Goose-bumps songs

Last week a friend tagged me on Facebook and challenged me to post 5 songs that give me goose bumps. I know so many songs that do just that, it was hard to choose just 5... These are the songs that I posted:

I discovered Alison Krauss when this song was used in an episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer somewhere at the end of the 90's. I love most of her music, but this hauntingly beautiful song will always be my favourite...



I love this song, especially played very loud! :-) The symbiosis between the instrumental parts and his voice is so great.



No need to explain I guess, goose bumps! Especially when Freddie starts singing... wow...




I could have picked 'Creep' too or any other Radiohead song for that matter. Thom's voice and the music bring me to another dimension. I often used that place to hide when I wanted to... disappear completely...



One of my all-time favourite songs, so beautiful!

So this was the choice for now. I could have chosen so many others too; this list is by no means complete. Angel by Sarah McLachlan, some Dutch songs, Robbie Williams of course, but also classical pieces like Pavane by Fauré. Old songs, new songs... Music does something with me, for me. Thank you for the music!

Wendy Rule workshop and concert

We didn't have the best of times last week, but the weekend made up for that! We had a wonderful weekend...Friday evening started with the arrival of our friend Merel who stayed with us for the weekend.
Saturday afternoon Merel and I went to a workshop with Wendy Rule in Haarlem. The theme was the Underworld, perfect for this time of year. A lovely group of people and Wendy's music and stories created an intimate atmosphere that enabled us to go deep. We talked about how different people see the Underworld, what it means to us. The underworld can be a real taboo in society today, but life & death and dark & light simply belong together. They need each-other, they are one even. We shared some very personal stories. I won't share other people's stories of course: what happens in the circle, stays in the circle. That's a matter of respect and trust. I have told about my depressions, how sometimes you need to go even deeper to get out of it. The underworld can be a scary place then, but also a safe haven. Others don't always 'get' that, they want to help you. Wendy explained the myths about Demeter & Kore/Persephone, and about Inanna. She sang several of her songs that perfectly illustrated what we were talking about. The myths, darkness, death, depression... but also the underworld as realm of the ancestors, a hiding place and so much more... In a guided meditation we visited the crone. She showed herself to me as an old black panther with some grey hair. When I said goodbye she gave me a beautiful present: a veil. That can mean several things and I'll take my time to explore what it means to me and what I am supposed to do with it.

After the workshop we had a potluck dinner with lots of yummy stuff, what a treat! Ron and other people arrived and it was great to meet and re-connect with friends. Then it was time to enjoy a great concert by Wendy and her Timothy; beautiful songs interwoven with the stories behind them. I bought Wendy's last album, called Black Snake.

As always the end came way too soon! We helped cleaning up a bit and did some 'hangwitching' (Dunglish joke) before going home, where Merel, Ron and I had some fun time listening music together. We went to bed way past putting the clock back an hour!
Sunday I was tired and needed rest so we made it into a lazy day, not doing much. After dinner friends dropped in to bring me a bag full of chocolate, my favourite Milka Koeienvlekjes! The perfect ending to a wonderful weekend...

Wonderful weekends

We've had quite some wonderful weekends this August... We are blessed.

The first weekend started on Friday night with a very special and magical (almost) full moon celebration with friends on our favourite spot in the dunes. This time it was an international group of people with guests from Australia and the UK, so most of the ritual was done in English. Against all odds (bad weather forecasts) we only had a few drops of rain, thank the gods. After the ritual we had food and drinks, and chats and music, until it was time to go...

The next evening Ron and I went to Haarlem for an intimate living-room concert by the Australian singer-songwriter Wendy Rule. We had been to a similar concert in 2012 so we were very much looking forward to it. She has an extraordinary voice and sings about her pagan path, mythology, magic and more. Her concert feels like a ritual experience, you can feel the energy flowing. Wendy brought out a new cd this year called Black Snake, of which she sang several songs. I especially loved the enchanting "Home", it felt so vulnerable and personal that I didn't even want to make a picture... Unfortunately she had only 2 copies of the new cd left to sell, she almost sold out the stock she brought with her on the Goddess Conference in Glastonbury (where she performed before coming to The Netherlands). I really like her music, enjoyed myself very much and so did Ron. Afterwards we talked with friends and made music under the full moon on the terrace. A lovely night to remember!

photo: Astrid v.d. Berg

After a short night I drove to Haarlem again to do a workshop by Wendy Rule with 8 women (so 9 total, nice number). The workshop was called "Creative Divination", teaching us how to create and read our own divination kits: we all brought 5 to 10 small objects, and things from nature. We exchanged our ideas about the objects and did a round of divination for each participant with her own kit. It proved to be a very powerful tool for every one of us. I will definitely keep using my kit, and that's exactly what the others said too. :)

