Age of Misrule et. al.

Ages ago I read a book called ‘World’s end’.  It belonged to my friend Anna, who was kind enough to let me read it after her.

This book was amazing.  A Dragon landing on the M4 motorway, Wow…..

So began a slow relationship with myself and each of the three books as they came out, and then after each one came out, I read them and then….. nothing, that was it no more, even though I wanted them to carry on and for me to find out what it must of been like living in this fantastical world of technology gone ‘broke’ and magic gone made.

Then another three books came out……and now there are two more……

So I decided to dive in and look once more for the books, to add them to my collection of 500+ books (fast approaching 600).

I found the first set with ease, lurking on Play.com in the trade section, fab, like £7 for 3 books, I could not go wrong. Then I found the 1st and last books of the 2nd trilogy and the first book of the 3rd trilogy.

However Devil in Green was ner’ to be seen, a shame indeed. I could get it if I really wanted to but for a ridiculous price of £25 give or take.  this morning however, after 2 days of searching I managed to find it on Amazon, from another seller for a mere £3.50 plus postage.  I, needless to say, snapped it up.

So now I have 7 books winging their way to me, and the wonderful prospect of rereading the first trilogy before setting out on new adventures with Mark Chadbourn as I hurl myself headlong into the 2nd and finally 3rd trilogies.

Another memory of the first trilogy is when the heroes end up in the gower, thats like around the corner from me in Swansea, and that is also one of the reasons why these books are so good, they make my experience of them a very personal one, and also one that is so believable.

Oh yea, I also found the Author Mark on facebook and Twitter and have even added his own blog to my list of favourite blogs, and he even accepted me on facebook and is now following my twitter……

Now if only he read my blog………

G, feeling very pagan and celtic

Live life as you dream it friends

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Pagan yearnings and awakening senses

Well as most of you might already know I took the the gang (Gaynor, Ieuan, Alex and Carys) to South West England on Tuesday just gone.  The purpose was two fold, first and foremost was a s a day out for the lot of us, the classic family day trip.  the second reason was for me to seek out some of the pagan sites around Britain.

I know I did not do it justice, trying to visit so many places in one go, but at least I now know where these places are and the fact that they are not that far away really.

Our first stop was Avebury, which honestly has a far nicer and more serene stone circle that the one at Stonehenge, and it is more accessible too.  We walked around the site trying to walk the complete circle around the village and after a fair old walk and me sliding down the chalk bank twice, covering my trousers in Avebury mud, I found a stone and stood there for a while centering myself and sensing the stone and who had been there before me.  The most apparent sensation I had was one of agelessness of time standing still for these ancient stones and everyone that had touched them being almost like incidental insects, which over time eventually leave a mark.  Some of the missing stones and markers made me sad, to know that this circle was far greater and more complex when it was first created and over time locals and others just stripped it for its stone.

After leaving Avebury we went to Woodhenge and walked around and sat and pondered amongst the concrete markers.  Oddly enough I found a moment of tranquility at Woodenge, sitting on the grass, drawing myself into the depths of the earth around me.

Stonehenge did nothing for me, perhaps it was the tourists , or maybe it was the big fence and the almost commercial nature of the place.  I want to go back, desperately, so I can change my impression of the place and create a more spiritual one, so I have decided that I will go back there for the Winter Solstice, with or without friends, but I will go back.   From what I gather Winter Solstice is the quieter of the two festivals and will hopefully be a smoother induction for me into the pagan community at large.

Then there was Glastonbury……Wow what a wonderfully slow and lethargic place.  Time has no meaning there and this has a huge appeal to me.  I suspect the shop keepers are actually all 300 years old just that they are so stress free and chilled to have never actually aged.  Oddly enough, as much as I found Glastonbury to be a very spiritual place, I found the Tor to be different.  The walk up, even the steep climb in places, was an ordeal and I could sense how deep and meaningful it can be for people, especially if they had walked the route of the original labyrinth, however I feel that the tower at the top, the attempt by the early Christian church to take over this hugely pagan site in an attempt to convert the heathens, ruins this place, almost dissipating its energies.

As I said at the beginning I would love to visit all of these places again at some future point, but perhaps spending a day (or two) in each one.

Today now I visited the Pontardawe Folk festival and spent the afternoon walking around a muddy field in the rain going from stall to stall.  And the oddest of things happened.  I started sensing stuff again.  The odd look here and there, a tingling sensation, my supposed third eye (if it every fully wakes) and  that slow , connected walk with the earth.  I do not know why I went, I did not buy anything, and my new trainers are muddy and so are my trousers, but still, for some reason, I felt the journey worthwhile.

Maybe this week has been a shakedown of my pagan life, waking me up again and giving me a sense of purpose once more.  I fully intend to explore the whole pagan scene with more passion and immerse myself more fully.  No more toe dipping for me

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Dark Day – Mark 2

Well just when you think that things (proverbially) cannot get any worst they do. For reasons that I cannot disclose and for the simple fact that I do not know anything myself anyway I was suspended on full pay for the moment.  I feel numb, and just do not know what to do about it.  Unfortunately I really cannot discuss it as it is a confidential issue related to work.  So this is all I can say really……

Weight Loss update

Well I weighted in today and I am 18 stone and 8 lbs.  If I can get rid of 1 more pound then that takes me to 7 stone weight loss.  and 2 more pound after than will mean 100pound weight loss.

Changes over the years

I have been talking to someone who I have known over the years on and off and it has brought me to realise some things, which I sort of knew anyway.

I have changed…….

Especially over the last 2 years or so……

Part of the changes are as follows, and some or the reasons for the changes;

Broke up with my then partner, Moved out from the home, Took control of my own finances, Took control of my own life, Lost weight (initially it was accidental – just not eating much), Blogged, blogged a lot, Started talking to people, then talked some more…….,  became a lot more open and transparent and willing to discuss myself and take (occasionally) criticism, increase in confidence, talking to women a lot, getting out, clubbing, becoming more conscious of body image and fashion…

But have what i become necessarily better that what I used to be……..

G (ever changing)

Dark Day

I feel like i am having one of those days, i feel a weary ache so deep in my soul that i know nobody but myself can cure it, and the chance of me fixing it anytime soon is very unlikely. So i will close up for a little while and smile when people expect it of me. In time i will smile for real, Just not today……..

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The Light Fantastic – My Cousin’s Wedding

I went to my cousins marriage yesterday. I danced the light fantastic with gaynor and showed the rest of the gathering just how 2 40 year olds party. It was a great day out and the bride looked lovely oh and the groom looked ok too. Its amazing how much energy 1 litre of kick can give you@

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