“Two Oaths and One Bond” – The Adventure Chronicles of Brightblade – Part 6 (A Dungeons and Dragons Solo Roleplay)

April 30, 2023April 30, 2023 / Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Sol’s Day!

Elana let the water of the fountain pour over her naked body. She was preparing to receive the robes of being an Adept and so the ritual of purification in the fountain near the temple altar was something she was excited about. Two novices attended to her with towels ready to dry her off. The ceremony was an hour away and it was to be quite the affair as in addition to herself receiving her Adept robes, Lief was swearing his oath to become a full Paladin of Sensua. He was somewhere else on the temple grounds doing a similar purification ritual. Preparation was always the thing with these oaths.

Their return to the temple had been greeted with joy and celebration. The Crown of Fertility had been returned and the High Priestess highly praised them. It was clear to everyone, that it had been a good thing that had happened but because of the secrecy about the Crown, most people didn’t know the details of why the High Priestess seemed more happy than usual.

Elana’s own conversation with the High Priestess had been one of praise and pride. She told Elana that such an action earned her place among the Adepts and she would be promoted in a few days. Today was that day. She had of course returned to her duties as an Acolyte, including a couple rotations in the House of Love helping worshipers complete the ritual, but for the most part, all was about preparation for today.

The treasure they had recovered was divided equally between herself and Lief and after the high Priestess had contacted her family, the gems were sold at a good price. It allowed Elana to purchase some better armor. Se now had a full chain mail set including leggings and a tunic. Her shield had been upgraded as well to something made of steel. She kept her mace. She now felt that if she adventured again she would be in a good place to be better protected.

The other aspects of her conversation with the High Priestess were much more serious. The High Priestess had told her that the journal was indeed written in Goblin, and she knew someone who could interpret it. In their absence, Barthon the Vile had struck again. He had apparently been hired to murder one of the merchants in the city. He had succeeded and kidnapped the man’s wife in the process. They found her several hours later: naked, raped, and with her throat slit lying in an alley. Barthon needed to be stopped and she was hoping for some luck with this journal in order to find a clue to bringing justice to this situation. His actions had now become more important to the Trublade family and so she was going to speak with one of the Trublade family about the matter.

It seemed strange that they were going to wait three days, but Elana recalled that Barthon was very cautious. You could bet the murder of the merchant and the subsequent kidnapping, rape, and murder of the man’s wife had been planned with great care. Barthon was by nature a coward but a dangerous coward. He preferred his thugs and magic to do the work while he stayed back in a safe place.

For the rest of the three days, Elana’s mind and heart dwelt on Lief. She was a cleric of Sensua first and foremost, but she couldn’t help but notice that her feelings for Lief were more than just friendship. She had even hoped while she was performing her duties in the house of love, that he might have been one of the worshippers that she completed the ritual. It didn’t happen, but she recognized the longing just the same. He had been gone most of the time and she noticed how she missed his presence. In another hour she would see him again. He to take his oath and her to take her vestments of an Adept. It was going to be an exciting day. Her heart was beating faster just at the thought.

–

The last three days had been busy for Lief. After returning the Crown of Fertility to the High Priestess, the treasure had been divided equally between himself and Elana. He had given the gems to the High Priestess for evaluation and sale and the next day there was another tidy sum of coins for both of them. The High Priestess had tried to give the three gems back that he donated earlier but he would have none of it. The Temple did compensate Lief for the loss of his spear and shield. No cost to him there but the High Priestess did tell Lief that the oath ceremony involved a magical longsword which he would receive as a gift during the ceremony. He had not sold his old one, but probably would once the gift was received.

Most of the money had been given to his mother. He kept some for personal expenses and to pad his personal bank account a little. Mostly though, it ended up helping his mother buy more favor with the guild and improving the shop as well as making repairs to the building to make it nicer and more looking like the home of a noble family.

“You have to live the part before you actually get the role sometimes”, is what she said.

She even hired a servant. A man about her same age. She was muscled from hard work and seemed to be a little simple but seemingly happy with his mother as his employer. Lief puzzled at this for a moment and then laughed about it. If she wanted a boy toy, who was he to argue.

Lief had spent a lot of time picking out his new shield and spear. He had also debated in his mind the advantages and disadvantages of plate mail. In the end, he felt his current armor was more to his liking as it was not as heavy and gave him more freedom of movement.

He had been reading as well. The High Priestess had given him a book on the Paladins of Sensua and it outlined the various oaths they could take. Sensua was not one to shut down any of the oaths commonly associated with Paladins. The High Priestess had been guiding him toward the Oath of Vengeance and he had to admit it appealed to him on a personal level. It was also the ‘needed’ oath right now. Brightblade was experiencing larger numbers of undead according to the town watch. Something was going on there and then there was the matter of Barthon the Vile. He must be brought to justice and that justice was what the Oath of Vengence was all about.

For now, though, his thoughts dwelt on Elana. She was going to receive her vestments as an Adept. He would be sworn in as a Paladin by taking his Oath. This would be a great day and a leap forward to his ambition of title and land. Right at this moment he was naked under the pouring water of a fountain and being attended to by two male acolytes. He stepped out of the water and one of them began to wipe him off while the other began to dry his hair with a towel. They dressed him. Loincloth of fine fabric, pants. and then cloth boots. All of white. He then knelt down He then kneeled down so the two acolytes placed a white tunic over his head. The embroidery work for the outfit was a red vine-like design.

The last part was a sword belt. It was of leather and also white with the same red vine design as the rest. A white scabbard was connected to it with a sword frog of a similar pattern. The scabbard with tipped and edged in a silver-steel alloy. It was however empty awaiting the oath sword which was to be given him. Lastly, his holy symbol was placed back around his neck. By this time the light of the sun was dipping down to the horizon. It was time for the ceremonies to begin.

–

The altar area of the temple had not been changed much. A few items had been laid out carefully over the altar including a red cloth covering the length of the altar which had the same vines done in white as Lief’s tunic had. Lief remarked to himself that it was amazing how versatile the altar was because it had been the place where Fredica had been cremated and now it seemed to be more calm. A simple red rug with no ornamentation formed a middle aisle in front of the altar. People had gathered to see the oaths.

Elana’s oath was not normally a public affair but Lief’s Paladin Oath was and so her ceremony was added before his to save time Lief assumed. The number of people was a little more than either of them expected. Probably 100 or so but mostly these were clerics of the temple of various ranks. But there was a smattering of dignitaries from the city. Lief’s mother was there dressed in her best dress and her hair/makeup was the best as well. She looked noble and was dressed the part of lower nobility. Next to her was the guild master of the Cobblers/Shoemakers guild. He was dressed like he always was – simple but clean and with the best shoes on his feet. Next to him was Lief’s former sergeant and a couple of the men in Lief’s former outfit in the militia. All of them looked proudly at the scene.

The was one figure that was out of sight the Lief caught in the corner of his eye He was under the shade of one of the female House of Love. He was leaning against the pillar of the doorway. He had a frame that was slightly shorter than Leif, He was dressed in a blue tunic with white trim. There was a symbol on his chest but Lief could make it out as the man had his arms crossed over his chest. He could make out that the man had a rapier-style sword at his hip and a dagger as well. His hair was probably dark but once again the light was low. He was leaned in such a way that he seemed very much at ease with the whole spectacle. Like he had seen this kind of thing before. Very relaxed. Lief had little time to think on it further. The ceremony had begun.

Elana went first down the aisle. She was still dressed in her Acolyte Robes and flanked by the two female Novices that had attended her purification. She approached the altar and stopped just short of the first step of three steps that lead to its edge. She stood as one of the attendants undid the clasp of her robe and then with a simple shake the robe cascaded down to the ground leaving her naked. She stepped out and the attendants gathered up her robes and disappeared to the side.

Lief’s view was from behind and he couldn’t help but notice how her naked silhouette was stunningly beautiful. Her dark olive skin was a lovely earth tone whose color seem to captivate him. He watched as the two novices disappeared and were replaced by two Acolytes. The Acolytes helped Elana into her new Adept robes and then bowed to her. Symbolic of her new station and authority over them. Elana only looked slightly less stunning in her robe of red trimmed with gold. She in turn bowed to the High Priestess. The High Priestess approached and touched her forehead.

“May the Blessing of Sensua follow you, May you know her joy and respect her authority over your body, mind, and soul”

“I so swear, and pledge my body, mind, and soul to the goddess Sensua.”

Elana then stepped off to the right from Lief’s perspective.

Lief walked alone in his white tunic and his empty scabbard swung lightly. He noticed his mother’s face beamed with pride and he smiled back at her. The High Priestess was joined by the High Priest on the dais. The High Preist was much older than High Priestess. She was probably in her early thirties, but he looked more like a man in his sixties but strangely full of vigor for a man half that age. Although it was said he got tired more often, he was still able to perform his duties. He was as tall as Leif with a regular build and his hair was cut short. His eyes were brown and it might have at one point matched his hair.

Lief stopped just short of the steps. He stood tall and proud. The High Priest spoke in a voice that was strong and very masculine.

“Lief Crispen, you have shown your valor, you have served the temple with distinction and recovered something close to our heart for us. You did so as a Squire of Sensua. We now offer you the blessing of being a full Paladin of Sensua. Do You Accept?”