~*~*~*~*~

The next weekend the spotlight was on Kellianna, pagan singer-songwriter from the USA. On Saturday evening we enjoyed another living-room concert. Although there are definitely similarities with Wendy (they sometimes team up for a special performance), Kellianna's repertoire is slightly different. She performs song and chant inspired by myth, magic, sacred places and ancient times, honouring our Earth, deities and ancestors with her voice, drum and guitar. Of course everyone sang along with her best-known song "I Walk With The Goddess". We had a wonderful time. She did two sets, but time flies when you're having fun... Concerts always seem too short! Afterwards two friends went home with us to spend the night at our place, but of course we didn't go to bed immediately... :-)

photo: Astrid v.d. Berg

Sunday afternoon it was time for another wonderful workshop. Kellianna is a certified teacher of SpiritSong, a powerful tool for freeing your voice, for accessing the authentic sound that is you, and for entering into Spirit. Kellianna was trained by Shawna Carol in facilitating this unique approach to spiritual growth. You can read more about it here. Although I wasn't ready (yet?) to stand up and make my sound I really enjoyed holding the space for the brave women and men that did, and I loved the chanting together. Who knows, maybe next time I'll stand up... or not, and that's okay too! I already tried it several times (with varying success) when I was alone, just me and my sound.

Pagan Pages July

PaganPages is an online magazine or e-zine about all things pagan. The July Issue is up now!
There are lots of interesting articles, interviews, reviews, etc.

This time I decided to write about black, darkness, dark sides, shadows, the night... and why they don't deserve the negative connotation they have. You can read it here: Tink About It: Shadows

It starts with a quote from a song:
   Hello darkness, my old friend, 
   I’ve come to talk with you again….
I'm sure you recognise it from this classic Simon & Garfunkel song:

Meet & Greet with Robbie Williams

Some weeks ago I got an e-mail about Upfront with Robbie Williams, a paid membership section of his website to ‘accompany’ him on the Swings Both Ways tour. For just 3.99 pounds a month members are treated to phone calls from Robbie, regular text messages, online chats and access to exclusive photos, videos and audio clips that can’t be found anywhere else. I joined immediately. At first I didn't even notice the possibility of winning a meet & greet with Rob during the tour, but once I did I entered and forgot all about it…

Last Wednesday I got an e-mail that said: Congratulations - you'll be meeting Robbie in Amsterdam! I couldn't believe my eyes. Read it, and read it again, and again. Googled the name of the person I had to contact just to be sure. ‘Artist & Celebrity Security’, that sounds about right… And then it sunk in…. OMG OMG OMG OMG Oh My Gods OMG OMG OMG OMG, I won!! I’m going to meet Rob!!! And I won two tickets too. I had ordered tickets months ago. It was the first time that Ron would go with me to a Robbie concert. He likes Rob and his music too, especially the swing songs. We sold our tickets to friends. And then the waiting started… I wasn't really nervous, just very much looking forward to it. I didn't expect too much of it, but that was totally okay! Who cares if it doesn't mean to him what it means to me…? Even if it would be just 5 minutes, they are MY 5 minutes with Rob and 5 minutes more than a lot of other fans had!

So last Sunday was The Big Day! We left well on time, wouldn't want to get stuck in traffic! We arrived early and talked to some friends that were waiting in line. We collected our tickets at the box office and met the other winner and her friend. Around 6.30 pm two security guys came to pick us up and then suddenly I got really nervous. I was so glad Ron was there to keep me grounded! We walked through some corridors and were led into an empty dressing room to wait for Rob. The jitters worked overtime in my stomach, but I managed to calm myself down a bit.

Rob entered the room with Josie (his PA), security and a photographer. One of the security guys touched the light switch with his bum and the lights went out. We all laughed about it, especially when he seemed a bit awkward! At first Rob thought Ron and I were from the record company and just gave us a quick hand. Then he kissed and hugged the other girls. I was too flabbergasted to say anything, but when he was pointed out his mistake he more than made up for it! It sort of broke the ice though, and my nerves faded a bit. He kissed and hugged me real tight.

He asked all of us where we were from and how long it took to get to the Ziggo Dome. While chatting with us he was standing very close to me. Part of me couldn't believe this was really happening, so I consciously used all my senses to record this experience… When he heard what we had to do to win this meeting, he laughed and joked “What?? That’s all? Just click a button? That’s not much, is it?” He was relaxed and really took his time to talk with us. He radiated a general sense of happiness.

The photographer was taking pics all the time. The dressing room had a blue wall, in front of which she took the ‘official’ pictures. First with each of the other girls, and then it was my turn. Rob put his arms around me and pulled me close to him. I didn't resist, on the contrary, haha! He gave me a soft squeeze, whispered something in my ear and put his cheek to mine. He smelled intoxicatingly sexy…

Ron joined us for another picture. He bent his back and knees, but Rob still had to stand on tiptoes to get his arms over our shoulders. After the pic was taken he asked Ron “Man! How tall are you?” When Ron said he is 2.04m Rob grimaced impressed and shook his hand again.

