- Mood: Hard to Place
- Music: "Mr. Bojangles" Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
It has been quite awhile since I did this. And ultimately, that is a very cliche opening. Sometimes cliches are true, though. And sometimes they are an oversimplification.
There are many things that have gone on of some interest to some who may read this. There are thoughts which may connect with someone out there which have rattled around a bit here. We have had several attacks to this site, which leads to unfortunate results emotionally for us here.
I would like to clear a little air concerning these attacks. The first item is that I am not afraid to post because of them. I do, however, find myself editing joyful announcements and progress reports out of prudence. These are not the first attacks we have received (both online and in person) nor the first threats to ourselves and our children. So, much thought and reflection have gone into this issue. I have no perfect answer thus far, but I may be ready with a workable solution. It is tough enough to do this amidst all the things and projects we have underway, but if it is going to become a harassment point, then it becomes that much easier to NOT write this.
For those of you with gentle dispositions or tender hearts, please skip this next part. Those of you who would threaten our children, virus our data or wish us ill, ignoring the goodwill we extend the world, please, continue reading...
Go fuck yourselves. I know, I know, pretty low-brow of me.
If you wish the dignity of discourse, you have crossed lines to ever again be treated as anything but a wild, sick creature, to be dealt with as vermin are to be dealt with. You who would treat us in such a matter deserve much lower than I can go.
The words will never truly hurt, the data can be repaired, our children will be defended to the bitter end but they will never become your prey. We do not wait in fear, but in preparation. For you kooky, snarky, smarmy little internet dipsticks, with no original thought or depth of tradition or character, we hold nothing less than you.
You are not important.
This is not a knee-jerk defensive reaction. It is instead a long-meditated, carefully considered response. We may be spiritual, but spiritual does not necessarily mean wimpy.
We are a tribal people.
People of the Sun and The Moon.
We come from a long tradition of Warriors. We will live in peace if we can, but if we fight, we fight to win. The Way of the Arrow and the Path of the Blade are still open to us. Attack us with words, will will return in kind or in silence. Attack us in other ways we will respond, similarly, with greater accuracy and overwhelming ability.
Hurt us and you will lose.
So simply put, go fuck yourselves.
For you bleeding hearts who don't understand, please try. I have a bit of a softness and peacefulness myself. But our people have not survived this long by going gentle.
I have not beaten my swords into plowshares. My Blades hang upon the wall, heirlooms, symbols of a long struggle survived and a willingness to see my descendants survive. I till my fields, I raise my children, I live every moment with the hope of peace for my people.
And we live in peace, with much laughter and celebration.
We enjoy the gifts of the Divine, the great and small of all things. We hope that our conflicts may be solved around a fire, sharing food and drink. If my Blades never leave the wall except for ceremony, then so much the better. Tribal Spiritualism is no flaky cousin of peacenik Liberal New Age silliness.
Onto other topics. Religion. Now there is a fun one. I am not a Christian. Obviously you say, look at the name of our site and the content. Look at the art you work on. I do however hold as one of my Divine Jesus Christ. Not Yahweh, not Jehovah, not monotheism in any way. Just Jesus Christ as Bringer of Light and a Warrior for Good. How anyone could claim that Jesus is the "God" of the old testament is beyond me.
Frankly, if I am wrong and the Petty Child "God" Jehovah is the "One and Only", then I will prefer Hell; at least I know what the score is and I don't have to spend eternity with the cosmic equivalent of Eddie Haskell.
But my beliefs are strong and I know them to be the truth of my existence. Jesus is not alone in my Pantheon (each member of our Tribe creates their own Pantheon of gods and heroes), but more on that another time.
So, when we go to shows, I get hit with bullshit from both sides; the bible thumping sheep and the hedonistic "pagan/new age/whatever". Our people offend everyone, not through intent but through honesty and decency.
We have no dogma, no church, no collection plate, no heaven, hell or preachers. Yet, time after time, we demonstrate a stricter adherence to ethics and morality, deeper meaning and joy in life and decent openness that most of the "One-True-Faith" types are ever able to.
We are a proud people, full of respect for ourselves and respect for those who would at least meet us halfway. Not try to control us, judge us, own us. If I want to make knives and wands and at the same time make icons of Christian, Jewish, Taoist, Shinto, Egyptian or whatsoever I am called upon to make, I shall do so. These are all worthy beliefs and a part of the history of humanity. There are dark faiths out there, I will never make symbols for them.
So before you put me in a box, harass our people or pass your judgments, remember that I do not require your approval to exist. Think of this: if you showed up at my house, regardless of your choice of Faith, as long as you comported yourself with kindness, respect and dignity, you would receive the same.
You would be invited to dinner, time and time again.
Discussions, even arguments could be held, within the context of polite society. You would be invited to share in or simply observe our ceremonies. You would be able to ask us the how and why of what we do. In all this and more, we have been and always be open to, provided it was done with kindness, decency and respect.
You could warm yourself by our fire without ever having to subscribe to our beliefs. Impossible? Not for a people who know who they are, where they are from and what they believe. We are a proud people.
After all that has been done to us, we greet each dawn, saying:
"We are still here!"
There is more to come. Politics, Art, you name it, I think about it. In the meantime, I do hope any who read this are okay, that their life is something they can be proud of.
Onto announcements: our new daughter born last month, very exciting!!!! And no, I was not disappointed that she wasn't a boy. Why do people keep asking this? I already have three sons, four daughters, a couple grand kids and another on the way. I think a little girl is a fine gift, a giver of life. A tribe must have daughters. Our greatest magic and highest offices are held by women. She will be a great Warrior and a Noble person.
We are prepping the garden and orchard for another season. We have also switched sources for fresh milk. Our home cooking continues to be such a hit that our friends call dinner at our house "eating out!"
My cancer is still present, but I seem to be holding my own. I am struggling and my wife has me headed to a political blog out there to see what I can add, distract my mind and keep me active at a time when I am just a bit incapacitated.
We cut back on shows this year as so many have been canceled, but we will make some and we continue to host events here at home and we can use the time for other endeavors, such as the Great Gathering.
We have built a very nice steam house/sweat lodge and it is a fantastic feeling to have one again. We have set up numerous Altars throughout our house, which we have worked on for months,and we now finally feel like we have gotten them to a good point.
With our travels, it was hard to have some many up a once, so most of our things languished in storage while we maintained traveling centers and one large central sanctuary. We continue to work on our Temple as well.
All are well, happy and healthy. Even I with my illness have no health issues otherwise. In time the illness will pass as well.
Best wishes to all our friends and fellow travelers out there.
"The First Principle of our Warriors is to Die Hard"
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