“I Do, with all my heart.”

“Which Oath are You Taking?”

“The Oath of Vengence”

The High Priest nodded, “This is a grave oath that commits you to bring vengeance against those who harm life, love, and fertility. Do you understand the oath that you take today cannot be broken without the gravest of consequences from the goddess herself?”

“I understand and accept that possibility, but may it never come to me.”

“Seeing it was the High Priestess who accepted you as Squire, it is she, standing in the place of Sensua, who will stand as witness to your oath.”

The High Preist Stepped aside and the High Priestess stepped down from the dais and stood before Lief. She unclasped her robe and her robes fell to her feet. Her naked body glowed with a holy light.

“Place your right hand between my naked breasts and swear your oath!”

Lief placed his right hand between her breasts and spoke his oath.

“To Sensua, goddess of life, love, and fertility, I swear my Oath of Vengence. I will not spare those she commands me to destroy, I will always fight the greater evil. I will have no mercy on the wicked. I will use any means necessary to destroy the wicked. I will help those who are harmed to the best of my ability by the wicked. So Help Me, Be Sensua I Swear it!”

The glow that had been surrounding the High Preistess’ naked body now began to spread over him. He felt the goddess’s power wash over him. Then he heard her voice.

“My servant, my love, go forth in my guidance and destroy my enemies. You are my Paladin, My holy knight.”

Leif dropped his arm and the High Priestess turn around and received a sword from the Hig Preist. She then turned back to him and presented it.

“Take this sword and use it against the wicked, against the enemies of the holy goddess Sensua.”

The sword was beautiful, its hilt was simple with golden and silver vine patterns over the steel. The grip itself was leather of the finest quality. The blade was the finest steel and was shown with a magical sheen. He knew the blade was enchanted just by looking at it. He grabbed the hilt with his right hand and lifted it, He then held it up to the sky. Sensua’s glow was shown a little brighter around him as he did so. He then sheathed the weapon in his new scabbard. There was a cheer from the crowd.

The High Priestess was helped back into her robes by the same two acolytes that had helped Elana. She then returned to the dais next to the high priest. She raised her hands and the cheering crowd grew silent.

“There is one more thing to do today. Sensua has guided me on this next item. A Binding must take place. A binding between our new Paladin and one of our clerics.”

Lief looked puzzled. A murmur fell over the crowd ad once again the High Priestess raised her hands for quiet.

“In recent days, several paladins were slain in a battle with local orcs north of the river. In large part, this was due to the lack of support by the clerics who were not present to heal them. We have often viewed these duties outside of battle. But recent actions by our Paladin and Elana have shown that partnership is far better. It is the will of Sensua that all Paladins now be bound with a Cleric as a companion and battle partner. This starts today with the two that showed us the way. Paladin Lief Crispen and Adept Elana Bentor step forward.”

Leif moved forward to the edge of the dias again. He stood on the left and Elana joined him on his right side.

“Leif hold out your right hand, Elana your left. Palms upwards”

The two arms went up next to each other palms upward.

The High Priestess approached both of them. In her hand was a silver dagger. The hilt was in the form of a holy symbol of Sensua and the blade was a fine silver steel.

“This is to be a blood oath.”

Lief and Elana both nodded toward her. She pierced their palms with the blade. She then gave the blade to the High Priest. She moved Lief’s hand over Elana’s and then turn his palm downward and then brought the two palms together.

“Clasp Hands.”

Lief and Elana felt their warm blood mingle together as they held each other’s hands. The High Preist approached with a silver and gold cord. He wrapped it around their wrists and bound them together.

“You are now bound by Sensua and blood. Whatever dangers you face, face them as a triple-bound cord. Paladin Lief Crispen, Adept Elana Bentor, and the Goddess Sensua herself”

“We will,” both Elana and Lief said in unison.

A golden glow appeared around their clasped hands. After a few moments, it faded, the High Priest removed the cord and they unclasped their hands. The attending acolytes then washed their wounds and then a quick prayer or each of them healed them altogether. Elana and Lief smiled at each other and hugged. The high Priestess approached them and leaned in close so only they could hear.

“There is only one thing that remains. You must close the circle and complete the ritual with each other. It is a private but intimate part of the ritual. You may use my quarters this evening as I will be engaged in other matters. Matters which we will discuss in the morning. Once you are free of all the well-wishers make your way to my quarters and complete the binding. This is essential so do not forgo it.”

With that, she left them. Leif’s mother and friends all congratulated him with hugs and wrist shakes. Elana for her own part had many friends of all ranks give her hugs and even kisses on the cheeks and mouth. Soon though the crowd began to break up and Lief spotted the stranger again this time. He was about fifty feet away and he was talking with the High Priestess. Leif recognized him at that moment. Caric Trublade, fourth and bastard son of Baron Erik Trubalde, Lord of Brightblade City. Half-Elven thanks to his mother’s blood. He was also the Spymaster of the realm. Lief watched as the two interacted and noticed they seemed very familiar with each other. Lief then noted that Caric took her hand and they walked off out of sight.

Lief felt a tug at his shoulder and turned to see Elana. She smiled at him and then winked. She urged him to bend toward her.

“You know, I am very happy we are to be bonded. I would have never wished for it in my wildest dreams but here it is.”

Lief smiled, “Hmm. we need to get to the High Priestess’ chamber as soon as we can,”

Elana mocked being shocked, “Sir, that is rather forward.”

“Forward your luscious ass. I have seen you naked twice and yet never known your embrace. We need to change that.”

“Yes, it is important to close the circle and complete the bonding ritual,” she said with mock seriousness and piety.

“Oh, we are going to do more than that.”

Elana giggled like a schoolgirl for a few seconds and then she gave her hand to Lief and he led her away.

–

Moments later Lief was climbing into bed between her legs, and as he penetrated her, she pulled him close with both her arms and her legs, gasping in pleasure. The circle was closed and the two oaths and one bond were complete. More than that, for a brief moment in time, they both enjoyed love and embrace. And Sensua smiled from the corner.

Writer’s Notes:

This one took me longer than usual. Part of the problem was having to build more of the world and the other part was introducing new relaitonship concepts. Normally in relationships in fiction, the relationship grows slowly but Lief and Elana are part of a religion that emphasizes and promotes the normalcy of both nudity and sex as part of the worship of their deity. Their concept of these elements is going to be very different and probably far more casual. One of those factors is intimacy is accelerated.

For instance, Lief has had sex with both the High Priestess and now Elana. The High Priestess knows this and there is no jealousy, To the followers of Sensua, jealousy has no place. Jealousy is the disease, and Love is the healthy condition (cue Robert Heinlein). Nudity is beauty, clothing is hiding that beauty. Sensua is about the expression of love through physical contact in order to remove the disease of jealousy and embrace nakedness to express beauty. Healing through making love. Eros in its more true form.

This is the point of the story where our third character will be introduced. We have our fighter type, Our healer and soon we will have our rogue.

I remain.

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

Skal!!!

“Naming Day” – The Grey Wayfarer Pub – Episode 3

June 9, 2022 / Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Thor’s Day!

It’s been a month since last I wrote. I have been busy and now is the time to journal the results.

First I Had to personally move into the top-floor apartment. It was actually a simple affair with a single bedroom for my king-sized bed with some room to spare and a fairly spacious bathroom next to that. The entire front was an open loft-like arrangement with a kitchen, dining nook, and a living area which I devoted to my books a reading chair, and a sofa for guests. No Television. Comfortable and functional. Honestly, I spend very little time here except to get some sleep, eat, and do some reading at the end of the day.

The basement is more of my second home now. It is my alchemy lab in truth now. Several tables with chemical and alchemical apparatus covering them. One whole wall is now devoted to ingredients for my potions. Part of it though is my brewing equipment for my own alcoholic beverages. In particular, I have chosen to go with Mead. Mead is expensive and for good reason – honey. But I have discovered one thing about it as well. Because the ingredients are in some senses precious – the potions I make with mead have been shall we say more potent.

Now the real trick to alchemy is the magic part. It has to be drawn from your own inner philosophy and inner most beliefs. Theology does not work for me anymore and is quite frankly unstable as nitroglycerin as far as results. It’s the fact that theology is made up for the most part and lives in a double fantasy of sorts. It requires a lot of cheats and leaps of logic to get it to even be usable and even then its effects can be quite weird. It’s why the cure for vampirism eventually failed as theology is my magic force that doesn’t hold the magic that well. The cure had a shelf life and then the magic didn’t work at all once I didn’t believe.

So as I am setting up my lab I was also experimenting with products to sell and I have found that from a physical base form point of view mead is damn good at holding magic and tends to actually act as an enhancer of magical effect. So my mead production began at once. Thankfully the base magic I add to it makes the fermentation process go even faster. The base magic in general is the simple philosophy of living a virtuous life. The basic effect of the mead is that it quickens thought and reflection as well as having enough kick to knock a frost giant on his ass.

The rest of the magic is to take this base mead and add different ingredients and effects to make it more specialized. I have a lot of experimenting to do but the alchemy is working again and for that, I am thankful as I want a local brew to sell.

