~ thoughts on parenting, paganism, science, books, witchcraft, nature, feminism, unitarian universalism, herbalism, cooking, conservation, crafting, the state of humanity, and life by the sea
So…I’m a reasonably decent fan of paranormal romance and urban fantasy (I’m also a fan of half a dozen other genres), but for one reason or another, I’ve just now read any of Kim Harrison’s The Hollows books. I read the first one, and found the “supporting cast” and world building interesting enough to keep reading, but…I’m out.
I just finished number 5, and damn! The main character is one heck of a whiny, annoying, idiot to be the protagonist. Ugh. I thought perhaps I would trug onward–its only a couple books to get current (she’s on #12, and it only takes me a couple of hours to read a book like this). But I just can’t. I went on goodreads, to get some idea from reading the reviews if I thought that what she was doing with the storyline was worth reading about a chick that annoys the crap out of me, but I’m just not that interested.
Which really sort of skeeves me off. I’m not sure if I’ve ever mentioned it here or not, but there are only six books that I’ve never finished. And only one series (before this one) that I didn’t see through (okay, three if you count The Babysitter’s Club and Nancy Drew, but those went on forever and I eventually out grew them) til the bitter end. I can’t stand to let that much time, effort, energy, and money go to waste, not knowing how things “end”, even if I’m not fond of how they are unfurling in the first place.
But.
I’m just not that into Rachel Morgan.
She comes off as self-centered, clueless, blundering hack, completely unworthy of any future redemption or growth. A yappy chihuahua gunning after a Rottweiler because its too stupid to stop and think about it first… Or, more like an emotionally stunted child playing dress-up in grown-up land (with demons, and werewolves, and vampires, oh my!). And, she needs a serious session with the “What not to Wear” folks on TLC.
Plus, the author killed Kisten.
Can we say “jumped the shark”?
He was adorable. ADORABLE. ADORABLE. Thoughtful, in a bad boy sort of way, with fangs, and a boat. I love a man (or a vampire) with a boat.
But I can’t keep reading a series because I think the tomato thing is clever and I like the pixie and the elven former-demon familiar. And, while I’m okay with a certain amount of trope in my fantasy (lets face it, all fantasy is stuffed with trope), I expect it to be camouflaged well enough that it doesn’t feel like I’m slogging through a waste deep swamp of the stuff (I want it to be more like the scene in LOTR The Two Towers, where Frodo is making his way through the Dead Marshes…you should only see trope if you go looking for it on purpose). So, adios books 6-11 (and upcoming 12), I’m out.
…unless I run out of books to read (this is a real possibility–since I can run through a 400 page paperback in about 3 hours, I frequently run out of new books from my favorite authors to read, and have to adventure into new territory), then *maybe* I’ll consider it.
I have a headache. My sinuses are stuffed, and my nose is running a marathon. Needless to say, this is not a post about Ostara, I have postponed our family celebration until this weekend. But I do know that spring is here–I can tell because my allergies are going crazy and I have the makings of a sinus infection.
And, my brain hurts. The good ole “Paganism is not Christianity”/”You can’t be a Pagan and date Jesus” debate has apparently flared up again, this time over at Patheos.
I have one thing to say.
Okay, I have more than one thing to say…but “REALLY!?!” pretty much starts it off! Beware the med-fueled rant, I feel no pain and my brain is fuzzy enough that I don’t entirely trust my judgement.
The first problem the author has is the idea the treatment of Christianity (and to a lesser degree, Paganism) as one religion (and that is without even considering his seemingly narrow definitions for both). Christianity is a religion with 38,000 traditions within it; it is no more a monolithic religion than Paganism is. The only thing that all Christians have in common is that they do religion with Jesus–not every Christian denomination reads the Bible literally, or believes in the Trinity, or believes in Hell, or believes in eternal damnation, etc. Judging the United Church of Christ on the basis of the beliefs and practices of the Church of Christ, for example, would be like judging Asatru on the basis of the beliefs and practices of someone worshiping the Norse gods in the framework of Wicca (or vice versa).
