The Higher Virtues

“5 Remaining Goals” – A Skald’s Life – Foundational Virtues

/ Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Tyr’s Day

Journal Entry:

With the Crossing Off of another goal, it is time to list off the remaining ones and has some thoughts about them. This week A Skald’s Life is all about considering my goals so let’s first consider the remaining ones as a group.

  1. Find a new, better paying job by March 2020.
  2. Cross one thing off bucket list every year. Deadline March 31st.
  3. To Write a Non-Fiction Book by March 31st, 2020
  4. To engage in an exercise program that involves weightlifting, hiking/walking, and stretching/ yoga an average of three days a week from April 1st, 2019 to March 31st, 2020
  5. To be following a full Paleo Diet by March 31, 2020.

# 1 – I continue to look and I am getting anxious about this, I am hoping the new support group connection will help there as they do offer career change aid, for those that qualify.

#2 – Once I have the new job or my tax return comes in I am going to get the tattoo on my bucket list so that it will be crossed off.

#3- what I am doing as regards to NaNoWriMo and using it to write my first Non-Fiction Book, number 3 might be off this list fairly soon. Like December at the latest.

#4 – I need only to make one alteration which is to shift my walking. hiking indoors for the winter.

# 5 – I am also getting closer to being fully Paleo but I am having thoughts in March and I may merge the ideas of Paleo and Keto at that time.

If I get the new job and the tattoo and finish my non-fiction book by December, then all that will remain to do is finish to March with Paleo and Exercise.  It gets nice as you cross goals off the list because you can put more concentration on a smaller list.

Honor:

“Honor is the feeling of inner value and worth from which one knows that one is noble of being, and the desire to show respect for this quality when it is found in the world”

Principle – To possess a feeling of inner value about myself and my future with a desire to find the same in others.

Goal: Maintain a daily blog streak of one post per day for an entire year (365 days).  (achieved)

Bucket List: Hike the Northern Lakeshore Trail along the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan by March 2024.

Goal Achieved

Courage:

“Courage is the bravery to do what is right always.”

Principle – Act with Courage at the right time.

Goal: Cross one thing off bucket list every year. Deadline March 31st.

Bucket List: Go Back to Budapest, Hungary for a vacation by March 2029.

Like I said the most likely candidate for this goal is my tattoo.

Truth:

“Truth is the willingness, to be honest, and to say what one knows to be true and right. It is often better to not say anything at all if one cannot be honest.”

Principle – To Be Honest, and Speak Truth to Myself and Others.  To Be Silent in the presence of Fools.

Goal: To Write a Non-Fiction Book by March 31st, 2020

Bucket List: Read 52 books (one per week) in the year 2020.

NaNoWriMo being used instead to write my non-fiction book is working OK.  I need to catch up a little at the time of this writing. Days off will be critical to doing this.  I am kind of focusing on this goal and getting a job right now. The rest of my goals are more long term so this one is next as far as an early cross off along with getting a better job.

Higher Virtue: Love:

This renewed focus on goals is necessary right now. It takes my mind off of other more destructive thoughts to self-love. Goals do that for me, along with discipline.

Morning Routine:

  1. Stretching / Yoga
  2. Shower, Personal Hygiene. Morning Meds.
  3. Review Nine Noble Virtues (NNV), Principles, Goals and Bucket List
  4. Meditation – 5 min.
  5. Check Communications and Email.
  6. Paper Journal: Create a Daily Log and To-Do List.
  7. Get Dressed for the Day

This working really well, but would probably work better if I had my meditation place and altar.  Both are a work in progress.  I am also thinking of writing out nine meditations so I focus on the important parts of each virtue.

I remain.

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.

Skaal!!!

“Honor, Atheism and Religion” – Of Wolves and Ravens – Honor

/ Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Mani’s Day

Discussion:

For this run through the Nine Noble Virtues (NNV), I am adding the theme of how atheism and religion can affect our understanding of them.  As I have mentioned before, I am an atheist that still practices the NNV of Asatru because it is a good list of virtues and the conceptualization by the Asatru Community is solid when it comes to virtue.  The NNV is a solid list of virtues to meditate and act on. We begin with Honor.

First I want to give credit to Aron Ra, atheist, and YouTuber.  It was he who in a comment inspired my meditations on honor, shame, and religion.

Honor is a virtue that I struggle with and that is fairly normal for people who take Honor seriously.  The one thing I am going to propose today is that Religion robs one of Honor.  There is a debate about religions affects on honor in the Athiest community and perhaps rightly so but to me either you are going to becomes so prideful of your religion that you will have no honor or be humiliated by your religion so you have no shame.