The bar itself is now nearly complete. Stools are redressed in grey vinal with a silver sheen and the five booths are much the same. The bar is restocked and the small cooking alcove is fixed up and stocked as well. I redid the bathrooms as they were pretty much trashed. I basically made two unisex bathrooms with nice fixtures and set up to do pretty much everything regardless of the sex of the occupant. I am just thinking ahead on that I suppose.

Finally, I added some touches from the old pub. I had my silver shield and shotgun shipped in and placed them under the bar. The painting of Miss Wine from the Pub. Her naked reclining form fits right at home here in the pub. Last I knew she had left the US to take an undisclosed job for the Shields. It must have been pretty hush-hush as even I couldn’t get info on it and I have pretty high clearance. That said, the painting was done by a man who knew his oils and made her beautiful and restful. Last, of all, I put up a small sign next to the painting – “Clothing Optional”. Some things will never change for me.

Outside there now hangs a sign which up to today was covered to prevent it from being read. But today I removed it as it is the official naming day for the pub. Both sides have the same scene of an old man traveling a path. Above him fly two ravens and two wolves are on the path with him. The word along the top and bottom: “The Grey Wayfarer”. Not so coincidentally, this is also the name of my new Mead “Grey Wayfarer Mead”.

I am happy with the place and the grand opening is in two weeks. Now all I need to do is hire some staff.

Author’s Notes:

Starting something new, forward in the timeline, but returning as something low-powered is tough unless there is a good explanation.

In this case, it is the bartender who has changed. He is having to rediscover and rebuild and so his power is diminished and his friends are scattered requiring him to make new ones (although some old characters might make a guest appearance). This means the change is causing a reset.

I remain.

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

Skal!!!

Routine Adjustments and Forming Habits

May 15, 2022 / Ed Raby Sr / 1 Comment

Happy Sol’s Day!

So what is the vision for myself I am trying to base my goals and thus what habits do I need to form on daily basis to achieve them? So we start with my vision of what I would like to see myself be. This has a few new elements seeing I am now single and working toward better things for me without consideration for a significant other. This has its own challenges because I am doing it with one income and without someone to run it through as a filter. I do consider that last part to be a bit of a weakness of being single.

My vision for myself has some specifics in that I value strength, masculinity, rationality, virtue, and quality of relationships over quantity. I also believe these work together and fortify each other. Thus the reason I used the quote from Henry Rollins for this post. One strength leads to another. So what habits do I need to achieve this?

The problem with this for me right now is that I recognize this as a process. Because of this habits may need to be added once I recognize the need for them, and others might need to be dropped. This is an evolving list and one that is going to change with time and further consideration. Thus the Daily Routine. Each item is designed to bring me day by day to some part of the vision. It’s interesting that this almost eliminates the idea of goals, now that I think of it, other than the goal is to create habits that create the vision of what I want to be.

The Grey Wayfarer’s Daily Routine (as of 5-15-22)

Get up and Make the Bed: Goes to Mental Health. I can say at any time of the day I have made my bed. It’s also nice at the end of the day to climb into a made bed, even though the other side is empty right now. I miss cuddling the most. I usually get up 3am.
Meditation on the Nine Noble Virtues: Goes to Virtue. Basically, I read through them three times out loud. This is my way of coming to a better understanding of the virtues and thinking about how to apply them.
Full Body Stretch: Goes to Strength of Body and Masculinity. I also put on my headphones at this point to listen to Viking Wisdom and Warrior Wisdom.
Weight Training: Goes to Strength and Masculinity. I am still usually listening to Wisdom and Motivational stuff on my headphones. This is Monday through Saturday Only.
Breakfast and Supplements: Goes Strength and Masculinity. My Diet is Cave Man (Paleo).
Shit, Shower and Shave: Physical Health: Part of the Viking Wisdom I listen to is the expression about not worrying about the simplicity of Dress but rather worrying about health and Hygiene. Being clean and hygienic of body is more important than what you wear on that body.
Get Dressed for the Day: Mental Health: This is the first mental acknowledgment that I am going to have to go outdoors so I need to prepare. It should be noted that 1 through 6 are done in the nude. I sleep naked as it leads to a more restful night of sleep for me. When I get up I fail to see the point of getting dressed to just take it off again to take a shower. I am comfortable in my own skin and tend to be an at-home nudist anyway. I have also found this leads to a good mental state of “This is me in the raw, what I am stripped down – what am I capable of like this?”
Get ready for work: This is Monday through Friday only. It leads to financial health but there is a mental shift going on as well. I have a separate work routine. I will probably go over that at some point.
Record YouTube Video for The Rabyd Atheist. Edit and Post. Goes to being socially strong. Having a voice in the world. I used to do this later but a practical concern caused me to change it to earlier. That concern is that after school the kids in my apartment complex play loudly. So Yesterday I made the decision to record as soon as I am ready for work. Even if I have to go to work right after I record I can pick this up later. Usually, I have plenty of time, as my routine (the more I get used to it) goes faster and takes less time.
Write Post for The Grey Wayfarer: Goes to Mental Health and Social. I also have a vision of myself as being a philosopher writing out his wisdom at the end of his life. I am the guy who played LIFE the board game and wondered why retiring and becoming a philosopher was a bad outcome.
Study: 30 mInutes: Right now this comes before reading because I am trying to finish my training for my teacher certification and working on it for a half-hour a day seems reasonable
Reading – 3 chapters. God for me as the scholar and it starts to mark me coming down from the day. I find reading both engaging and relaxing. Mental Health here as well.
Cleaning: 30 mInutes. This is more of a mental thing as well. This is also more of the spot cleaning of a room or rooms as on Sunday I have a full reset cleaning I do. Keeping my environment clean and in line with my tastes goes a long way toward fighting my depression.
Personal Business: Mail, email, paying bills. I am probably going to morph this into planning and budgeting as I have a financial goal of getting debt-free as soon as possible.
End the day: Take off my clothes and climb into bed. My alarms are all set through Alexa so. Sleep and reset.

Over time this should start to shape me in a lot of ways into a strong person of mind, body, and social responsibility. The only thing I am trying to add is a routine about staying connected to my family but in many ways that are in their hands as all my kids are welcome to interrupt my routine to talk to me. One of the perks of being my children. They are far busier than me so they all have permission to interrupt my life to talk to me.

I suspect that some of this will be changed over time and added to and subtracted from. There are two other routines in my life – Work and Sunday Rest. More on those next weekend.

I remain.

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

Skal!!!

“Women’s Nipples and the US Supreme Court” – Freya’s Chambers – Equality

January 17, 2020January 17, 2020 / Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Frigg and Freya’s Day!

Disclaimer: The topics covered in Freya’s Chambers include serious discussions of sex, sexuality and related issues. If it isn’t your thing; you can move along, otherwise enjoy and feel free to discuss. Given the nature of some subjects be prepared for nude images as there may be some. I avoid genitalia as a general rule but is not always possible.

Discussion:

While not surprising to me, the US Supreme Court decided to refuse to hear the case brought by two women from New Hampshire. The Court basically decided not to hear the case. The story from Reuters is below:

Reuters: US Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Topless Case

Why am I not surprised? Because the court is conservative and there is no way that they want to go on record as having to do something very obvious to most people from a plain reading of the 14th Amendment. If you have a rule that tells a woman she cannot do something a man can do freely, then it is sexual discrimination.

The best thing for a conservative court with many of its members appointed by conservative presidents to do is to avoid the whole issue. So that is what they did. And it shows how the court, while in many ways has always been political, is even more political. The issue for most court members is legacy, not justice and it shows particularly when they don’t take cases of obvious implications for the constitution and the bill of rights. Most notably to me, the court could define 2nd amendment rights for the nation as a whole and in this case, would start to allow women to do what men have been allowed to do for years which is take off their shirt and bare the chest on hot summer days or whenever they wish.

This case involved two women who did a normal activity on a hot summer day and were fined 100$ for it each. The simple question of whether a man would be fined the same way is an obvious ‘no’. It is clear sexism that was justified by ‘traditional understandings of nudity”. One thing is clear though that men and women can do the same activity but one of them is fined and the other is not. That is sexism no matter how hard you try to make it something else.

Probably the most disappointing thing is the fact this case came from one of the most libertarian states in the union – Hew Hampshire. That’s right “Live Free or Die”. Except, in this case, freedom doesn’t extend to women as much as men and it has been noted. Sorry, a little hypocrisy there as tradition apparently trumps freedom.

What needs to happen is that women have full equal rights in this issue. The issue of toplessness in public should not be made by government, nor men, but each individual woman involved. This is really a female choice issue. It also has an interest in the growing trans community because what constitutes male and female is getting blurry and so the best thing to do is have a uniform standard of ‘if a person for ant reason is allowed to go topless here, then all people are allowed to go topless’.

From a sexualization point of view, as the idea of men going topless becomes more normal, sexualization of female breasts, much like legs, backsides and other aspects that have been normalized. We will become as used to it as we have to those others. Not to say that those attracted to the female form such as my heterosexual male self won’t take note and admire, but I already do that with the rest of the female body as it is. I do find women’s breasts attractive and in some regard ‘magical’.