The second problem is that the author has a problem with presentism as a reasoning for vilifying Christianity. And that would be fair (though inaccurate), if we were looking at Paganisms with the same microscope. But lets play the honesty game here…there was no perfect Pagan society of old. The Greeks (and Romans) were misogynistic jerks, the Celts practiced human sacrifice, and nearly all ancient cultures practiced slavery in some form. And the author’s assessment of contemporary Paganism being borne of the Renaissance rejection of Christianity isn’t much better in terms of historical reality. According to the author’s reasoning, if colonialism, racism, misogynistic, et al., are brought to us exclusively by Christianity (which they aren’t, they already existed and were practiced with enthusiasm) making all 38,000 denominations of Christianity some sort of poisonous faith, then we should be applying that same measure to Pagan faiths of old.
The third problem with this post is related to the previous idea of “what’s good for the goose is good for the gander”–if God=jerk is a reason to vilify Christianity, then we need to be looking at Pagan gods with the same standards. As I commented on the article, Zeus is a serial rapist…lots of gods are jerks. If God being a asshole invalidates an entire religious tradition, then nearly all religious should be invalid. Further more, the author denigrates all Christian faiths for not being experiential that they are purely based in belief with out the experience of knowing God (and/or Jesus). For sure there Christians and Christian traditions where this is the case…but there are Pagans that don’t know their gods all that well either. And, if we honestly look at Christians practicing within Christian traditions with our bias glasses off, we will find that lots of Christians experience God in the same ways that many Pagans do.
The fourth (and largest) problem with this article is that it seeks to treat someone that includes elements of Christianity into their Paganism and to claim both, as somehow infecting Paganism. I see this same attitude in the “only hard hard polytheists are Pagan” arguement, and quite honestly, I find it quite pathetic. If one’s spirituality is so weak that it is threatened by a smattering of people that choose to believe and practice differently, then one needs to be questioning the strength of their own faith. That is a personal failing. The idea that large groups of people don’t “get” that Christianity and Paganism are not, in fact, two disparate families of faith is pretty dumb. Syncrenism and simultaneous worship of more than one faith, including Christian denominations and Pagan traditions are both a modern and a historical fact, but they are also a modern and a historical minority. Treating them as if they were somehow a corrupting influence of one’s personal dominion seems more trollish than anything else.
Which, I guess is what irks me more than anything else. Look, I’m not here to apologize for some of the heinous things that have been done (and continue to be done) by Christians, or in the name of the Christian god, or as part of the practice of a variety of Christian religions–for the official gloss that various Christian traditions have put on social and political movements for the last 2,000 years (bad or good). I’m also not here to ignore the fact that some individuals, families and denominations do very real damage to people who fall outside of their narrow religious morality and experience. But…alluding to people include Jesus (or other aspects of Christianity) in their Paganism as some sort of Evil Other to be expunged from the One True Paganism smacks of more than a bit of hypocrisy to me. And, in the end (fair or not), I can’t help but write off the entire post, and its author, as the ranting of someone with a Jesus-sized chip on their shoulder…which sucks, because there are valid discussions, constructive criticisms, and expansive conversations that we could be having about Christianity and Paganism, and even about manner in which some people have chosen to combine the two as a personal practice. But not in the hostile environment that has been created on that blog.
Note: There are a plethora of comments, some quite good, and some not so much; but I just had to share my favorite from “Jack”, commenting over a statement the author makes at the every beginning of the post (for those of you that don’t want to be bothered to read the article)…
“If you want to be a better Pagan, stop worrying about what you or anyone else believes, but get to work and practice your variety of Paganism.”
Thoughts on the GOP: Apparently, the Republican Party is concerned with their image, and seems to think that the problem lies with the public’s perceived “lack of diversity”. They are even asking for input (though you have to give them your email address to do it), so feel free to let them know how you feel!
Here’s my input (with some minor adjustments made for the transition from answering a survey to posting on a blog)…
The Republican Party needs to decide if they are going to be a party that supports a strong economy, or not. We can only support the economy in a long-term, sustainable way by supporting workers (who are, after all, the people that put the most money into the economy), through investing in the environment and education (both of which offer the raw materials that the economy is based upon), and ensuring equal rights for all citizens (which fosters the environment in which innovation is most successful). The current platform of the Republican Party denigrates women, racial minorities, and homosexuals by sticking government in places where it doesn’t belong–which seems hypocritical for a party that used to believe in small government.