Shame is connected with honor as it is what causes one to try to get back on an honorable path.  Without shame, honor is not possible and religious people who have been humiliated (not humbled) by cultic behavior have no shame so they have no honor either. This why I feel atheism actually promotes honor and shame so that a person keeps their life on an honorable path.

To the Wolves and Ravens:

“Feed the Wolves, but Listen to the Ravens first.”

Needs (Geri):

Why do we need honor?  Because without it we would justify any action against another without shame. You can see this in cults who humiliate their members as part of the initiation process.  Once humiliated, they can be convinced to do absolutely horrible actions with no remorse.  There isn’t anything a person who is humiliated by a group will not do for the approval of the group.  They will whore, steal and kill just to get a pat on the head having been reduced to the level of a dog. Honor and Shame are needed to feel any self-value, but self-value is the last thing religions want you to have. Atheism is all about self-value by contrast.

Wants (Freki):

As I have been throwing off the shackles of my former faith I realize that this was my struggle as a pastor. “To be greatest among us, you must become the servant of all’ are the paraphrased words of Jesus of Nazareth, but this implied a humbling, not humility.  Voluntary slavery is still slavery and there is no honor in slavery.  It is why I want Honor to keep from being a slave.  No gods, no masters.  It is my primary motivation now to free myself from religion and its gods and as a libertarian from the negative powers of the state that also enslave by trying to be my master.

Reason (Huginn):

Honor cannot be appealed to unless it is first approached by reason.  Actions towards others have to be rationally thought through if possible and one of the considerations is whether any action is honorable or would it bring shame. ‘Is this action reasonable and honorable’ is a noble consideration before doing anything toward another and about yourself. From an atheist standpoint, the evolution of social actions has lead us to create the concept of honor to govern actions toward each other and toward ourselves.

Wisdom (Muninn):

The wisdom of this is seen in that regardless of honor becomes the wise basis of all interaction.  No religion required.  Survival and prosperity depend on honor.  Where it is present both are possible.  Where honor is not present, both survival and prosperity are in jeopardy.

Conclusion:

See the source image

Honor is difficult but absolutely worth it.  The one thing I would note: it is my atheism provides that I now can say I engage in honor, not to appease any god or please any master.  I do for myself and there is nothing wrong with avoiding shame and upholding personal honor.  It is the basis for all human dignity – both mine and yours.

I remain,

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.

Skaal!!!

“Loki – Trickster God” (Asatru – Part 17) – The Pagan Pulpit

/ Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Sol’s Day

Announcements:

We don’t pray here – we figure God, the gods, goddesses, or whatever powers that be either know already, don’t give a fuck, or are busy with more important matters than our petty stuff. We also kind of assume that they expect us to do stuff that we can do for ourselves and that we will do them ourselves and not be lazy. We also believe in being good friends, so we don’t presume on our friendship with the powers that be by asking them all the time for stuff while giving them nothing in return.

We also don’t take an offering here.  We figure the powers that be probably don’t need it.  Let’s be honest, offerings are not given to the divine powers, they are given to an organization to support it.  Just being honest. God, the gods or whatever never sees a dime, farthing or peso of that money; it all goes to the church, mosque or shrine.

Theme Song: “Loki” – Rebellion

The lyrics of this song not only recount the stories of Loki but the chorus really encapsulates Loki’s mind – “Lord of Chaos, Brother of Wisdom, the others side of good lurking in your mind” 

Meditation:
Image may contain: text
Text:

See the source image

If you want more details about Asatru, I can’t recommend this book enough.

Sermon: 

Loki is an antagonist that does a lot of good things.  Recounting his role in all the stories fo Norse Mythology would take quite some time and he is not as straightforwardly evil as a character as people would think.  Much like Fenrir, he only turns against the gods because, in the end, they turn against him.  Did they have a good reason and a rational fear to do so?  Perhaps but the realness of Loki is that he is not a straightforward villain, you can see his side of the story.  You can see he has some good points and it hard to be truly disgusted with him.

In the world of the past when the Norse gods were actually worshiped, Loki does not have any worshipers if you look at his artifacts.  None that we can tell.  Loki is a god, but his worship must have been underground and outside the norm.  No temples or statues to this trickster god.  But to those willing to bargain and engage in cunning and discreet deception, Loki smiles.

