Blogblast for Peace 2013

Today I'm joining hundreds of bloggers across the world in a movement called "Blogblast For Peace". Bloggers will unite in a global cry for peace in this annual event. One day. One voice. All it takes is one post. Won't you join us?

This is my 6th year of participating. I chose a picture of my favourite statue, the Millenial Gaia by Oberon Zell. His enchanting artwork shows Mother Earth and all of the creatures living and extinct in her hair and etched in her skin. Our Earth needs peace so desperately...


Blogblast for Peace links:

• BFP website
• info on Mimi's blog
• fanpage on Facebook
• grouppage on Facebook

Pagan Pages November

PaganPages is an online magazine or e-zine about all things pagan. The November Issue is up now!

This month I wrote my column about holey stones. You can read it here: Tink About it

There are lots of other interesting articles too:
A Shamanic View
Across the Great Divide
Art & Mystery
Astro Report for November 2013
Barefoot on an Earth Path
Connecting with Nature
Goddesses of Sorcery
Interweavings
Meditation Moment
Musings of a Hereditary Witch
Oak-corns and Apple-thorns
Paranomal Path
Seed, Root, & Stem
Signposts
Spiritual Seeker
The Mugwort Chronicles
The Neon Pagan
Tink about It
Tree of Life
Warrior Women
Tarot Talk
The Witch’s Cupboard
Art & Mystery
November Correspondences

Halloween / Samhain

Happy Halloween and a Blessed Samhain 

to all my pagan friends and readers!

Blessed Beltane to those in the Southern hemisphere.

Pagan Pages October

PaganPages is an online magazine or e-zine about all things pagan. The October Issue is up now!

This month's issue has a Samhain theme with lots of interesting articles, so I chose a fitting subject: honouring our ancestors. You can read it here: Tink About It.

Here's a little sneak preview:

Be sure to have a look and read the other articles too; they are definitely worth it!

PaganPages September

PaganPages is an online magazine or e-zine about all things pagan. The September Issue is up now!

In my column I talk about two festivals Ron and I attended. More or less pagan festivals, but are they 'representative' of the pagan path I walk? You can read it here: Tink About it

This month's issue has a Mabon theme with lots of interesting articles. Have a look and let me know what you 'tink about it'. :)

Blessed Lammas

Lammas (or Lughnasadh) is the first of three harvest festivals. The first harvest is grain harvest. We celebrate the goddess in her aspect as Grain Mother, Harvest Mother, Harvest Queen, Earth Mother, Corn Mother. It is also the festival of Lugh, the celtic god of the light (and sun).

In the Southern hemisphere the wheel of the year turns to Imbolc.
To all my friends in both hemisphere: I wish you a blessed lammas or Imbolc!

PaganPages August

PaganPages is an online magazine or e-zine about all things pagan. The August Issue is up now!

My column is called 'Dress code' in which I talk about what witches wear and my take on that. You can read it here: Tink About it

But as always, there are lots of other interesting articles that deserve your attention too!

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. ;-))

PaganPages July

PaganPages is an online magazine or e-zine about all things pagan. The July Issue is up now!

My column is called 'Summer reveries' in which I share my thoughts about summer and how I experience it. You can read it here: Tink About it

But don't forget the rest, there are lots of interesting articles that deserve your attention.

Summertime...

Arwen

I can hardly believe our little puppy girl turned 4 today... 

The first time I held her seems like yesterday!

We love her so much!

~*~ Happy Birthday, Arwen! ~*~

PaganPages

Do you know PaganPages? It's an online magazine or e-zine about all things pagan. I've been reading it for years now. Some time ago the editor invited me to become a regular columnist, to write about my pagan life. I was honoured and decided to give it a shot!

My first column is about who and what I am (in a pagan sense). You can read it here: Tink About it
But don't forget the rest, there are lots of interesting articles!

Life goes on

Yep, life goes on and that's about it. No change in our situation unfortunately so we struggle on...
Luckily there are also positive things happening from time to time. They can't turn the tide of things, but help us to persevere...

