(no subject)

[yuuago]

So, I did some preparing today, and I think I have everything ready.

I found the most perfect little lantern to take with me for this. It's open-topped, and the compartment inside has enough room for a small candle and an incense cone, which means it can serve for both. I was a little bit concerned about how to keep everything safely contained, but now I won't have to worry about it. Also, it's blue, which makes it even more perfect.

And the issue of appropriate gifts has been solved.

This is really one of those situations where one should do what one feels is best, so... For Winter, I feel it should be something that can be produced locally, even if the actual material used is not local. Raspberries grow natively here, so I decided to use those. And I picked up some honey produced in the Edmonton area, which.... well, that's close enough. It's creamy and gooey and perfect.

As for the dead - they get a splash of brandy. Because my grandmother liked it. (Well, I think she liked sherry better, if I'm remembering right, but we don't have any of that.)

These things have been put in tiny jars, so everything will be easy to transport - which is good, because it's going to be quite a walk.

I did a little bit of poking around for suggestions of what is suitable for materials, and also details about appropriate disposal... Research for anything related to actual practise is something that I'm always a little bit reluctant to do, because there are so many people out there whose impressions and procedures are completely at odds with the way I see and do things. And I have such an unfortunate habit of stumbling across people who seem to think that their way is or should be the only way of doing things, and if you do anything "wrong" in your practise then you'll accidentally summon something evil, or bring the wrath of the gods down on your head, or something. Which to me seems, frankly, a little bit ridiculous. But it tends to make me worry that I might be approaching everything in a completely ass-backwards way, even though I also feel that I don't have anything to be concerned about.

...But this time I found some discussions that were actually level-headed and useful, so there we are. The main point of concern I had was how one should dispose of things, and the general consensus seemed to be "If there isn't an established tradition, just do whatever feels appropriate". Which... pfft. It seems so obvious. But it's nice to see that other people wonder about these things as well.

There were a variety of suggestions: leave it, leave it for a while and then bury it, bury it immediately after ritual, consume all of it, consume most of it and then bury the last bit, burn it, etc.

The issue of what to do after everything is finished is particularly important to me because I'm using the forest as my altar. It's a good setting, but I don't want to do anything that would risk attracting animals close to the residential areas. And by animals I mean bears. If the only animals around were deer and squirrels and such, I wouldn't be quite as concerned. We have quite enough difficulties with bears in the Birchwood already, and it's common sense that you shouldn't leave anything behind in the forest that they would want to eat. So leaving/burial is right out. Consumption really does seem the way to go here.

So. That's that. I'll have to get up early to do this, so I guess I'll have to make sure to get a good night's sleep. I've never actually walked to the place I have in mind from this particular starting point, so I think I'll have to keep track of the time/distance as reference. I'm guessing it might be an hour, but it's hard to know. If it's reasonable, then I might make a more regular habit of it.

We'll see.