Pick an interest from my interests page that either 1) you know nothing about but sounds intriguing, or 2) you know something about but can't fathom why yours truly would be interested in it, and demand an explanation
Ah, the Minnesota Renaissance Faire. The largest event put on by Mid America Faires. These are the same people who do King Richards Faire and the big faire in Michigan.
It's one of the largest and oldest in the US - it's over 30 years old.
It's also the home of Puke and Snot - a grand comedy duo, and Vagabond (who I'm listening to right now), and a fabulous song mistress, Mistress Bawd - yes, that's right. She sings "naughty songs." From there, most of those folks have gone on to the greater ren faire circuit.
I also used to work at the MRF. I worked at the Children's Trilogy of Games. It was a ton of fun, and something that I miss. Though, truth be told, I don't have that much time anymore. *sigh*
In the summer of 2001, MRF was also a center for the Midwest Morris Ale - where I first got a good sight of more than one morris team at a time. It was the first time that I realized that it could actually be fun. The weirdest thing is that one of the teams that I admired then is the team that I now belong to.
Ah, brewing... My experience here is much less than that of, say, meadmaker, but a run-down:
Liquid Sunshine (a plain mead - but made with only Orange Blossom Honey)
Blueberry Melomel (yummy - though next time I try it with blueberry honey, too).
Joshua's Blend (rasperry & coffee - so it's a cross between a melomel and a metheglin)
Cyser (apple metheglin) - this turned out a little weaker than I had hoped, but it's still yummy.
Since I have some ties to Mab, not as a matron or anything, but the ties are there, I would like to do a batch of Mab's Ride. Though, it probably wouldn't be ready before the next ride - so it's going to be a bit.
I would also like to get some other special brews going. Smaller ones, to be sure, but devoted to specific deities. Like a rhodomel (rose mead) for Aphrodite. Even better if I can collect the rose petals from somewhere near the ocean. Or perhaps something with the pine barren honey that I hope to find in New Jersey next week - between that and juniper, I should be able to put together a nice piney metheglin.
Anyway, I have these dreams, but you've seen how much meadmaker has going in the kitchen. I have another6 gallons going to add, so I don't think it will be an issue of having enough.
The pine metheglin would be very similar to the conifer mead, yes. That was actually a metheglin.
There's also a place on Nahant, a public beach, where there are roses. (or so I've heard) That may not be a place to choose because of history there. But I'd like roses that haven't been treated with all kinds of pesticides and such.
Regardless of history, they're the best place within easy driving distance to pick rose petals. Hands down. They're fragrent and non treated. Your only other bet would be to go to an organic florist and get a bouquet or something there like is done for beltane rose scones.
Gematria is Hebrew numerology, actually. Actually, it goes a bit deeper than that, since it is also tied into Kabbalah studies and pathwork along the tree of life.
In Jewish mysticism this is a traditional system of associating numbers with Hebrew letters for the purpose of discovering hidden meanings in words. This is accomplished by systematically associating letters with numbers and then finding other words with similar numbers. These latter words are regarded as comments on the original words. Systems related to the Hebrew implementation of gematria are still used.
The Hebrews also used gematria for divination.
It was the Kabbalists, however, who seriously studied gematria and developed it into an art form. The Kabbalists of the 13th century seriously believed that the Old Testament was written in a hidden code inspired by God. They used gematria as one of the chief means by which to decipher this code. An example of this is shown in their interpretation of Jeremiah 9:9, "From the fowl of the heavens until the beasts are fled and gone". This was interpreted as meaning, that no traveler passed through Judea for 52 years, because the Hebrew word for beast, behemah, has the numerical value of 52.
Entire verses were numerically added up and interpreted in such a fashion. The 13th century German Kabbalistic scholar, Eleazar of Worms, did extensive gematric commentaries on the Bible.
Nowadays, it is also used as a method for divination with the tarot, since each card in the major arcana is associated with a Hebrew letter, and a path on the tree of life.
It is recognizing our sexuality in a conscious manner, and recognizing that, while we do have "animal urges" and sometimes just want to fuck, there is also a higher level.
My interest is mainly in exploring if there is any limit to that higher leve.
