Herbal walk

My brother-in-law Ron has been game-warden / forester in the dunes near IJmuiden, De Heerenduinen. He lived in the dunes with his family. He has a lot of knowledge about plants, trees, birds, other animals, etc. Some time ago I asked him if he would want to guide a group in the dunes with a focus on the herbs that are growing there. He agreed and I started organising.

Last Sunday we gathered for the walk: ("my") Ron and I, my sister Joke and her husband Leo and 6 other friends drove to the parking lot near the entrance, where Ron was waiting for us. The weather was good: sunny and dry. A lovely day for a walk in beautiful nature! From time to time Ron stopped to show us a herb and to tell us all about it: how to recognise it, the name, family, what it is used for, etc. Everyone was enjoying theirselves and at the same time we learned a lot! I won't say I remember everything, but it's a start!

After the walk most people came home with us to drink something and chat. Ron picked up his wife Gerda and came too. We were unanimous: we want a sequel in the not-too-far future! Ron agreed to guide us again, but we haven't set a date yet.

A lot of people made notes and pictures. Ron made pics for me and I've put them in a Picasa webalbum. The name in Dutch is under the picture, but if you have the English or Latin name, or any remarks: please add them under the picture!

Our guide Ron didn't want anything for his work, but we didn't agree! I got some money from everyone. Yesterday I bought a nice card and signed it with all the names. Ron has a love for birds too and an big aviary in his garden. His female zebra finch had just died so I gave him a new one on behalf of the group as a thank-you-gift.

PFI Dutch Conference

Saturday I went up early to drive to the 9th annual PFI Dutch Conference in Lunteren (right in the geographical centre of The Netherlands). It wasn't the best timing to go right after the busy day of my brother's wedding, but I wasn't going to miss the conference either!

I arrived in time to attend the opening ritual by Boann & Dagda. The horn blowed to gather in the big room. Dagda welcomed everyone to the conference and referred to it as "a gathering of the tribes". The Dutch conference has always been international with foreign guests and ex-pats living here. The "tribes" are the different pagan paths: druids, witches, asatru, etc. They all come together in a wonderful meeting. I always encounter lots of friends from the pagan community. Boann and Dagda called upon Angus Og and Bride in Gaelic. At the end of the ritual we were all invited to walk through the Bealtaine fires. The best opening ritual I have been to so far!

There were workshops all day. I started with a lecture by GardenStone about Asatru. He has a lot of knowledge about it, being an Asatru himself and having done a lot of research! After that I went to a workshop by Frigga Asraaf of Het Rad (a network for Asatru) about Seidhmothers and -fathers. She first told us how she got in contact with them; they live in the astral ancestor realm. We did a short pathworking to meet them, so we can do it more extensively when we are on our own. After that we were "weaving a web" by singing a chant together while 4 people in the middle were visiting the Seidhmothers or -fathers again. The energy was very strong!

Later in the afternoon I attended the workshop by Boann and Dagda about pagan Irish funeral rituals. They shared a lot of information in a very personal way. Especially the part about "Keening" was impressive. A lot of people let their tears go and the group felt very warm and close. After this very intense time I went to the talk by Kit Berry, the author of the Stonewylde series. (Remember?) I met her and Mr. B. (her husband) earlier and she signed my books for me. She's such a friendly woman and a warm personality. She told the listeners about how she came to write the books and how she found her pagan path. It was great to meet her and hear her talk. She sold all the books she brought with her.

In and around the building were stalls with all kinds of "pagan stuff". I got my Nehalennia book by GardenStone, that I ordered in February. I also bought some incense (granules). Another book called "Under Valkyrie's Wing" was signed for me by the author Annemarie Skjold.
When I wasn't at a workshop I had chats with friends. Some of them I only meet at the conference once a year, others I see more often.

The closing ritual by Boann & Dagda was as good as the opening one. We were blessed with water by Bride. In the end we all got a ribbon to tie in a tree to celebrate summer. It had been a wonderful conference and Lady Bara, the organizer, was thanked in words and with a big applause. I stayed for dinner (yummy Indonesian buffet) and went to the Italian iceroom across the street with a little group for dessert. There was a party with a live band in the evening, but I was too tired and decided to go home. A great day!