Biology has kept us being attracted to each other’s physical bodies regardless of dress. Ultimately this has led to our survival as a species. Every picture I have used in this article is women doing some of the same activities a man can do while topless. Only if they do it in some states – they get fined or jailed. I could have easily substituted men in all of these pictures and no one would bat an eye as this is acceptable culturally for men. But somehow it becomes morally wrong if a woman does it. Yeah, right.

The women of New Hampshire are now left with the arduous task of changing the laws of their home state. A process that will take time and should be unnecessary given the plain wording of the 14th amendment: A liberty is being denied to women and given only to men. So much for equal protection under the law and the US Supreme Court is too political and thus to cowardly to correct it.

My two cents.

I remain,

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

Skaal!!!

“Bare Skin Health” – Freya’s Chambers – Nudism

December 6, 2019December 6, 2019 / Ed Raby Sr / 2 Comments

Happy Frigg and Freya’s Day!

Discussion:

Introduction:

I want to make it clear hear that this article is not about research or careful study so much as opinion. I am not a dermatologist or doctor so this is not a professional article so much as a reaction to what the commonly asserted as health benefits of nudism which not only apply to physical bodily health but psychological health. I am providing three links that I looked at a part of my own research into this topic mostly because I am a practicing ‘at home’ nudist when no one is around. I am simply going to take the common top seven things people say are benefits of being nudists from a health standpoint and speak to my own experience.

Vitamin D Production:

This is probably more true for those who practice their nudism outdoors. I don’t so this is probably not something I would notice. The interesting thing as someone who suffers fro minor depression I would probably find this beneficial. The warning is of course too much a good thing as nude sunbathers can produce too much vitamin D. For myself I guess I would like to try this at some point which would mean more social nudism which I am not sure I would announce publically.

Healthy Skin:

This isn’t about the sun so much as what being clothed all the time does to our skin. The main thing is that our skin has evolved to breathe and when it can’t it develops issues. most notably the build-up of toxins in the body that we use our breathing skin to get rid of. Not to mention the irritation that clothing causes to the skin as anyone can attest to in areas we keep covered all the time. You’re probably needing to scratch it because your clothing has irritated it.

I can speak for myself in this regard since practicing the naked at home thing, the areas of my body that used to have rashes or skin irritation have decreased significantly. My psoriasis has diminished and I am not scratching as much.

Blood Circulation:

This is also called the’ no red marks’ and probably affects women more than men with all their elastic clothing items, particularly bras. For men, the main area for this is the waistline. The point is that some blood flow goes through the skin and when this is cut off it can have a negative effect on blood circulation in certain areas. This why women are encouraged when they get home to lose the bra. Nudists would probably just say lose the clothes altogether.

For me, I have no read marks about circulation around my waist anymore and probably as a side benefit, my midsection has evened out a bit. I still have some weight to lose but it isn’t as obvious because my midsection is not trapped upward by mt waistline of my clothes and belt all the time.

Body Acceptance:

There have been a few actual thoughts on this issue because psychologically speaking poor body image can be a part of “cover-up that part of your body because it is wrong to show it”. The reason is usually ‘sin’ or societal pressure. It has been said people who grow up nudist or people who have been doing it a while develop a much better body image of themselves as they can see what is actually normal, not based on models. The genitals are not ‘dirty’ to a nudist or naturist, but rather normal parts of the body that have their function. People can be seen in all stages of life and show the body actually changes and it allows one to have a more realistic view of themselves.

I now reject the idea of the naked body being anything more than a naked body. I have yet to experience social nudity. I can, however, say that being naked more often and seeing myself in the mirrors more often that way has allowed me more to focus on where my body look unhealthy as a sign to work on my health rather than how my body looks.

Self-Esteem:

One of the effects of losing low body image is a boost in self-esteem. When you realize that people quite literally come on all shapes, sizes, and colors, you begin to realize both your uniqueness and quite frankly your body’s looks matter less as far as impressing people and you focus more on your actions being reasonable and kind. Far more important than how you look.

This whole at-home nudist experience has also made me realize actions are more important than looks. Looks can be lost changed to be completely different. What matters I health and how you treat others. I know being nude while I meditate in the morning has been a revelation of sorts as far as what I really am when you strip everything away including my clothing and you know what? I am not a bad person just one that struggles with a lot of things. Nudity taught me vulnerability is OK and brings enlightenment.

Lower Risk of Infection:

The skin actually processes parts of the defense against infection and clothing actually hinders this process because it interferes with the skin’s ability to sweat to remove toxins and thus process infection. The best way to maximize this process is to not have any of your skin covered with clothes, makeup or anything else. I have actually had several nudists tell me that they have never had any skin infections or fungus as well. Nor had they ever seen any long term nudist with them. Beginners yes, old hands no.

I don’t know if I can say I observe that I am healthier and suffer from fewer virus effects or anything like that. I do know that sleeping nude which I have done since I was a kid makes me feel better. I also have to say colds and such don’t last long with me and part of that is even when I am sick, I dump clothing from time to time.

Healthy Nerves and Brain Activity:

Our skin is loaded with nerve endings and clothing shields us from feeling much of them. Pleasure, pain, wetness, dryness, all kinds of varied experiences are available in the senes of touch and our brain receives all of that as additional information it process and improves working memory in one study of barefoot versus shoes alone. Image what this would do with the whole body. Awareness is improved as people are much more aware when they are naked than clothes. Part of this might be the cultural issue of nudity, but one might theorize that this harkens back to survival instincts when our whole race was naked apes.

I know I am much more aware of my surroundings even while at home in the buff. I am far more sensitive to changes that affect my sense of touch the most and have discovered certain feelings of touch, particularly involving the movement of air and temperature, which are much more apparent to me. I know my meditation is much more effective when I am naked. The vulnerability of body and mind leads to a greater understanding of both. I would say it goes a bit toward fighting my depression as well. My nerve endings across my body are stimulated and that helps me feel better.

Conclusion:

If anything my experience with nudism at home has opened my mind up for mote possible discovery of its benefits. I wanted simply to highlight the benefits to my mind and body at this time. I am of course understandably ready to explore more of this area of my life more and see the one thing I have yet to experience, the benefits of social nudity.

Oh, one more thing. I did indeed write this post in the buff. I find writing naked at times opens up my senses a little more and makes it a little more fo a pleasant experience.

My two cents.

I remain,

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

Skaal!!!

Links:

The Benefits Of Being A Naturalist from Nathan Young

https://www.today.com/health/health-benefits-being-naked-how-stripping-down-good-you-t44911

https://www.indiatimes.com/health/healthyliving/top-7-health-benefits-of-being-naked-236343.html#7

https://www.medicaldaily.com/3-benefits-getting-naked-public-taking-your-clothes-boosts-happiness-body-409623

“Qualities of Spiritual Nudity” – Freya’s Chambers – Nudism

September 27, 2019September 27, 2019 / Ed Raby Sr / 2 Comments

Happy Frigg and Freya’s Day

Disclaimer: The topics covered in Freya’s Chambers include serious discussions of sex, sexuality and related issues. If it isn’t your thing; you can move along, otherwise enjoy and feel free to discuss. Given this week’s topic be prepared for nude images of people engaged in spiritual and other activities. I avoid genitalia as a general rule but is not always possible.

On May 17th, 2013 I started a series on my old blog All Things Rabyd called Naked Before God with the post; The Positive Spiritual Side of Nakedness. Back then I was still a devout Christian that was struggling with the simple fact that while Christianity basically had strongly connected nudity. sex and sexuality: the Bible had not. If anything the most positive time in humanity’s existence in the story of the Bible is when Adam and Eve are in the Garden – naked and unashamed.

That series was about the spiritual side of being naked before God and how nudism could be considered a Christian spiritual discipline or at least a metaphor of how one could picture oneself before God and develop a sense of enlightenment about that relationship. That was over six years ago and a lot has changed but the main principles of spiritual nudity I think are still solid and deserve a second look.

I listed six positive spiritual qualities that nudity possesses: 1) Vulnerability, 2) Openness, 3) Intimacy, 4) Genuineness, 5) Wholeness and 6) Equality. I would say that all of these are still valid but need to be rethought without all the ‘how do I draw the line and avoid sin?” question. For me, this question no longer even exists so I want to see how things change from what I felt and thought then to what I feel and think now.

What follows will be excerpts from that old post with commentary and changes to reflect new attitudes:

Vulnerability:

“While it could be argued that vulnerability is a weakness and at times it is, there is a positive side to it. In the Garden of Eden we see this in Adam and Eve as they are completely vulnerable to God’s presence, each other and the world around them. Because of this, they have to develop interdependency with each other and God. In all person to person relationships, vulnerability is the key to opening up intimacy and ultimately love. To love someone, you must make yourself vulnerable to them and take risks that they will take advantage of this vulnerability, but when vulnerability is rewarded with returned vulnerability from the other person intimacy and love grows”. – The Positive Spiritual Side of Nakedness – May 17, 2013

I suppose the easiest way to edit this would be to remove all the lines about the garden of Eden and leave the rest because I think it still is a positive quality at times. I think one could experience the vulnerability to other people and the world around them and just drop the divine parts unless that is part of your spiritual goal of being naked. I know that for myself this is a longing of my heart but I have experienced vulnerability being naked with my wife. There is something about that that opens the door to intimacy.

