August 24, 2004--And in this edition of "Where's Rhaevyn Been Lately": I am so ready to quit my job, it's not funny. Problem: K'Tok recently lost his job due to layoffs (and was also recently hired elsewhere, but won't start until September 1) so while the work sucks, someone's gotta pay the bills. Thank Goddess I had a little bit of a nest egg built up. Sucky job or no, it's a paycheck and keeps us fed, sheltered, and clothed.

That just means I go to work, stress myself into a tizzy, then just come home and crash out. I haven't even been doing any sewing lately, even knowing that Ren Faire is coming up and I really want to complete a new costume by October. I can't even motivate myself to cut out the pattern when all I want to do is put on some sweats and read/crochet/play on the computer/watch tv. I really want a vacation. Then again, this is about the same time last year when I found out I won the cruise, so I keep thinking how nice another trip like that would be. Reminiscing is nice, but I'd rather be there.

This also means that I haven't done any site updates. I've tried writing up more questions for the on-line books, but I hit those sites and my eyes just cross. I should also mention we have a lot of weather changes this time of year (can we say "hurricanes" anyone? Yes, I knew we could) and I get bad sinus pressure headaches due to pressure changes. Then again, it could also be allergies that I'm not aware of. People I've talked to have said that, even those of us who have lived in the area practically all our lives, they have recently suffered what would be considered allergy symptoms when they previously suffered none.

Sooo...to get a little more on topic, Mabon's coming up. That was usually the first sabbat that my college group would celebrate together in a ritual setting. My suggestion for groups, though, is to keep the ritual somewhat generic because you may be having an influx of new members who want to see what you're about. Wiccan, Pagan, or otherwise, these people may wind up being wonderful members and may offer good contributions (in terms of points of view, new ideas, and connections to others) so you don't want to alienate them right off the bat by saying, "THIS Mabon, we're holding a ritual in a British Traditional style, so if you haven't joined us before or don't follow a similar tradition, you can't come!" Not saying that Brit Trads are that secretive...just using an example of how being too specific to one style too soon can be bad when people are looking for groups to accomodate them and their beliefs.

If you're solitary and interested in finding a group, now's the best time to get out and start looking. People are looking to meet others, and clubs are at their most visible at this point too.

In any case, if you want to hold a ritual, START PLANNING NOW. There's a Full Moon on the 29th of August, and the New Moon falls on the 14th of September. First Quarter is on September 21st, and the Autumn Equinox (aka Mabon) is on the 22nd. If you get some planning done while your class work load is still light, you can probably write up some basic rituals and get your group (if you have/are in one) organized before the exams start hitting.