8 of Diamonds.

This image is warm - a pair of grandmotherly hands with a sewing needle and thimble crafts an old-timey quilt. There are eight diamond coin symbols on it, and a ninth partially hidden by one hand. There are also leaf patterns, and many many geometric ones. A spool if thread is partially used, lying on top of the quilt as well. This must mean building, putting together, perhaps even healing.

The pamphlet reads "Comfort Achieved through Work and Persistence."

Yes... this, too, resonates. Stitching oneself a quilt to keep warm at night - or to keep one's children warm at night. Hopefully something that will last a while, and which can be carried from place to place. ]

Fingers crossed I can stitch my own family a quilt, through hard work and persistence.

And on that note - back to my job...

Dogme et Rituel - Page 104.

Jumping right in with Levi.

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What is the principle? It is the base of the word, the base of 'to be', the verb. The essence of the verb is in the principle: The principle is who it is; the intelligence, that which the principle speaks.

What is the intellectual light? It is the word. What is the revelation? It is the word; to be is the principle, the word is the way, and the fullness or the development and the perfection of to be, that's the end of it: to speak, is to believe.

But say: I think, therefore I exist, is to conclude the consequence of the principle, and the recent contradictions raised by the great writing (1) sufficiently proved the imperfect philosophy of this method. I am, therefore something exists, we seem to have the most basic and most simple of experimental philosophy.

"I am, therefore being exists."

Ego sum qui sum: here we have the first revelation of God in Man and of Man in the world, and also, the first axiom of occult philosophy.

(Hebrew)
Existence is existence.

(1) "Lamennais" (this source doesn't come up in a search. Lamentations?)

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A page a day of French keeps the doldrums away. Onward!

Review: Wild-crafting the Modern Druid.

Had a little extra time to continue my evaluation of AODA:

http://aoda.org/publications/articles-on-druidry/wildcraftingmoderndruid/

This is written by the current (?) archdruid, Gordon Cooper.

He did **not** write the introductory poem, which is good, because... whoof. I am not much of a poetry person - either it's the best thing I've ever seen, penned by the gods themselves, or I throw it across the room. Nothing in between. I finally began this review by deciding not to force myself to read it.

We start by defining Druidry. Two principles: first, they have something to say about the natural world, can "converse" with it, and find its secrets by their arts. (Almost sounds like science...) Second, that their poetry, geometry and lore could call forth the sacred fires of truth and creation.

He makes the point that these rules merely point a finger at nature - all the secrets and the spiritual realizations are to be found there, not in words.

He notes that the Eightfold Wheel of the Year (pagan holidays) only works in Northern climates. Fortunately that's the one I live in, so I don't have to do any adjustments.

The rest of this segment seems to be making the point that nature differs in each region, and therefore, the practices should differ as well, and align with the nature of that specific place.

Next up is "Tools for Aspiring Druid-Poets" which I confess to not being, so skipping it.

The next segment, "Creating a Local Druid Cosmology" is a little too precious - I don't think this particular path is going to be of much interest to anyone who isn't of roughly 90% Celtic heritage, as I am - but it does provide a bit of a road map, which is interesting.

The character first hones in on a local place of spiritual and historic significance. Then, she studies the ecology of the area. She locates a physical focus of worship. She asks advice about what spiritual thing she should and should not do from elders. She takes up a sacred walk. She crafts poetry and chants and rituals in her own language. Then, she crafts her own altar.

Doing this in the Beaverton area is going to be... interesting. There are very, very few natural features even left in this place. The best I can think of are the streams that criss-cross next to grocery store parking lots. I wonder if the Forest Hills in between here and Portland are close enough to work? I like the Arboretum and the trails around it pretty well.

The rest of it, I hope, will come in time. I have the tarot for my divination, and portable sacred object. I am practicing a daily ritual. (Drat, I need to get that in for the day!) I feel that the system of Druid holidays works for me - better than the secular holidays, frankly. The last thing I need to shoe-horn in is discursive meditation... and I am working towards that.

Well - one more thing. I should probably work with a local spiritual leader. I don't know if Mr. Greer counts, though his work is completely resonating with me right now. I'm nervous about encountering a huckster, so will tread VERY cautiously on this one.

OK... time to shower, and do that ritual. Maybe I will do it in the bathroom! :)