Life Lately

A big mug of Earl Grey tea to start the morning // The biggest strawberry I have ever eaten! // Miss Gay Arlington 2013 at the Capital Pride Parade // I went to a gay pride parade and a spontaneous dance party erupted (imagine that! ;)

Excited about...
The new chant I just wrote on Sunday!  It's been almost 2 years since I wrote any kind of music and it felt AMAZING to channel deity and compose again.  It's a chant I wrote for with the Morrigan, that she's been asking for since Sacred Space.  Once I record a cleaner version I'll post it up here :)

Looking forward to...
The annual picnic for a local pagan social group I belong to is on Saturday.  There's going to be crafts, canoeing, lots of good food, maybe a ritual, and maybe drumming?  I haven't been to many events, but I know a few folks in the group, and I'm looking forward to meeting the others I don't yet know. I think it will be a great time!

Reading...
I recently finished reading Dingo by Charles de Lint.  It's a YA novel in his "Newford" series, about 2 teenage boys who fall in love with twin teenage girls who are, for lack of a better word, were-dingos, and they all have to work together to save the girls from a big bad.  Delightful characterization for such a short novel, and while it's definitely YA in tone, it was still so wonderfully de Lint.

I've actually been thinking about cross-posting my reviews of pagan-y books from Goodreads onto my blog.  Is that something you would be interested in seeing on here?

Making...
It's been a long time since I've picked up a needle and thread - over a year, I think.  But I finally started a new cross-stitch project!  I overcast the fabric a week or so ago, and spent several hours stitching last night.  It was delightful.  I sure needed my zen back.  I can't wait to keep working on it!

What I'm loving online right now...
* Unless you're living under a rock, I'm sure you've heard by now that today the SCOTUS struck down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and Prop 8!!  I cried ample tears of joy and relief this morning.  Love between consenting adults is always legitimate, and finally the federal government has begun to recognize it.
* Elizabeth over on Delightfully Tacky talks about the myth of bloggers' seemingly "perfect" lives.
* Anna on And Then We Saved has a great list of 17 things to do today that will make you proud of yourself in a year.
* This tumblr never ceases to make me laugh my a** off, especially now that it's wedding season.
* Teo on Bishop in the Grove has a great post about building a contemplative practice.  I really love the tree graphic - I might have to post that up on my wall near my altar.

* And of course, I continue my obsession with bunnies!

Monday Music Break: How Soon is Now?

A friend of mine was asking on Facebook yesterday about where to find the full version of the Charmed theme song.  And it got me to thinking about theme songs to "pagan" TV shows.  Most of these theme songs are not by pagan artists, but we still come to associate them with pagany themes because of their association with these TV shows.  So I feel like these theme songs would fall under the banner of the pagan music scene because while they are not written by the pagan community, they are definitely for the pagan community through their association with these shows.

Take, for instance, this song - a cover of "How Soon Is Now?" by Love Split Love (also called the Psychedelic Furs).

The band isn't pagan, and there isn't anything particularly pagan about this song.  When you listen to it, you probably instantly think of witches, a big hand-drawn Book of Shadows, energy balls, rhyming spells, and demon fighting with "the Power of Three," amiright?  (It's the full version of the Charmed theme song, in case you're not familiar with the show.)

I found this from the Lulu's blog, but I don't know the original source :\

Of course, I still prefer the original version by The Smiths. You just can't beat Morrissey's distinctive voice.

What's your favorite theme song to a neopagan-y TV show?  Tell me about it in the comments!

Monday Music Break: Fee Ra Huri

When I was looking for a song for this week's Monday Music Break, I thought I was in the mood for some more neopagan metal.  Then I watched a video of a pagan group called Omnia performing live.  Their punky, primal dress and hair and stage attitudes really appealed to me this evening.

Source: worldofomnia.com

According to their website, Omnia's musical message is about respect for nature, personal liberty and freedom of thought, and expression for all.  I really vibe with their attitude towards music, religion, culture, etc. - that "nothing is sacred, only nature."  They also openly define themselves as pagan, incorporating a modern pagan spirituality into their music and performance.

I particularly liked their stage presence in this live recording of "Fee Ra Huri" so I thought I'd share it with you all today.  Enjoy the primal punkiness!