Working out with Minerva

I finally got over to Curves to resume workouts. I was disheartened when I got on the scale and saw that I'd backslid almost to where I was at this time last year. But then, for the last 7 months, I haven't been doing ANYTHING.

But getting back into the rhythm of the workout, losing yourself in the counting and breathing. I'd forgotten what an interesting meditative space that is. I almost get upset when people try to talk to me while I'm working out, because I'm really existing outside of the workout, listening between the heart beats.

And this time around, I felt invigorated. I felt liberated. I felt like I was fighting the enemy army. I felt inspired. I felt MOTIVATED.

Is that what Minerva's been trying to relay to me? A swift kick in the ass? As I attacked each machine, I felt like I had a platoon of soldiers behind me, lending me strength. And as I conquered each one (egads, the SQUAT MACHINE SUCKS!), it was as if a mighty "HUZZAH" was raised in my honour.

I've also been motivated over the past week to start getting things in order so that I can save for my new house. And to get into those crafts that I've been putting aside for the past few months. And getting homeworks caught up. And noted typed in. And organizing my BOS.

And I feel like I'm really learning lessons from all these things. Not to slack off. Not to let the lazy side of myself carry me into complacency. Not to let people step all over me. Not to let work get in the way of living my life.

To be in those spaces between the breaths and heartbeats was a really good feeling. I could almost hear the rattle of her armor and the call of her owl.

Minerva Musings

For the past few weeks, I've been obsessed with Minerva. I'm seeing owls everywhere, even in my dreams. I believe she has a message for me, and I've just got to put two and two together to figure out what it is.

In my dreams, I see owls. I always equate them with wisdom. But I also get this overwhelming feeling of protection and defense. Defensive warfare rather than attacking. Like I didn't provoke the fight, but, by gods, I'll be happy to finish it up for you. There's a power, an inner strength, and a loyalty there, along with a sense of fair play. But I'm not sure what it all means.

I thought that the best way to figure out what she might be trying to relay to me, I would do some research on the Goddess Herself. I knew that she was associated with Athena, but I remembered that often, while the Greek and Roman names are sometimes used interchangeably, there's some attributes that are given to one but not the other.

===============

Like her Greek counterpart, Minerva was also born from her father's head, full-grown and clad in armour. Ovid called her the "goddess of a thousand works". She presided over the crafts of men (agriculture, navigation) and women (spinning, weaving, and needlework). She was also a warlike deity, but it was defensive war that she patronized. The serpent and the owl are sacred to her. The serpent is an emblem of life energy and the creative impulse. The owl is a symbol of death and wisdom. Thus Minerva, a goddess of dawn and wisdom, is also a goddess of death and transformation.

She was wisdom incarnate in female form, the goddess therefore of the application of intellect to everyday work, thus of commerce and crafts. She was also said to be the inventor of music, that most mathematical of arts, as well as the instruments on which it is played.

===============

So what is she trying to tell me? How is she relevant to my life, and where are her energies at work?

DOAH!

Okay, so Amaranthea asked me from which culture Pandia originated. I'd forgotten, and so I've looked it up. She's Greek. Which, with the Roman/Etruscan Alpan, serves to bring into balance those two parts of me, too. The Greek and Italian.

I'd been a little worried that I was neglecting this portion of myself. I never really had very strong pullings towards the more English side of the family (though they are great cooks!), but I was always more "at home" with the Greek and Italian side of things.

I feel a little better about the name now that I've realized that it's not just a joining of these energies - it's a joining of the cultures, too!!!

Sleepy Weekend

This was a long weekend. I took off early from work on Friday with every intention of going to FyreDancer's memorial out in Cape Coral. By the time I got home, settled down the cats, got changed, put gas in the car, it was almost 6pm. Add on another 3 hours of driving to get there (and factor in extra time because I ALWAYS get lost if I'm going somewhere new and it's dark out), and I figured that I would just interrupt the memorial. :( So I stayed home, lit a candle for her on my lare shrine again, and spent some time remembering what a wonderful person she was.

After a restless night's sleep Friday night, I was thankful for Saturday to come. I went to Curves and got their schedule again. I'll be starting to go back as of tomorrow. I can't wait. I remember how I felt when I was working out and it was goooooood.

The rest of the morning was spent trying to find something to put Amaranthea's birthday present in. I'd already found a card, and plopped my poem into it. But I didn't have any of those gift bags in the house that were big enough for the tamborene!

After finally getting Doug out of the house, we drove south to Amaranthea's house. 'Bout an hour drive from my house to hers. We got there just after 4:30p. It was nice to meet her family and her other friends. But it was also odd to have to be careful about "being in the broom closet." It's been a while that I've been to something at Amaranthea's house that was open to muggles.

We ate. We talked. We drank. We ate somemore. We talked somemore. We drank. A lot. ;) When she finally opened presents and cut the cake, it was around 9ish. I was so happy that she liked my present. She screamed :) And she liked the poem, too. I pointed out to her that it spelled out her name down the lines. I'm so smart like that! *teehee*

I got to spend a lot of time with Amaranthea's step-mother. She's a very interesting person! I'm very glad that I got the chance to talk with her. She's got some amazing insights.

I also got to spend some time chatting with Lady Bridget and Lady Jenny. That was also nice. Lady Jenny invited me to her Ostara ritual (it'll be the first ritual that her children have attended!), and Lady Bridget told me about a trip to Bok Tower in Lake Wales that she's doing. I've never been, so she invited me along. Hopefully she remembers -- we were up to about our 4th cosmo's at that point ;)

When I finally tore myself away -- at around 3:30am!! -- I was pooped! I dropped Lady Jenny off at home (her Ray and Bridget's Reikin had long since gone home) then drove the hour back to the house, got into the house, pet the cats, then crashed hard.

But not too hard, as the cats had me up by 8:30a for feeding (since they missed dinner the night before -- they had dry food but not wet). Then it was off to the green market to work out the procurement of honey for Doug's mead. Then it was off to the Greek Fest with Grant and Doug. I have to admit, I was a little disappointed at the spread they had. Sure, they had a lot of people, but not a lot of "fest", you know? I suppose I'm spoiled, as I'm used to the big Greek festivals up in NY.

Then came home, crashed again. I really need to do a write-up about Minerva. She's been poking me in the back of the head for the last few weeks, but I've just been so busy that I haven't made the time to really stop and listen.