To the followers of Asatru Loki is worshiped by some.  His cult is not of the mind that Loki is evil or Ragnorak is the end fo all things but rather a necessary change of the wheel of time. He may make trouble form time to time but the benefits might be worth it. I mean Sif’s hair, Freya’s Ship, Thor’s Hammer and Odin’s Spear are all products of his work. The walls of Asgard are the product of his trickery as is Odin’s steed Sleipnir.  The modern heathens have many debates about Loki. It is only his role in Baldar’s death and the fact he kept one person from weeping over Baldar that condemns him.  Although his three Children by the giantess add further problems.

Villians, if they are done well, have a motive that you can actually sympathize with.  No one is truly evil and Loki is no exception.  It should be noted that as epic as some of the antagonists in Morse Mythology can be, Loki represents the threat within that comes from a person who is an ally that could be turned into an enemy. There is a lot of wisdom to be gained when considering this element of Loki’s story.

Parting Thought:

I remain,

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.

Skaal!!!

“A Simple but Important Commitment” – A Skald’s Life – Self Virtues

/ Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Frigg and Freya’s Day. 

NaNoWriMo: Day 1 – 0 words. 

Journal Entry:

Over the last few months I have been meditating on why I struggle with my routines and discipline so much and I realized I need to make a single but important commitment to combat it.  I don’t do anything else until my obligations and to-do list are done for each day.  I need to make the commitment to getting the business of my life done first then relaxing.  Does this mean is am going to have less fun.  Probably not.  I can find fun in my work whatever it may be.

My principles of self are centered around that which should make me personally stronger in a multitude of ways.  But that doesn’t work if I don’t exercise myself to be stronger.  That starts every day with the idea of doing the list and then relaxing and enjoying life for a bit.  it is much more satisfying to my psyche when I do this.

Discipline:

“Discipline is the willingness to be hard on oneself first and then if needed help with the development with others, so that greater purposes may be achieved.”

Principle: Apply discipline to every aspect of life that it can be applied.

Goal: To be following a full Paleo Diet by March 31, 2020.

Bucket List: Do a rebellious act on April 30th, 2020 – Beltane.

This single commitment is about discipline and getting things done for me. Applying discipline to the course fo the day is important every single day.  Even when it is about getting proper rest.

Perseverance:

“Perseverance is the ability to stand up and return from defeat and failure”

Principle: Keep getting up after every defeat or failure.

Goal: To engage in an exercise program that involves weightlifting, hiking/walking, and stretching/ yoga an average of three days a week from April 1st, 2019 to March 31st, 2020

Bucket List: To get at least one tattoo by March 18th, 2020.

This principle is natural to me but recognizing the reasons for failure so it doesn’t happen in the first place is important so this virtue doesn’t become a vice of something I rely on instead of being a safety net.

Fidelity:

“Fidelity is the will to be loyal to one’s Gods and Goddesses, to one’s Folk, to one’s self, and loyalty to one’s friends was as valued as highly as loyalty to one’s family.”

Principle: Be loyal to those who have been loyal to me.

Goal: Celebrate my wife and I’s 30th anniversary (June 10th, 2019) with a mini-vacation (achieved)

Bucket List: Discover all the countries of origin from my genetics and visit them all by March 18th, 2029.

This commitment is about being loyal to myself first.  I recognize that now. Time to finish some goals and move my life forward and that is not going to magically happen. I need to be loyal enough to myself to make it happen.

Higher Virtue – Wisdom:

Commitments need to be wisely done and I have been putting this one off for far too long.  Work then play is wise the majority of the time. Yeah, you have to let go from time to time but for the daily grind, this is going to be my mantra for a while until the habits I need are developed.

Rest Day Routine: 

  1. Morning Routine
  2. Wife: Communication / Cuddle Time
  3. Blogging – Organize, revise, write a new post for the next day, 15 min. work on fiction.
  4. Cleaning – varies but one room of the apartment at least.
  5. Reading – 1/7th of a book
  6. Writing – 2000 Words

Made the changes regarding reading and writing.  This should make things progress a little.

Goals and Bucket List Items Achieved (Since Summer 2018):

Goals Achieved: 5

  1. Graduated College with a BS in Political Science and minors in Economics and International Business – December 2018
  2. Finalize last requirements for my degree – Internship by May 2019 – May 2019
  3. Celebrate my wife and I’s 30th anniversary (June 10th, 2019) with a mini-vacation – June 2019
  4. Maintain a daily blog streak of one post per day for an entire year (365 days).
  5. By March 31st of 2020, to be the leader/participant in a group of some kind.

Bucket List Items Achieved: 0

Another goal down. Time for some more.

I remain,

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.

Skaal!!!

