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Interviewing @The Hammer

The Hammer

Skald
Premium Member
Well, there could be many sides, then... Though if I remember, there's encouragement in that book to experiment with numbers.
In this day and age, dozens.

There is encouragement to use and experiment with many number correspondence s, and some of my favorite to work with are 3, 5 and 9.
That's very moving. Does the sight of crows still affect you?
They do. I still get happy at the sight of them. And thankfully they are quite common in the PNW. Not quite everywhere like pigeons in New York, but you get the idea.

It's to a point where even my wife will point them out to me when we're out.

I actually noticed the other day that Crows have swagger. When they walk, they move their tails from side to side.


(Not sure anyone will be able to see that video)
Why do you think he chose you?
That's a good question, and one that I often ask myself.

What I've gathered is we have similar personalities. An insatiable desire to learn, a love of poetry, and a familiarity with magic. We're both warriors, and can sometimes be "mad with frenzy"; though like an ulfhe(th)nar, with Odin's guidance, I am learning to work with it vs letting it work me.

He's got quite a workload.
Don't we all :p

Many hats.
Why do you think that you've only been able to bond with the spirits of these two places?
Proximity and it's where I've spent the majority of my time, I moved a lot or was deployed when I was in the military. With these deployments being out to Sea as I was in the Navy. And while I was stationed in Japan for 4 years, I never got to really get out and experience the Spiritual world of it, as much as I'd have liked. I had just started my first into Druidry around this time. And I found the Steel and Technology of the ship to be spiritually isolating. It felt very disconnected from the Natural world. (As you'll see though I did get to a few places in Japan that were impactful, I just didn't have much time there.)

After Japan I was stationed in Everett, WA for a few years, and a good year of that I was actually not deploying... for the first time in 6 years. This allowed me to really get out and explore the PNW and when I started my first official steps at doing a Druid study program, at this time I was working with the AODA program, and stuck with it for about 8 months or so, even growing and caring for a little meyer lemon tree. This time period is when I met my friend Crow.

But, then it was time to uproot and leave again. Off to the Midwest. While I lived in the Midwest I was so busy that I didn't have much time to explore like I wanted, I was running a barracks of 250 students, and then towards the end was being separated from the military. But this is when I started to read and shape my practices around ADF. I had become more hard set on following a more reconstructive and polytheistic approach to Druidry and they fit that bill.

What were some of the more memorable shrines you saw in Japan?

Ooh, Enoshima Island had wonderful shrines to a local Goddess, Benten. She is a Goddess of Good fortune, music, wealth and knowledge.

Both my wife and I had near simultaneous spiritual experiences at Her shrine passing through this gateway ring:

kanagawa-enoshima-jinja-shrine-5771.jpg

Took that as a blessing by Her.


The entire Buddhist temple district in Kamakura was gorgeous too, especially during Cherry Blossom festival (one of my favorites).

sakura10_100407_kamakura_07.jpg
 
Last edited:

JustGeorge

Imperfect
Staff member
Premium Member
In this day and age, dozens.

There is encouragement to use and experiment with many number correspondence s, and some of my favorite to work with are 3, 5 and 9.

They do. I still get happy at the sight of them. And thankfully they are quite common in the PNW. Not quite everywhere like pigeons in New York, but you get the idea.

It's to a point where even my wife will point them out to me when we're out.

I actually noticed the other day that Crows have swagger. When they walk, they move their tails from side to side.


(Not sure anyone will be able to see that video)

Haha, he's cute!

You'd like my neighborhood. Its funny of them.
That's a good question, and one that I often ask myself.

What I've gathered is we have similar personalities. An insatiable desire to learn, a love of poetry, and a familiarity with magic. We're both warriors, and can sometimes be "mad with frenzy"; though like an ulfhe(th)nar, with Odin's guidance, I am learning to work with it vs letting it work me.
It does sound like its a good pairing.

What are some ways you are learning to "work with it rather than it working" you? (I like how you worded that.)
Don't we all :p

Many hats.
What 'hats' do you feel you'd get on hat pass out day? :D
Proximity and it's where I've spent the majority of my time, I moved a lot or was deployed when I was in the military. With these deployments being out to Sea as I was in the Navy. And while I was stationed in Japan for 4 years, I never got to really get out and experience the Spiritual world of it, as much as I'd have liked. I had just started my first into Druidry around this time. And I found the Steel and Technology of the ship to be spiritually isolating. It felt very disconnected from the Natural world. (As you'll see though I did get to a few places in Japan that were impactful, I just didn't have much time there.)
I could see that. Did you ever get much experience with the sea at all?
After Japan I was stationed in Everett, WA for a few years, and a good year of that I was actually not deploying... for the first time in 6 years. This allowed me to really get out and explore the PNW and when I started my first official steps at doing a Druid study program, at this time I was working with the AODA program, and stuck with it for about 8 months or so, even growing and caring for a little meyer lemon tree. This time period is when I met my friend Crow.
What became of the tree?