Openness:

‘It is really hard to be closed off to people when you are naked. … Reading the testimonies of practicing nudists, particularly people who are sharing their first time is interesting in this spiritual aspect of nudity. Even naked, they try to cover themselves up and present themselves in ways where their perceived ‘bad features’ are less noticeable. In the end, they give this up and just allow themselves to be themselves…. – The Positive Spiritual Side of Nakedness – May 17, 2013

As you can imagine this one is pretty edited down and much simpler without the God of the Bible involved. It suddenly switches the spiritual focus from the divine to humanity and being open to our fellow human beings. This a shift that actually gives this author a cause for pause, because the question becomes is openness truly possible without being naked in front of someone else? I can do this with my wife but that is it, so the spiritual aspect of openness is left to that relationship. This is simply a spiritual quality that you are either open to others around you or if you are more spiritually minded – the universe. This brings up a limitation that depends on one’s willingness to be naked in front of others.

Intimacy:

Clothing prevents intimacy and in our world, this is often by design. I am not going to say this is bad in certain contexts. Clothing is a barrier that is used to prevent people from knowing things about you. Intimacy ultimately results from people discarding barriers and defenses. In personal relationships, you don’t necessarily have to shed your physical clothes to be close to someone but you do have to let your guards down and let people know things about yourself that are sometimes uncomfortable and awkward. In a real way, intimacy is achieved when you allow others to see that you too are human and you also allow them to show their humanness to you without judging them in return. – The Positive Spiritual Side of Nakedness – May 17, 2013

I would still say that clothing is a barrier to intimacy in certain contexts. Sometimes this is about security but also it can be about insecurity. We all guard ourselves and cover-up both literally and figuratively. Intimacy is just not possible without the shedding of all the barriers and one of them can be clothing. Learning to drop barriers and not judge when they do the same are the two key factors in building intimacy.

Genuineness:

‘Hard to be false and deceptive about anything when you’re naked. Everybody sees the truth about what you are. This is particularly true with yourself.’ – The Positive Spiritual Side of Nakedness – May 17, 2013

I guess this still applies to spiritual things as well but I find that this is accomplished far more by looking into your own eyes. The principle is still true that when anyone is naked they are who they genuinely are. In my own life, this has become reflected in my morning routine of getting up and meditating in the nude which means I start with who I genuinely am and work the rest of the day from that point. Being honest with myself looking in a mirror has been both a great motivator for health and fitness. In any case, when naked every flaw, scar and what does not measure up to normal society is visible. What can be changed for the better is obvious but also that which one cannot do anything about should be accepted. Often what we think are flaws are simply things that make us unique. This can be particularly obvious when standing in front of a mirror naked and honestly assessing ourselves.

Wholeness:

‘It is very difficult to see yourself compartmentalized when you are naked. You actually see everything that you really are. Clothing is used to define ourselves but in very limited senses. We dress in work clothes to define our work. We dress in athletic clothes to go work out. We dress in casual clothes to relax. We dress in sexy clothes to be romantic and make love. We dress in formal clothes to impress people with who we are. In a very real way, clothing is used to compartmentalize our life. When you are naked all that is gone and the reality of ALL that you truly are is there: body, soul, and spirit in one package and there is no compartmentalization at all. We simply and truly are what we are.’ – The Positive Spiritual Side of Nakedness – May 17, 2013

I would still stand behind the above statement. Clothing seems to be about changing roles and gives only one facet of who we are at a time. Take that away and you are what you are completely. You are whole and not compartmentalized in that state.

Equality:

‘It is very difficult to see yourself as better or worse than someone when you’re naked. Want to make everyone socially, economically and culturally equal? Take off their clothes. The housewife, businesswoman, prostitute, and debutant suddenly just become women when you strip them of clothes, makeup and jewelry and make them stand in a lineup. Without their clothes, you can only define them by their bodies, personality, and actions and none of that necessarily reveals economic, social or cultural status. Nakedness forces us to realize that we all came into this world naked and we all will leave it naked. That is the great equalizer.’ – The Positive Spiritual Side of Nakedness – May 17, 2013

I still stand by what I said to here and I don’t want to give the impression that I am singling out women because the same is true for men and perhaps a little more visible. To most women, a man in a suit with an expensive watch is going to get a lot more attention if he is single than the guy in a t-shirt and jeans. Take their clothes off and then the factors of attraction change radically. The equality of removing fashion from the equation I think could be and perhaps has been scientifically demonstrated.

A Word of Warning:

Now, this all said, there is a reality of the world we live in that cannot seem to grasp the concept that nudity doesn’t necessarily mean a person is being amorous or an expression of sexuality. We live in a world where culture can be very sanctimonious and self-righteous and those that practice spiritual nudism are well-advised to take that into consideration. For myself, I practice privately and when alone. The whole goal for me is not to have people see me. Forcing your nudity on others might not be wise. Fighting for equal treatment like the topfreedom movement does is one thing. Shoving your nudity in the face of people you know would be offended is another. The issue is to make these experiences, if they have a spiritual side to them, positive and not negative.

Issues:

I think most of the issues involving spiritual nudity and if you want this as part of your life both practically and spiritually are solved with using reason and wisdom. This is definitely one of those needs or wants that you should listen to the ravens first before letting the wolves be feed. There are definitely spiritual and personal benefits and perhaps even social ones. The issue is ‘indecent exposure’ is a real legal charge and there are simply safety measures that you can and should engage. I think privacy and perhaps going to a place where nudity is known to be accepted are probably the best options.

Personal Thoughts:

I am agnostic about most things. I lean toward thinking deism might be an option but at the same time I have no active belief in anything divine, so on a practical level, I am an atheist. I believe in spirituality as practicing meditation to calm my mind and focus my day. I believe in the power of symbols to help conceptualize things such as virtue and principles. If spirituality is about virtue and relationships then I guess in that sense I am very spiritual. My following of Asatru is more about the virtues and recovering the lost pagan heritage of my ancestors.

Nudism has a lot more to due with me just being truly who I am. Being a whole person who accepts who they genuinely are without all the trappings. It’s about being honest with myself about what I can improve and what is simply what makes me unique.

The other aspects of nudism from a spiritual point of view are incomplete for me. They are high in these regards when it comes to my wife, but other aspects of them are incomplete because of my lack of any kind of experience of communal nudity. Well, other than the locker room when I was an athlete. I don’t know if this would be so revelatory as to change my views on spirituality or not, but until I experience it I will never know. In the meantime, I stick with what I know and can experience. One of the things I know is that nudity has other qualities besides the physical and those can be very positive.

I remain,

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

Skaal!!!

“Werewolf” – Rogue Wizard: The Fire of Fury – Part 14

September 26, 2019September 26, 2019 / Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Thor’s Day

Rogue Wizard’s Journal September 4th, 2019

A lot has happened this last week, but the events of today prompt me to turn to my journal here for encapsulating the big picture a little better. In summary form, we were attacked today by a werewolf. Both Amber and I were bitten in the struggle. No biggie for me as I am immune due to Mrs. W’s magic from a long time ago. I have antibodies of a magical kind against lycanthropy.

Amber is a different story. I am a little distraught as Amber is starting to be someone who is important to me and some I am starting to love. The bite for her could end up being full-blown lycanthropy. If that happens our already complicated situation will get even more complicated.

After the skinny dipping discussion, which I relayed the last time, our lives had settled into a routine. This last week we only broke that to head into town again together. We stocked up on food again, this time taking all three of our empty backpacks and each of us ended up carrying a couple bags in each hand. This time we were seen by a couple more people which made me a little nervous. I mean how many magical types do you think would be attracted to the relative seclusion of the wilderness of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan? We got home and put everything away.

If one wonders where we get the resources and money, remember Lunette’s family is an old one and that both Amber and I have access to magical means. I mean technically, Lunette could make blank pieces of paper look like money, but it is really not necessary. In my case, House Venus gave me a lot of money and set up a very secure and secret account. It’s not the money for us, it is accessing it without the wrong people noticing.

After that, we settled into a very domestic routine. I am up before the girls so I make breakfast after doing a little meditation, stretching and writing. The smell of food brings them to life and then we spend the morning each doing our own thing. I study, Lunette does some alchemy and Amber does a lot of practicing with the fireplace as far as fine-tuning her fire skills. Lunch is made by Lunette and then we begin the afternoon session of doing things together like reading a book together, playing games (we have Uno, Payday and Monopoly plus a chess, checkers, and backgammon set) or talking. Amber fixes supper at some point as she is the best cook among us. Then we begin the evening ritual of heading to the sauna and taking a bath, then doing a little skinny dipping. At the end of the day, we are on the couch in front of the fireplace.

This last week has had one noticeable change. Before Amber and I would often wear t-shirts and underwear as a gesture of modesty toward each other. Lunette, of course, being pixie had no problem being her nudist self right from the beginning. But now that things are out in the open, nudism for all of us seems more the order of the day from start to finish. There have been some weather issues where this has been discarded briefly, but for the most part, we eat, work, play, bathe and relax in the buff now.