And then it was time to say goodbye. I thanked him from the bottom of my heart, we all did, for this wonderful and intimate meet and greet. It was fabulous and I enjoyed every single second of it for 100%! Wow, just wow….

Security escorted us back to the general corridor. I asked about the pictures. We will get them emailed later. Josie had made a few pics with her mobile phone for Upfront, so at least we have that one already. We talked about this unique shared experience, cried out happily and bounced around. I was quiet though, had a bit of trouble landing. I went to the bathroom and just sat there for a while, silently enjoying reliving that 15 minutes. Then I put a happy status on Facebook and went out again.

In the corridors Ron and I met our friends, who of course were very curious. We drank something and went to our seats. We had great view from second row. Around us were mostly English people, behind us sat the choreographer of the show. A man next to us made a picture of Ron and me and we made ‘selfies’. Just before 8 pm the speaker announced two minutes silence. May 4^th is our national Remembrance Day and at 8 pm two minutes of silence are observed throughout the country. It was very impressive to witness complete silence in a venue filled with thousands of people.

And then…. The concert!!! I won’t write a minute-to-minute report of that, you can find those anywhere. I very very much enjoyed it. Loved the sets, loved the outfits (esp. the captain’s jacket), loved the songs… Opening with ‘Shine My Shoes’ is a great choice, as it does for a swing concert what LMEY does for a pop concert.

Although I missed some of my favourites from the swing albums I really liked the medleys (the one with ‘Shout’ was awesome!!). The swing versions of some of his pop hits were wonderful, although for some songs it worked better than for others.

‘That’s Amore’ was great; I’m a Dean Martin fan and hope Rob will do ‘Sway’ too one day… The whole wedding scene was very funny. He said he couldn't kiss a random fan on stage anymore, being 40 and a daddy and all… So he proposed to a fan,  married her on stage and then kissed her full on the mouth. J

I wasn't too impressed by the female singer that did ‘Empire State Of Mind’ (too piercing and shrill to my liking), but loved Rob’s  ‘New York New York’. Wouldn't it be awesome to have a Next Generation Rat Pack with at least Rob and Michael Bublé doing the old songs…? The close harmony part with Guy Chambers and the others was sensational too. I want more of that!

Together with his dad he sang ‘Do Nothing Till You Here From Me’. He looked so adorably proud when his dad walked on stage, aww… It’s no mystery where he got the entertainment genes! I really like those personal touches in Rob’s concerts.

I understand why Rob felt he had to do ‘Angels’ and although I like it a lot, it felt a bit out of place for me. A well-known and powerful swing ballad would have been better, but I’m afraid a lot of people wouldn't put up with missing ‘Angels’…

From time to time while I was enjoying the concert it suddenly hit me: hey, I talked to that man! Our bodies touched. We kissed and hugged, and there are pics to prove it. As if I’d ever forget…

I want to thank RobbieWilliams.com / Upfront, the crew, security and of course Rob himself for an incredible night to remember….!

Favourite music

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Kickin'It Old Skool, Day 16
"It was so much fun sharing our movies last week. In fact, we're sure many of us have filled our wish lists and our Netflix queue's with all sorts of fresh options! Let's do the same with our playlists. Share with us some of your favourite songs!"

~*~*~*~

Wow, I like so many kinds of music... I can never be complete. I like pop, folk, classical music, jazz, swing, 80's and sooo much more! It all depends on my mood and what I feel like at the moment I'm listening. I have a lot of favourite artists and songs too, old and new. :-)

~*~

I can always listen to Robbie Williams though. He is a pop singer, but also does swing / rat pack stuff with side-steps to rock, rap and more. He is an all-round, born entertainer. I love his music, both the albums and live. It would be impossible for me to pick one favourite. I'll just pick one of them and give you the official video:

~*~

My favourite Dutch band is Rapalje, a celtic folk band. Their website explains it better than I can: "Irish, Scottish (and Dutch) folkmusic with a difference. Dieb, William, Maceál and David sing and play on instruments like fiddle, tin whistle, gitouki, squeezebox, mouth organ, bodhrán, Highland pipes, border pipes and tea-chest bass. This diversity of instruments, a varied repertoire and an original presentation make a concert of Rapalje a special act. Dressed in medieval kilts, Rapalje performs in every conceivable venue." Ron's favourite song is "The Rattlin' Bog" by Dieb. Voice-wise I like William the most, especially in songs like 'Caledonia' and 'Loch Lomond' but also his solo-album. The up-tempo songs are great too, as are their live shows.

~*~

What Makes You Weepy

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Kickin'It Old Skool, Day 11
Yesterday we were 'on the road' all day to Germany and back, so I didn't have time for KIOS, but I'm jumping right back in again!

Today's question is: "What makes you weepy?"

