The Enchanted Wood

I ended up going with this oak leaf charm for my Brighid prayer beads. I picked up nineteen bone beads at the local bead shop and some silk beading cord. The only problem? The cord is far, far too thin, even though I picked up the thickest they carry (size 6). I tried doubling up, but the cord got tangled really fast (probably because I am terribly clumsy). I am currently attmepting to figure out a good (cheap) way to string my beads that won't be too thick or too thin. I feel like Goldilocks.

School's over and I'm home for the summer, working full time or almost. My garden is planted and seems to be coming along quite well (I'm crossing my fingers since its still far from harvest time). Gardening is wonderful. There's just something about kneeling down and working with the plants and the earth that is utterly refreshing (even if I seem to be getting caught in rainstorms more often than not).

I've recently become interested in making myself prayer beads to Brighid. Poking about, I've learned that there seems to be some history (though whether its Christian or pagan seems to be a matter of debate) of nineteen white stone beads being involved. This would be easy enough to do, but I'm also on the lookout for a charm to put on the end of the beads to represent Brighid (her cross, maybe, or a sheep or hammer or flame). It's rather difficult, apparently, to find any of these charms without spending scads of money. Very frustrating. (Although I have found one relatively less expensive stone triquetra, but it's still a bit much.)

Past: The Chariot
( Focus and Control )

Present: Ace of Cups
( Love, Joy, and Abundance )

Future: The Devil
( Temptation )

Why do so many books on religion and the occult have to have such annoying, flashy colours?

I enjoy reading them, but it would be slightly less embarrassing to read/buy/own them if their covers were not so gaudy.

The Hosting Of The Sidhe
W. B. Yeats

The host is riding from Knocknarea
And over the grave of Clooth-na-Bare;
Caoilte tossing his burning hair,
And Niamh calling Away, come away:
Empty your heart of its mortal dream.
The winds awaken, the leaves whirl round,
Our cheeks are pale, our hair is unbound,
Our breasts are heaving our eyes are agleam,
Our arms are waving our lips are apart;
And if any gaze on our rushing band,
We come between him and the deed of his hand,
We come between him and the hope of his heart.
The host is rushing 'twixt night and day,
And where is there hope or deed as fair?
Caoilte tossing his burning hair,
And Niamh calling Away, come away

Celtic Twilight

As this is my first post, I think I should introduce myself.

This LiveJournal account is new, obviously, but I have been using LiveJournal for several years. I'm not so good with the memory or the math at the moment, but I had my first account some time around 2001, which would mean that I have been blogging for roughly five years now. I take pleasure in blogging; I find it a wonderful source of information and a delightful form of communication. Through it (and other internet based communication) i become friends with wonderfully colourful people I otherwise would never have even met. (Living on the other side of the planet is usually a rather large obstacle in meeting people personally.)

deedofhishand is my journal for all things religious and pagan, as my information says. Some might find it silly that I chose to create an entire new journal for my pagan activities. After all, what is shameful about my religion that I want to create a separate, private space for it? The answer is two fold. The first answer is that I am indeed in the "broom closet" about my religion, at least with my family and employers. They really do not need to know these things. The second answer comes from the pagan community and some descrimination therein. I am a 20-something young woman and I am also quite active in various fandoms and this shows in my regular journal account. I did not become pagan because I thought I could be Harry Potter or for superpowers.

I was happily Episco-Catholic when I started looking at paganism in academic study with a friend who is Wiccan and I realised that paganism, particularly Celtic Reconstructionism and some of the Neo-Druid groups made a lot of sense. Over the course of a year, I slid from Christian to Pagan. As I write this, I am not affiliated with any particular pagan organisation. When I have a better job and some money, I intend to join a Neo-Druid order, but that is for the future.

I think I will wait for another post to discuss my personal life and how that relates to my religion. No sense in rushing information.