. . . I just got too busy to write for awhile, which is a little strange. Not the too busy part, but the not writing part. Although, I am working on a writing project, more on that in 2020 when I’ve found a publisher. Every day, for at least an hour, I’m writing. My goal is a chapter-like-subject every week. According to my outline I’ll be done next summer.
Humans are fundamentally social creatures: we love to get together. We are educated in groups, we work in groups and many of us worship in groups. But what, exactly, is a group? A group of people working in the same room, or on a common project, does not necessarily make a group.
When people work in groups, there are two different factors involved. The first is the task to accomplish, teaching a class, holding a ritual, or doing community outreach are examples of tasks. The second factor is process of the group work itself, the mechanisms by which the group acts as a unit. If group members don’t pay enough attention to the process, the value of the group can be diminished or even destroyed. The synergy between task and process makes group work attractive despite the possible problems (and time spent).
This last week has been full of ritual.
On Wednesday we held our Samhain ritual with the Art of Ritual class, finishing our year-long cycle of solar celebrations. Then on Friday we ritually closed the class, as we do every year. (It is a huge shift when we release everyone who participated in the class.)
Gloriously, on the Sunday following we Dedicated three new members to the coven. It’s always a pleasure to bring new members in. I look forward to seeing what they bring, and how they change our energy.
Next year JaguarMoon turns 20 . . . and we have plans!
At the end of 2018 I set a goal for myself of reading all of the books on the Top 100 Fantasy and Top 100 Science Fiction book lists. It was ambitious, but a recent vacation allowed me to get ahead on both, and I finally read a few more fantasy novels.
At the end of 2018 I set a goal for myself of reading all of the books on the Top 100 Fantasy and Top 100 Science Fiction book lists. It was ambitious.
Each year I like to look back over the previous year, and then set goals for the coming year. Many people do this on Jan 1st; I prefer to do it on my birthday. I often refine the accomplishments and goals until my new year, Samhain, but the bulk of the work is done on or around my birthday.
To see the post where I look back, click here.
Each year I like to look back over the previous year, and then set goals for the coming year. Many people do this on Jan 1st; I prefer to do it on my birthday. I often refine the accomplishments and goals until my new year, Samhain, but the bulk of the work is done on or around my birthday.
This is my review of the past year. to see my goals for the coming year, click here.
This posted originally started with “A friend of a friend was just diagnosed with lung cancer.” But in the week it’s been rolling around in my head, the opening has changed.
“A friend of a friend just died.”
At the end of 2018 I set a goal for myself of reading all of the books on the Top 100 Fantasy and Top 100 Science Fiction book lists. It was ambitious. Lately I’ve been concentrating on the Sci-Fi and I’m now at 48 sci-fi books.
It’s been slow going this month, these books have been squeezed in between Cherryh’s Cyteen trilogy, Robinson’s StarDance trilogy, and assorted mysteries. (You didn’t think this was *all* I read, did you?
Late in 2018 (yes, almost a year ago) I was talking to a friend about how I keep waking up around 3am every night, and some nights I don’t go back to sleep. I mentioned how frustrating it’s been to try and get at least 7.5 hours a night, which is what I clearly need, even though I don’t always feel rested when I get that amount. I talked about how amazing J. and I had felt in Italy when we just slept until we woke up, and that was regularly 11 hours at a time — unsustainable/ unachievable here at home. (My friend participated in this conversation, I wasn’t just talking at him the whole time, despite how it looks.)