It does sound like the PNW is pretty rich, spiritually speaking. What are some more notable things about it, spiritually speaking?
But, then it was time to uproot and leave again. Off to the Midwest. While I lived in the Midwest I was so busy that I didn't have much time to explore like I wanted, I was running a barracks of 250 students, and then towards the end was being separated from the military. But this is when I started to read and shape my practices around ADF. I had become more hard set on following a more reconstructive and polytheistic approach to Druidry and they fit that bill.



Ooh, Enoshima Island had wonderful shrines to a local Goddess, Benten. She is a Goddess of Good fortune, music, wealth and knowledge.
I know her! I've got a fan with her on the wall. :)
Both my wife and I had near simultaneous spiritual experiences at Her shrine passing through this gateway ring:

View attachment 97144
Took that as a blessing by Her.
I would, too. Amazing both you and your wife had it.
The entire Buddhist temple district in Kamakura was gorgeous too, especially during Cherry Blossom festival (one of my favorites).

View attachment 97161
Seems magical...
 

The Hammer

Skald
Premium Member
Oh man apologies this took me way too long to get back to. I quit a job, started a job and started a semester at college over the last three weeks.
It does sound like its a good pairing.

What are some ways you are learning to "work with it rather than it working" you? (I like how you worded that.)
It has been.

Really, the biggest lesson has been learning when and where to engage and when to back off and let go. Choosing ones battles, is a wisdom best remembered. The Ulfhednar and Berserkr were not deployed at every slight, no?

What 'hats' do you feel you'd get on hat pass out day? :D
Oh Gods. I have no idea. Something Earth/Forest focused. Lord of the Land/Animals. :)
Caring, wise, bull in china shop if pissed.

I could see that. Did you ever get much experience with the sea at all?
The Sea is something else. What a wonderful Goddess is She. From glass smooth seas, to temperamental Storms. Both caring, yet unforgiving. Flexibility is a quality that comes to mind.

What became of the tree?
It didn't survive my move with it :(, sadly.

It does sound like the PNW is pretty rich, spiritually speaking. What are some more notable things about it, spiritually speaking?
Pretty much every mountain range here has spiritual significance to the indigenous locals. The Earth is our mother” and the “Sun is our father" were common expressions among the Indians of the Pacific Northwest. Mt Rainer (known then as Tahoma), and Mt St Helens (Little Sister), were considered grandfather and granddaughter respectively with relation to one another. The Rivers were entities so important in their own right, that the Tribe names here are often after the rivers they lived and cared for.

It really is an absolutely rich and dense landscape. It's got oceans, mountains, rivers, plains and valleys. Fjords and Waterfalls. The Olympic national Forest is home to our Temperate rainforest (The Hoh).

I know her! I've got a fan with her on the wall. :)

I would, too. Amazing both you and your wife had it.

Seems magical...

Japan was a really magical experience. I enjoyed my time getting to explore and live there. And for us both to be blessed by the same Goddess, was... Well, Divine intervention. :p
 

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
Japan was a really magical experience.
Many years ago I went there for work and found a broadening adventure. For example, the Hakone Open Air Museum which combined art, architecture, and gardens in a wonderful way. And the first day I was in the office being told "we're going to lunch now". Fortunately I did not say "see you later" but realized that we (all of us) were going to get a box lunch and eat it together. And finally being bemused by a Tex-Mex restaurant in Tokyo run by Nigerians (you can guess it was not authentic but the food was tasty.)

When they say "travel broadens", it does if we travel with an open mind and a modicum of cultural sensitivity.
 

JustGeorge

Imperfect
Staff member
Premium Member
Oh man apologies this took me way too long to get back to. I quit a job, started a job and started a semester at college over the last three weeks.
That's a lot!
It has been.

Really, the biggest lesson has been learning when and where to engage and when to back off and let go. Choosing ones battles, is a wisdom best remembered. The Ulfhednar and Berserkr were not deployed at every slight, no?
Good point. I think its something all of us do well to remember.
Oh Gods. I have no idea. Something Earth/Forest focused. Lord of the Land/Animals. :)
Caring, wise, bull in china shop if pissed.
I like it.

Even the bull in the china shop.

A time and place for all things! :D
The Sea is something else. What a wonderful Goddess is She. From glass smooth seas, to temperamental Storms. Both caring, yet unforgiving. Flexibility is a quality that comes to mind.
There is some odd sense of our own smallness against something so vast, ancient, and powerful...
It didn't survive my move with it :(, sadly.
Sorry to hear it.

It really is an absolutely rich and dense landscape. It's got oceans, mountains, rivers, plains and valleys. Fjords and Waterfalls. The Olympic national Forest is home to our Temperate rainforest (The Hoh).



Japan was a really magical experience. I enjoyed my time getting to explore and live there. And for us both to be blessed by the same Goddess, was... Well, Divine intervention. :p
Hey, this time its literal! :D
 
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