I'm Stonewylded!

Of course I had brought books with me to Belgium: the first three books of the Stonewylde series by Kit Berry. It was a tip I got from Sorcha. I wasn't disappointed, on the contrary! I was hooked from the first page and couldn't put it down. I love Stonewylde and I can very much recommend it to you!

Stonewylde is an alternative community, hidden away in the heart of Dorset and ruled by the charismatic Magus. It is a place of standing stones and earth energy – a place where the old ways are remembered. Within a great stone circle the eight pagan festivals are celebrated and ancient rites performed. The thirteen full moons are honoured and the people live natural and uncomplicated lives, as their ancestors have done for hundreds of years. But all is not quite as it seems......

Read more on the website. You can also read the complete first four chapters of the first book to see if you like it as much as I do. Prepare to be Stonewylded. :-)

To make it easy for you I'll give the links to Amazon in both UK and US:

~*~*~*~

European Soccer Championship

The day we left for Belgium, June 17, was also the day of the last group match of the Dutch soccer team against the Romanians. We only had Belgian tv stations and they didn't broadcast it. Pity, but fortunately the results wouldn't matter that much, as The Netherlands had already reached the quarterfinals. We got the news through sms and phone: we had rounded off an impressive campaign with a third successive victory: 2-0. Okay, good news!

On June 21 we definitely wanted to see the quarter final against Russia. We went to Lier where several cafes had screens and/or televisions to watch the match. The first half we watched in a pool cafe. There was a big screen in the back, but in that area the music was too loud. In the front was a normal television, but we couldn't sit very comfortably there. The barkeepers weren't very sociable. In the break we looked for another place to watch the second half. Just across the street was another cafe where we were warmly welcomed and gladly watched the rest of the game. Well gladly... not about the game of course. Much to our regret the Dutch lost 1-3... :-( Disappointed we headed back to the cottage. The rest of the time in Belgium we didn't pay any attention to Euro 2008.

Tonight is the final between Germany and Spain. My bet is on Germany. May the best team win though!

Update 22.40u:
Wow, Spain is the new European Champion! Not undeserved I must say. It was an interesting match until the last second. It ain't over 'till it's over; you never know, especially with the German team. Schade Deutschland, alles ist vorbei... They earn respect though for reaching the final!

Back home

We are back from a very relaxing vacation in the middle of nowhere near Lier in Belgium. We had a great time and enjoyed ourselves very much. The weather was mostly sunny and warm. We stayed in a lovely cottage surrounded by nature (private property): water, trees, little fields, birds, etc. We lived outdoors all day, wonderful! Some things were a bit primitive, but that didn't really matter. In the coming days I'll share more stories and pictures!

The day before we went away we bought another car! A bit hectic to do it last-moment, but it was the sensible thing to do. Because of the increasing petrol prices (Dutch prices are ridiculously high!) we had been looking for a comparable car on LPG (liquefied petroleum gas). They are very sought-after, because the price of LPG isn't linked to the oilprice and therefore much lower than petrol. The monthly taxes for a car on LPG are higher, but it really pays off if you drive a lot like we do. Ron had kept an eye on the market. So we drove to Belgium in a new car! This is it:


It's a black BMW 318i Touring Executive (E46). The same model we had, but with some extra's: 2 years younger (2001), original PDC (park distance control), full on board computer, better mileage, removable tow bar and LPGi (liquefied petroleum gas injection). We are very happy with it!

She's not there!

I'm not online from somewhere today
until the end of next week (26th, 27th probably).

Feel free to read and comment.
I'll visit you as soon as I'm back online!

For Entrecard droppers:

keep visiting, keep dropping!
If you have advertised on my blog before,

your ad will be accepted automatically.
I'll try to return the favour a.s.a.p.

Trance Prophecy with Janet & Gavin

Yesterday I attended the "Trance Prophecy Intensive Workshop" held by Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone. I've done the "Inner Mysteries Weekend Workshop" with them in 2004. That was very interesting, so I really liked to do a workshop with them again. Trance Prophecy has always interested me and i wanted to know more. Well, I was at the right workshop for that! As their website says, this was 'A practical participatory intensive to teach individuals how to perform trance prophesy using safe techniques. Includes, the History of trance in ancient paganism and Wicca, its purpose, types and methods of inducing trance states, working with deity in trance, The Underworld Descent Techinque. Creating a Trance Prophesy Ritual.'