Looking back, it seems that the Republican Party has been in a decline since Reagan and Bush Sr–it has become a downward spiral of intractability, ignorance, and bigotry (combined with a healthy dose of lack of common sense or compassion). In the aftermath of debacle the Tea Party became, any remaining ideas of compassion before conservatism and prudence before partisan ideology seem to have completely left the building. Once upon a time, Republicans believed in abolition, in an end to segregation, in conservation of the environment for future generations, in reasonable restrictions of firearms…now they just seem to believe in making rich folks richer.
The problem with this party isn’t a lack of diversity (although they seem to think the symptom is the disease). The problem is the platform–it doesn’t appeal to the basic needs of a diverse culture. There will never be enough women, racial or ethnic minorities, religious minorities, and/or homosexuals willing to compromise their personal and collective rights to overlook their restriction of them, even if they have ever agreed with (what used to be) a primary message of fiscal conservatism and small government. As the youth of this nation, whom have grown up in a diverse culture, get to voting age, the power of this party will only continue to dwindle, unless there is a radical change of the current platform.
Republicans: If you are really concerned with your “diversity issues”, stop the fight on reproductive rights, stop the disenfranchisement of minorities, the elderly and the poor, stop the ban of same-sex civil marriage, and start acting like grown-ups in Congress. It only serves to reinforce your image as a bunch of civil rights and social justice Luddites. And then maybe, just maybe, people in the middle can come back to your party again (because if the Republicans move back to the middle, the Democrats will have no choice but to move further to the left)…and they will have regained their edge as the reasonable party, rather than the crazy one.
Of course, if this doesn’t happen, that’s okay too. Since I’m not a Republican, I don’t care too much if you go the way of the Whigs. As long as you take Eric Cantor with you.
This is my body.
I do what I want with it.
This is my body.
I make my own choices.
This is my body.
I use it as a canvas, tattoo it, decorate it, and pierce it.
I take medicine if I want to and only undergo medical procedures I choose.*
I have the right to share my body with whomever I choose without your approval. I have the right to decide whether or not to use my body to make a family, and how I want to use it. If I get pregnant, it is my right to have an abortion rather than adding the financial and emotional burden of another child to my awesome little family. My husband and I have the right to determine the size of our family. We have the right to stop having children and to continue to have sex. And if I was single, I would still have that right. You don’t have to like it, but until you are here changing diapers, handling middle of the night feedings, and paying for day care, you need to get over it. My body is none of your business.
I do not need to justify to you why I need to end a pregnancy. It is none of your business if I am getting an abortion because someone’s precious son slipped a little something into my drink and knocked me up without my knowing that he was even fucking me. It is none of your business if I am getting an abortion because I don’t have the money to care for a child, or because I just don’t like kids, or because the sky is blue today. It is none of your business if I am getting an abortion because birth control failed and my doctor has told me that “with your health problems, you should count yourself lucky to have had two healthy children, I don’t advise that you risk your life again.”
If you are not a doctor, you do not have a right to advise me on what to do about my body, period. If you aren’t a woman, you don’t have the right to decide what a woman should or should not be allowed to do with her own body. And, even if you are a woman, the only body that you have the right to decide to do anything with is your own.**
This is MY body, not yours.
The only individuals that should be involved with the decisions that a woman makes about her body are herself, her physician, and her committed partner. Even then, regardless of their opinions and input, the decisions are still hers and only hers. **
Stay out of my vagina.
My body is made up of stardust and dirt–a autonomous gift from the Universe and from Nature. What I do with my body is my business. How I paint it, or cover it, or not, is my celebration of my self. It is my business, not yours, for as long as it does not infringe upon another autonomous being’s ability to do what they please with their body and its contents. I govern my body, not you, and not the propaganda you would spew as morality.
My sex is none of your business. How much sex I have, whom I have it with, how I do it, how many…none of your business. Whether I fuck a girl or a boy or both or ten, or never have sex at all. Its none of your business. This is my body, and if I want to delight in the sticky sweat of sex, that is my business and the business of the person that I have chosen to share my body with. Its none of my business if you only have vanilla missionary sex with your eyes shut while thinking of the homeland, or if you prefer to be tied up and covered in latex. It is only my business that you have chosen the manner in which you will share your body, and that the person you are with has chosen you as well. This is my body, and I revel in it.