My relationship with Amber, as mentioned before had gone up a bit in the realm of romance and love. A couple nights ago when skinny dipping I was watching her and then as we were getting ready to walking back, I gave my traditional kiss to Lunette and then without thinking I kissed Amber with the same intensity. She smiled afterward and then kissed me back again. I have to say walking naked in the woods with your arm around the waist of two women is a wonderful experience.

I haven’t had sex with her yet, but I don’t think that is her being resistant – it is me still coming to terms with this whole relationship situation. Of course, tonight’s events have changed things significantly for the worse.

Tonight the ritual was interrupted during the skinny dipping stage by a savage growl. For my part, my shield went up around all three of us but it was a little late and the werewolf got inside. His jaws clamped around my right arm so my flame didn’t get a chance. She was fast. Yes, the werewolf was a she, I got a good look at her and it only takes basic anatomy to figure it out. I dropped my shield and using my left hand I used a burning hands on the werewolf and it howled falling back. I fell back into the water and was disoriented.

Amber at this point was full-on fire girl and the werewolf snapped at the flames but then launched itself at Amber and got its jaws on her shoulder and slashed her backward with its claws. Amber fell in heap near the shore. At this point, Lunette saved the day doing her shrink down and energy pinball thing. She was hitting the werewolf so fast and continuously it finally turned tail and ran. We were not the easy prey it was expecting. By this time I was back in the game and sent a fireball after it when it struck the howl that filled the forest was defining and then the werewolf collapsed burning. It was dead in seconds, and then I turned my attention to Amber.

She had slash marks across her belly that looked nasty but hadn’t penetrated her insides. The real danger was the bite mark on her shoulder. Lycanthropy is transmitted this way. She was also unconscious and wasn’t responding to our attempts to wake her. We picked her up and quickly headed to the house. Lunette and I bandaged her wounds and got her into bed. Eventually, she came back and smiled at both of us. She said all the wounds hurt, of course, but no bones seemed broken which was a good thing. We ordered her to get some rest.

Lunette and I know the stakes here. We have been here before but Mrs. W died a couple years ago and her cure of lycanthropy was lost with her. Lunette and I also know werewolves run in packs and are not going to take kindly to one of their own being killed. Without intending to we might have angered a whole pack of werewolves and that is not good. Amber right now is sleeping comfortably, but if she starts having night terrors and sweating a lot and is feverish, those are the first signs of lycanthropy. Lunette I can tell is very worried and I am too.

Right now all we can do is watch Amber and stay vigilant.

Writer’s Notes:

I made the remark about this series that it needs to end soon. Soon in writer terms, and writing one post a week, means it will probably be late November or early December.

From a social point of view, my views on nudism even as a Christina have always been positive even though at the time I was not a practitioner. Leaving Christianity and faith in God have kind of changed all that in some ways. I have a very open-minded view these days to nudity being simply nudity and not sinful or evil. I also have become a very private practitioner when I am home alone. I find it relaxing.

As for the developing relationship between Edward, Lunette, and Amber. I can’t really see a problem with it as sin and evil in relationships don’t really exist anymore for me. I think if people can love one another, use some reasonable precautions, avoid jealousy and figure out a way to live in such polyamory style relationships, that is great and it is their business, not mine. Whether it would be something for me is I suppose a question, but a lot would have to change for me right now for it to even be a question that affects my real life. Theoretically, I would be open to it.

I remain,

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

Skaal!!!

“A Fireplace, A Sauna, and A Skinnydip” – Rogue Wizard: The Fire of Fury – Part 13

September 19, 2019September 19, 2019 / Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Thor’s Day

Rogue Wizard’s Journal August 27th, 2019

It’s been a week of hiding out and I think we are all going a little stir crazy. It’s late summer so we don’t have to deal with cabin fever at least. Yet. The three of us put on more passible civilian clothes to go to town. Amber in jean shorts and a tank top is something to see. Unusual to not see her in that red dress. The town trip was uneventful as the only person who actually saw us was the keeper of the small grocery store. We bought some fresh milk and meat and some other stuff. I dropped off a magical letter in the post office. It would only reach my daughter if I died. Until then it was pretty much unnoticeable.

The cabin looks ordinary enough but Lunette informed me that it had some magical features. The lights were candles and oil lamps that went on and off with the wave of a hand near them. The fireplace required no wood but in true fairy-fashion burned magic. It might be late summer but the cabin is shielded buy tall think trees and this is the Upper Penisula or what we Michiganders call ‘true up-north’. It was starting to get cold at night. So the fireplace was a welcome addition in the evening as the three of us would gather on the couch and talk and watch the flames.

The icebox was also magical. There was no electric line to the place so it all was magic. The consequence was no internet or television. My phone sat inert and its battery quite dead at the bottom of my pack now. Better that way, no way to trace me using it.

The same was true for the sauna by the lake as it was powered by magical rocks that you threw water on to get steam, which did have to be dipped from the lake in a bucket. There was one of those metal portable tubs hanging from the wall that we had been taking turns in getting a bath. Well, the girls have as I can’t really fit in it, so I fill it and then sponge bath myself standing in it (with Lunette helping scrub my back) and then pour the bucket of water over my head to rinse off. Up until three days ago, the pattern was me and Lunette going down and helping each other bathe and sauna together. Then I come up to the cabin and Amber goes down and Lunette helps her. They usually come back together, often after an hour or so.

Three nights ago it was however particularly hot for a lot of reasons. One was the night temperature didn’t drop much and it was still late summer heat even at night. So the whole sauna bath thing was even hotter and I was literally sweating bullet-sized drops. Lunette being a pixie is less affected by changes in temperature but even she was feeling it I could tell.

“Let’s cool off in the lake. Skinnydip time.”

It kind of brought back memories at my uncle’s cabin when all us cousins would get in the sauna and then do skinny dip time to cool off. We were all little kids so the whole girl boy thing hadn’t really dawned on us yet.

So I saw her get up and followed her perfect naked backside out into the lake and jumped out into it with her. Soon we were waist-deep. The lake wasn’t dirty at all, in fact, I remarked how clear it was to Lunette and she said her family owned the whole thing. They called it Mysterious Clear Lake. But in truth, you will not see it on the map. Her family had used their abilities of illusion and suggestion to basically make it disappear. So you could see the sand even in deep water below you and when it was calm it was like a mirror. Tonight the moon was shinning out on it and it was wonderful. I took Lunette in my arms after splashing each other for a bit. I kissed her. After a few seconds though we were interrupted. It was Amber clearing her throat.

“You two mind if I join you?”

Before I could speak, Lunette said no we didn’t.

“Oh, thanks. It’s pretty hot in the cabin.”

I was about to speak when Lunette pulled me close and whispered in my ear.

“It’s OK. Were all adults here and I would like to know where she stands with you. Her being naked means she doesn’t have anything up her sleeve. Gods Ed, I am still a pixie about this, I don’t own your sexuality.”

I nodded, but my eyes had not left Amber. She kicked offer sandals and pulled her tank top up over her head. She undid her bra and dropped it into a pile with her shirt and sandals. She then unbuttoned her shorts and in one motion dropped them and her panties down to her ankles and then stepped out. Looking at the front of her, I now knew she was truly a redhead.

‘There, fully disrobed, well except for my tattoo.”

I didn’t have to ask as she turned around and showed us. Well me, because Lunette had probably seen it before. It was a tramp stamp but it was flames of red, orange and yellow all mixed beautifully together. The flames actually moved a bit like they were real.

“Is it magical?”, I asked.

“Oh, yes. It augments my flame powers.”

Then bold a brass she strode down into the water up to her waist as well.

” I got it from an alchemist tattoo artist who specializes in that sort of thing.”

“Is that common. I have been thinking about that as well.”

“Yes. There are quite a few now that tattoos are less taboo with mundanes. It has the advantage of being a talisman that can’t be removed. You are pretty powerful already. I am not sure what a tattoo augment would do to your powers.”

I caught myself staring at Amber and then turned to Lunette who was smiling a wry smile. She leaned over again and whispered.

“You know I think you are part nymph yourself. You need to focus and find out where her loyalties lie. She is no longer your bodyguard now, so why is she with us still?”

I nodded.

“You know Amber, you don’t have to stay with me anymore. You are not under orders to guard me anymore?”

“I know. I could just join the underground and fight, but I feel in a way my place is still with you. You have a tendency to draw trouble and end up in awkward and tense situations.”

“Yeah, like skinny dipping with two beautiful women.”

This time both women laughed.

I sighed and looked back and forth between the two of them they were both alternating between looking at me and each other. Then it hit me.

“You girls are up to something. I have been set up haven’t I?”

“I told you, Amber. He is pretty quick on the uptake when it is staring right at him.”

Amber shrugged then spoke.

“Ed, I have been your bodyguard now for some time. I have come to care about you in that time like no one else except maybe Lunette. Things have changed, you are right but something has been building for a while now inside me toward the both of you. I can only describe it as affection, maybe the beginnings of love. I know my place is with both of you.”

“Ok, this is truly awkward and tense. Are you saying you love both of us?”, I asked.