It was a long day (from 10am until 9pm), but most definitely worth it. Gavin is a great teacher and Janet is a wonderful storyteller and medium. They complement each other well! Most of the theoretic part we did in the morning and the early afternoon. Very interesting stuff! For the parctical part there was a chair in the middle. First we cast a circle and Gavin lead us through a pathworking down to the gates. The seer or seeress took the chair and got a veil over their head. Gavin or Janet acted as guide and protector for the seer. When the seer met the deity, they were asked if they wanted to come into the seer. They all agreed, but with varying success. It was the intention of Gavin and Janet to get us all in the chair to do a session, but unfortunately we didn't have enough time. I missed out and was a bit disappointed about it. I understand it wasn't my time yet or something, but still I felt a bit sad. I talked to Gavin about my feelings and he understood. He was very sorry and promised I'd be first next time. That's okay, it wasn't meant personal to him, I had a great workshop day! I got two very nice messages.

Freya told me there's water in my neigbourhood that can heal me when I'm ready for it. Then she continued: "It's okay to mourn." I started crying. Yesterday it was 2 years ago that my mum passed over. It still hurts, I still miss mum (and dad) a lot. I know it takes long(er) with me to give it a place and move on, but it's my process. I know I'll get there in time and I'm taking all the time I need, no matter what others say or think about it. I think the water Freya was talking about is the sea. I've always know that works healing to me. One day I'll go ducking in the sea.

Janet is a medium. She told me she saw Michelangelo with me. He had a big piece of black marble, representing me. He was carving the black layer away and under the black was pure white crystal. He was recarving me! Wow... Well, if somebody is recarving me, Michelangelo is not just anybody. My marble is in good hands! :-)

Ara Ritual Apart Together

I thought it was a pity we had planned this RAT together with the 2nd soccer match The Netherlands had to play. I even considered doing it earlier, also because I was afraid to be distracted by the noises from the café across from here. But I decided to set my priorities straight, being Ara and Phyllis' friend. We agreed to do a Cone of Power for this friend, who has recently heard she has cancer. We hope to meet her next year at our initiation. This was important to me, so I went upstairs after the national anthems.

I put my headphone on with a meditation CD (Natives by Peter Kater and R. Carlos Nakai, I can recommend it!) and relaxed. I looked at the friend's picture and somehow felt a connection right away. Just before I started I heard people outside cheering "Holland 1-0!!!"; I smiled, but let it go and pass. I put my Mindfoldmask on and started visualizing the Ara-group and the friend. I met the group at the bottom of the hill. It was a wonderful walk up with beautiful panorama. On the meadow just outside the temple we made a circle. I saw Phyllis walking into the temple. I was at the South, facing the temple. During the ritual Phyllis sat down and connected to us. When we evoked the quarters, I made a mistake and started evoking the west. I quickly switched to the south. Oops! :-) During the Oak Grove I opened my chakra's (I have been preparing for Janet and Gavin's workshop and read about this). The Cone of Power started with an amazing visualisation of golden and silver energy meeting in my solar plexus. I saw and felt it going around our circle very strongly. When we picked up our instruments I was in doubt whether it should be my drum or my rattle. I finally picked up the rattle and we started walking around, first slow than faster and faster. When we released the energy we send it up and slightly westward. The energy was very powerful and kept flowing for quite some time. While my hands were up in the ritual, my 'real' hands were on the friend's picture sending her Reiki. We had to regain our breath for a minute and then did the cake & wine. We talked about the Cone of Power, hoped she would benefit from it fully and wished her all the best. We thanked the god, goddess and elements and closed the circle. Afterwards Phyllis walked to us from the temple. She smiled and complimented us. The ritual was super and the energy felt great. Unfortunately she couldn't stay long because of some calls she had to make, so we said our goodbyes and walked down the hill. When I walked into my hut, I was back in my bedroom immediately. I felt good and relaxed.

Downstairs it was half-time and still 1-0. I decided to write down my experiences in my Ara-book immediately, when it was still fresh in my memory. Good decision, but I should have done it on the computer; writing with my bruised wrist wasn't a good idea. Of course I was pigheaded and wrote nevertheless... Then I grounded fully watching the rest of the match with cola and chips! ;-)

Netherlands - France 4-1

The Dutch supporters again had enough reason to cheer!! After the worldchampion we also beat the vice-worldchampion. Fair is fair, France didn't play bad at all and there were thrilling moments throughout the match. Ribéry was dangerous and of course Henry. He made the only French goal in the 71st minute, but he couldn't enjoy it for long: within a minute later Robben made the third goal for the Netherlands. The other scorers were Kuyt (9'), Van Persie (59') and in the extra time Sneijder made the last one. Robben entered the field for the second half, remarkably quick after his injury. In the last phase of the match he didn't look very fit; I hope he didn't stress and overwork himself. All in all it was another great match to watch!
The Netherlands is groupwinner and therefore certain of the quarterfinals. Yay!