“Crossing Off Another Goal” – A Skald’s Life – Business Virtues

/ Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Wooden’s (Odin’s) Day

Journal Entry:

I wasn’t really looking for a new support group per se.  Being part of a group is something I have wanted for a while.  I wasn’t sure what I wanted other than since departing from my church my social life has taken a major downturn but more importantly finding people to talk to who know what you have been through is very difficult when you are a former pastor and now confirmed atheist.

I talked about the Clergy project a few days ago and after joining I can say it is what I was looking for.  It also has a few resources I need as far as a business – counseling to get my head on straight again and they have help in finding a good job so that might be useful.  mostly though it is nice to at least forum talk to people who have been there.

The main thing is that I have a goal to cross off below.  4 down, 5 to go.

Self-Reliance:

“Self-Reliance is the spirit of independence, which is achieved not only for the individual but also for the family, clan, tribe, and nation.”

Principle: To achieve and maintain personal independence and advocate for independence in my family, state and nation.

Goal:  Find a new, better paying job by March 2020.

Bucket List: To be a published author of at least five books by March 2029

I have started to realize that my nature to be an advocate for something might fit well with any not-for-profit that is about advocating for a political cause that involves freedom. It is along these lines that my new job and my principle might join together and it is those moments I love.

Industriousness:

“Industriousness is the willingness to work hard, always striving for efficiency, as a joyous activity in itself”

Principle: Work with the enjoyment of work itself.

Goal: Finalize last requirements for my degree – Internship by May 2019 – May 2019 (achieved)

Bucket List: Write A Novel and Get it Published by March 2022.

I enjoy the people I work with now and the work isn’t that hard, to be honest.  It is just, as I tried to explain to someone using football (American) as an analogy, my wife and I are in the mid-third quarter and down by 35.  We need to engage some serious offense and flawless defense for the next 15-20 years or we are not going to win this retirement thing. I also would like a job I enjoy more. This one can be physically challenging at moments, but mentally I am bored out of my skull most days.

Hospitality:

“Hospitality is the willingness to share what one has with one’s fellows, especially when they are far from home.”

Principle: To share out of my abundance to help people where I can with their life’s journey.

Goal: By March 31st of 2020, to be the leader/participant in a group of some kind.  (Goal Achieved

Bucket List: To own my own home by March 2024.

The other nice thing about achieving this goal is that I will have some opportunities to take my experience and help someone else.

Higher Virtue – Justice:

I can say one thing for sure.  Justice would be best served on all those who wronged me if I was successful at transitioning and still had a great life.  At that point, I could say – ‘fuck’em’ and move on. I guess I feel that this will be an issue with me for some time.  Like some of them, in particular, the Dirty Pig, got the better of me until I become more prosperous and have moved on with something better.  Then justice will at least be starting to turn its wheels for me.

Work Day Routine:

  1. Morning Routine
  2. Wife: Communication / Cuddle Time
  3. Blogging – Organize, revise, write a new post for the next day, templates
  4. Weightlifting: Gym time – 1 hour after work.
  5. Writing: 2000 words/day.
  6. Reading – 1/7 of a book a day
  7. Personal Business: record financial transactions, savings plan actions, budgeting, appointments, job search, other actions, etc.
  8. Check Communications and Email after 2 pm but before 4 pm.
  9. Nutrition: Daily Carb Count – 2

I made some changes to the routine to reflect the goals: 2000 words of writing a day and 1/7th of a book a day to start training for the goals for next year and NaNoWriMo in a few days.  November 1st I need to bear down and get going.

I remain,

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.

Skaal!!!

“Virtue, Asatru, and Atheism” – Of Wolves and Ravens – The Nine Noble Virtues

/ Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Mani’s Day

Discussion:

The question always is leveled at atheists – “if there is no god why should a person be moral?”  The question could be leveled back – “How moral can a person really be if they need a cosmic big brother to be moral all the time?”   But that is hardly answering the question.  The question assumes that morality derives from the divine or religion and to be honest there is a lot of evidence to counter this.  Most notably, that certain virtues and moral ideas occur universally in every religion and some religions might be better at extolling certain virtues but most virtues find themselves expressed in every form of religion and spirituality I know.  That is far more evidence of a human origin to virtue that religion has copied and persevered than morality came from religion.

For me, this is still evident in the fact that despite my ‘conversion’ to an atheist, I am still a follower of the Nine Noble Virtues (NNV) of Asatru because I can recognize the universal value of these virtues regardless of their religious/spiritual connection.  It has been said that religion was our first and worst attempt at coming up with answers to the great questions of life. If there is something good that came out of it, it is this recognition of universal values and virtues that humanity shares.

