Spring Equinox at Aifur Viking Restaurant, Stockholm, Sweden

March 26, 2023 | Filed Under Uncategorized | Comments Off on Spring Equinox at Aifur Viking Restaurant, Stockholm, Sweden

I’m traveling for work, and was in Stockholm last week, so I wasn’t home to do any kind of organized ritual for the equinox. Our hosts took us to dinner at Aifur, a Viking-themed restaurant where playing is encouraged, which ended up being just the right place to be that night!

Since we were a large party, our waitress had us pull coins from a large goblet of gold (three each), and then she demanded “payment” when drinks were delivered, which was much more fun than paper drink tickets.

A woman in a Viking apron dress with elaborate jewelry stands in the door of the restaurant.

Welcome to the restaurant! Image credit: Aifur.

Swords (edges dulled) and axes (rubber heads) are passed around, along with helmets and kerches, so people can do photos. There are also chess boards and Hnefatafl sets for those inclined.
There were live musicians playing in a musician’s gallery, and robust sing-alongs on some pieces.
A man in medieval Viking clothing is playing a hurdy gurdy.

Image credit: Aifur.

The host announces each party, and ties their country to the Vikings in some way (“From a land which used to have beautiful woods and plentiful wild boar, but we took care of that! Greet our guests from Belgium!”), and even managed to work a Viking connection to a group from Florida. There were several parties from Turkey as well that night, so many references to the “distant lands in the east filled with treasure—although less after we got there!”
A photo of the feast table, with plates of food, a glass set in an iron stand, and a pottery pitcher.

The feast! Image credit: Aifur.

It was loud and raucous and not my usual thing at all, but the host’s enthusiasm is infectious, the staff are encouraging, and being with a bunch of local people descended from Vikings who were happy to play along made it easy to get into the spirit of things.

We had a great time in a Viking feast hall, with lively music, good food, and plenty of mead to celebrate the passing of winter!

The website:

Rachel Pollack Is Nearing Her End

March 12, 2023 | Filed Under Death Work, Tarot, Runes, Oracles, Things I Think About | Comments Off on Rachel Pollack Is Nearing Her End

I received this news as well. I’m devastated. Rachel has been a fixture—and a legend—in the literary world for most of my adult life, and I’m 60.

More than that, she has been a dear friend for the last 15 years, and I really don’t know how to think of the world without her in it.

I would give anything to see you and speak with you and hug you one more time, Rachel.

May you pass peacefully, my dear friend. I miss you already.

(The message below was posted on Tumbr by Neil Gaiman on March 12, 2023 at 10:24 AM PDT.)

A Tumblr post from Neil Gaiman from 10:24 AM, March 12, 2023: My friend the brilliant author Rachel Pollack is coming to the end of her life. She won the Nebula, World Fantasy and Arthur C Clarke awards. She is a world renowned expert on Tarot, and her books on Tarot are still regarded as the gold standard. She created the first trans superhero, in Doom Patrol in '93. I will miss her very much when she goes. I am writing this at the request of her wife Zoe, to let her friends know that the end is soon, and to let the obituarists know too. (I saw her yesterday and hope to see her again before the end.)

Relationship Readings, Part 2

March 7, 2023 | Filed Under Tarot, Runes, Oracles, Things I Think About | Comments Off on Relationship Readings, Part 2

Often when someone goes for a reading, they already know the answer to their question; they simply need a safe space to discuss their concerns and talk about options for moving forward.

In the interests of saving time for everyone, here are the answers to some frequently asked questions.

1. I’m cheating on my partner. Will they find out?
Yes. If you are worried enough to discuss this with a total stranger, you already know this.

2. My partner caught me cheating on them. I don’t want to stop. Can I get away with it this time?
No. You can try to be more careful this time, but you are not as clever or as careful as you think you are, and you will get caught again.

3. I said I was sorry. Isn’t that enough?
You are not sorry you cheated; you are sorry that you got caught. If you are not sorry for hurting your partner, and you don’t intend to change your behavior, then be a responsible adult and end the relationship.

4. My partner wants to get married. I don’t. Should I I promise to marry them “when I’m ready”?
No. Unless you are willing to set a specific and short time frame (one year or less), all you are doing is stringing them along. That’s not kind or fair. If you don’t want to make that commitment, don’t make it, and don’t promise to make it “later”.

5. My partner wants a baby, but I don’t want one. Should I be worried they’re going to “forget” their birth control and get pregnant?
Yes. Therefore, you need to be a responsible adult and make sure that you are using birth control.

If you can’t be the person your partner wants, and you can’t keep the promises you make to them, you are not the right person for them, and they’re not the right person for you. Take responsibility for your life and your actions; end the relationship so you both can move on to find people who are a better fit for each of you.

Relationship Readings, Part 1

March 6, 2023 | Filed Under Tarot, Runes, Oracles, Things I Think About | Comments Off on Relationship Readings, Part 1

Often when someone goes for a reading, they already know the answer to their question; they simply need a safe space to discuss their concerns and talk about options for moving forward.

In the interests of saving time for everyone, here are the answers to some frequently asked questions.

1. Is my partner cheating on me?
Yes. If you are worried enough to discuss this with a total stranger, you already know this.

2. I caught my partner cheating on me. Will they cheat on me again?
Yes. They may be more careful this time, but if you are having this worry, you already know this.

3. But they said they were sorry, and promised to change!
They are not sorry they cheated; they are sorry they got caught. They may or may not be sorry that they’ve hurt you, and they may or may not intend to change. If they haven’t shown actual effort to change, then you are the one who has to live with the risk of being hurt again.

4. When will my partner ask me to marry them?
Never. They’re happy with things the way they are, and see no reason for change.

5. I want a baby, but my partner says they don’t want one. I *know* they’d love having a baby, they just need to give it a chance. Should I “forget” my birth control and get pregnant?
No. Not unless you want to be a single parent. Even if they stick around, you will be a single parent.

The problem with all of these questions is the expectation of others’ behavior. You want someone to do a specific thing (be faithful, get married, become a parent) that is not what they want. No amount of wishing on your part is going to make it so; it’s up to the other person to make the decision and make the change.

What you can do is set healthy boundaries, and enforce them. You can take care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally, and focus on what *you* want to do with *your* life. If the other person can’t be who or what you want, then you need to let them go. However much that may hurt now, is it worse than living with the daily hurt of being with someone who does not want to create a life with you?

Poem: Barcelona ~ George Franklin

March 5, 2023 | Filed Under Poem for Hela | Comments Off on Poem: Barcelona ~ George Franklin

Barcelona
~ George Franklin

I imagine you on a cold day in Barcelona, wind
Lashing the spires of Sagrada Familia and the palm trees
By the beach dreaming of Africa, listening
To obscenities shouted by the waves.
I imagine you with a leather coat
And lapis earrings and a blouse almost
As smooth as your skin. There is a glass
Of wine in front of you and inside the wine
A little fire. We finished talking a long time ago,
But neither one of us has the courage to leave.
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