#206 - The mundane and the not-so-mundane.

[reileen]

This article about doing temp work is probably going to be me in a couple of years: working odd boring office jobs that leave me enough brainpower and net me enough money to do my more useless work (that is, my art/writing/music) on the side and hoping I can make it big there.

***

From picking up Dancing in Moonlight: Understanding Artemis Through Celebration on a random whim from my bookshelf and flipping through it, I found out that there's a festival for Artemis, Kharisteria (roughly translating to "thanksgiving"), coming up on September 6. *glances at calendar* Well, I have little less than a week to figure out something to do within my space and money limits. :Db!

I'd really like to burn something as a sacrifice, since the origins of this festival dealt with the Athenians sacrificing goats to Artemis in thanks for the victory She granted them at the battle of Marathon. I'm not sure of how much I can burn before I set off the smoke detectors in my house, though. I think things might be okay if I leave my fan running on turbo (two fans, even!) and facing the open windows.

It is a fact of nature that some animals eat other animals. Some people may argue that with our intelligence as a species we ought to move outside that pattern and cease preying on other creatures. While I can understand that ideology, in my mind plants are just as alive as animals, only they have no mouths with which to cry out when they are cut down, no faces to express their sorrow, no hooves or claws with which to fight back, and so we can too easily forget that even vegetarians and vegans must kill living things and eat them in order to survive. Death feeds life.

This concept is at the heart of the modern Kharisteria. Nothing in this universe can be gained without some kind of sacrifice. Those things that we pay for the most dearly are, by definition, the most valuable. That which we suffer to learn we will never forget. As Burkert says, "Artemis is and remains a Mistress of sacrifices," and at the Kharisteria we honor Her as such. At this festival we thank Her for everything that has come at a heavy price or that has been difficult to obtain, and we ask Her for help in all our future struggles.

-Thista Minai, Dancing in Moonlight: Understanding Artemis Through Celebration, pp. 61-62

"Nothing in this universe can be gained without some kind of sacrifice"? Law of equivalent exchange, right there! [/alchemy geek]

EDIT: lysis_to_kill, are you using that one empty room near the kitchen in your apartment for anything in particular? If not, would it be all right if I occasionally utilized it for my own purposes? I wouldn't do anything too messy (no sacrificing virgins or anything like that), and I'd clean up and be mostly quiet. It's okay to say no if you're not comfortable with that sort of thing.

-Reileen
dear Ophelia, you know I'm hurt

Comments

[lysis-to-kill.livejournal.com]

I applaud your music choice. That's my favorite song at the moment. ^_^

The empty room near the kitchen isn't quite that empty - my mom uses it to store all the extra crap (i.e. Christmas decorations, luggage, etc) that she can't fit anywhere else in the house. I suppose you could use it, but beware of random things falling on you. Every time I go in there, I either trip on something or walk into something. But that may be because I am a klutz. ^_^;;

I'm completely comfortable with you doing whatever you want in my apartment (mi casa es su casa, ey?!), as long as it doesn't include virgin sacrifices (eep, must run and hide!) or a massive orgy (because those can only occur at Baker's Square). That and no blood! Blood's a bitch to get out of my rug. And you know how I feel about the rug. "Not the rug! Nooo!" XD

[reileen.livejournal.com]

LOL. You're loltastic and awesome. :D

Hmm, well, I'll check out the room the next time I'm at your house and see if I can plausibly do anything besides breathe in there. XD

[lysis-to-kill.livejournal.com]

Hey, OT, but I found something that I think you might find interesting ...

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/8/30/121350/137/486/580223

Conspiracy theory or true fax? You decide ...

[mia-noire.livejournal.com]

What about sex? Can I use I take clients there?

[lysis-to-kill.livejournal.com]

EMILIA!!! No, we will not be using my spare rooms for the sex with the Johns. >.<

However, if you're interested in finding a room for your ... uh, business, I can ask the scantily clad woman THAT IS WALKING DOWN MY STREET RIGHT THIS MOMENT. OMG. HOOKER. HOOOOOOOOKER.

Actually, that might just be my neighbor. Heh. XD

[mia-noire.livejournal.com]

But I have to bring in the money to pay the rent and my car is so smaaalll!!!