See the source image

So yes, I will continue to follow the NNV and write about them and make them a core of my philosophy. It isn’t about the spiritual side at all of being someone who practices modern Norse religion.  Rather it is about being the best human being I can be.   I still will draw inspiration that is very human from the stories of Norse mythology and the community that enjoys them. That is not the issue because ultimately it is about achieving what I need and want through being reasonable and wise.

See the source image

To the Wolves and Ravens:

“Feed the Wolves, but Listen to the Ravens first.”

Needs (Geri):

When I first started this blog I had a couple desires.  One of them was to determine what I needed as far as having a code that would allow me to operate without the totalitarianism of Chrisitan ethics.  I needed a code of life and the Nine Nobel Virtues entered my life as I searched through the warrior codes and the Asatru code of the NNV resonated with me the best.  It fit what I needed at the time and still fits that need today.

Wants (Freki):

What I wanted out fo a code was things that made my life better, notably at the time -stability of philosophy.  I wanted something that would lead me as a person to being better and to have a better and more prosperous life.  Once agian the NNV filled that role rather well and still does.

Reason (Huginn):

Atheism changes nothing other than I am not looking at Asatru as faith or spiritual form I live and practice but rather I practice Asatru because it leads me, much like many atheists who still participate in a religious community, to a sense rational morality within the framework of a community.  Rational moral virtue is my goal now and the NNV with a few small modifications will still provide that for me. The one thing that cannot be said is that atheism leads to a lack of morality because evidence shows the contrary.

See the source image

Wisdom (Muninn):

The wisdom of the NNV still finds itself with me as I continue to have the overall thought that Marcus Aurelius which has stayed with me.

Itis this wisdom that will keep me following the NNV regardless of my spiritual thoughts or belief in the divine. It is simply a wise thing to do.

Conclusion:

The Nine Nobel Virtues are one part of many things in religion that can be compatible with both my humanism and my atheism.  Yes, religion was our first and worst attempt at understanding life and the universe, but even a blind hog roots up a truffle now and then.  But it is my humanity and my reason that recognizes when religion has simply preserved something good from what humanity has created from itself.

See the source image

I remain,

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.

Skaal!!!

“2000 Words” -A Skald’s Life – Foundational Virtues

/ Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Mani’s Day

Journal Entry:

Since writing my post for Saturday about National Novel Writing M0nth (NaNoWriMo) and deciding to use that month to instead do a Non-Fiction Book, I have been meditating on the 2000 words per day goal with that. I am now pretty confident t about that as I not only feel this is a worthy goal and one that is achievable for me, I feel it needs to be a daily habit to hit a word total each day.  The reason I say this is a far more concrete goal than writing for an hour that I have had before.  Because you can sit there for an hour and write only 500 words. I think the issue is making a goal that actually gives me daily progress.

To put it in perspective, my average post on this blog falls within 1000 words.  Pretty typical for me and that takes 30-45 minutes to write and then probably another 15 minutes to edit. If I follow my pattern of letting a post sit a day and editing it again the next day, that’s another 15 minutes.

Writing a book is a different matter because the editing for me would be akin to sitting down for hours and reading the material and editing it all in one go. So I could just follow the NaNoWriMo philosophy and just write and get the 2000 words in an hour or at the most an hour and a half. Very much possible if I put off some personal entertainment and get about the business of writing.

This week I will be hitting my principles in A Skald’s Life so that will be reflected bellow.

Honor:

“Honor is the feeling of inner value and worth from which one knows that one is noble of being, and the desire to show respect for this quality when it is found in the world”

Principle – To possess a feeling of inner value about myself and my future with a desire to find the same in others.

Goal: Maintain a daily blog streak of one post per day for an entire year (365 days).  (achieved)

Bucket List: Hike the Northern Lakeshore Trail along the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan by March 2024.

I guess I find it easier to find personal honor in others than in myself.  I am an observer of people and I find what is good in a far different way than before.  Honor is a feeling of value and it is far easier to find value or how people are valuable when thinking about others for me.

It is finding value in myself right now that is a challenge.  I just am struggling with that right now. I need a new life in the sense of having a new place, job and environment I think. It is why I am going to be expanding my job search for most of the country.

Courage:

“Courage is the bravery to do what is right always.”

Principle – Act with Courage at the right time.

Goal: Cross one thing off bucket list every year. Deadline March 31st.

Bucket List: Go Back to Budapest, Hungary for a vacation by March 2029.

