Jane
There should be poetry written about Jane Sibley. First contact - a Norse healing circle the like of which I've never experienced before. Jane arrayed in probably 20 lbs of amber and you know how much amber that would be. Jane, formidable in shape and demeanor asking each of us what we had. "Ah a healthy one" she said to me, but there was mild to serious stuff all around the circle of forty or so. Earthy and plain spoken - I am beginning to be charmed by the Norse. "Ok, link up meat to meat" We were on it . Whoever was being worked on was a couple feet inside the ring and hands were applied to whatever meat needed to be worked on. Then the very simple instructions draw from above, draw from below, receive from the right and pass to the left smoothly, except of course for the folks applying the circle's healing energy. And then the incomprehensible, "start at 5%" going up at different rates attack often to 100%. At 40% people started humming. Above that lots of people were very loud, but not loud enough to drown out the internal energy flow. We worked until everyone who wanted healing received it. We closed with arms around each other forming a circle. I was completely drained and went swiftly to bed.
The next day was scholar Jane and we went through more than I ever knew or even could have imagined about thunderbolts. She is quite learned and her book, The Divine Thunderbolt, Missile of the Gods formed the basis for two hours that barely scratched the surface. There are apparently thunderbolt shield designs, runes, thunderbolts with cores, thunderbolts cross culturally, spear launched magic draining thunderbolts and so on.
Day 3 it was the runes. I have mostly given up on ever connecting to the Orishas, so I hung out with Jane and a few other stalwarts instead of heading for the New Orleans Conjure Dance. At the start Jane pointed out that it was good Norse practice to share some mead and so she pulled out a bottle of Airikir's red raspberry mead. It was the best mead I have ever tasted in my life with deep fruit, sweet, good honey flavor, no haze, great finish, wonderful aroma and enough alcohol to drop a horse in his tracks. And so we went through the Elder Futhark, romping through the days before during and after the Roman empire and learning a few dirty words in Norse. Yes, I have been charmed by the Norse.
The next day was scholar Jane and we went through more than I ever knew or even could have imagined about thunderbolts. She is quite learned and her book, The Divine Thunderbolt, Missile of the Gods formed the basis for two hours that barely scratched the surface. There are apparently thunderbolt shield designs, runes, thunderbolts with cores, thunderbolts cross culturally, spear launched magic draining thunderbolts and so on.
Day 3 it was the runes. I have mostly given up on ever connecting to the Orishas, so I hung out with Jane and a few other stalwarts instead of heading for the New Orleans Conjure Dance. At the start Jane pointed out that it was good Norse practice to share some mead and so she pulled out a bottle of Airikir's red raspberry mead. It was the best mead I have ever tasted in my life with deep fruit, sweet, good honey flavor, no haze, great finish, wonderful aroma and enough alcohol to drop a horse in his tracks. And so we went through the Elder Futhark, romping through the days before during and after the Roman empire and learning a few dirty words in Norse. Yes, I have been charmed by the Norse.