~*~*~*~

With some friends we got the idea to make our own drums. Most of us had never done that before, but together we shared some experience. We prepared the best way we could and started fresh. We couldn't find a lot of info on the www, except for some video's on YouTube. I decided to document the process in pictures, for ourselves and for others that might be interested. We made everything from scratch:

birch wood to make the frames

unprepared deer skin 

The result: Mrs & Mr Deer!

See all the pics in this photoalbum

~*~*~*~

It had been a while since I visited the pagan pub moots in Amsterdam and Haarlem. 

Amsterdam is on a Wednesday and that's my aquaspinning evening. In February we had a break, so I could finally go to the pub moot in Amsterdam again, on a new location. I had a wonderful evening and hope to go again in the summer break.

The witches' cafe in Haarlem had been a while ago too. In April I planned to go there with a friend, but when she had to cancel I decided to go alone. Met old friends and some new, had wonderful conversations about all kinds of stuff... I want to go more regularly again.

~*~*~*~

In the middle of April Ron and I joined an excursion to a heathen archaeological site in the Broekpolder in Heemskerk. There have been excavations around a monument with aspects of the Bronze Age to the Modern Age. The site is transformed into a park but the remains are preserved in the ground for future exploring. In the landscape they honoured the original findings. We did a little ritual there and left some offerings.

See more pics here

Really interested? Download this pdf to learn more about this site.

~*~*~*~

On Saturday April 27th I went to the annual PFI Netherlands Conference in Lunteren. It's always a very busy day, but I wouldn't want to miss it. I meet a lot of people there, do workshops, talk, eat, drink, etc. 

This year people from Reclaiming did the opening and closing ritual, but everyone participated. I especially liked the "Waters of the World": everyone brought water from where they came or another special place. All the water was collected in an overflowing bowl. 

So many workshops and lectures, so little time. Choosing is difficult every time! I went to:

• Luna Verde about 'Tarantism', an age-old Italian healing ritual using music, song and dance. I had never heard of it before, very interesting!
• Ina Custers- van Bergen about 'The sacred entrance into the Otherworld' who gave me some wonderful insights and things to think about.
• David Rankine about 'Grimoires and Books of Secrets' - some of it can be found in this article, really something to dig in some more...
• Jim Bennett about 'Past Life Regression' - no action just info about the origins and how to do it in a safe way.
• Andrew Cox about 'Plant Spirits' - in a small hot room instead of outside but still a wonderful subject I can never hear anough about.

After the closing ritual I enjoyed the traditional Chinese-Indian buffet while talking with friends again (or still). :) Unfortunately I was too tired to stay for the evening concert by Harmony Glen, so I drove home earlier. What a wonderful day...

~*~*~*~

On World Labyrinth Day (May 4th this year) Ron and I walked a temporary Santo Rosa labyrinth in the St. Bavo Church In Haarlem. I love labyrinths! In the beginning a lot of people in the church clearly didn't understand what we were doing; they kept walking straight over / through the labyrinth, very rude... We went back later and thank gods it was better by then. As always walking a labyrinth felt great and helped me in many ways...

See more pics of the church and labyrinth here.

~*~*~*~

Foofur's Birthday

Happy 14th Birthday, Foofur!!!

Foofur turned 14 today (well technically yesterday...). I still remember the first day I held him close in the pet shelter: 10 weeks and smaller than a kitten. His name was Bambi, but I changed it. I love him to pieces!

Happy birthday, my little friend. I hope you'll stay happy and healthy with us for many more years to come!

Let it snow!

Skadi, Norse goddess of winter

If you know me or read here for some time, you know this is my time of the year. Although every season has its charms, winter is my absolute favourite especially when there's freezing cold and snow. Over here in Holland we don't have lots of snow and not often (enough), so I enjoy it for as long as I can!
I'd love to spend winter in real snow countries like Canada, Iceland, Norway and the other Nordic countries. Who knows, one day...

 

I've put my snow pics in two Facebook-albums (public, can be seen without an account):

Jan 15 - First snow in 2013

Jan 21 - Another snow album

Arwen & Foofur love snow too! :-)

Happy new year!

Happy new year! 

If your 2012 was as bad as ours:
let it go and make 2013 yours in the best of ways!

If you had a good 2012,
may 2013 be even better for you!

All the best to you & yours to make this a wonderful year!