~*~ HUP HOLLAND HUP !!!! ~*~

Kerstin Fritzl wants to see Robbie

The oldest child that Josef Fritzl fathered by his own daughter is on the road to recovery, has been reunited with her family and the first thing she asked for after a lifetime of being held in a dank cellar was to go to a Robbie Williams concert.
(...)
“I am especially proud that [she] could walk the distance to her new residence and into her new life,” Dr Reiter added. Ms Fritzl saw daylight for the first time in her life after she awakened in the intensive care ward of the Amstetten regional hospital. According to Dr Reiter, the first wish that she expressed to her carers was to go on a boat trip and to attend a Robbie Williams concert.
“Even immediately after she awakened and still had the tracheotomy intubation for the breathing assistance in her throat she would listen to Robbie Williams until 3am. I then would have to intervene for her to turn down the music and get some rest,” Dr Reiter said.
(...)

Read the full article here.

Ghost Ryder

Today Ron and I visited Wonder, who is still staying at his mom's home in Rijen. We were just in time to drive him to the specialist for a check-up on his leg. She was content, the formation of new bone tissue has started. In the next 6 weeks he can gradually put more weight on his leg (in consultation with his physiotherapist and depending on the pain he has) until he can stand on it completely. Good news!

After we left the hospital we drove to a parking place in Breda, where a very special truck stands. Last time we already went there and Ron made some pictures with his phone. He wanted to go back and take better pictures with his camera. It is a showtruck called Ghost Ryder, a Peterbilt 359 fitted with a Caterpillar 550HP and Phantom F4 Rolls Royce Viper 202 turbojet engine (12000HP) with afterburner. The owner was there too and Ron talked with him. He made a lot of pics and I took some of him next to the truck. If you click the picture below, you can visit the webalbum I made (in a new window).

Ghost Ryder

Two wolves

While reading the following story on CyberCelt's weblog, I knew I had seen it before. Google helped me find this Cherokee wisdom on lots of sites and blogs. Still, I'd like to share it here too.


One evening an old Cherokee chief told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between two "wolves" inside us all.

One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, service and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?"
The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

Netherlands - Italy 3-0

I hardly ever blog about sports even though I love to watch the big tournaments: tennis, Olympics, speedskating, cycling and... soccer. Tonight I just have to blog!
The Dutchies played their first match in the 2008 European Championship. The opponent was Italy, the ruling world champion. It had been 30 years ago that we beat the Italians, but as always the hopes of the Dutch supporters were high! The whole country is decorated in orange, streets were empty during the match. Expectations were around 7.5 million people in The Netherlands (half our total population!!) would watch.
Well, the match was amazing! Italy didn't play bad, but the Dutch were better. If you want a full report, look here. My favourite player, Ruud van Nistelrooy, scored the first goal; Sneijder made the second (on his birthday!) and Van Bronckhorst finished the job. That last one played an awesome match, but I think the whole team did. :-) A very promising start of the tournament!

~*~ HUP HOLLAND HUP !!!! ~*~

In the band Meme

I found this fun meme at Darla's Nichtzusagen:

Rules:

1. Go to Wikipedia
   The first article title on the page is the name of your band.
2. Click Random Quotes
   The last four words of the very last quote is the title of your album.
3. Visit Flickr
   The third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.
4. Use your graphics program of choice to throw them together, and post the result.

This is what I got:

sources:
Wikipedia
Quote
Flickr

Wanna play too? Feel free to do this meme for yourself!

Moon Magic

Yesterday and today our studygroup in Amsterdam had a workshop given by Marian Green again. She had asked us to give the group a name and by mutual agreement we have chosen "Olympia". It's a mixed group, although there are more women.

The subject for this weekend was "Moon Magic". That is a very wide concept of course, so it was virtually impossible to cover everything. Nevertheless we had a very interesting and valuable weekend. Marian has a lot of knowledge that she shares freely. Besides theory we did practical things and exercises too. I'll just share some interesting things you can do for yourself.

