“Will Shakespeare is an upstart crow looking to make his name. Kit Marlowe is the greatest poet of the age and knows it. He’s also a spy for the English crown. In the back room of a tavern, against the backdrop of a polarized and paranoid England where even the slightest misstep can lead to a death sentence, the two writers embark on a risky collaboration. Artistic partnership becomes a dangerous dance of inspiration, artistry, seduction, and possible betrayal. Experience the thrill of creative expression and the precariousness of living in a society where every move is scrutinized.”
And, lucky you—you can watch it streaming! You do not have to go to Berkeley. (Although, if you can, I highly encourage you to go in person—the Aurora is a delightful experience in person).
The stream is pre-recorded, so you can watch it any time in the 36 hour period you book for.
I am fortunate that my work commute is about 15 minutes each way, made in the comfort of my car.
As I drive, I see people walking, some carrying bags of groceries or baskets of laundry, sometimes pushing a child in a stroller, sometimes carrying bags and pushing a stroller, and possibly with a furred friend on a leash as well.
I see people working in yards, or putting a new roof on a house, or doing work on the road I’m driving on. I see the large trucks driven by the trash collection service employees, the utility company truck with someone in the basket lift repairing a power or phone line, delivery trucks and moving vans taking things from Point A to Point B.
It may be a pleasantly cool day, or ridiculously hot, or cold and raining.
Whatever is going on, I am seated comfortably in my car, in a nicely temperature-controlled, rainproof, and shaded moving bubble, listening to music, on my way to my job where I will be seated comfortably in a nicely temperature-controlled, rainproof, and shaded office where I can listen to music.
I am aware of the exceptional ease of my circumstances, and while I can’t change the world overnight to make life as easy for everyone, I have a practice I call “scattering blessings”.
For someone walking, I wish them a pleasant walk to their destination, and a joyful day. If they’re pushing a stroller, or walking with a small child or a pet, I wish blessings upon them and their child, or them and their furred friend, that all of them are happy and healthy.
For someone doing physical work, I offer blessings and thanks to them for their work in making the world better, and blessings on their work. I wish them protection from the sun/heat/cold, and a warm welcome when they return home in the evening.
I see delivery drivers, and do something similar: I offer blessings and thanks to them for their work in making sure people have what they need, and blessings on their work. I wish them safe travels and protection from the weather, and a warm welcome when they return home in the evening.
For the moving vans, I offer thanks and blessings to the workers for safely transporting the clients’ possessions, and offer blessings to the ones being moved to find joy, peace, and comfort in their new homes.
Perhaps it makes a positive difference to the people I pass, or perhaps it doesn’t. My hope is that it does, and it’s certainly a useful practice for me to keep perspective on what is happening in my day.
There are many ways to do this practice throughout the day, anywhere. Try it yourself and see what works for you!
July 4, 2023 | Filed Under Bindrunes | Comments Off on A New Batch of Bindrunes
I was feeling sufficiently better on Sunday to pull out my art supplies and light board, and draft some new bindrunes for people in my kindred and the local community. My Seidhjallr group came up with the runes, and I created the bindrunes.
The first rune is a bindrune for peace, with the runes chosen by Diana Paxson—Algiz, Inguz, Ansuz.
The other bindrunes are for specific individuals and their particular circumstances, so I’m going to keep the details private.
| Filed Under Admin | Comments Off on Where Have I Been?
“Anastasia”, I hear you say, “you haven’t posted since early May!”
Yes, that’s correct, my friends. I haven’t posted since early May. Usually I manage to queue some posts prior to my work travel, but that didn’t quite work out.
I had more travel than I expected. I hadn’t planned such an absence—I ended up being h0me only 11 days between May 18 and June 26. And then I came home from the most recent trip (a weekend getaway with my spouse for our anniversary as a reward for making it through all the business travel) with the souvenir no one wants – Covid.
I’m finally back on my feet, and home for a couple of weeks (next trip: July 17), so I am excavating my desk and trying to catch up on a million things. This includes resuming a semi-regular posting schedule, which is good, because I have so much to blog about! Travel adventures, book reviews, and happenings in my community and kindred and the world at large.