~*~*~*~

Onions make me cry, but that's just a physical reaction. Romance, children... nah, sorry, no cry. What really makes me weepy is happiness. Little things, major things... happy is weepy! :)

Weeping in sadness, yes that too. Especially when animals are ill-treated, abused, left behind and that kind of thing. It makes me very angry, but also cry for the poor souls... Although I can cry from anger too, for example when I feel I'm treated unjustly.

Listening to music can make me weepy too, for a variety of reasons. Often sadness as certain songs remind me of people that are no longer among us. Listening to 'their' music can make me feel close to them again. Music helps to remember... Sometimes I listen to songs on purpose to get the tears going; that can be very healing. Except for songs with a history there's music I like to listen to when I'm sad; I have a sad playlist on YouTube. My favourite classical sad music (sounds strange, but true) is Pavane by Gabriel Fauré (for orchestra or with voice - in this case Barbra Streisand).

Movies rarely make me cry, but there are scenes that bring tears to my eyes. Let me think... Ah yes, the end scene of 'Ghost', when Two Socks gets hurt in 'Dances With Wolves', when Rose has to let go of Jack in 'Titanic' and more I guess. Sometimes it catches me by surprise, but I'm not ashamed of it.

Robbie Live 2013

Towards the end of 2012 Robbie Williams made an announcement: in 2013 he would finally make another tour. Of course Amsterdam was in the list of concerts. I was over the moon and very sad at the same time. Our financial situation didn't allow me to buy a ticket of almost € 100...

Disappointed as I was I poured out my heart on my Facebook wall. The comments were heartwarming! Me not going to Rob's concert was out of the question, I just had to find a way! The solution presented itself when a dear friend offered to go together; she would pay in advance and I could pay her back whenever possible. I hate debts, especially with friends, but it was an offer I couldn't refuse!

We decided to go for seated tickets, because unfortunately my chronic fatigue prevents me from standing in the field. During the 2006 tour I had the best spot possible: front row in the middle. Bittersweet memories because it was only a week after my mum passed away...

Then finally.... Saturday July 13th was RW-day! I drove all the way back from a festival I was attending and off we went to the Amsterdam Arena. We were in our seats 20 minutes before the support act started. This time it was Olly Murs, a nice guy but better on tv than on stage. Ah well, it was enjoyable when getting ready for the Real Thing!

The concert was great! Rob seemed so relaxed, happy and comfortable on stage but still funny and as cheeky as ever. He performed a wonderful mix of old and new songs, chatted in between and all that in a stunning setting I won't even try to describe... He is an entertainer pur sang and doesn't need it, but it made the show even better.

The setlist as I remember it (wrote it down afterwards):

• Hey Wow Yeah Yeah (instrumental) 
• Let Me Entertain You 
• Monsoon 
• Not Like The Others 
• Minnie The Moocher 
• Kids (with Olly Murs)
• Sin Sin Sin 
• Bodies 
• Come Undone 
• Everything Changes 
• Strong 
• Gospel 
• Be a Boy 
• Millennium / Better Man / Sexed Up 
• Me and My Monkey 
• Candy 
• Hot Fudge 
• Rudebox 
• Rock DJ

and of course in the encores my all-time favourite Feel, She's The One and the inevitable sing-along Angels.

The Kids duet with Olly Murs was funny, but not a success. Please sing it with one of the wonderful backing singers next time, Rob... During Me and My Monkey I sent Ron a text message; it's his favourite Robbie-song. My friend recorded Candy for her little daughter who loves the song. So many songs, so little time... Afterwards I picked up the 3cd-recording of the concert so I can go back and relive it whenever I want!

I lost my voice a bit and had a sore throat from yelling, but boy o boy was it worth it!! I had been looking forward to this for months and I wasn't disappointed, on the contrary: it was amazing! The magic never left Rob, he carries it with him inside and shares it freely during his concerts. The magic was tangible all around. A concert by Rob IS magic and that is high praise coming from a witch...

Just one minor mishap: he wore way too much clothing! LOL! He has trained for the tour and from pics we know he has a very fit body. Pity we didn't see much of it. But if that's all, well... I'll survive. ;-))

Wendy Rule rulezzz! :)

Last week Wendy Rule and her husband Timothy van Diest were in The Netherlands for a workshop and an intimate concert at Ons Ding in Haarlem. Wendy is an amazing Australian singer / songwriter and witch, whose incredible voice brings her mostly pagan songs to life with the help of her very musical and talented partner Timothy. Last time they were here (in 2010) I missed the concert because I got ill, so I definitely wanted to be there this time!

Astrid made this beautiful pic of Wendy & Tim on the North Sea beach

Thursday night Wendy and Timothy offered a ritual music & meditation workshop. Including them we had a nice group of about 12 people, men and women. We all sat around a simple but wonderful little altar. Deosil, starting with Wendy, we each told our name, astrological sign and why we were there. Only a few signs missed, so we made a great astrological mix. :)

Wendy smudged us one by one with American sage, accompanied by Timothy's magical flute and her own voice. Wow, what a treat... We cast the circle by holding hands, making a connection and passing energy. The elements were invited  in a special way: again deosil we each welcomed the element in our own words, for example by stating what it stands for. First a round for air, one for fire, water, earth and finally spirit.

