Monday Update

Saturday: Took the little ones (well, slightly smaller ones) to Mother Earth’s Harvest Faire at Spoutwood Farm, after the Lad’s soccer practice.  Had good hippy fun for a few hours.  At least I did, and I think the Princess did.  The Lad was largely unamused.  I can’t really fault him for that – like many 8 year-old boys, he has little use for homemade aromatherapy soap and ecologically sound farming techniques.  His distaste for the affair went above and beyond mere boredom however;  I’m coming to the conclusion that Republicanism may be genetic.   The boy has an inate and unerring sense for all that is conservative.  Boys have no business wearing flowers.  Small children should be should be fully dressed at all times.  There is no reason to try unfamiliar delicacies so long as cheesburgers are available.   “World” music is dumb.  I could practically hear him sniffing with disdain at all the damn, dirty hippies.  “Take off those silly rags and get a job!” His manner seemed to proclaim.  *sigh*  I guess now I know how “normal” parents feel when their kids start listening to wierd music and getting body piercings…

By far the kid’s favorite entertainment, and one that they were loth to leave, was a simple rope swing dangling from a tree limb in one corner of the grounds.  Mine, on the other hand, were the beautiful bellydancers that wrapped up the festival.  Turns out I’d met them before, at a show in Baltimore.  As avivahg says, they have great chemistry.

Sunday: Shopping for sukha decorations, the Lad’s soccer game (his team won), video game shopping, a picnic at on the overlook at Rocky Ridge park, browsing at Borders, and home in time to watch the season premier of Law&Order: Criminal Intent.  For future reference: Isaac’s Deli makes great sandwiches.  At the mall, the Lad’s status as a budding Young Conservative was again confirmed: “I hate Hot Topic!”.   True, we echo his sentiment, but for very different reasons.  One gets the impression that his stepping foot in such a den of iniquity may someday endanger his standing in the campus Republican Club.

Today:  Sleepy, as usual.  Still getting up at a godawful hour, for no good reason other than variety.  A million things to do at home and at work; I stand paralyzed at the thought.  Of greatest concern: will we be able to find sufficient lumber for the sukha?  And how much longer is my car going to hold out?  A vague, pervasive sense of dissatisfaction does not help.  Not enough to contemplate drastic action, but too much to easily dismiss.  The closest I can get to putting my finger on it is to say:  I am feeling a freedom deficit, that is not sufficiently offset by security.

My subconscious has brought it to my attention that I require more tribal dancing, for lack of a better term, in my life.  Specifically: I need to dance barefoot in sand, grass, or mud to primal rhythms beaten on hand-drums.  Futurepop and EBM plays an important role, but I’ve come to realize that there’s a need that’s not being met.  There is a trance-like place I sometimes knock at the door of, only to find myself falling away and back before I get more than a tantalizing glimpse. I need to lose myself in something old, pagan, rooted.  Something that doesn’t end after three and a half minutes, something organic, alive, responsive.  The hippy side has been neglected, and it demands  care and feeding. Anyone got any suggestions?

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16 Comments

  1. When are you guys planning to start bulding the sukha? You can come over anytime to pick up some wood and stuff. If you time it right and tell us beforehand we might even beable to have someone with a chainsaw to chop off what you want. Otherwise, at the very least we can lend you a pair of pruners.

    1. I’d like to stop by tonight, if I can. Would that be ok? Was planning on calling you when I got home.

      1. Sounds spiffy. I’ll probably be home around five thirty and someone will be home no matter what time you come over. but drop by anytime. I have something for Stacy to so don’t stop by without stopping in.

  2. I need to dance barefoot in sand, grass, or mud to primal rhythms beaten on hand-drums.

    My dear, we all need more of this. Goddess knows I do.

  3. Tribal music

    Incus is a Boston-based band with dark music and tribal drumming. I’m not sure what their website is offhand, but if you do a net search for “Incus” and “Jason Cohen”, it should bring some mp3’s up.

  4. “I need to dance barefoot in sand, grass, or mud to primal rhythms beaten on hand-drums.”

    I get my fix of this type of thing at least once a year at Faerie Festival. The nightly bonfires of Friday and Saturday’s campgrounds are a wonderful thing. Perhaps you and Stacy could consider some volunteer time and camping up there ?

    You might also want to look into some of the pagan festivals that happen around your parts. Drum circles and such.

    Good luck & Blessed Be.

    1. I’m definitely considering doing that next year. I got a lot out of the drumming and dancing at this year’s festival. A year is a bit long to go… but still, better than nothing.

  5. please tell me when you find this place. I want to go with you. badly.

    1. See the comment directly under yours. CB and Tracy have been inviting us to events for years, and it’s just down the road from us… I think it’s time we finally took them up on it.

  6. i know that cb & tracey have something planned for the weekend of the 29th & 30th of october – the farm is even over the md line in pa. i’m sure that they’d love you guys to be there, unfortunately schedules prevent me from being there. therre is a cover charge of $13, but it’s camping overnight and all that…

    here’s cb’s website for it: http://www.geocities.com/witchs_ball/

    1. Oh, awesomeness! I wonder if my budding witch-to-be (Lily) will be able to attend. Must look at website.

  7. I think you and I need to talk….Call the Adam get my digits and call me, I might be able to help you with this. Sort of…. It’s worth a try.

  8. come visit… we’ll build a fire, we’ll do suspensions and have Helix turn Helix bring his drums. I’ll hang, you can dance.
    Or, track down Mean Salley and invite him to visit.
    As for doing it on a regular basis… I can’t say. Ren Faire definitely works though. They do it every night at close.

    1. Who knows, I might want to hang too… something interesting I’ve found about dancing is that when I get into “the zone”, when I hit that ecstatic point beyond exhaustion and thought, I suddenly acquire an instinctive empathy with the aboriginal dancers who cut their own flesh and otherwise abuse themselves in the their dances. I get a strong urge to cut or lash myself, to feel pain and yell joyfully into it. It’s not the same as when I’ve cut out of anguish, it’s more a desire to “cut myself free”, to revel in my strength. Normally pain doesn’t appeal to me, but at those times I understand.

      1. This sounds like what I enjoy about long distance running; it usually doesnt kick in like this until after the first 6 miles, but when it does it is much like that and it is really something.

  9. Greetings Avdi. I think you should hear the early music of Jeff Johnson. It is not primal rythyms from hand~beaten drums, but it does feel old and rooted. Recommended albums are Icons, Fallen Splendor, The Face of The Deep, Through the Door, and Shadow Play. Sometimes it is a little much but I think it is worth your checking out, it provided me much care and feeding throughout high school and college; enough on that 😛
    Tomorrow I would like to see the MD Faire, I have not been there yet. Can you email me at jjackallenn@yahoo.com ?

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