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The Wabi-Sabi of Me
September 2, 2009
Look into uneven eyes and see star shine and melting glaciers.
See a wild mane of lion’s hair and find stalks of wheat in the harvest sun.
Gaze upon topographic landscapes of flesh and bone and see the goddess soul inside.
Capture a battered, broken heart and treat it like golden perfection, a thing admired.
Discover imperfections of existence and decide that flaws balance with strengths and together shall be whole.
Well, managed to evade the Meter Nazis this time. Figures they are out until October 1st. Still managed to have a great time and some end of the season fried dough at Happy’s Fry Stand.
No fancy video, but I got a few really decent pics and uploaded them into a simple slideshow HERE.
I’ve not been posting for a while, just been caught up in daily life.
I thought I’d update a little on one of my favorite activities, old graveyards. I’ve been spending a little of my spare time researching and checking out some of the older cemetaries in the local area.
For those who don’t know, I actually have a blog on the subject and try and post some good pictures of some of the older and more interesting stones. That blog is HERE. I am an official member of the graveyard rabbit association whose links can be found over on the other blog.
Recently I have located and checked out a Roman Catholic Lithuanian cemetary which in fact is not as old as some of my favorite haunts but interesting just the same. The majority of the older graves there were in the 1940’s although I found a handful of earlier ones.
I also checked out a couple of sites in Hudson, NH. One had stones as far back as the early 1700’s, the other was mostly 1800’s and newer. It amazed me that the newer cemetery seemed very unkempt dispite burials I saw as late as 2008. The grass was high and uncut. How sad.
Anyway, I try and post on the other blog at least once a month and I have a few visits behind me that I haven’t posted on. In the near future I am thinking of hitting places such as Portsmouth NH or Salem Ma where I know I could find some of the older (oldest?) burial sites in the country.
Cooler day, long drive and soon we arrived in the Lakes region. Sitting on the dock with only the sound of the water and the seagulls or ducks, then off to the pier for lunch. By then the rain came in. I bought an umbrella but poor Peter had a hard time keeping time with the short legs of Naufragio. (And lets face it, neither of us are twigs and the umbrella had it’s work cut out for it.) Soaking wet, we drove around after lunch, did some shopping and headed home. Funny how a relaxing recharging the batteries day leaves you so drained. But it’s a GOOD kind of drained. One from rain and fresh air.
Someone once told me that to begin on a magickal path is to begin on a path of solitude. No one will understand you anymore, no one will “get it” and no one will stick around long enough to share your joys and pains. Your experiences will separate you from the mundane world around you and the people in it. Eventually those you know fall away as the bite of the off hand comment cuts you to the quick. They think they are being cute or funny, but they are making fun of something they don’t understand and something that has come to mean a whole heck of a lot to you.
It’s hard to take lightly the inner search and exploration one works so hard on when they begin a magickal life. Not that we should loose our sense of humor, that would be a death in itself, just look at all the conflicts going on at internet sites between Pagans and magickal practitioners who have lost the ability to relax and laugh at themselves and others. It’s funny how those who seem to want unity and camaraderie of others who might understand them and their journey tend to isolate themselves and fraction off from others on such a regular basis.
In the end, the journey is a solitary one. Even with a close friend, lover, or family who might also share that view, every path is a lonely one, for each and every person to walk alone. Not one of us is completely like another and the stones we stumble upon may be easily passed over by someone else, even if they walk in your footsteps. (Ever try and walk in deep snow right behind someone else, stepping in their footprints?)
As far as the rest of the world, I don’t mind the isolation, I’ve never really fit in or blended well with others. I suppose it was a preparation. I’m not missing much and so it doesn’t matter. I have very few people in my life and I know what I go through will be individual to me. Life is good.
Mixed up a bit of flavor this morning. I went out to water the tomatoes, basil and chives in the garden and ended up plucking a few leaves of basil. After rinsing them, I grabbed my trusty mortal and pestle, bashing the heck out of them along with some kosher salt, parmesan cheese, and some garlic. A little olive oil and BAM! I have a little bit of pesto, minus the nuts. (I simply didn’t have any nuts but the fresh flavor beats the pants off anything!)
OMG I can’t wait until the tomatoes are ready! Home grown tomato sauce with fresh herbs and spices! I hope there will be enough to preserve some for quite a while, especially since I’m not the one making it. (Have I mentioned I live with an awesome cook?)
Things have been so topsy turvy lately. So much to do, nothing as it should be, reorganizing and readjusting to strange places. Finally, a trip into the “happy place” brings some relief and focus. Not as much time as I’d like to sit and soak in the calm (or I’d be soaking in the rain that fell where I sat!) but it was nice. I took the time to take pictures of the area and unknown flora in hopes of indentifying later.
I love the idea of the wise medicine woman who can go out into the wild and know every tree, every bush, what can be used for which ailment and how best to prepare. I’ve walked in the woods before but my eyes were closed then, I couldn’t see the forest through the trees. Once I found some odd leaved little saplings and I really wanted to know what they were. SASSAFRASS! I never realized. And right near home? My awe turned my eyes to other trees and plants around me. Funny how I always thought the trees were predominantly Maple in this area but when I ACTUALLY looked, I saw more oak than anything. (And not just one kind!)
Here are some of the pictures:
My profile is up for all to read over on the GYR Assoc page. Read it HERE
For those who visit often, you are aware of my cemetery blog and membership in the Graveyard Rabbit Association. If not, you can find my blog HERE.
This month, on May 7th, my “Intro/Bio” will be featured on the main Association Blog page. After the 7th feel free to read it.
I have been preparing to set up a schedule for MY Great Work. A work on myself, physically, mentally, spiritually. I am working on my discipline and dedication. I am thinking through a study of the tree of life and working through the spheres and pathways.
Last night I took a crack at what my latest adventure in working on myself will look like. It will be a long torturous journey with much pain along the way. There will be music, dance and hopefully no casualties. Yes, that’s right, I am about to begin Belly Dancing for Fitness.
Along with my two guides, Veena and Neena, I shall shimmy and shake the 
paint off the walls (and hopefully not break any furniture). I mostly only viewed the video last night, attempting a few of the moves along the way to see how it was going to work. Here is a little secret about Naufragio…….this white girl can’t dance. I not only have two left feet, I have two left hips, shoulders arms and a head that I think is left, although it may be right. I, however, am not going to let this stop me. I know that this form of dance is incredible exercise and maybe in time I will learn how to move my hip this way and my arm that and back without tripping over the other leg.
I have been doing some light Yoga for a while and know I have the flexibility and a base for some of the movements. Last nights little test proved there are muscles I didn’t realize how little I used but really should. Muscles like obliques and the lower back and abdomen. I have shied away from abdominal exercise since college. It was a few years after having kids and I was in a PE class. There was too much scarring from the c-section to comfortably do a lot of the ab work. It tore at the scar tissue and I was advised not to push. I think this might be a good alternative for working sorely neglected areas.
OK, I don’t care if I look funny doing it. I will soon have a larger room where nobody can see. It will be fun and a lot of hard work. I hope to see fast improvement in my body. I know I’ll be feeling it right away as the burning and aches remind me of what they need. Maybe I’ll learn a few things to impress the boys. 
Although my biggest reason for taking this on is fitness, I wouldn’t mind if in a year’s time I looked closer to the silhouette at the beginning of this post instead of how I feel at this start…