We looked at which phase the moon was when we were born (look yours up here). All the phases were represented within our group, although there were more in the waning moon half (including new moon) than in the waxing (including full moon). At my day of birth the moon was 97% full. I've always felt more attracted to the full moon than any other phase, so it didn't really surprise me. According to Crystal Forest full moon at birth means:
"Being born in the middle of the cycle means that your talents lie in bringing matters to fruition. You are adept at tempering logic with instinct and practicality with creativity. Moreover, this period acts like a bridge, linking you to the past, but also projecting your ideas into the future. The negative side is that you may suffer guilt and irrational fears, especially when it comes to personal relationships. Only when you learn to take control of your own feelings, rather than taking your emotional cue from your partner, will you find a way of sustaining a mutually rewarding intimate relationship. Your best efforts will find their flowering after middle age."
Crystal Forest is no longer online, but you can use CafeAstrology.

I had my horoscope done some years ago. I looked it up and the moon was in Aries at my birth. According to Astrolabe's free birth chart that means:
"High-spirited and courageous, you are a fighter when your emotions are aroused. The degree of force and drive that you can bring to any effort sometimes surprises others. You have hair-trigger reactions to specific stimuli and tend to "let it all hang out." You sometimes act before you think and do things on the spur of the moment, and that sometimes gets you into trouble. Your moods change quickly -- you have quite a temper, but you don't hold grudges. Very independent, with an extremely strong and forceful personality, you are known for being impulsive, careless, reckless, foolhardy, rash and daring."
Unfortunately Astrolabe is no longer online, but you can use the Lunarium.

I'm very tired after these two intensive days, but I'm already looking forward to next time!

TT #82: goddess sign

What's your goddess sign? I found this amazing thing on iGoddess, a great Goddess portal with all kinds of interesting stuff. Your natural-born attributes can be attributed to an ancient goddess whose energy prevailed at the time of your birth. Just like astrology, goddess energy defines who you are and what your life purpose may be. The alignment of stars and planets influence our personalities, values and choices. Every action, thought, projection of self, and treatment of others is a reflection of your goddess sign. Mar 21 - Apr 20: Athena - Powerful and zesty Athena is the beautiful warrior queen who stood guard over the ancient city of Athens. Born leaders, Athena-inspired women know no fear, or that's the face they present to the world at least......... Apr 21 - May 21: Juno - Comfort, warmth and material security are the things that keep devoted wife Juno happy. Prepared to go to any lengths to protect their relationships, Juno-inspired women fight for the elements they want and deserve in order to preserve and enrich the home environment......... May 22 - Jun 21: Persephone -Vital and intelligent Persephone, erstwhile professional victim, was the innocent girl that was kidnapped to the underworld by Hades (yes, but was it really kidnap? Well, maybe, at first). Persephone-girls tend to be fickle, meaning "yes" when they say "no"......... Jun 22 - Jul 23: Diana - Powerful and protective, Diana is the Roman goddess of nature, fertility, children, providence and harvest. Finely tuned to their environment and the feelings of others, Diana-inspired women are hunted for their natural empathy and sensitivity......... Jul 24 - Aug 23: Pele - The bright and fiery Pele is the Hawaiian goddess whose spirit dwells inside the largest active volcano in Hawaii. Full of passionate energy, Pele gals love being the centre of attention and the life of the party......... Aug 24 - Sep 23: Hestia - Goddess of household abundance and well-being, Hestia energises the home with a welcoming energy, healthy food and comfort. As such, she is a creature of habit and organisation, purity, sincerity, sanctity and safety......... Sep 24 - Oct 23: Venus - The perfect lover, Venus is the Roman goddess of love and beauty. She rules over a woman's sense of style and her appreciation for acts of love, pleasure and romance......... Oct 24 - Nov 22: Bast - Archetypal goddess of protection, Bast (also known as Bastet or Basthet) is the Egyptian cat-headed goddess. It is no surprise therefore that she bestows qualities of playfulness, poise and feline sensuality......... Nov 23 - Dec 21: Rhiannon - A maiden of ethereal beauty, Rhiannon was the Welsh goddess of fertility and rebirth, transformation, wisdom, and magic. She was born with the first moonrise, embedding her with an inner urge for adventure and travel......... Dec 22 - Jan 20: Demeter - In Greek mythology, Demeter is the goddess of the harvest. When her daughter Persephone was abducted by Hades, Demeter's search took her on the path of poverty, abuse and eventually madness......... Jan 21 - Feb 19: Hathor - Patron of dancers, mother of the gypsies, Hathor is the ancient Queen of Heaven. Hathor-inspired women have the gift of shape-shifting - the ability to transform themselves from a woman crippled with anxiety to a creature shining with light and radiance......... Feb 20 - Mar 20: Oshun - Mother of rivers and the bloodstream, Oshun is the Nigerian goddess of universal love and sensuality. Oshun women are as flexible and predictable as the tides, being generous with their time for themselves during an "ebb", and for others during a "flow"......... Curious? I only gave you the first two sentences......... Want more? Read the full descriptions here! © Anita Revel, author and creatrix of iGoddess.com Bonus: the iGoddess Meditation: based on a poem, reflecting on how goddess energy manifests in the elements and our lives. ~*~*~*~ Links to other Thursday Thirteens! ~*~ Sue ~*~ Mama Pajama ~*~ Hootin' Anni ~*~ Slender Octopus ~*~ Chelle Y. ~*~ SJ Reidhead ~*~ Adelle ~*~ Claudia ~*~ Cheerio ~*~ Buck Naked Politics ~*~ Sandy Carlson ~*~ Michelle ~*~ Di ~*~ Michelle S. ~*~ Harmony ~*~ Janet ~*~ Allison ~*~ Random Ramblings ~*~ Lori ~*~ B Boys Mom ~*~ Alice Audrey ~*~ Danica ~*~ Lucy ~*~ The Gal Herself ~*~ Frances ~*~ Rasmenia ~*~ Clarence ~*~ Darla ~*~ Chris ~*~ Jenn ~*~ Tempest Knight ~*~ Sassy Mama Bear ~*~ PussReboots ~*~ Tamy ~*~ Get the Thursday Thirteen code here! The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted! View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Bloggerwave