“Yes. I have already expressed this to Lunette. As a Pixie, I knew she would understand but we both worried about you.”

“Yeah, how you would react, Edward. I know you just finished mourning your wife nad our relationship is still new. You have a hard time with this heart stuff, I know. But Amber is still with us because she loves us. No other reason than she is in love with both of us and doesn’t know any way to express it other than protect us.”

I sighed, “Well, leave it to the women in my life to complicate things. I don’t even know what to think right now. I really am a little more fae in my understandings of these issues now, but it is still all very new to me.”

Lunette spoke, “Edward, we thought about that too. We don’t want you to rush things. I know you wouldn’t have that type of relationship or sex with any woman you didn’t have some feeling of love for and my guess is that; true to you; the relationship between you and her has, up until now, been a professional one. She and I want that to change.”

“You both do?”

Lunette sighed, “Yes. We have been talking. Edward when you got back with me you said you understood what I was and what that might entail in our relationship. I am a fae and sexual fidelity is not in the cards and you said that was OK. That it didn’t affect our loyalty to each other because you knew how I am. Well, you should know that I find it as easy to cuddle up to a girl as a boy. I’m bisexual. Amber and I have…”

“Been getting cuddly. I see. Ok. I am good with that. I said I would be and so there it is. But I am not sure about me and Amber.”

“We know Edward. That’s why Amber and I felt you should be told this way and then gradually be brought into it. For starters, we want to stop the separate bathing times and bathe and sauna together. Skinnydip too. It would just be good if we can dress, undress and be naked in each other’s presence without inhibition. The cabin is just too small for any real privacy anyway. It will lead to more conversation and emotional intimacy if nothing else. There is also a practical concern.”

“Yeah, I know. When we bathe and sauna separately the one person alone is vulnerable. We should try to be together as much as possible. Ok. I will go along with this. I guess we will see how it goes.”

For the last three days, we have been doing the fireplace, sauna and skinnydipping together. Amber is a redhead and fire mage, but definitely, not a hothead and her passion I can feel is that quiet kind. I can see her and Lunette sleeping right now from the table where I am writing this journal out by hand. I slept alone last night and let them have a night together. They are both beautiful women both outside and in. While I am still not completely sure about this, I am willing to stay open-minded. After all, life may be very short for us and we need to enjoy as much as we can while it lasts.

Author’s Notes:

I suppose I have to say that any similarities to the characters and events in this story are purely coincidental with the exception of yours truly. I have to say that because for some reason during The Hedge Wizard of Redburg some people actually thought I was relaying all true stories. Most of the time I was not.

When I write fiction of any type I like to push social mores. Hell. I like to slap them in the face, knock them on their ass, and then kick them when their down. The context of this story is that we have a male wizard, a female wizard, and a female pixie. The two mages already push the social boundaries of this imaginary world by being mages. A little nudism and sex outside the lines are not going to phase them. Especially since I have established in past canon (now deleted) that nudity and sometimes sex is necessary for some magic to even work or take place.

Lunette is even further off the chain when it regards sexuality and nudity. As a fae, she is immune to disease including STDs. In addition, she cannot get pregnant except with another fae and only if she wishes it. I ask you what kind of social mores about sex would you expect if this was the case in fae society? None – pretty much other than perhaps incest being taboo, maybe not even that given the fae are also not subject to genetic disease either. The faerie spends more time naked than clothed when among their own kind as well. Needless to say, each faerie and pixie has probably seen a lions share of boobs, asses, and penises regardless of their own sex. Nudity does not phase them.

In this story, Edward is hunted, a widower and pretty much looks at sex and nudity like a fae, with reasonable precautions relating to human beings. He can get another female human pregnant without protection and STDs are real things. But not with Lunette and Amber has a few magical tricks up her sleeve (when she is wearing clothes) regarding her own feminine issues. Edward is very well aware at this time every day could be his last so yeah, he is looking for any bright spot in that situation.

I am simply extrapolating what would happen in this context given all the above. There is no reality here and I am not relating any real event that happened in my life at all. In real life, I am married and have been (since my wife and I’s reconciliation) faithful to her. I want that understood before the gossip hounds go off relating this story to everyone.

Yes, I know from my stats on both my Facebook page and here that traffic indicates some people from my former congregation probably still check me out. Oddly enough, I never lost a follower on my author Facebook page last year, but I did lose a lot of facebook friends on my personal page. Some of you are waiting to run off and tell my wife some story so you can be ‘right’ about me and warn her what an awful person I am. I am going to say this with all the love in my heart I can muster for you – Go fuck yourself.

I remain,

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

Skaal!!!

“The Topfreedom Movement” – Freya’s Chambers – Equality

September 13, 2019September 14, 2019 / Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Frigg and Freya’s Day

Introduction:

I have to say that since the first time I wrote on the topfreedom movement in the United States, they have made quite a bit of progress. I originally examined them in my Christian blog many years ago. Mostly the issue back then was legal. But the real trick of any social movement is to address all concerns including cultural, social and political. If you are not aware, the topfreedom movement is basically pressing for equal rights of women to appear topless wherever a man can appear topless. Basically asserting that the different laws for the treatment of men and women’s chests are sexist and violates equal protection under the law. The issue for them is equal rights under the law.

I was supportive of the topfreedom movement back then even as a Christian because unlike many other Christians I actually realized that the constitution is the law of the land, not the Bible, and even with the Bible, there is no, I repeat no, statement or even indirect reference in the Bible that says a woman exposing her breasts is a sin. From my point of view then, a Christian woman who decided it was too damn hot and took off both bra and shirt and mowed the lawn was not a sinner, she was just being practical.

But what about now without Bible as some sort of appeal to authority and being you basic deistic humanistic pagan, where do I stand on this issue now? Without the whole sin question to consider, then the issue becomes very practical and about equality.

Discussion:

From a cultural/social point of view, this is going to be a long fight but I stand with these ladies for a lot of reasons. Most notably to me is a simple fact that socially I feel that these ‘modesty’ constraints are kept mostly to allow the unattractive, the insecure and religious women of the world to have an advantage over those women who are attractive, secure and non-religious. I see it every time I go to the beach and some attractive woman is wearing a very revealing swimsuit. All the other women are judging and criticizing because they are not secure in themselves or have a positive body image about themselves. I love it when a woman asks her significant other, who is watching said attractive female, what he thinks and he says: “whatever you think dear.” This is far more about pecking order among females than anything else. To aid them in this quest for dominance, some women turn to religious moral codes and such to force their way into the law and on other women.

My libertarianism kicks in as well to support these women. If an action is not about force to harm, the threat of force or fraud there is no violation of the Non-Aggression Principle and if there is no victim you can point to and say who was harmed – there is no crime. Can someone tell me who is hurt by a woman walking down the street on a hot day topless? As far as I can tell the only thing that is harmed is people’s opinions, feelings and sensibilities and none of those things count as far as the NAP violation or a crime.

This leads me to the legal issues that how is exposing female nipples a crime and the exposing of male nipples is not a crime? Note that most laws talk about nipple exposure and not the actual breast itself. I have found this an interesting part of the law as the nipples on men and women are essentially the same. It is the mammary glands that lead to the mound of the flesh a women’s nipples are on that is the difference between the chests. However, in most places, if the woman were to put tape over her nipples then she is perfectly legal as she would not actually violate the wording of the law.

But I started this post out with the pagan and spiritual side of this and from that standpoint, I would have to say there is something liberating and freeing to the spirit when one frees themselves from the spirit of being a moral busybody and judge of other people. There can be no greater judgemental attitude that the one where you impose what you think is modest on another because modesty is a spiritual quality of heart and mind, not one of the dress or undress.

The other spiritual quality is the appreciation of beauty and in particular the beauty of the human body. I find a lot of religious believers in God will talk about the beauty of creation and then spend a vast majority of their time trying to cover up one of its most beautiful parts: the human body, both male and female. In this appreciation of beauty, I have also started to discover something about my attitude about women and their appearance. I have found a greater understanding that sexual desire and nudity are not always connected. Put simply just because a woman is topless it doesn’t mean she is thinking about or asking for sex anymore than a man who is topless is doing so. Personally, I have learned that real modesty is letting other people be free and if a woman wants to freely walk down the street with her breasts bare, that is her business and I should respect that and not look at it as an invitation for a sexual encounter.

Conclusion:

When I first was made aware of the topfreedom movement, only one state of our fifty had changed its laws to reflect and equal treatment of men and women regarding toplessness. Since then there are now 35 states that have followed suit realizing that legally there can be no distinction between a man and a woman’s chest.

The challenge now is in these states many local governments have reacted with their own ordinances and so what the topfreedom movement focuses on there is trying to get the one legal case in that state that will bring the locals government to heel with state law. There is currently one woman bringing legal action against the city of Chicago before the Supreme Court of the United States. That might be the legal silver bullet that brings about the remaining states and locals to realizing they can either lose money in a lawsuit every time or just let women be topless.

The real problem, of course, is that the long term will require society some time to change. Cultural norms change slowly but inevitably. Like when women were first allowed to show their legs and more cleavage, it takes some time for it to be more normal to everyone in a society. I see change coming for American society regarding this issue and the majority of pushback will come from women and the religious. In time, even they will have to submit to the inevitable. Sure men will probably at first avert their eyes, but eventually, they won’t think of bare breasts, as usual, any more than bare legs. Time will tell.