Philosophically, I don’t struggle so much with acting once I know what the right thing is, it is determining the right thing. I was told recently I am a little bit of an enduring asshole. That is a reflection of a little less tolerance for bullshit in my life and standing up to it.

Truth:

“Truth is the willingness, to be honest, and to say what one knows to be true and right. It is often better to not say anything at all if one cannot be honest.”

Principle – To Be Honest, and Speak Truth to Myself and Others.  To Be Silent in the presence of Fools.

Goal: To Write a Non-Fiction Book by March 31st, 2020

Bucket List: Read 52 books (one per week) in the year 2020.

I think sometimes people have taken aback that I tell the truth a lot, even when it makes me look less flattering.  They are probably used to lies and accept them as part of life from others. I just don’t have it in me to lie to people anymore.  I spent a lot of my last three years of ministry, fronting a lost faith and have no desire to front anything anymore. What you see is what you get with me; take it or leave it.

I still struggle with what the truth is and how to deal with it.  I realized three months ago I was wrestling with whether I believed in any god at all and only recently accepted I don’t and to be honest the world could be here without god at all.  If there is a god, he is either one that doesn’t give a shit or we are just an experiment in a petri dish to him.  He isn’t benevolent that’s for sure. I have no evidence, in any case, to believe so until some evidence is given, I am facing the truth that I am for all practical and philosophical purposes an atheist.   So I am an Athiest Humanist with Pagan tendencies. 🙂

Higher Virtue: Love:

Love for the people who are important to me – check.  Love for self – hesitation to check. I am at a love crossroads regularly.  I need to take the self-love fork soon or there is going to be a problem.  I will get too close to the cliff of self-sacrifice to death if I don’t take the self-love fork at a certain point.

Morning Routine:

  1. Stretching / Yoga
  2. Shower, Personal Hygiene. Morning Meds.
  3. Review Nine Noble Virtues (NNV), Principles, Goals and Bucket List
  4. Meditation – 5 min.
  5. Check Communications and Email.
  6. Paper Journal: Create a Daily Log and To-Do List.
  7. Get Dressed for the Day

I like this routine now better than before.  It allows me to get the basics done and be ready to go through the day.

I remain.

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.

Skaal!!!

“I Think Another Goal is Achieved” – A Skald’s Life – Self Virtues

/ Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Frigg and Freya’s Day. 

Journal Entry:

I think I have achieved my goal under hospitality.  I am writing about it here because I think we will see the goal of being part of a support group of some kind crossed off. I wanted to make a not of it from a journal point of view.

I heard about the Clergy Project from reading the book Caught in the Pulpit several years ago. I never felt I fit because to be a part of it you have to have two qualifications: 1) You have to be a former minister of some type and 2) You have to have no belief in the supernatural or god.  I wanted to make sure of the second one before I attempted to join.  They have a vetting process.

There is no one that understands the whole issue leaving the pulpit and faith like another person who has done it.  I knew I was in the right place as soon as I started talking about stuff on the forums and looking at the resources.  It may be very possible to get some job help and some counseling at least for a little while through the transition.  Finally a little hope.

It is funny though because some people who are part of it are still in the pulpit and have no faith.  That’s why the secrecy because churches tend to not be very understanding of a minister struggling with faith and their career.  That’s why this will be the last post about it and I will not reveal the process to join.  In any case, it looks like another goal achieved and this is a group that can go with me anywhere I go – a definite plus.

Discipline:

“Discipline is the willingness to be hard on oneself first and then if needed help with the development with others, so that greater purposes may be achieved.”

Principle: Apply discipline to every aspect of life that it can be applied.

Goal: To be following a full Paleo Diet by March 31, 2020.

Bucket List: Do a rebellious act on April 30th, 2020 – Beltane.

Discipline is lacking these days and it has a negative effect.  I need to spend the weekend doing a couple things to get back on track and stick with it.  I mostly need to understand in my heart the value of discipline.  My brain knows but my heart is the one that needs to understand this to stay motivated with this.

Perseverance:

“Perseverance is the ability to stand up and return from defeat and failure”

Principle: Keep getting up after every defeat or failure.

Goal: To engage in an exercise program that involves weightlifting, hiking/walking, and stretching/ yoga an average of three days a week from April 1st, 2019 to March 31st, 2020

Bucket List: To get at least one tattoo by March 18th, 2020.

I don’t get it, but I keep going.  Perseverance is rarely an issue.  I just wish I would not have to face so much to keep going.