My brother's wedding

Last Friday my brother Gerard got married to Sylvia. They are together for some years now and they are a good couple. May 15th 2009 they made it (more) official! Gerard looked handsome in his black suit and Sylvia wore a very beautiful ivory bridal gown with a lovely back and a chapel length train. Gerard is a huge Ferrari-fan, so the wedding car was no surprise (except perhaps the colour): a yellow 348 GTB. They made pictures with it on the racetrack at Circuit Park Zandvoort and (without the car) on the beach. A friend of them showed up at their home on a motor, dressed up as a girl. He made a burnout on the parking lot.

When bride and groom walked into the town hall, the local duo "Wel & Wel" welcomed them with a song called "'Eén Simpel Woord" (One Simple Word). The ceremony in the wedding room was beautiful. I missed my parents all day, but right there it brought me to tears. I felt they were present, moved and proud. Next to me on the front row were two empty chairs, their places... Gerard's oldest son Michael was one of the witnesses. Sylvia's son Rick was just too young to be a witness, but the registrar included him in a different way: he did the hammer blow to seal the wedding.

After the ceremony in the town hall everyone drove to the party location. A banner with the theme of the wedding invitation was hanging in the entrance hall. We also made the picture on top of this post there. The room was nicely decorated with doves, hearts and balloons. Instead of a book Michael had made a triptych on which all the visitors could sign their names and wishes.
The party was adorned with local singers of which Ron and I liked "The SoulBrothers" the best by far. We made pictures and enjoyed ourselves. Just after midnight we went home, but I'm sure the party lasted a lot longer. :-)

Spiritual runes

Yesterday I've been to a workshop by Harmonia Saille, an English author and Hedgewitch, at a friend's place in Amsterdam. It was a workshop in 2 parts, but unfortunately I missed the first part a few weeks ago. Luckily Sorcha was so kind to share her notes with me, so I came a bit prepared for this second part. The subject was "Connecting with the runes", based on her upcoming book The Spiritual Runes. It's not the umpteenth book listing the runes and their meaning, but a guide to help you make a spiritual connection with the runes. It includes rune philosophy, mythology, divination and magic.
I'm familiar with the runes and their general meanings, always attracted to them but never explored any further. This workshop provided just what I needed. For example we did a very good exercise. We picked a rune, but didn't look at it. Holding the rune Harmonia guided us in a pathworking. Afterwords we wrote down our experience and only then looked at the rune. I had Dagaz; the images and impressions I got in the pathworking fit the description perfectly! We also talked about bindrunes, the Norse mythology and other interesting stuff.

Beltane 2009

Last weekend Ron and I celebrated Beltane on a meeting with 40 other people in Hengelo, the same location where we celebrated Beltane last year. This time I was just a guest, although I did have a role in the ritual.
We arrived late in the afternoon on Saturday and were welcomed in a very warm and kind way. It was good to see a lot of familiar faces, but also a lot of new ones. At first I thought: "wow, 40 is a lot", but it worked out for the best. It wasn't possible to talk for a while with everyone, but that's okay. I didn't have to. Ron and I just wanted to relax with friends in a beautiful area, that's what we needed. And that's what we got!

In the evening we performed a wonderful Beltane ritual. I didn't bring the right shoes, so I decided to go barefoot. Ron was responsible for the fire. We chanted a native american song while we were smudged. One of the girls guided us into meeting the elements, the perfect start of this ritual. Of course there was a Maypole; very different from last year, but just as nice. We laughed while dancing around trying to get the braiding of the ribbons right. The result was not-too-bad. :-) Ron did the drumming. To end the dancing he gave one stroke on my drum. It wasn't heavy at all, but he went right through the drum! Such a pity, but we'll try to give it a new skin.
After the ritual most people gathered around the fire in the fire pit circle. Until late there were people singing, playing instruments, talking, etc. I went to sleep as the first one; I was exhausted!

I slept like a baby and woke up in the morning. Ron was early too and we decided to take a walk in the park behind the location. It was very quiet and we heard and saw a lot of birds. When we got back most of the group was awake. After breakfast the workshops started. I participated in a workshop by Yvette and Tonny of Insentro (Centre for emotional realization and coaching) called "Identifying with our thought" based on The Work of Byron Katie. It was all about experiencing, very interesting and I learned a lot.
After the workshops it was time to pack, clean up and saying goodbye!

United C (ballet)

Yesterday evening I've been to a ballet performance: WHO cycle by United-C in De Melkweg in Amsterdam. It consisted of 4 different performances: 3 solo and 1 with 4 dancers. As their website says: "4 intimate documents, each pleasing to the eye as well as alarming. Each literally as well as figuratively in all nudity." Yes, the dancers were naked, but that was never a sexual thing. Sensual, sometimes erotic, but most of the time a beautiful tribute to the body.