This is my body and I while happen to think it is my responsibility to show it some love–to decorate, not desecrate…to keep it in good working order by eating healthy and staying active, using the power of my body to preserve its autonomy and the autonomy of other bodies…its none of your business if I don’t do it to your specifications. I choose how to use the parts of my body–how and where to use my hands to help, my feet to move, my mind to grow, my heart to love, for those people and ideas that I find worthy. I have a responsibility to my body to enjoy it to the best of my ability–to love it, regardless of how well you think it meets societal expectations. I have a responsibility to my body to encounter the world and all of its inhabitants, with my senses and my sensibility. In short, it is my make every action of my body a prayer of my soul…not yours.
If I don’t do that in a way that makes you happy, too fucking bad.
My body is the temple of me. It is a gift of biology and *something else*…and it is my right to determine what I believe that *something else* is and how (or if) I want to worship it. You keep your god’s rules for your body, I’ll keep my god’s rules for my body. Because from my body, I dance with starlight and swim with dolphins. From my body, I worship imminent, imperfect and immortal expressions of the cosmos…I love my children, I go to work, I buy groceries, I play at the beach, and I make love with my husband, all from my body.
The choice of what to do with my body, and how to do it is mine.
My body does not keep you from your place of worship, from your children, from your employment, from your sustenance, or from your pleasure.
I do not think that it is too much to expect the same in return.
I do not think that it is too much to expect the same pay for the same job. To expect that I get the same training for the same job as a man. To expect that my ability to do a job be allowed to speak for itself–or not, without your opinion of my gender. I do not think that it is too much to expect that I receive the same respect as a man in my chosen work place. Even when–especially when I was serving my country. I do not think it is too much to not be raped for choosing to serve my country. I do not think that it is too much to not be harassed for having a “nice rack” and a “sweet ass” in my fucking uniform, or to be chosen for promotion based on how well I do my job, instead of how well I shut up when I’m raped or harassed. I do not think that it is too much to expect body armor that fits women’s bodies when they go out on patrol. Its funny how you and your politicians seem to think that women need to be protected until you send them out to get shot at.
This is my body. These are my breasts, my hips, my thighs, my face, my everything. My body does not depend on your ideal of femininity. I don’t need to be a baby factory to be a real woman, I don’t need make-up and a dress to be feminine. Liking sex doesn’t make me a slut. Being a feminist doesn’t make me a whore or a lesbian, or any other word your pundits mistake in as an insult in the pathetic attempt to assert that it somehow validates their misogynistic and chauvinistic drivel.
If failing to live up to your standard of womanhood makes me a slut, then I will claim that badge proudly. And while I happen to be in a relationship with a man, were I to find a romantic interest in a woman, I’d be perfectly honored to be called a lesbian. As for being a whore…prostitution generally depends on the participation of men that can’t keep their pants zipped up taking advantage of economically disadvantaged women instead of using their hand.
And while we are on that subject… I will be damned if I am going to let you turn my mother, my daughter, or myself into some second rate citizen because you need the excuse of my body to validate the weakness of your mind. I’m sorry if you feel that the sight of breasts, hips, thighs, face or everything is just too much for a man’s self control. Not all men are slavering, uncontrollable beasts unable to keep themselves from rape if they see even an inch of flesh. Saying that “she was drunk” or “she should have dressed more modestly” or “she was asking for it” or “you can’t get pregnant from ‘real’ rape” or “you might as well sit back enjoy it” or “she was dating/married/whatever to him” makes you no better than the rapist.
This is my body. If I say no, even in the heat of the fucking moment, you man the fuck up and pull the fuck out. If you penetrate me with any part of your body, and you use coercion, threats, or drugs and alcohol, to get me to go along with it, you are a rapist. There is no such think as being weakened to feminine wiles, or to “the situation”, or whatever ignorant excuse you want to make for your lack of respect for a woman’s body–your mother’s body, your sister’s body, you daughter’s body, my body.
