Yeah, now it's mostly locked down. If you know me, and you want in, just post on this one, and I'll open the door.

Posting this publicly, somewhere that it can be found forever, since I am frequently asked for these rules:

* Everyone is wearing a name tag once the evening part of the party starts.
* Pay attention to the name on the tag. That is what they want to be called, even if only for that evening.
* Some folks put gender identifiers on their tag too. Be attentive to this and use them correctly.
* If their name tag has a colored edge, any color at all - even put on afterward with a crayon - then they are playing the cloven fruit game (see below).
* If someone puts a sticker on their name tag (any sticker at all), then that means that they are comfortable being approached about kissing, regardless of having a cloven fruit or not. In fact, many folks don't want to play the cloven fruit game, but are still OK with being approached for kissing.
* Having a sticker on your badge only means that you might be interested in kissing. As with the cloven fruit game, you can say no or yes, as you will.
* If someone with a sticker says no to you about kissing, no worries. Be respectful of their choices and move along.
* Some folks will have drawn a martini glass on their label. This indicates that they like making drinks for people. If you spot one of these folks, you can ask if they would make you a drink. As with the orange game, they might well say no.


The basics of the Cloven Fruit Game:
* If someone is not playing the game, then don't try to give the fruit to them. They aren't playing.
* When you see someone with a colored-edged name tag, you can offer the fruit to them.
* If they say "no thank you", then gracefully and politely accept that, and continue your quest to pass on the fruit.
* If they say yes, and take the fruit, then they will remove a clove from it. Some folks eat the clove; some put it in their pocket, or throw it away. It doesn't matter so long as a clove gets removed (and not thrown on the floor).
* Thereafter, the person receiving the cloven fruit will suggest where you can kiss them. It could be their lips, their cheek, their forehead, elbow, or wherever. Give them their kiss where they have directed you. The depth and length of kissing is determined by the participants, but be sure to back-off if you go for a big kiss and they seem more like they just want a peck.
* Now they have the fruit, and they should find someone else to which to give it. No giving it straight back to the person you just got the fruit from.

Cloven Fruit Game: A couple of qualifiers:
* Someone might say yes to you one time, and then no to you later. They might say no to you now, and then bring you the fruit later. Every time, there is a choice, and previous exchanges have no bearing. Don't take it personally. Move along to the next person; it's just a game.
* If you start the night not playing the cloven fruit game, and later, you want to join in, just update your tag. Likewise, if you are done playing, just get a new tag.

Additional Party Rules:
* You shouldn't be touching without checking in first, even if it is someone who has previously been OK with you touching them at this party, or at other parties. Even if they are your partner - on this night, the rules say check in.
* One room is designated as advanced make-out space. It is always upstairs and is labeled as such. If you are upstairs and in that room, it is OK to move past kissing and over the clothes touching and on to more advanced touching, nakedness, and digital manipulation. Scratchy stuff and spanking are also OK for short bursts. Avoid long play scenes, oral sex, sex with toys, and sex with penises.
* If you come upon a couple or group engaged in heavy making out, don't touch them. If you can catch one of the participant's attention and get permission to get involved, you can do so. However, avoid lurking for a way in. If they look busy, just let them be.
* Don't make out in the bathroom. People really need to get in there.


If you have any questions about what is OK at the party, check with one of the hosts
* If anyone makes you uncomfortable, or is not following these rules, please let a host know as soon as possible. If you can't do it at the party, please e-mail one of us later. We want to know.

Recounting my last day at Twilight Covening this year, when the focus was on Earth.

( Over so soonCollapse )

Twilight Covening 6 - a good use of my time, energy, and money. I'm glad I went, and I look forward to what is to come.

Post 4 is my series about my 2016 Twilight Covening experience. In this post, I talk about the visioning ritual, the big event of the weekend that generally draws together the overall themes of this year's gathering.

( A spiritual walk in the woodsCollapse )

Likely, only one more post to go!

This is my third post about this year's Twilight Covening. Already, I am so immersed in life that it feels like something that happened two months ago rather than the weekend before last. Hopefully, doing this work will help me get it back into my head.

( A day of WaterCollapse )

Next up: The visioning ritual for this year's Twilight Covening.

Continuing my posts about this year's Twilight Covening, here is post two, on the day we explored both Air and Fire, in addition to merging our spirits with that of the aspect of Horse.

( All these things, under the cutCollapse )

In my typical Twilight Covening count error, I thought that this year's Twilight Covening was my 7th, but it was actually my 6th. Fans at home can look forward to me misscounting this again in the future.

Anyway - Twilight Covening, my periodic spiritual retreat, was this last weekend. What is Twilight Covening?
Well, you can get some idea via the link: (Twilight Covening), or you can just try and follow along.

As always, I'm putting this under a cut, because it is gunna be long, and I know that some of the few blog readers that are left get annoyed with having to use the scroll wheel on their mouse. Also, this is likely to be many posts, as it is going to take a while to get this all out of me.

( Twilight Covening - Horse Clan - Part 1 of ?Collapse )

A couple Sundays ago, lizardwan had asked if I could work her sigils. This was her second time doing this work with me. As is typical, the work was well developed from when I'd previously worked with her. Stronger, in some ways. More cool and calm in others. There were some areas that burned like inflamed wounds; however, it was largely productive-looking sigils.

A few days later, benndragon suggested that he was interested in doing his sigils for a second time. He had changed a lot since the previous time we'd done the work, and there were things to be put away. We went at it. The sigils showed the changes since the previous time. More settled, less angry and more focused. There were a couple blazing badges, but they were wards. A few oddities, which we discussed.

Next week, red_canna has asked if we could work her sigils again.

Historically, there had only been a few folks whom I'd done sigils for repeated times. I certainly enjoy getting to do them more than once, as I get to witness how much they evolve on a person over time. I think this might be the most dense period of doing sigils that I recall. It has been interestingly easy. While in the past, I would sometimes struggle with the work, the last many sessions have flowed very smoothly. In each case, there have been a few difficult sigils - ones that were hard for me to bring forward for various reasons - but primarily, no problems. My guides have been present and calmly chatty, but have had little need to help me along with the work. I feel, after a fashion, that the skill has been passed along to me. While I certainly don't think I am a master of it yet, and I know I am still learning, I've moved out of the heavy learning all the time phase, and into the more subtle refinement and improvement time.

I was along the way in my regular commute. I arrived at Downtown Crossing, got off the T and started slowly winding through the dense crowd. That was when I felt it. My eyes snapped up and started looking about. In my mind, I was asking "Where are you?", but I had no idea whom I was seeking. I only knew they were close, very close. I looked all about, and while the sense persisted, I couldn't find who it was I sought. Gradually the sensation started to fade; they were moving away. Whomever it was, they were moving away, and I hadn't even seen them. I knew I'd missed them, someone important to me, someone of me.

What this means, I don't know but it happened and I didn't want to forget. Today, I came close.

Ah, again Twilight Covening. All weekend, I was thinking this was my sixth time at Twilight. I just went back and it was only my fifth. Well, that explains why I couldn't recount all my clans.

Anyway - long, meandering post under the cut, to protect those of you whom don't like accidentally glancing upon my spiritual a-doings - or for those of you whom just really don't like scrolling. However, in this day and age, when Livejournal and Dreamwidth are so lifeless, one might think you'd appreciate having something to scroll past.

( Where I am GryphonCollapse )

Even with all of those words, I'm sure I've already lost a bunch of it.