To Answer a Question
Perform bird-y funeral as best as you can. Blessings, smoke, offerings etc.
Receive permission from the animal’s spirit before you cut.
Cut at the joint. I used a combo of quality wire cutters and good scissors.
You will want to purchase mite/flea spray and use it.
Once dry from the mite spray, you will want to cut open the fleshy parts at the joint. Turn it onto it’s back and make a slit from behind. This makes the flesh dry quicker and better. You might have to do a little trimming
Make sure there is no rot or maggots!
Place in a tupperware in the position you want the wing to stay in.
Gently bury in a mixture of one part sea salt, one part baking soda and two parts borax (just straight cornmeal is also traditional but it takes longer). Have a bit of the mixture at the bottom as well. And place in a safe, dry not too bright or warm place.
Make appropriate offerings to the spirit of the bird while you wait. I like to pop open the container now and then so the air in there doesn’t get stagnate but that might just be my… Continue reading
An Unexpected Funeral
I got home from work at about 9:30 pm, hot and hungry. Opened up a nice cold beer and sat down. As we chatted about our day, the usual “And how was you day dear?” type stuff Brendan informed me of a death. He had been sitting in his office (writing of course) when he heard a terrible commotion, the sounds of birds fighting he thought. Then a thump followed by crows going nuts. He went outside to see what the heck was going on.
One of the crows in our neighbourhood murder had died somehow, possibly in a territorial dispute. The large dark bird lay in the middle of the street with a broken neck. The members of his murder were on rooftops, treetops and telephone wires absolutely carrying on. They were making such a racket that it brought one of the neighbours out of her house to see what was going on as well. Did you know that crows grieve for their dead? Well, they do. It’s rather noisy too, like a jazz funeral.
Brendan was concerned that a local pet or child might get a hold of it, or that the poor thing might be… Continue reading
Birthday Ritual
Haven’t decided yet if I want to write about it, or record my musings and put it on the podcast yet. Any preferences or questions? I never know what people might want to know! Anyways, here’s some pics … click on image for full size
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- Getting set up
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- Ready to get started
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- What the Dude With the Antlers had to say
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- Aftermath
A Few Things That Work (and other things)
Keeping my altar/shrine combo right in the freaking middle of the apartment. It is right in the entranceway, in fact. For no other reason there’s not really any where else to put it. It does however, keep the offerings and attention flowing. Out of sight, out of mind. In sight, on my mind … right?
I’m thinking of moving it into the sunroom in the warm part of the year. Then I can make a fuss about moving it “indoors” for winter each year etc. Who says you can’t have processionals in apartments?
Shelac. Sometimes, you just gotta use it.
My simple knife. It is by far the best tool I own for creation of sacred space and parting the Hedge. It is nothing more than a basic utility knife, handmade, with a wooden handle. The kind that you find at estate sales and flea markets. Something knife makers create for themselves, nothing fancy, just works. It fits in my hand, it’s just the right length. It’s old and worn.
I don’t even know what kind of wood the handle is made of. It’s old and beat up. I got it originally for whittling my stang. It’s now… Continue reading
To Fly By Night
Hoofprints in the Wildwood
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