This is one of the easiest recipes for brownies you will find anywhere. So yummy!
½ cup flour
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“No, no, no, you've got it all wrong!” I insist, with (for me) uncharacteristic lack of diplomacy.
The body-painting crew is discussing what patterns they're going to paint on the sacred king's bare torso. Thing is, they're all visual artists, trained to create visuals that draw and hold the eye.
This, though, is something else again.
“M. has one of the most beautiful chests this side of the Mississippi, and you want to cover it up?” I continue, with perhaps too much vehemence. “So that we end up looking at the paint instead of what's underneath?
“No. We want enhancement, paint that reveals, paint that directs the viewer's gaze, not paint that draws attention to itself.”
Fortunately, they're artists; they hear the sense of what I'm saying. The resulting body-paint that they create ripples and rills along the topography of his body like a stream through rolling hills, just as it should.
One of the interesting aspects of imagining or recreating Minoan daily life - including religious practice - is that we don't have any textiles to speak of: no altar cloths, no curtains, no rugs or baskets. The damp Mediterranean Sea air tends to rot organic materials pretty swiftly. So we only have a few tiny fragments of the real thing, plus pictures of them in Minoan art.
But we have an interesting reflection of soft materials in some creative ceramics the Minoan potters made. Minoan pottery was pretty imaginative all round, including loads of 3d decorations and other fun details. But this particular class of ceramic vessels is unique: They all look like they're made of soft materials.
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It is very important to gather your soul tribe and just celebrate each other from time to time. Here is a pagan ritual I have performed on weekends—I call it “Saturn-day night fever.” Over the years, I have added many embellishments, such as astrological or holiday themes. The basic ritual of cakes and ale, however, is a timeless and powerful classic.
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When I get to the ritual, I learn—much to my surprise—that I'm to play a key role in it.
Psychopomp: literally, “soul-leader.” In Classical mythology, Hermes-Mercury was the preeminent psychopomp: he who leads the soul to the Underworld. In modern paganism, the term has broadened in usage to mean “one who leads an individual to the next stage of existence”: in this case, to Cronehood.
Such a role needs to be visually distinctive. The last time I played this role in a public ritual, I was stark naked, painted white from head to toe.
“Should I be naked?” I ask dubiously.
The presiding priestess doesn't think so. Non-pagan friends of the crone-to-be will be present who might be discomfited by nudity.
“Especially male nudity,” she adds as an afterthought.
“Well, of course,” I reply, grinning. “It's way hotter.” Me, I've always been a gay guy's gay guy.
In the end, I decide to go with kilt and bare chest. (I love that the kilt has become the standard, defining item of pagan male national dress.) It's a good pairing, visually distinctive; also, it displays to distinct advantage the fruits of a summer's worth of hard work in the yard.
Much to my delight, the look becomes a “thing.” Soon, all the studly young guys with a role in the ritual are also sporting bare chests and kilts.
In the end, our unforeseen collective decision becomes a felicity, adding a visual unity that the ritual would otherwise have lacked. Not to mention the sheer expansive pleasure of all those pecs and abs.
The ritual goes well, the acknowledgment that our well-beloved, newly-minted crone has been wanting, and certainly well deserves.
Afterwards, none of us puts his shirt back on. Though, in a foretaste of things to come, the late August evening turns cool, the massive festive bonfire, literally—I swear, I am not exaggerating here—the size of a small house, keeps us plenty warm.
The kilt-and-skin brigade line up for pictures in front of the bonfire, arms over one another's shoulders. It's a gratifying moment.
There’s a New Moon just around the corner–Monday, September 2nd, to be exact. It interestingly falls on Labor Day, or “do not Labor Day,” as I’ve always referred to it. This will fall in line with back-to-school or continuing education for some, ushering in the start of fall for others, and the final stretch seeing us through until the end of 2024 for all. So what does all this mean, exactly?
Getting Organized with Virgo
Well for starters, the sun has astrologically shifted to Virgo, which makes it the perfect time to get all your ducks in a row and get organized. Finish up those outstanding projects on your to-do list, for Pete’s Sake! Please note that I am saying this as much to myself, as to all of you. I’m personally making up a point to tie-up summer lingering loose ends that need some completion. I’m nearly there, and even if I don’t get everything done that I want to by Labor Day, I’m confident I’ll meet my goals by the end of the month.
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Honeyed mead is revered as the drink of choice for the sexy pagan holy day of Beltane. It is an aphrodisiac, and with its sticky sweetness, it is perfect for dribbling on your lover’s body and then licking it off. This is my special recipe for honeyed mead, handed down through generations of Celtic witches. You will need:
1 quart of honey
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