Then Wendy led us into 5 meditations, one for each element. She performed a perfect mix between spoken guidance and singing words or just sounds, while Tim enchanted us with his wonderful guitar play. After each meditation we discussed what we had experienced. Of course I can only describe my own experiences...
AIR: Lying down I felt myself floating away into the air. I was a bird surfing on the winds. I felt free and happy. I flew over fields and seas and cities... I flew into a cloud and became the cloud, gently floating across the blue sky. When I had enough of that I felt tiny, sitting on a big white bird. I think it was a goose and I thought of Nils Holgersson. I was really reluctant to be called back, but I knew I had to, said goodbye to the goose and returned.
FIRE: This was a dancing meditation with rattles and singing. Because I can't stand in the same place very long I had to sit down, but it still worked. :) Wendy whipped us up with her voice. It was impossible to sit/stand still, we moved wildly and the sound increased. What a passion, what a fire. Woohoo!
WATER: Being a Virgo I should be an earthy type and I am in some ways, but I always had more with water. I love water, I am water. Lying down again this meditation was divine... We started at the surf of the beach with the water coming in. I let myself float on the water and just drift away. After some time the beach was gone and there was only water around me. I wanted to dive. When I did I turned into a mermaid. The water was beautiful. There were fish and other sea creatures around me. I even saw Atlantis. I literally was in my element... Wendy slowly called us back. I know I would go back there though...
EARTH: For the earth meditation we sat down in a circle with our drums. We drummed in a steady rhythm, the heartbeat of Mother Earth. The rhythm got me into a trance. I saw images of her beautiful lands, mountains, forests.... If felt like the meditation lasted forever, but that was fine by me!
SPIRIT: We sat around the altar and put energy into the flame of the candle by vocal toning. All together, but with our own individual sounds that made a beautiful noise, first a bit chaotic but slowly blending into one. I always start a bit shy, but grow into it. There were beautiful voices improvising around me and they took me into it too. The fountain of sound exploded into spirit like a rocket and showered down on us again.

We thanked the elements by calling them out loud in any way we wanted. Loud, soft, saying, singing, shouting, whispering.... but still one voice together. Goosebumps all over. What a magical way...
Wendy opened the circle, but of course it was unbroken. Merry meet, merry part and merry meet again!
We brought our cakes and wine in and had a wonderful 'after-party'. We had a lot of yummy food and drinks. I had made fresh kiwi-juice and bought some chocolate (what else, haha).
What a wonderful, wonderful workshop....

~*~*~*~

Friday night I came back with Ron for the concert. Ons Ding was filled with chairs for an intimate living room concert. I think there were around 25 people. Most I already knew, some were new to me.
First Wendy cast a circle through singing. Wow, so beautiful and strong! Then she and Tim started off on a musical adventure....

Wendy sang songs from her many albums. She told something about each song: what it was about, how/why she wrote it, etc. I recorded one, but I was sitting in the back so the images aren't great:

During the last living room concert in Ons Ding (with Kellianna) our hostess Astrid had sung a song too. Thursday night I asked whether she was going to sing again. She is a bit shy about her voice (not necessary at all, but I understand), but decided to go for it anyway. She told about her connection with the beach and sea while using her ocean drum, and sang her song about the goddess Nehellennia. We all enjoyed her performance:

Then Wendy & Tim took over again and continued the concert. Wendy told us about a song she wrote for Tim when he was coming to her Australia. I accidentally recorded the song, but my camera was in my lap so there are no images. The song is great though and I decided to upload it anyway. Because Wendy wrote it for Tim I made it a tribute to their love:

Much too soon the last song was sung and Wendy opened the circle. We stayed a while for a drink and to talk to our friends. Wendy sold quite some albums I think. Good for her, she deserves it!

Thank you Wendy and Timothy for a wonderful workshop and concert!

Thank you Ben and Astrid for hosting both and having me/us!

Freddie 65

Freddie Mercury would have been 65 today. He is still missed by so many, but he will live forever through the music legacy he left behind for us...

Google honoured Freddie in a special Doodle today:

Thank you Robbie!

Yesterday, the big day arrived! The Robbie Williams (and Take That) concert in the Amsterdam Arena! I checked the website all day. The 2nd concert in Denmark had to be cancelled last Saturday because Robbie had food poisoning. Thank goodness our concert wasn't cancelled!

Because we had seated tickets we didn't have to go early. We entered the stadium when The Pet Shop Boys had just started. I love those old songs, brings back memories. The sound wasn't very good though, but fortunately that was solved before the main act arrived.

Take That as a foursome opened the concert with some lame songs. Didn't really catch me until 'Patience' and then 'Shine'. I've never been much of a TT-fan, especially not the quartet. I like it, enjoy some of the songs, but that was not what I went for. Sorry, boys...