And if you ever think that there is ever an excuse or a reason for rape, or that it is ever the victim’s fault, you are have no morals, no values and no character worthy of my respect.
This is my body. I don’t need you to save me. I don’t need you to tell me what to do with my body, as long as its not harming your body. I don’t need your morality to tell me what I think is right. And I sure as hell don’t need your morality legislating what I am allowed to do with my body. If you don’t like what my body does, don’t do it with yours.
I just need you to keep your body to yourself.
This is my body.
I’m through with legislators telling me what to do with it.
This is my body.
Keep your salacious, aggressive, sexist insults to yourself. I’m not listening.
This is my body.
I have the right to marry my partner, woman or man.
To equal pay
To health care
To education
To divorce
To safety
To protection of the law
To respect and dignity
To complete equality
This is my body, not yours.*
I leave your body to you…whether I agree with what you are doing with it or not, for as long as it does not infringe on the rights of another autonomous being.
Do not be afraid of a world in which women know themselves, their voice, and their power. That world has arrived.*
And I will do whatever I need to do to keep it that way for my children.
Notes:
Edited-to-add–This is not the script of the video, I wrote this, inspired by the video above. The opening and closing is mostly from the “official” version, and some parts are taken from other posts I’ve written. I has gotten a number of views and a couple of re-blogs (thank you so much!), which I appreciate. But…what I think would be really awesome is if everyone that felt touched by this would write their own…and share it. Every woman’s (and man’s, for that matter) experience of being robbed of agency and ability by virtue of gender, race, social status, sexuality, age, body type, etc is different. Claim yourself and your power! And share your story.
If you do answer that challenge, feel free to link it here, in the comments on my blog…and I think the folks on the “This is my body” facebook page would enjoy it as well.
*from the official “this is my body” (watch the youtube video, or visit their facebook)
A Big Thank You: Goes to Neferet @ Stay for a Spell, whom (or is it who…I’m so bad at that!) has graciously given me a blog award!!
The “rules” of the award are as follows:
1. Display the award certificate on your website.
2. Announce your win with a post and include a link to whoever presented your award.
3. Present 7 awards to deserving bloggers. Create a post linking to them and drop them a comment to tip them off.
4. Post 7 interesting facts about yourself.
AH! This is always so hard…I like so many blogs, for so many different reasons!! Okay…I’ll start off with the easy part.
7 facts about me:
I’m horribly allergic to cats. Horribly. So horribly that its not enough to not pet a cat, I can’t even be in a house where a cat lives or be around a person with a cat unless they are wearing freshly laundered clothing without paying a price for it later (or stuffing myself full of antihistamines beforehand).
I love Rainier cherries. Normally I’m down with whatever the local farmer’s market has for our summer fruit an veggie fare. For the few things I do buy at the grocery store that aren’t local and are out of season during the summer, I’m pretty economical–bananas and oranges mostly. But. For a few weeks each July, I splurge. Rainier cherries are my one weakness. They seriously taste like the epitome of summer time.
I don’t have a favorite band. Apparently this is weird. I love music, and enjoy quite a few genres of music…I have a number of “favorite” songs…but I’ve never been *into* a band.
I’ve fallen off the green-wagon a little bit the past month, between my health issues and my new job, which happens to be mostly outside (heat wave+outdoor job+health issues=too tired to make an effort to go the extra mile)…and for the things we *have* kept up, its been more about being cheap than being environmentally friendly.
I make the hubby drive as often as possible. I’d rather read a book or something. It drives him crazy because he’s not one of those guys that thinks he needs to be the one behind the wheel. And he says I’m a side-seat driver.
I will not be voting for Mitt Romney. This includes voting for any third party that might split the vote away from our current President. Barack Obama may not be my favorite president, and I might not agree on everything he has done thus far…but he scares me far less than a man with so few principles that he is willing to completely and utterly flip-flop on all of them just to get nominated. Including his own health care plan, gay marriage, working women, women’s health, religion, and I could go on. The only place where he hasn’t flip-flopped is his own anti-American, anti-family and anti-worker business practices. As far as I am concerned, Mitt Romney is an example of all that is wrong with this country and its political and economic systems–which put us in this economic mess in the first place.
