Interesting to sit in a café and listen to two guys, around my age, talk about guns and the bible and "everyone's got to fight sometime" and stuff like that.

I'm pretty excited about the online class I'm offering starting in March through healingmagic.org. There have already been inquiries and expressions of interest. I'm putting the materials together and I think it's going to be fun and pretty interesting. There will be participants from various countries, so that will make it even more dynamic!

Still dealing with bad gut stuff. Latest possible diagnosis is salmonella. I haven't been this thin since I was in my 30's. Today I was listening to KPFA (kpfa.org is a must listen) and the report was on folks living in South Africa with no good water, food, sanitation, shelter...they said that there are 1 billion people on Earth right now living this way, not by choice but because of politics.

Oh happy day! My gut is much better, and has been for a few days now. My fingers are crossed, it looks like I am nearly complete in recovering from the bad water experience. I did have stool samples and blood samples analyzed, all came out with negative findings, in other words, no detectable pathogens.

I am very grateful for the experience. I have always had good water to drink and to wash in. This is the first time in my life that I have had the experience of not having easy access to good water. And it was still relatively easy...I just had to drive down the mountain to get decent water. I'm fortunate. There are many people on this earth who do not have access to good water, period, end of story.

I shared this holiday with dear friends and their kids and grandkids. Not a Norman Rockwell family, they have their struggles, but there is love and caring and generosity and gratitude for all of what they DO have. It was very lovely to be with them, the food was all homemade and delicious (and organic!) and they love Lasky which is nice. I love watching her with other people who enjoy her. It's very sweet.

I'll be heading to Montana on Dec. 5 to housesit until New Years. More to be grateful for. Winter with snow! A wood stove! No ticks! And of course, good water!

Thinking of the many people I love, who I consider to be family, and sending out loving vibes and appreciation to you all!

P.S. My 2008 teaching schedule is available now. Click on Healing Magic.

Last night I was lying in the yome in the dark, feeling my belly gurgle, asking my intestines for a night of NOT running out to the shitter every 15 minutes...and I got what I asked for. I slept and dreamt. Thank you gut! Today I am still sick with whatever it is, or at least the purging from within continues.

Back to last night in the dark, remembering the ritual death that precedes the rebirth of the shaman, embraced being in the dark, aware of "my situation." I have removed myself pretty far from mainstream america. I don't work at a job like most people. I don't have health insurance (well I guess that's pretty mainstream now). My bank accounts are nearly empty. I don't own "real" property. I have less possessions than at any previous time in my life save infancy.

All that brings me to an interesting crossroad in identity, in self concept. I could be afraid of being in freefall, of "not being ok." And I do have a touch of that, but mostly I feel the satisfaction of being on the right path. I have viable plans for 2008 which are congruous with my values. Relationships with people, animals, plants, and places all supersede my relationship with materialism. Life is good.

I've written two pieces recently and submitted them for publication. One is called "Hope in Troubled Times" and the other is "Setting Limits on our Sociopaths."

Thanks to the folks emailing about my gut with concern and remedy suggestions. I just got test results...no parasites. Waiting to hear about bacterial infection. Still dealing with the same symptoms. There is a stomach flu going around here with similar symptoms, but it doesn't make sense to me that I would have gotten it right after starting to drink the nasty water, and that the symptoms would persist for so many weeks. We'll see, eh?

In other news, if you haven't been to http://commondreams.org lately, I suggest you check it out.

Currently dealing with digestive problems from bad water. The water tank where I stay turns out to have contained, in addition to water, numerous dead mice and lizards. My gut has been a mess for weeks. Today I went to the local ER and left some samples for analysis. I hope they find and identify whatever is making me sick, and prescribe the appropriate drugs ASAP. In the meantime I feel crappy. Literally. Not fun.

Other than my personal digestive drama, I've been quiet a lot, listening to my thoughts, clearing my head. That feels great.

I continue to keep abreast of the political situation(s) with a combination of morbid fascination, horror, disappointment, and understanding that there is a lot of momentum in play.

As more and more americans make it clear that they disdain the dictator Bush and his crew, I expect Bush will keep tightening the screws. Pakistan is like a preview of coming attractions.

What I really don't understand is the collaborators. How can Nancy Pelosi, or Diane Feinstein, just to name two, sleep at night? What have they been promised?

During one of the three Samhain rituals I've been part of this last 10 days, the priestess asked "What breaks your heart open?" It's this world, and everything in it, everything about it, breaks my heart open, brings me to tears of grief and joy, fills me with the inspiration to keep offering and experiencing and being.

What breaks your heart open?

I’m reading a book called “The Well of Rembrance” by Ralph Metzner. It was given to me by a friend who thought it would be helpful to me in gaining more understanding of the pagan history and legacy of Germany. I’m enjoying the book very much, and finding some of my own roots in the descriptions of migrations and divine forms. It gives me plenty to think about, including my experiences in Germany this past spring and summer.

I’m starting to make my plans for traveling to Italy in the winter and staying there for a number of months. I’ve been offered a housesit in a small medieval village between Genova and Nice FR, and after some very difficult decision making, choosing between offers of wonderful places to be, have decided to go to Italy. It’s too good to pass up.

For now I am still in California. Here are a few photos of my abode.