Then suddenly there was a familiar face and a familiar sound.... Robbie!!! The whole stadium came alive and the sound-level multiplied big time. He knows how to make an entrance and started with 'Let Me Entertain You'. Now that's how you open a concert! Followed by 'Rock DJ' and 'Come Undone'. In between Rob chatted. He looked very good, although sometimes there were little signs that he wasn't back to complete strength yet. That didn't stop him from giving it all. My all-time favourite 'Feel' was great:

Of course 'Angels' couldn't miss on the set-list:

After a break with dancers Take That returned in original setting with Rob leading them in 'The Flood'. The podium looked magnificent. It did so all evening, the set was really awesome! They started high up in the air. Rob was lowered upside-down like he started the 2003 concerts, spectacular! After some of the new hits they gathered around the piano for the old stuff. Unfortunately not 'Could It Be Magic', but still some great ones like 'Everything Changes'. Mark is my favourite person of the other TT-ers but his voice has changed and I really don't like the sound of it anymore. Gary has a wonderful voice of course. Pity he didn't sing 'Shame' with Rob. In the encore they sang 'No Regrets' (rather hear the original) and 'Relight My Fire' (sounded like a new remix, not bad).

Afterwards I was dog-tired, very thirsty and had a sore throat but man oh man was it worth it! WOOHOO!!!! Rob must have been exhausted, but I'm sure behind the scenes Ayda has received him with a lot of TLC and that's the best medicine for him. :-)

Here are my pics:

Concert Robbie Williams (& Take That)

PFI Conference 2011

Finally some time to write about the Pagan Federation International (PFI) Conference in Lunteren last week!
I arrived just in time for the opening ritual performed by Rufus & Melissa Harrington. After that I said hello to friends from the Lowland Systers, my coven, the Olympia studygroup, other workshops, etc. The yearly PFI Conference is always a great place to meet a lot of people I know and to get to know others.

The first workshop I went to was by Gerry Damen about energetic protection. Of course I know a bit about the subject, but the way she presented it was enlightening. The story behind energetic protection and why/when we need it, the different ways people use, how we can improve our own method, etc. Very interesting! We also did some exercises.

On the workshop schedule was an item that intrigued me, because I know very little about it: Enochia. It was given by Rufus Harrington. He is a Wiccan High Priest and initiate of the Western Mysteries who has spent many years studying Elizabethan magic. He has reconstructed the rituals of that era's most famous mage, Dr John Dee, using Dee's original manuscripts, and related documents. A renowned expert on Elizabethan magic, he teaches Enochia throughout Europe. He told about his own acquaintance with Enochia. He talked about John Dee and Edward Kelley and their work together. A lot of practices we use today originally come from the Enochian system of magic. Rufus let us call the quarters with the original text in Enochian, which isn't easy to pronounce I might add! It felt very powerful though.

The next workshop was something completely different: Vincent Ongkowidjojo about the Nine Worlds in the Northern Tradition. He has an interesting view on the nine worlds and how we see them today. I bought his Dutch book about Runes in the Northern Tradition. He has also written a book in English: Secrets of Asgard.

Taloch Jameson gave a workshop Drumming Meditation. He expresses his paganism through music with his band, The Dolmen, and through being a ceremonial facilitator with the multi-path Dolmen Grove which he formed in the early 1990s. He told about the magical history of the island of Portland off the Dorset coast of the UK. He chanted with us and let us feel the power of drumming in meditation. The workshop was over way too soon, I would have loved to hear more of him!

The last workshop I wanted to attend was by Alruin of Mandragora. When I got into the room, incense was burning. Somehow it got to me heavily. Within a few minutes I started to feel uncomfortable and sweaty. I decided to leave. Pity I had to, the workshop sounded very intriguing! In the hallway a friend picked me up and took me outside where I felt better in no time.

In between the workshops I visited the little market in the big hall.
I bought cotton tape for my new robe at the stall of Feuersprung, a German shop with a great assortment of ritual stuff. They had brought a lot of tape, but also gorgeous statues.
From GardenStone I bought his book Het Mercurius-Wodan complex.
I also browsed through the other stalls with books, stones/crystals, incense and a lot more!

The closing ritual was performed by Rufus & Melissa Harrington. It involved some kind of maypole dance. I didn't join in, because I still didn't feel great, but I enjoyed it from the edge of the room. I shared in the energy, which was very joyful and exuberant.

Ron arrived just in time for dinner, a wonderful and yummy Indonesian Buffet. During the closing ritual he bought me a beautiful gift: the statue of Herne I admired earlier at the Feuersprung stall! I love it!!

In the evening a storm was coming, a musical storm in the appearance of the English band The Dolmen!  We had seen them on the Elf Fantasy Fair and Ron decided to come for this gig. Their performance was great! The audience was very enthusiastic and the dancefloor was crammed all night. I've put some Dolmen pics in a Facebook album.