I really loved the performances, the dancers are great, each in their own personal way. I was on the front row and the dances captivated me from the first second to the very last. It was intriguing, magical, enchanting. Sometimes I had to remind myself to keep breathing. At the end of the third solo there was a twenty-minute break, but I had to stay on my chair for a while to get back from some kind of trance. I may sound lyrical, but that's just how good it was!

In the first solo Hilde Elbers was amazing. She went through a lot of emotions: falling hard on the ground, crawling like a panther, her moves always beautiful and perfect. Her laugh was contagious at first, but slowly changed to hysterical and back.
Marleen Kleinstapel expressed despair brilliantly in the second solo. It looked as if she couldn't finish a certain move. She started over and over, bringing her despair to the public although she was completely in her own world.
The last solo was the best one for me. Marjolein Vogels danced with a mattress in a staggering way. Her face and body have an amazing range of expressions to show feelings, tell stories. Her performance took me to another world.
After the break the floor was soaking wet with olive oil. Four dancers were lying motionless among dozens of broken glasses. Slowly they started moving, swimming through the oil and glasses so easily but always graceful and elegant as if the broken glass wasn't dangerous at all.

If you want to see them: on May 7 & 8 they'll be dancing in Eindhoven!

Oh no...

Today is the celebration of Queen's Day in the Netherlands. The Royal family was visiting Apeldoorn. Their open bus was making its way to the Loo palace. Suddenly a black Suzuki Swift breaks his way through the crowd crashing into "De Naald" monument.

It's not clear if this is an accident, an act of terrorism or something else. Fourteen people are wounded, the rumours talk about four deaths. The Royal family was not hurt in any way, but they are shocked. Queen Beatrix has expressed the sympathy of her family to the victims and their families.

The Mayor of Apeldoorn announced that the rest of the activities are cancelled and more cities in our country are following that example. Queen's Day will never be the same...


13.45 - Two deaths are confirmed...
15.45 - Press conference. 4 deaths, 5 seriously injured, 8 minor injuries. it happened on purpose. 1 male suspect, 38 years, native Dutch, in hospital at the moment. no suspicion of terrorism.
20.19 - A fifth death was announced.

May 1, 8.40 - The perpetrator has died from brain injuries tonight before he could explain why he did what he did.

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!

Earth Day 2009

Today is Earth Day, a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment. It was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in in 1970 and is celebrated in many countries around the world every year. I support Earth Day, but in fact every day should be Earth Day..! On EarthDay.gov I found this explanation:
"Earth Day is a time to celebrate gains we have made and create new visions to accelerate environmental progress. Earth Day is a time to unite around new actions. Earth Day and every day is a time to act to protect our planet." Hear hear!

Back home

Thank you all for your candles, thoughts, etc. It has worked: his hands and armpits are completely dry! The surgery went well but they forgot to call me, so I was waiting downstairs getting more nervous by the minute. I decided to go upstairs and asked a nurse. Finally I heard everything was fine. Half an hour later Ron returned to his room. He felt okay. During the night he had pain and tightness of the chest as a result of the deflating of his lungs one by one. He says it feels like having bruised ribs. He 'just' has to breathe good and deep, the pain will go away after a while. He has two stitches on every side (about 10cm under his armpits); those can be taken out in two weeks by our own family doctor. He has to call the clinic next week to let them know how he is.

I had a reasonably good night. I was very very tired after a long day, so I slept before my head touched the pillows. I was awake from time to time, because I missed Ron. We hardly ever sleep apart. Somewhere in the middle of the night I was wide awake and felt restless. I think that must have been when Ron had his pain attack. In the morning I checked out and drove back to the hospital. Ron had to wait for the doctor to give permission to go home. The nurse gave him a painkiller for the drive and a prescription for more painkillers. I drove home in 2 hours. Ron is resting and hopefully sleeping upstairs and I'm catching up with my (e-)mail and other stuff.