Fidelity:

“Fidelity is the will to be loyal to one’s Gods and Goddesses, to one’s Folk, to one’s self, and loyalty to one’s friends was as valued as highly as loyalty to one’s family.”

Principle: Be loyal to those who have been loyal to me.

Goal: Celebrate my wife and I’s 30th anniversary (June 10th, 2019) with a mini-vacation (achieved)

Bucket List: Discover all the countries of origin from my genetics and visit them all by March 18th, 2029.

I am loyal to my gods – the fact that I have none. If I have an idea I gravitate to that fits being loyal to my ideology at this point, it is ‘no gods, no masters”.

Higher Virtue – Wisdom:

I wrote on wisdom already this week so I will leave it at that.  Other than to say that I feel joining the Clergy Project was a wise move for me.

Rest Day Routine: 

  1. Morning Routine
  2. Wife: Communication / Cuddle Time
  3. Blogging – Organize, revise, write a new post for the next day, 15 min. work on fiction.
  4. Cleaning – varies but one room of the apartment at least.
  5. Reading – half an hour for enjoyment.
  6. Writing – 1 hour

I am a writer.  Theses changes reflect that and are good ones. Now I just need to get back to discipline.

Goals and Bucket List Items Achieved (Since Summer 2018):

Goals Achieved: 4

  1. Graduated College with a BS in Political Science and minors in Economics and International Business – December 2018
  2. Finalize last requirements for my degree – Internship by May 2019 – May 2019
  3. Celebrate my wife and I’s 30th anniversary (June 10th, 2019) with a mini-vacation – June 2019
  4. Maintain a daily blog streak of one post per day for an entire year (365 days).

Bucket List Items Achieved: 0

I remain,

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.

Skaal!!!

“Three Tattoos” – Rogue Wizard – The Fire of Fury – Part 18

/ Ed Raby Sr / 1 Comment

Happy Thor’s Day!

Rogue Wizard’s Journal – October 1st, 2019

Well apparently my hunches are not that great, but still can’t shake the feeling we are being observed.  Lunette pretty much said it was possible but there was nothing to be done but to try to stay alive.  She has been doing this far longer than me os I defer to her judgment. September left us and now October and the changing leaves are with us.

The results of a small cabin, three people in love and regular naked sauna baths are a greater intimacy in a very short time. The three of us are very close now and quite intimate. There is also the potential for cabin fever which will come when the snows fall.  To combat this now, Lunette suggested a few excursions and finding an old friend of her parents managed somehow to procure us and old Ford Pickup.

This opens up a lot of possibilities not the least of which is all of us throwing our backpacks in the back and taking off.  But for now, we have used it to make a few trips.  The most notable of these was to a mystic tattoo artist in a major city about 75 miles away.

Magical tattoos are the combination of alchemy for the ink and enchantment magic.  There has always been a little bit of magic to a tattoo artist and the mages of the world have been going to mystic ones for a long time.  They actually have their own wizard family – The House of  Minerva.  Well, this is the house of all people who use art and magic in combination.  It should be noted one’s house is more based on magic preference or philosophical preference.  It is hereditary for some mage families.  Mostly though you pick one at age 12.

The tattoo artist we went to a lovely tattooed lass with a purple mohawk was House Minerva but part of the underground.  Sadi can cuss and drink like a sailor.  I know we would go out with her after work at the local bar.  Lunette and her have worked together a couple times. She is also a wizard with tattoos in the fact she is both a top-notch alchemist and an enchantment magic specialist.  I now sport three tattoos of hers.  This process took about three days.

The beauty of all of them is that they enhance my magic.  Two of them in very powerful ways. The third is a link between the three of us.

Now going around my right wrist is a circle of small Viking axes.  Guess what it does? It enhances my Evocation magic and boy I wasn’t expecting the change in the color of my flame but it is color is now bright blue with white.  I checked my lightning and it is red instead of bright yellow and my frost has gone from pale blue to pure white.

On my left wrist is a circle of interlocked Viking shield like a shield wall.  It’s cool because each shield is unique.  It enhances my Abjuration magic. Yeah, my shields are even stronger and they also have changed color or should I say change colors – shimmer like a multicolored rainbow now.

If I hold my hands together then the two tattoos enhance each other is I am doing only one or the other of my types of magic. Makes fireballs even more spectacular and shields even harder. I just can’t do both types of magic at once when I do that.

