by EnchantedWolf | Mar 25, 2014 | Totem Animals
These past few months have seen increasing amounts of my power animals wacking me on the head with ‘wake up! wake up!’ and ‘what do we have to DO to get your attention!??!!!’ The biggest wackola was a multiple encounter with Fox and Coyote over nearly a week in early March, just prior to the Equinox and my Spirit Mate’s birthday.
I do a daily hike in a flood-management area adjacent to the military base I live next to; I refer to the area as ‘The Preserve’ because it’s the only place that isn’t paved over, built on and otherwise obliterated. I maintain a small altar out there; and in an area that is just scrub juniper, MOWED grass (sad, I know) and some valiant wildflowers, I have seen grey fox, coyote, beaver, tons of birds, wild pig (not fun encounters), feral cats, deer and a feral wolf hybrid. I’ve been followed by owls and I even had a locust fly up out of the grass and bang me in the eye once. Ouch! (more…)
by EnchantedWolf | Dec 28, 2013 | General Thoughts & Comments
You know, I don’t have a lot of faith in the Ancestry.com process of DNA testing, but, it was an interesting and inexpensive experiment. They’ve actually updated my results since I originally posted, and this time, it’s more in line with my documented family history. I tend to discount our oral history – it’s pretty fanciful and unsubstantiated in certain cases, and the research I’ve done and documented tend to flat out contradict the family stories, but, I take the DNA with a *big* grain of salt, as well.
Here’s my updated results:
- 43% Great Britain, defined as England, Scotland and Wales
- 33% Western European, defined as Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein
- 10% Irish, defined as Ireland, Wales and Scotland
- 14% Trace Regions, defined in my own mix as pretty equal mixtures of Scandinavian, Eastern Europe and Italian
by EnchantedWolf | Sep 29, 2013 | Pilgrimage
Calanais is a series of stones shaped as a celtic cross, at the head of Loch Roag. The centre dates back to ~2900BC. The site was built in stages, but was complete by ~1200BC, when it was abandoned, covered in a peat bog due to climate change.
I find this very interesting, as it’s IN THE SHAPE OF A CELTIC CROSS, but ABANDONED 1000 YEARS BEFORE CHRISTIANITY.
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by EnchantedWolf | Jun 16, 2013 | Hearth Culture
I had a DNA test done, and it confirmed that yes, I’m Indo-European and probably 69% Continental Celt and 29% Viking. The other 2% is undetermined. My DNA is shown to come directly from Austria / Switzerland, Slovenia, Southern Germany into Northern France, and all up through the Scandinavian countries. What this means, I’m not too sure. My family comes from Scotland in living memory, but, my DNA does not, I guess because the DNA studies go back much further than written records. I guess it just means my family was not part of the original genetic stock of the Highlands and Islands, but a later Celtic transplant – or part of a Viking invasion. The Northern Highlands in particular have more in common with the Norse culture than the Gael.
Here’s a link to some DNA studies: http://www.eupedia.com/europe/Haplogroup_R1b_Y-DNA.shtml
by EnchantedWolf | Jun 16, 2013 | Earrann 1
I’m just finishing up the first of the 3 blocks for the Gaelic course at SMO. I’m not sure I should proceed yet to the 2nd block. I got my final in the inbox today and I have 10 days to complete it and turn it in. I will take all of that time. Probably an hour a night. It’s tough. I skimmed it. Depending on how well I pass both the written and the oral, and the feedback my tutor gives me, will determine whether I will move forward or not. Mastery of material is more important than grade, and I don’t mind repeating Earrann 1 if necessary. My tutor did say that Earrann 2 built on the first, and revisited much of that material, so it may not be necessary to repeat. I *do* have summer break and the next intake is in September, so that gives me two months give or take, to practice and drill. I can also choose to skip the next intake and go with the February 2014 intake. I do have my Gaelic workgroup in Burnet, and I’m modifying the material we work with there in that group to include the kind of oral drills we’re doing on the phone with SMO. So the short answer is ‘I have no clue what I’m doing yet’ (for the above reasons). Time will tell.