Surgery Ron

Last week Ron got a message from the Sudor Clinic in Almelo. He has to check in tomorrow morning for his thoracoscopic sympathectomy (the link leads you to an animation), surgery in which the nerves that cause hyperhidrosis (excessive perspiration) under his arms will be partly cut/burned. He is nervous about the operation itself, but also looking forward to finally getting rid of this problem. He has tried everything there is to overcome it, but nothing really helped. This procedure is drastic, but the only option left for Ron. It is performed in other hospitals in the Netherlands too, but the Sudor clinic is specialised and has the highest success percentage (98%!).
We'll leave early in the morning to be there in time. Ron has to stay one night for observation. I have booked a simple hotelroom nearby. If all goes as planned he'll be released from hospital on Thursday and we can come home. I wish we were that far already! I'm at least as nervous as Ron is. Please think of him, pray, light a candle, anything you want; all support is welcome!

Planetary Magic

This weekend I attended a workshop of the Olympia group with Marian Green. The subject was "planetary magic". I hadn't been feeling very well the week before, but this was interesting enough to be present! I didn't know very much about the theme, almost nothing to be precise, but thought it would be interesting. And it was!

We learned about the planetary correspondences, symbols, colours, meaning and lots more. Like always with Marian not only the facts, but also understanding what's behind it and why. She told us about the origin of the planetary symbols and how they are built out of the same elements (a crescent moon and a cross mainly). I could never remember the symbols, but now I can. The word planet comes from Greek and means "wanderer", because for the ancient people the planets seemed to wander along the sky. Just to name some things I learned. :)

On Sunday we had a ritual to get acquainted and connect with the planets. I represented Mercury, dressed in orange. Saturday evening I had done research on the www. Some of the members had made a planetary talisman; those were purified and blessed in the circle. It was a wonderful ritual. The group is awesome. Everyone can do their own thing from the heart within the structure of the ritual. There is trust, so each person can feel at ease.

It was a very interesting workshop. Marian has so much knowledge and she shares it freely. In between talking about the theme I always pick up a lot of other stuff. Olympia rocks!
I'm going to explore the subject of planetary magic further. So if you know any good books or websites about it, please share!

Earth Hour is today!!

In December 2009 world leaders meet in Copenhagen to agree on a post-Kyoto policy for tackling climate change. One billion people voting with their light switch during Earth Hour will create a powerful mandate for our leaders to take strong and decisive action on climate change. Switching off your lights is a vote for Earth, or leaving them on is a vote for global warming. WWF are urging the world to VOTE EARTH and reach the target of 1 billion votes, which will be presented to world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009.

I'm switching off the lights tonight. What's your vote??

update 20.51u: The lights are off, the house is lit by candles. It gives a special atmosphere, warm and intimate. Not everyone understands (or wants to understand) why we are doing this. Ah well, we know why... We are the only ones in our street, pity! The neighbours must think our fuses have blown... ;-)

Phantasium

Last Saturday Ron and I went to Phantasium, a new fair in Eindhoven "where Fantasy, Gothic and the Middle Ages meet", and witches! We arrived around 1pm. The hall was filled with stalls selling all kinds of stuff. It was a bit dark, just enough light to see the stalls and the people. Ron had brought his new camera to try it out. The strange light didn't make it easier, but I think he did great. I've put the pictures in an online album, so judge for yourself!
Our favourite folkband Rapalje performed several times on the podium, yay! Another highlight was the LARP wedding / handfasting of Cernunnos and Mutti Goblin (of Greenthingz). I saw a lot of people I know and met good friends. The fair lasted until 8 pm, but at the end of the afternoon I was pooped! We left around 6pm.

J.W. Waterhouse exhibition

Yesterday Wonder and I went to the J.W. Waterhouse Exhibition in the Groninger Museum, the largest retrospective of the art of John William Waterhouse (1849-1917) ever mounted. Although Waterhouse’s compelling scenes are admired by millions of people worldwide, the general public knows relatively little about the man himself and his artistic production. This exhibition features 92 paintings, drawings, and sketchbooks. It is the first to consider his entire career, demonstrating his engagement with contemporary trends ranging from antiquarianism to mystical spirituality.

I have always admired Waterhouse's art. It was amazing to see the paintings for real. The colours, the texture, looking up close, the sketchbooks and studies... fabulous!! I enjoyed myself so much. I have bought the hardcover catalogue guide and will look back very often. Our pictures can be found here.

After Groningen (until May 3rd) the exhibition will travel to the Royal Academy of Arts in London (June 23 – Sept. 13, 2009) and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts in Canada (Oct. 1, 2009 – Feb. 7, 2010). If you like Waterhouse and you get the chance: GO! :-)