Some time ago I was randomly reading blogs I didn't know (yet), when I stumbled upon a new way to make money with my blog. One of the blogs I visited had posted a sponsored post labelled "Bloggerwave". I got curious and clicked on the link. I liked what I saw and decided to sign up. Bloggerwave is aiming to be Europe’s biggest advertising media on blogs. As you know I'm based in Europe, so I like to support a European effort in this field!

Today I got the e-mail that my blog has been approved. This is my first post for Bloggerwave. Don't be afraid to be bombarded with sponsored posts. I blog because I like to share my thoughts and experiences, not to make money. I will only add a sponsored post now and then. The subject has to be something that suits my blog and something that I like myself. 'Honestly all the way' is an important issue to the people at Bloggerwave and I couldn't agree more! It's just a fun way to save up for something extra or special.

Pets...

Last weekend was the Grand Reopening of the local pet shelter, Kerbert Dierentehuis. There have been major changes, rebuilding, new building, rearrangement of rooms... A real metamorphosis! It looks nice, modern, clean, GOOD! The cats and dogs can walk freely inside and outside, they have everything they could possibly need to make their stay in the pet shelter as comfortable as possible while they are waiting for a new home. Years ago a visit to a pet shelter could be a bit depressing, but times have changed and so has our shelter and its accommodation. I had seen the progress when I was there for meetings of the shelter commission and Dierenbescherming (Animal Protection). The Kerbert has worked hard to meet all the new rules and regulations, with result! We are now fully certified.
Saturday the managing director of the national Dierenbescherming reopened the pet shelter and officially presented the certification. The manager got flowers and an envelope with money, because he is in charge for 12 and a half years. He and his co-workers (a few paid, but mainly volunteers) are doing a terrific job every day keeping the shelter at the high standard it is. After the official part illusionist Hans Klok (a local resident) concluded the reopening magically with a small performance.
You can see the pictures Ron made here, and another album with pics here.

Yesterday I was talking with Wonder on the telephone when suddenly behind me all hell broke loose. Freyja and Bastet were fighting like crazy and Foofur was caught in between because he interfered. Normally they'll stop when I stamp my foot, but this time it was serious. Maia was scared and run away into the kitchen. Unfortunately that was where Freyja was heading too. She broke the glasses on the kitchen unit and Maia disappeared behind the dishwasher. Freyja and Bastet weren't finished yet and Foofur was stupid enough to interfere again. I gave him a little kick in the butt. When I wanted to come between the cats I hit the couch and hurt my wrist. I screamed and after a while everything calmed down. I wanted to drink something and noticed my wrist was hurting a lot more! So while the cats have solved their differences and reinstated their mutual positions I'm left with a bruised wrist......!