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(no subject)
Date: 2004-03-17 06:20 am (UTC)MRF
Date: 2004-03-17 06:30 am (UTC)It's one of the largest and oldest in the US - it's over 30 years old.
It's also the home of Puke and Snot - a grand comedy duo, and Vagabond (who I'm listening to right now), and a fabulous song mistress, Mistress Bawd - yes, that's right. She sings "naughty songs." From there, most of those folks have gone on to the greater ren faire circuit.
I also used to work at the MRF. I worked at the Children's Trilogy of Games. It was a ton of fun, and something that I miss. Though, truth be told, I don't have that much time anymore. *sigh*
In the summer of 2001, MRF was also a center for the Midwest Morris Ale - where I first got a good sight of more than one morris team at a time. It was the first time that I realized that it could actually be fun. The weirdest thing is that one of the teams that I admired then is the team that I now belong to.
(no subject)
Date: 2004-03-17 06:48 am (UTC)I do know nothing about brewing. Tell me about some of the stuff you've made.
Brewing
Date: 2004-03-17 06:59 am (UTC)My experience here is much less than that of, say,
Liquid Sunshine (a plain mead - but made with only Orange Blossom Honey)
Blueberry Melomel (yummy - though next time I try it with blueberry honey, too).
Joshua's Blend (rasperry & coffee - so it's a cross between a melomel and a metheglin)
Cyser (apple metheglin) - this turned out a little weaker than I had hoped, but it's still yummy.
Since I have some ties to Mab, not as a matron or anything, but the ties are there, I would like to do a batch of Mab's Ride. Though, it probably wouldn't be ready before the next ride - so it's going to be a bit.
I would also like to get some other special brews going. Smaller ones, to be sure, but devoted to specific deities. Like a rhodomel (rose mead) for Aphrodite. Even better if I can collect the rose petals from somewhere near the ocean.
Or perhaps something with the pine barren honey that I hope to find in New Jersey next week - between that and juniper, I should be able to put together a nice piney metheglin.
Anyway, I have these dreams, but you've seen how much
Re: Brewing
Date: 2004-03-17 07:10 am (UTC)As far as the rhodomel goes, beach roses are the best. There are some phenomenal ones in Rhode Island in the summer.
Will that pine metheglin be like the conifer mead I tasted? As I recall, that was lovely stuff.
Re: Brewing
Date: 2004-03-17 07:12 am (UTC)There's also a place on Nahant, a public beach, where there are roses. (or so I've heard) That may not be a place to choose because of history there. But I'd like roses that haven't been treated with all kinds of pesticides and such.
Re: Brewing
Date: 2004-03-17 07:22 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-03-17 07:57 am (UTC)Gematria
Date: 2004-03-17 08:23 am (UTC)In Jewish mysticism this is a traditional system of associating numbers with Hebrew letters for the purpose of discovering hidden meanings in words. This is accomplished by systematically associating letters with numbers and then finding other words with similar numbers. These latter words are regarded as comments on the original words. Systems related to the Hebrew implementation of gematria are still used.
The Hebrews also used gematria for divination.
It was the Kabbalists, however, who seriously studied gematria and developed it into an art form. The Kabbalists of the 13th century seriously believed that the Old Testament was written in a hidden code inspired by God. They used gematria as one of the chief means by which to decipher this code. An example of this is shown in their interpretation of Jeremiah 9:9, "From the fowl of the heavens until the beasts are fled and gone". This was interpreted as meaning, that no traveler passed through Judea for 52 years, because the Hebrew word for beast, behemah, has the numerical value of 52.
Entire verses were numerically added up and interpreted in such a fashion. The 13th century German Kabbalistic scholar, Eleazar of Worms, did extensive gematric commentaries on the Bible.
Nowadays, it is also used as a method for divination with the tarot, since each card in the major arcana is associated with a Hebrew letter, and a path on the tree of life.
Sacred Sexuality
Date: 2004-03-17 08:26 am (UTC)It is recognizing our sexuality in a conscious manner, and recognizing that, while we do have "animal urges" and sometimes just want to fuck, there is also a higher level.
My interest is mainly in exploring if there is any limit to that higher leve.