I love my new job. Don’t get me wrong, right now it sucks because its OUTSIDE in a HEAT WAVE in one of the HOTTEST summers of one of the HOTTEST decades on record…but the job itself is awesome. I seriously get to talk to people about a giant ship, being in the Navy, and how cool the Chesapeake Bay is. And I get paid to do it.
Recommended Reading (AKA-who I give this award to): I’m passing this award on to a couple of blogs that I follow fairly regularly, a couple of them are homesteading/homemaking sort of blogs, a couple are Pagan blogs, and a couple are mom/homeschooling blogs (and some of them overlap a bit)… Some of their authors probably don’t even know that I’m a lurking reader (so this might be a surprise), but I enjoy them all because they give me something to think about that I might not have otherwise!! Apartment Farm The Old Milk Can Lazy Hippie Mama Here There Be Gods Rowan Hale Under the Maple Canopy The Pagan House
Hopefully I managed to notify everyone…if not, and you get here because you are notified of a linky, I apologize! The hubby did some rewiring of the system while I was typing, and I lost connection for a few. Sometimes we can be buggy when that happens.
Some very random, ranting, rambling thoughts from today: Today was one of those days that didn’t feel like a day off.
Which sucks, because I just worked in 100 degree heat index on a giant un-air conditioned metal box for two days, and tomorrow start another three days in a row. Long days, I might add, because we have the most awesome group of gentlemen and their wives and families that will be our guests at the museum for the rest of the week.
And I haven’t even seen a pay check yet, due to some issues with the accounting department. This will be remedied shortly…but it still sort of stinks in the meantime–my pantry is growing bare, and that sort of sends me into a mental tizzy.
Also, we just found out today that Miss February won’t be able to watch the kids for the rest of the month, leaving us in a total scramble to find a baby sitter. Its taken care of now, but…
Lets just say, its been a rough day and we all went to McDonald’s because its all we could afford and I really didn’t want to face cooking and dishes. Now my tummy hurts.
Oh, and my mother-in-law will be here Friday for a fly-by family weekend.
And my health issues aren’t improving–I ended up in the ER again last week (bad enough that I couldn’t even last until my doctor’s appointment later that same day). I ended up with 5 breathing treatments, on another round of prednisone, and we still have no idea what is causing it or why. Except now, I’ve had hives coming and going in a constantly itching misery since my trip to the ER…and they’ve been spreading.
I should be investing in Benadryl…and searching for my sanity!
Enough of the Ranting, some Happy Thoughts: So, in the chaos of today, I took the kids to the park. I wish I had their energy, and their inability to care about the heat and humidity!
They seriously ran up the giant hill and rolled back down at the part at least a dozen times. We “camped out” at a picnic shelter between the giant hill and the playground next to a day camp group, and I thank goodness for them! The kids had a blast making new friends with “big kids” and the teachers were fantastic–if I have to put the kids in a summer program ever, I know who I’m calling. They were so tired out, they both took a nap. It would have been awesome, if only the nap hadn’t been in the car, while I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off, lol.
Tips for Beating the Heat Oudoors:
Invest in a dollar store spray bottle, fill with cold water–instant “mister” sprays down kids to help them stay cool while running amok. Spray yourself too. (I learned this one today, from the summer campers)
Remember those neckerchiefs that were so popular in the 80’s and early 90’s? The ones with the beads that bulk up in cool water and become this weird gel that stays cool for a while? Yeah…they still make them. Get one. Fill up a bucket of ice water and keep them handy (we do this at work).
Wear light colors, in natural, light-weight fabrics. Layer up if you plan to spray yourself a lot…white t-shirt contests aren’t all that attractive sober.
HYDRATE HEALTHFULLY!! Drink water, replace electrolytes, avoid caffeine and sodium. Fruit waters are GREAT for this.
Wear sunscreen, and re-apply it frequently!
And little oops…I have gotten a bit behind my mental schedule for the blog again! And, I’d meant to include some “regular” features in these weekly Musings posts–like a Tarot Card draw, Herb of the Week, Deity of the Week, etc… Ah well, I’ll get around to it next time!
Have a Great Day!
Oh! And a last thought (quote):
I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.
~Jimmy Dean
The “rules” of the award are as follows:
bay witch musings 