I'm back!

Wow, it has been looooooong since I posted a blog. The reason..? Hmmm. The easiest answer would be "I'm busy", but that's not all true. I often thought about posting, but it just didn't end up here. Ah well, whatever the reason... I'm here! :-)
I have been doing some things during the 'silent time' that are worth mentioning; here are some (not in any particular order).

April 10th I attended a workshop with Linda Wormhoudt about Seidr. She has written a great book about it: "Seidr, het Noordse pad", so I was looking forward to learn more. We were asked to bring our staff or another stick, as the theme of the day was to work with the staff and with energyfields. Apart for some theory it was a lot of action; not hearing about it, but trying it ourselves. Very interesting and worthwhile!

I discovered a lovely bookshop in Haarlem called De Groene Godin (The Green Goddess). I often shop in Haarlem and I even lived in the city centre long ago, but I didn't know it. It's a little shop with a large table in the back where you can sit, drink tea etc. and workshops are held. I did a workshop there with Mandragora some weeks ago. We made an ointment and a tincture. I learned new things and had a great evening!

I was asked to tell my personal experience story and talk about depression in a theme group of a day-care program in a hospital. I went there twice. The first time I told my story and answered questions; the second time I answered more questions and we discussed it further. The supervisor/counsellor was very content, the group was positive and for me it was another good experience with this work!

The Tuesday before Easter Evert and I went to the Matthäus Passion in Breda. It was a great performance with wonderful soloists. My favourite part are the bass voices and they were very good! In the afternoon we went to 'my tree' in the Mastbos. It had been some time since I could be there. We also visited the burial mounds (around 1700-1000 BC) on De Regte Heide. There are six of them, but a little one in the back caught my attention. It felt very strong. There was a tree nearby and I couldn't resist climbing in it...

More later! :)

Morning Sun

Robbie Williams has given his new single “Morning Sun” to Sport Relief as their official charity single for 2010. The song will be released on March 8. He said: “I am very happy to donate my time to help Sport Relief and I thank my co writers for doing the same. Please join us in helping this very worthwhile cause”. All of the record company profits and artist royalties from digital single sales of the track in the UK will go to the charity, as will income from the writers and their publishers.
You can donate to Sport Relief by visiting their website.

The music video is directed by Vaughan Arnell, director of classic Robbie videos including Angels, Feel and Bodies. Watch Robbie rocket out of space on an intergalactic voyage through the stars here or here.

How do you rate the morning sun
After a long and sleepless night
How many stars would you give to the moon
Do you see those stars from where you are
Shine on the lost and loneliest
The ones who can’t get over it

And you always wanted more than life
But now you don’t have the appetite
In a message to the troubadour
The world don’t love you anymore
Tell me how do you rate the morning sun

Stuck inside the rainbow years
And you could happen to me
‘Cause I’ve been close to where you are
I drove to places you have seen
It all seems so familiar
Like they’d been sent to kill ya

It doesn’t take an astronaut
To float into space is just a thought
The morning brings a mystery
The evening makes it history
Tell me how do you rate the morning sun

And the village drunk
Sadly passed away
It was a shame
I never knew his name
I wonder if he sat there every morning
And watched the sun rise

How do you rate the morning sun
It was just too heavy for me
And all I wanted was the world
If you are the starlet in the sun
Don’t go wasting your time
‘Cause there is no finish line

And you don’t see anything
Not even love not anything
The night could take the man from you
A sense of wonder overdue
The morning brings a mystery
The evening makes it history
Who am I to rate the morning sun

Written by R. Williams, D. Spencer, K. Andrews, R. Scott, S. Ralph, D. Black

Rob is back to stay!

Tonight I went to the live broadcast of Robbie Williams' first live show after three years. He was opening the BBC Electric Proms in London. He played old songs and new ones from his forthcoming album Reality Killed The Video Star. This was the set list:
1. Morning Sun
2. Come Undone
3. Blasphemy
4. Starstruck
5. Feel
6. I Will Talk and Hollywood Will Listen
7. Supreme
8. Deceptacon
9. No Regrets
10. Won't Do That
11. You Know Me
12. Angels
13. Millennium
14. Video Killed The Radio StarI could see Rob was a bit nervous in the beginning, but he still is that amazing singer and entertainer! Not that I ever doubted he wasn't... ;-) I loved the show, especially when he sang the song he wrote for Ayda and she was singing back to him. Definitely a happy couple, great to see! I really like the new songs, I'm looking forward to the new album. There's a lot of hit potential in it for sure! Video Killed The Radio Star isn't on it though and that's a big miss in my opinion; the last song of the evening was a smash hit for Rob!

Just one heartfelt tip for Rob:
Please, PLEASE, find another stylist!! When you are in great shape like this you shouldn't wear baggy trousers and some vague shirt.

pictures: property of BBC Electric Proms
(to see more follow the link)

For Joke & Leo - Forever Love

For you, because I believe your love will live on and never leave!

