August Full Moon Altar: Idunn

 

This month's altar honours Idunn, Norse Goddess of Youth and Rejuvenation. Idunn (pronounced ee-doon and meaning "Ever Young" or "She Who Renews") grows and tends the Apples of Eternal Youth which all the Norse gods and goddesses must eat to maintain their youth and vitality in perpetuity.

I bought my little statuette of Idunn about 12 years ago at a Scandinavian Christmas Market here in Edmonton. The beeswax apple candles came from a local Ukrainian crafts store.

There is a theory which speculates that extensive Viking settlement and influence in Scotland resulted in the River Doon being named after this popular goddess. The River Doon featured in some of Robbie Burns' poetry (Tam O' Shanter and Ye Banks and Braes o' Bonnie Doon). Its bridge ("Brig o' Doon") became the name of the fictional magical Scottish town in the Broadway musical Brigadoon.

[Photos © Debra She Who Seeks, 2024]

Cribbage, Tiger Tiger, Back Scratchers and Marvel

Welcome to my "Vacay Edition" of Weekly Roundup! While visiting my sister, we didn't get up to too many shenanigans but instead had a quiet and enjoyable visit. Here are a few hilites --

I got my ass whupped at cribbage. I only managed to win a measly couple of games.

A special treat was going for some yummy tiger tiger ice cream! This is a Canadian delicacy consisting of orange ice cream with a black licorice swirl. I've written previously about tiger tiger here.

I finally found and bought a replacement back scratcher for my old one which broke about 6 months ago! Victory is mine!

And I scored an awesome new Marvel t-shirt! (And before you ask -- no, I haven't seen the just-released Deadpool & Wolverine movie yet! I'm waiting until it streams on Disney+).

Toodles For Now, Dahlings

I'll be back in time for

August's Full Moon post

in three weeks!

Food For Thought

Here's some!

Ink Time!

Now here's a TRUE Winter Soldier

and Captain America fan!

July Full Moon Altar: Magna Mater

This month's altar honours Magna Mater ("Great Mother"), the Roman version of the goddess originally known as Cybele. Among her many attributes, Magna Mater was revered as a Bee Goddess. Bees have been sacred to the Divine Feminine for thousands of years in many civilizations. Bees were seen as magical by our forebears because they produce the Divine gift of honey, which can both nourish and heal. In the ancient world, honey was the only anti-bacterial healing agent available for use in wound care to prevent infection and death.

Fittingly, this bee candle is made of beeswax. The flower candle is standard paraffin wax. My goddess statue came from Sacred Source about 15 years ago and has previously appeared in my Cybele full moon altar post. The centre bee-themed altar cloth is a 2009 souvenir from Glastonbury's Goddess Temple.

The main altar cloth is a tea towel given to me a couple of years ago by Mistress Maddie of A Day With The Mistress Boghese, along with "Bee Happy." The buzzing bee beside it was a charming gift from an Edmonton friend.

This lovely art glass hive with honeybee is by an Alberta artist whose name I can't remember now. It's one of the first things I bought when I moved to Edmonton 27 years ago. The bee jewelry was all bought in Alberta too.

This brass representation of a traditional straw bee skep is half of a very heavy pair of bookends found at an antique sale in Winnipeg about 40 years ago. Love it!

And finally, the piece of laser-engraved driftwood was created by a crafter in Maui. Since bees spend their lives seeking pollen to turn into honey, I think the driftwood's spiritual message is perfect for this altar! 

[Photos © Debra She Who Seeks, 2024]

Summer Heat, Graphite Pencils, and Public Air Conditioning

It's been HOTTER THAN THE HOBS OF HELL here all week. The heatwave is supposed to last for another week too. Like many Edmonton residences and apartments, mine does NOT have air conditioning. When I first moved to Edmonton in 1998, I was STUNNED by this city's general lack of air conditioning. But everyone just laughed and said "Oh, you don't need air conditioning HERE! We only get maybe 3 hot days per year!" And in 1998, that was true. But not anymore. Thanks, global warming.

Most days it has been 30-35ºC (about 85-95ºF). I know that's NOTHING to you poor bastards sweating it out in the American midwest and south, and even to those of you in continental Europe, but for us it's SCORCHING! 

Here's a bit of good news. After the cancellation of my painting-in-gouache class due to low enrolment, I found another ART CLASS to take this summer instead and it has enough students to proceed! It's a drawing class, which I always enjoy. Plus it's with a teacher who is new to me, so that's always a bonus too. New things to learn!

Apart from that, I also got caught up with various friends this week by getting together in nice AIR CONDITIONED restaurants and coffee shops. Delightful!