Thoughts?

I remain,

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

Skaal!!!

“Freya’s Chambers: Introduction and Opening Thoughts” – Freya’s Chambers

August 19, 2019August 19, 2019 / Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Mani’s Day

Opening Remarks:

In today’s modern world, sexuality is a difficult topic, to say the least. The issue of gender and identity ignites more heat than light and I am not sure that today I am going to help with that. That’s not the point for me in this post anyway, but more to get a grasp on my own thoughts on the subject by introducing a running discussion. I also want to introduce to you a new topic area which, in keeping with the Norse theme of the blog, I have titled simply “Freya’s Chambers”. Freya is the Norse goddess of war, love, sex, and fertility. It will have its own page and will appear periodically whenever the yen strikes me to write on subjects relating to sexuality in pagan thought.

I need also to point out at the beginning that these are my thoughts on the subject and don’t necessarily represent all pagans, deists or humanists. In fact, that is part of my motivation for writing on these topics is to sort pagan sexuality out a little because viewpoints on these topics are varied. The main issue though is that for most pagans, sexuality and spirituality are linked because sexuality is a part of life and living and thus part of the universe that is sacred. Sexuality is as much a spiritual reality as a physical and cultural one. Sacred Sex is a part of the spiritual viewpoint of pagans.

I also have to note that my deism and humanism kick in here as well as the fact I don’t dismiss the findings of biology, psychology or science in general when it comes to talking about gender, sex or sexuality. I try very much to realize that we do have some scientific findings on the subject that presents both facts and truth in these areas. I also realize that there is much that is not understood, and this dwells in the realm of spirituality and theory and these also factor in for discussion.

One final note, I was very well known as a Chrisitan blogger who wrote extensively on what the Bible says about sex, nudity, sexuality, and gender. I have to warn you that my departure from Christianity has changed a lot of my viewpoints. I have no appeal to authority anymore when it regards these topics. Mostly I rely on my reason and experience on the deist/humanist side and my intuition and wisdom for the pagan side. Some might comment at this time that it looks like I am trying to archive male-female balance in my viewpoint. I am not sure about that but one thing is for sure, that you will see a massive viewpoint shift in these topics compared to what I used to write as a Christian.

So what will be some of the topics in Freya’s Chambers? Well, sex and sexuality are broad topics to be sure, but below is a shortlist and a little discussion of where I am currently on some topics as examples. This is not an exhaustive list of course, but I think it will give you a good idea of what you might encounter when you see the suffix heading “Freya’s Chambers”.

Sexual Identity:

I am going to say that if I take science into account, this whole discussion of gender identity for me kind of crystalizes into a few indisputable facts: 1) If you have a penis you are male, 2) If you have a vagina you are a female and 3) males and females are different. Even pagans have ingrained in there viewpoint the idea of feminine and masculine spiritual forces. It is part of the mythologies, part of the spiritual viewpoint.

For me, it is also a question of acceptance of self. You don’t find spiritual peace by trying to be something you are not. Part of achieving spiritual peace is embracing who are and part of that is accepting that you are a man or a woman. There are exceptions to this dichotomy, even genetics tells us that, but such exceptions are rare and not the statistical norm. The vast majority of us are male or female and that is not just physical but also sociological and psychological

Note this is about identity for me, not orientation. Personally whether or nor someone’s sexual orientation is a choice or ingrained in who they are is irrelevant to me. It matters little to me as a deistic humanist pagan, and as a libertarian, who someone has sex with as long as it is mutually consensual. Their business, not mine. I trust that each person can make those choices for themselves, and I am not qualified in any way to judge them right or wrong in their choice.

Nudity and Nudism:

Leaving Christianity has allowed me to basically discard the whole tightrope walk of trying to look at nudity and where you fall into sin. Sin is gone in my thinking, so nudity is now looked at as purely as rational and pagan issues. Things are actually quite free and open now for me on this topic. Most pagans don’t have a view of nudity as wrong, just sometimes culturally unacceptable by others and in certain contexts. The human body is a beautiful thing and the naked human form should not automatically be seen as sexualized.

Don’t get me wrong there is a sexual side to nudity. To say that seeing a naked human being does not arouse sexual attraction at times is simply to deny reality. But just because a man or woman is naked; it does not follow that they are asking for sex. Some people learn to distinguish between sexual intent and nudity and some people don’t. For me the two can be together, but not necessarily. It really comes down to context. Just because a person is naked, it does not mean that I can look past respecting them as a human being. I should see their humanity first, then other things and only if it is clear those other things are presented to me.

For me, being an at-home nudist, I have discovered freedom I accepting myself to be very powerful. I have to also admit, that I sometimes feel far more comfortable in my skin than in clothes. There is also the dual call in my heart, my inner wolves of need and want howling if you will, to shed my clothes both outside and with others. If my self-discovery has grown this much simply at home, I wonder what else could be discovered in other contexts. It is something I wrestle with because of past religious indoctrination and current relationships.

Masculine-Feminine Balance:

There is a reason I am not Wiccan and it was my perception very early on, even as a Christian, that Wiccans are imbalanced as far as gender. There is much emphasis on The Goddess and little else that is masculine. Hell, their male practitioners argue whether they should be called witches or warlocks. I just find Wicca to be very feminine and strongly so. It is why Asatru is my choice because it is much more balanced.

Achieving balance for myself mostly involves making sure I embrace the strength of being a man within my self and the strength of the feminine around me. I get most of the later from the women in my life whose influence can not be understated. I am very masculine with all that goes with it. To have feminine perspectives in my life to balance that out is appreciated at all times.

Equality:

The whole ‘God the head of man, man the head of woman’ Christian viewpoint I have discarded like the patriarchal trash it is. Talk about men writing a book to justify their male dominance over women, and you will not get a better example than the Bible. I am egalitarian in my orientation and that means I will point out equality in both directions. However, you also better be able to demonstrate the inequality is real with things like research. That said, the genders have different strengths in and of themselves, but I don’t feel that one gender should have cultural, legal or social advantages over the other because of them.

For instance, on the one hand, women can rightly say that their roles in society are often forced on them. There have definitely been some issues as far as to pay, opportunity and the like. On the flip side, the fact that men get longer sentences for the same crime and dower laws still exist requiring a man to take care of his ex after they split, but no such condition exists the other way, is also not equality. In the United States where I live it has only been recently been challenged that men can be drafted for war but not women.

Going back to nudity above, I side with the ladies in saying if a man can take off his shirt and go bare-chested in certain public places, so should a woman. On the flip side, the laws are less harsh when it comes to sexual misconduct when a woman exposes her genitals than a man in some states. My point is that the whole social, cultural and legal world has these inequalities and I fight for their removal but it goes both ways. It might be summed up in the simple example we need to move from saying: “it is not right to hit or rape a woman” to “it is not right to hit or rape another person”.

Gender Roles:

Inequalities aside, genetics, science and such tell me that males and females not only are different right from birth, but they also tend to gravitate to different roles in society naturally. Some of these tests have been interesting as girls would dress up the trucks in dresses and boys would turn the dolls they were given to play with into action figures. I don’t think we can escape the fact that in society women and men embrace certain roles naturally and some roles are just not possible by one gender or the other. We need to be equals as far as legal and societal rights; but in the end, some things just come naturally to one gender or the other.

I take on the feminists on this issue a lot where, for instance, they complain that there are not a lot of women CEOs. I point out to them there doesn’t seem to be a lot of women coal miners or sewer workers either. It gets comically interesting when it is revealed that what a feminist considers equality doesn’t involve jobs that are dangerous or dirty most of the time. It is pretty clear that men gravitate toward the dangerous and dirty while women like secure and clean. It is also clear that on dates, the man is still expected to pay for things, etc. I think feminists reveal a lot of hypocrisy on this one and even women can see it, which is why many women refuse to identify themselves as feminists.

Sex:

If you ask me the one thing that keeps me believing in the spiritual side of life above all others – it’s sex. Sorry, there is more to sex, at least to me, than just fucking. Perhaps my perspective has been limited by the fact I have only made love physically to only one woman in my life, or perhaps it is why I feel that way. One thing I do know that more is exchanged between us when we make love than bodily fluids.

I will talk about sex from time to time in a spiritual context. In this, you might also see the idea of sexual attraction as well. Under this topic, you might find other things like the effect technology has had on sex, etc. I have had a few experiences of a sexual nature outside sexual intercourse with more than one woman along these lines, so there are notes that could be made.

Conclusion and Final Word:

Throughout you will see me make note of changes from what I thought before as a Christian and now what I think that I am using more of a deistic humanist pagan mindset. I probably will never speak this broadly again and will take one topic at a time from now on. Mostly today I was pretty much shooting from the hip. New posts in this topic suffix will probably be deeper in thought. Mostly though there is a lot of changing things in my mindset that I am trying to crystallize and the best way for me to do that is to put them on digital paper.

Welcome to Freya’s Chambers.

I remain,

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

Skaal!!!

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