Rob is back!

Take it easy

RULES
1. Put your iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. WRITE THAT SONG DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!
4. Tag 10 friends - I won't! Play if you want, and add your link in a comment.
5. Everyone tagged has to do the same thing.
6. Have Fun!


IF SOMEONE SAYS 'ARE YOU OKAY' YOU SAY?
My heart belongs to me (Barbra Streisand)

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
Oxygene 02 (Jean Michel Jarre)

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Feel (Robbie Williams)

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Wytches' Brew live (Omnia)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Heal the pain (George Micheal & Paul McCartney)

WHAT'S YOUR MOTTO?
Essence (Steve Vai)

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Unchained melody (Righteous Brothers)

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
One fine day (Robbie Williams)

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
September morn (Neil Diamond)

WHAT'S 2+2?
Suspicious minds (Elvis Presley)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
The Whole of the moon (Waterboys)

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Babe (Styx)

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Coffee, tea and sympathy (Robbie Williams)

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Just can't get enough (Depeche Mode)

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Home is where me friends are (Rapalje)

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Wonderful life (Black)

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
Seamisai (Laura Pausini)

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Hijo de la luna (Mecano)

WHAT DO YOU WANT RIGHT NOW?
Imitation of life (R.E.M.)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
I can't believe you're in love with me (Dean Martin/Joss Stone)

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Take it easy (Eagles)

New RW site!

Last week there suddenly was a countdown on www.robbiewilliams.com. A new site was on it's way! Monday I visited the totally renewed website and may I say: it's a lot better than before. Well-organized, easy to browse, no Flash-content and... the official forum is back! I haven't been forum-ing for a long time (any forum that is), but after my first visit I was hooked again. Oops, oh-oh..! I've kept in contact with some of the regulars on the old forum through social networking sites, but that's not the same. One by one everyone is returning to the official forum, the F-gang (F for Forum) is back in town!!
A new album is in the making and rumours say Rob will go on tour in 2010. I can't wait!

TT #98: random stuff

Thirteen random things It has been a while since I did a TT, so here's a new one. Just some random stuff I'd like to share with you. Today is Koninginnedag (Queen's Day) in The Netherlands. You can read more about it here. Queen Beatrix and her family will visit Apeldoorn, but there are activities throughout the country. I especially like the freemarkets on the streets in almost every town or village, where mostly children (or so it should be...) sell old toys, books, stuff! Last weekend Ron and I went to the Elf Fantasy Fair in Haarzuilens, a medieval / gothic / fantasy / pagan festival on the grounds around Castle "De Haar". I'll post about it later and add my pictures. Ron is still recovering from his surgery. The pain afterwards is worse than expected; they really should have told us about it. It's slowly getting better and his armpits and hands are still dry. He is a happy man! The last few weeks I was a member of the application committee that was interviewing people for the job of coordinator of the pool of voluntary people helping others with their own experience. As a member of the pool I was added to the committee. It was very interesting work! Maia has been neutered today. She is still a bit woozy, but everything's okay. She is almost two years old now, but she remains very little. That poor little body with a big cut on her tummy... I spoil her rotten! ;-) This is my 98th Thursday Thirteen. I want to do 100 and then it's time to quit. Time for a new meme, a new challenge. Do you have a tip? Let me know! This coming weekend Ron and I will go to a pagan forum meeting in Hengelo to celebrate Beltane. I hope the weather will be nice, so we can have the ritual outside and make some great fires! I have finished the fifth and last book in the Gardella Vampire Chronicles. I simply love this series and now it has ended... The heroine can be described as "Buffy in regency-era London", a brilliant setting with unexpected plots. Don't know it? Lucky you, because you have 5 great books to read! Colleen Gleason is an amazing author; on her website you can read all about her and the series. Around this time I would have been initiated with the other Ara-girls, but it wasn't meant to be (yet?)... We are very disappointed and consider our possibilities. I'd still love to be initiated in the Ara tradition, but there are some issues that have to be solved first. This year around Midsummer Ron and I will go back on vacation to the lovely cottage near Lier in Belgium where we stayed last year. We are invited to stay there for two weeks while our friends (the owners) are away. Although I'll miss the cats very much, I really look forward to spend time in this little paradise again! I am busy organising a walk in the dunes near IJmuiden with a guide that has been a ranger there for years. He knows a lot about everything that grows and lives in the dune area. The walk will have the focus on herbs. Have you seen the video of Susan Boyle in Britains Got Talent? She has a fabulous voice. Looks can deceive... Everyone was laughing at her, until she opened her mouth. Wow!! I hope her dream comes true, she deserves no less. A new Star Trek movie is coming! I have to see it of course. I'll have to get used to new faces with familiar names, but that doesn't have to be a problem. Did you watch the trailer already? The release date is May 7. ~*~*~*~ 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 Unfortunately the original TT website doesn't exist anymore. There's a new hub : Thursday-13!