The last tattoo is one all three of us received.  Required a few drops of blood form each of us mixed into a potion that was then dabbed before dabbing the ink. Its three hearts interlocked in a triangle and all of us three are wearing them on our right shoulder blade. Each heart represents one of us.  Lunette’s is fairy-like with purple and black strands interweaving.  Amber’s is a red flaming heart much like her tramp stamp.  I wasn’t sure what to put for mine but Sadi looked at me a moment and did one on paper and I smiled.  The heart was made up of dark grey strands mixed with silver.   Very cool.

Each one is unique as mine has my heart at the top and the two others interlocked below it.  Lunette’s has hers at the top and mine and Amber’s bellow it and Amber, of course, has hers on top and mine and Lunette’s below it.  The main effect is if I concentrate I know where both of them are even if they are out of sight.  I also know what they are feeling, but that is unique to me as I am empathic. Lunette and Amber say they don’t feel anything.

We are back at the cabin now and the tattoo process was not as painful as I thought. Like getting scratched but all for a good cause.  We need all the advantages we can get if the shit hits the fan.

Writer’s Notes:

Don’t have anything to say at this point other than I can’t wait to get my own first tattoo.  I was hoping to write this chapter after I got my own so I could weave some of my feelings about it into this, but I may have simply rewrite it later. 

I remain,

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.

Skaal!!!

“Borrowing Perseverance” – A Skald’s Life – Business Virtues

/ Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Wooden’s (Odin’s) Day

Journal Entry:

Perseverance is a Self Virtue in my system but I need to borrow it for business for a bit.  Mostly there have been new rounds of rejections for jobs and I need to take a deep breath and go at it again.  My issue is that this is a little discouraging and I am trying not to let it bring on The Grey right now and that means getting up and continuing to go forward.

I am thinking of another angle as well.  I am very much upset about the amount of time I wasted on something that was very false and phony as a career now.  I see Christianity for what it really is – one of the most colossal frauds ever.  It wouldn’t; bothe me so much but I wasted probably my most energetic and productive years doing ministry as a Christian pastor and now have to find a new way forward.  I decided given my atheism to join The Clergy Project, a support group for ministers who have no belief in god anymore.  I am hoping to find the connections I need to move forward a little better.

My Business Virtues are about being independent, hard-working and hospitable with the excess of my prosperity. The job I need has a  few requirements but most notably that it has to allow me to write and to be active in things as well as making me a little more money than I am now.

Self-Reliance:

“Self-Reliance is the spirit of independence, which is achieved not only for the individual but also for the family, clan, tribe, and nation.”

Principle: To achieve and maintain personal independence and advocate for independence in my family, state and nation.

Goal:  Find a new, better paying job by March 2019.

Bucket List: To be a published author of at least five books by March 2029

I believe in liberty and freedom not just for myself but for anyone.  I believe in freethought being the way to liberty.  If I could find something that allows me to advocate for this, that would be awesome.

Industriousness:

“Industriousness is the willingness to work hard, always striving for efficiency, as a joyous activity in itself”

Principle: Work with the enjoyment of work itself.

Goal: Finalize last requirements for my degree – Internship by May 2019 – May 2019 (achieved)

Bucket List: Write A Novel and Get it Published by March 2022.

I always enjoy working.  I enjoy coming home afterward too but the work causes me to appreciate the downtime more.  I like to be efficient and some of the things that bother me at work are when I can see things are not efficient and there is no way to fix it.

Hospitality:

“Hospitality is the willingness to share what one has with one’s fellows, especially when they are far from home.”

Principle: To share out of my abundance to help people where I can with their life’s journey.

Goal: By March 31st of 2020, to be the leader/participant in a group of some kind.

Bucket List: To own my own home by March 2024.

I have no aversion to helping others, I just lack the means to do so and the cause that would be something that would help me focus on what I want to do in this regard.

Higher Virtue – Justice:

It’s all about being just in every relationship I have. At least, just on my side of things.  My part fo the relationship needs to be me acting as fairly and justly as possible depending on what happens in each one.  A simple goal but difficult to achieve.

Work Day Routine:

  1. Morning Routine
  2. Wife: Communication / Cuddle Time
  3. Blogging – Organize, revise, write a new post for the next day, 15 min. work on fiction.
  4. Weightlifting: Gym time – 1 hour after work.
  5. Writing: Half-Hour on top of the blogging routine each day. Alternate between Non-Fiction Book and Novel.
  6. Reading – 1 chapter min.
  7. Personal Business: record financial transactions, savings plan actions, budgeting, appointments, job search, other actions, etc.
  8. Check Communications and Email after 2 pm but before 4 pm.
  9. Nutrition: Daily Carb Count – 2

I remain,

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.

Skaal!!!