Yvonne Aburrow's Blog, page 50

Notable and quotable: coronavirus (1)

There have been some great posts on the coronavirus in the Pagan community. Nimue Brown has written on the political implications; Laura Tempest Zakroff has created an immunity sigil. (Patheos *) Ive offered a modified version of the cakes and wine ritual. Dana offers spiritual self care practices to ease the stress. Video from Lora OBrien on community and coronavirus protocols. Article from The Wild Hunt Pagan news outlet on cancelling or rescheduling Pagan events, and rethinking communal...

Notable and quotable: coronavirus

There have been some great posts on the coronavirus in the Pagan community. Nimue Brown has written on the political implications; Laura Tempest Zakroff has created an immunity sigil. (Patheos *) Ive offered a modified version of the cakes and wine ritual. Dana offers spiritual self care practices to ease the stress. Video from Lora OBrien on community and coronavirus protocols. Article from The Wild Hunt Pagan news outlet on cancelling or rescheduling Pagan events, and rethinking communal...

Cakes and wine in a pandemic

Most religions that share food and drink have been having discussions about how to modify these practices to make them safe during the coronavirus pandemic. Mostly that means not meeting at all.

Its best not to meet at all if any of you are immunocompromised, or in the vulnerable age group, or in self-isolation, or if you know someone who is immunocompromised or in a vulnerable age group and are likely to be seeing them.

If none of that applies and you are still meeting with any of your...

Books I read in February

I read three books in February, all of which I have read before: the first three books of S M Stirling’s Emberverse trilogy. I re-read them because I like the characters very much.

The reason I enjoy these books so much (despite the somewhat graphically described violence), is that they have Wiccans in them. Also re-enactors, and bikers. It’s like reading a book with all your mates in it.

Add to that the epic destruction of the world we know (this book contains not so much world-building as...

Notable & quotable: inclusive Tarot

It seems that inclusive Tarot is in the air, because I have seen two posts about it today.

Major Arqueerna: 5 reasons why “Tarot for One” by Courtney Weber is my favorite Tarot book

The book sounds amazing for several reasons, but this one was my personal favourite:

To my delight, Weber embraces the gender-neutrality of the Tarot. This shouldn’t be that unusual in a Tarot book, but unfortunately it is, in my experience. Weber’s take is both refreshing and reassuring for nonbinary readers

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Pagan solidarity with Wet’suwet’en

Comments left by signatories on the Pagan statement of solidarity with Wet’suwet’en and Tyendinaga. The statement now has 71 signatures.

Solidarity all the way! Implement UNDRIP now. Land back.

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Indigenous people have the rights to that land and Canada needs to honor their treaties and stop insisting on destroying the environment and the lives of Indigenous people for profit.

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Indigenous people’s rights and sovereignty must be respected, especially when it comes to destruction of the...

Pagan statement of solidarity with Wet’suwet’en and Tyendinaga

We the undersigned believe that the colonial occupation and exploitation of Wet’suwet’en lands, and all other unceded lands, is illegal.

Sign the statement

We acknowledge: That in North America (Turtle Island), we are on the traditional territories of Indigenous Peoples, many of them unceded. That Indigenous Peoples frequently did not receive payments or restitution for lands covered by treaties, and that treaties have frequently been reneged upon by colonial governments. That the...

The festival of Borrowed

Some years ago, I started the festival of Borrowed. It’s on February 28th or 29th, and is a reminder that the Earth is precious and ecosystems are fragile. It seems even more relevant in the face of the climate emergency.

The festival of Borrowed highlights the idea that we do not own the Earth and its finite resources, we only borrow them, and share them with all other life.

For the festival of Borrowed, you’re invited to organize a group to plant some trees, plant flowers for the bees,...

Wassailing

On Monday, we went to the Orange Peel Morris annual Wassailing at Spirit Tree Cidery, Ontario.

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It was a beautiful clear day, and got clearer and less cloudy as the day went on. The wassailers sang the Carhampton Wassail Song to awaken the trees, we dipped toast in cider and hung it on the branches, and there was lots of Morris dancing. I had a go and joined in with a dance called Tinner’s Rabbit.

Wassailing is an ancient Indo-European tradition; according to JG Frazer, it’s also done to...

Books I read in January

January 2020. The last two books of the Axiom trilogy; the last book in the Winternight trilogy; started, but did not finish, Kafka on the Shore; re-reading The Living of These Days, by Harry Emerson Fosdick.

The Dreaming Stars by Tim Pratt (book 2 of the Axiom series)

The first half of the book was a bit slow (although it was fun to explore the world of Owain in the Taliesen system and find out more about the church that uses entheogens as its sacraments and cuddle puddles in its rituals).

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