for other endeavors, such as the Great Gathering.

We have built a very nice steam house/sweat lodge and it is a fantastic feeling to have one again.  We have set up numerous Altars throughout our house, which we have worked on for months,and we now finally feel like we have gotten them to a good point. 

With our travels, it was hard to have some many up a once, so most of our things languished in storage while we maintained traveling centers and one large central sanctuary.  We continue to work on our Temple as well.

All are well, happy and healthy.  Even I with my illness have no health issues otherwise.  In time the illness will pass as well.

Best wishes to all our friends and fellow travelers out there.

"The First Principle of our Warriors is to Die Hard"

Greetings to all whom we would greet.  I cannot say as to how often I will write this, as many matters of more pressing concern are a daily event.  But I will try.

I would like to thank my wife for the time she has put in to maintaining this blog and the accompanying website.  She has done a great and patient job with this as she does with all things.

The past year had many great, happy and exciting events.  While there certainly times of trouble and moments of tragedy, such is life.  Which is more important?

So we roll into the new year, looking to the future, new family, new friends, new conversations.  Opportunities to bridge the gaps between people.

So, we are busy building and creating, preparing for greater travels.  The time to set sail is coming soon. 

I will let it go with that today.  Best wishes for this coming season!

I have to say I am extremely embarrassed by the length of time it has taken to me input an entry. In the past month we have celebrated Thanksgiving, the Return of the Sun and Christmas. We also participated in a craft fair and John created many, many great arts of work.

Thanksgiving was exciting as we had then entire tribe here for the celebration. We ate and laughed and started to feel good about the festivities.

Last weekend the family celebrated the Return of the Sun with the Solstice and talk about a wonderful weekend!! We had feasting, drumming, archery, played games, danced, sang, read poetry and did a number of spiritual and wonderful activities. We had a pretty good turn out and I am looking forward and making plans as to the next gathering in March. Speaking for me the Solstice was a moving experience as well as an amazing spiritual endeavor.

Seeing people from different backgrounds and even different beliefs getting along, engaging in conversations, participating in activities and enjoying what the weekend brought was a magical experience beyond what I can explain. It was one of those experiences that you needed to experience as words do not begin to describe.

The Return of the Sun was wonderful but there is a part of me that is sad that we live in a world where people can't get along like that anymore. There are a few who do, however the world itself is rooted in chaos and intolerance.

What really makes me sad is that people who were oppressed for having a certain belief get majority and then oppress everyone else the same way they were. It's not right. When one group experiences something like oppression and hatred, it is within us to be better than our nature, to be truly thinking human beings and know that treating another group with oppression is wrong and do everything they can to not allow the cycle to continue. Instead the majority gives into the dark side of us and makes life worse. How can someone want bad things to happen to someone else, including children because they are so short sided and selfish?

I hope for more celebrations like the one we recently had and the great hope comes with a growing population who can experience something wonderful inside themselves and in other people. The numbers of the participation will keep growing and we will do our part to bring a little more light to world that is growing in darkness.

I hope the Solstice and the Return of the Sun brings a little more light to people and that we can smile and move forward in the face of adversity instead of crying and being angry.

Blessings to all.

Good Day,

Bria