Life and Dream

The dream was the 17th OBOD Australian Assembly, or maybe the assembly was real life at last.  Not sure.  At any rate, it was bloody amazing, and I can't talk about much of it because it is secret Druid's business (it is a mystery school and it is most fun if you get to learn things in their correct order) however I can say that a weekend with more than 40 people who are all open, heart-centred, nature-loving, creative and just downright wonderful, well, it was life-changing.

Ceremony, connection, laugher, tears, goosebumps, stories, singing, dancing, hugging, meditating, making music, walking amongst the trees with people who love them like I do.  Pure bliss!

Can I show you pics of the lovely people and what we got up to?  Nopey nope!   I wish I could but I can't.  I'll hold the times and the photos close to my heart instead.  To those who were there, just let me say, I love you all, and you are all amazing humans, and may we meet again soon, because I can feel your hearts all the way out there across Australia and New Zealand, and it is something to hold to, but will not be enough forever.

Special mention to Dusty and Jenni, my fellow WA-ites, who shared a cabin with me and made me feel like a kid camping again.  You both rock and I love you lots!     

Here is the hillside beyond the campground with a distant rainbow.
     

Here is me just after my initiation as Druid.  What can I can say about that but, hell yes, if you are an OBODie on the path, keep going, because it just gets better and better, and of the Druids who held space for my fellow initiates and me, I want to say a heartfelt thank you, and may it be so that I one day come to carry and share the joy, warmth and wisdom that you carry and share so gracefully.

Almost the very best thing?  I made it!  No crashes, no bad reactions, I was full of energy for the whole four days no matter how hectic it got.  I had to be careful, especially of what I ate and breathed, but ten years ago, if someone had told me that one day I would be well enough to do such a thing, I'd have thought they totally sucked for teasing me.  Chronic Lyme *can* be treated and managed well enough to have a good life again, and I am living proof, but I will never take it for granted.  I'm loving every moment of it. 

Home is good too.  I'm still bouncy happy Tina.  No post-con depression.  I am every day working to add more of my spirituality into my life.  Seeking to find out who I am at core, and making sure I prioritise those parts of my life that feed that.  We are all works in progress, and I'm working on it.  Always will be, I'm sure.

More time in nature...

More time with good friends, human and animal...

More time doing work of the hands...

The moccs are getting a makeover. 

Druid tabard to be...

       More time doing all sorts of writing and making art and making music...

New kids' story coming soon!

More time doing service for my community at both my brigades, including my amazing new bushfire brigade, Chidlow VBFB...

Shiny new jacket for a shiny new beginning!

More time snuggling you-know-who...

And apparently less time crocheting, because that same you-know-who likes sitting on the current afghan way too much lately.

Blogging is still going to be less frequent, but I miss the diary element of my time here.  I might endeavour to be more regular with it.  We'll see.  Lots else to do these days!

I wish for you all, "a blessing upon your days, a blessing upon your lives, a blessing upon the land."  /|\ 

 

Pemberton

Pemberton is a long way down south of where we live in Western Australia.  See...

Not that the long drive affected me at all...

We went down for a 20th Anniversary Handfasting for two of our Druid friends, the lovely Michelle and Dusty.   How gorgeous is this photo taken by Ashley?

Pemberton is best known for being in the thick of the Karri forests.  Karri are... well... I think unless I ever get to see a Redwood forest, they are probably the most amazing trees I'll ever be amongst.  What better cathedral for a Druid than this?

Their energy is so peaceful and dignified, even if sometimes the humans amongst them are less so...  :D

Don't ask me! Something about being vampires in our cloaks, I seem to remember!

There are beautiful waterfalls too.  Above is the Cascades where we did the Handfasting and below is Beedelup Falls.   Do not go on the swinging bridge down there with naughty people, I warn you now!

And there is this very odd little place known as the Goblin Forest.  Creepy but very cool!

I could imagine so many little critters in there, and as somebody else said at the tine, "Do not touch the water!"  (LOTR reference there for my fellow fans.)

I might try to use it as part of a piece of fantasy art at some stage.   We got a bit lost finding it but when asking for directions we got to meet the lovely Patrick the Stick Obsessed, a Tricolour Rough Collie.   Gorgeous boy and what a lovely place he gets to live!

We stayed in a lovely rammed earth chalet by a lake.   In the first two hours I saw three birds I'd never seen before.  Two of them, the Golden Whistler and the Firetail, were both just hopping around on the grass outside our window!  It's a twitcher's paradise!

I won't horrify you with the blurry photos I got.  Here's one of a Red-eared Firetail from Birdlife Australia:

And here's a male Golden Whistler, from the same site.

For comparison, here is my photo of one.  As you can see, I'd better not give up my day job for nature photography just yet!

What, you say you can't see it?  But it's right there in the middle of the lawn!

See?  Heh.

I hope August sees you enjoying whatever season is yours to enjoy at this time, spring or autumn.

Get outside, look at birds and trees and skies and rocks.   It's good for the brain!

See you next time I feel like blogging!