x-posted from esoterica_lburg Just a note--I have worked with and for Esoterica for over seven years now. In my entire length of association, this is the largest, deepest-discounted sale we have EVER run. I highly suggest you take advantage of it :)

~~~~BLACK FRIDAY STORE-WIDE SALE!!~~~

Snap out of that turkey coma and get to Esoterica THIS FRIDAY for the LARGEST SALE OF THE YEAR!!! Don't let the ultimate opportunity to get a jump start on your holiday shopping pass you by!

~~~~DOORBUSTER SALES~~~~

EVERYTHING in the store is on sale! Our doors open at 10 am.

From 10 am – 11 am, take 50% off
From 11 am to noon, get 40% off!
From noon till 2 pm, everything is 30% off!
From 2 to 4 pm, enjoy 20% off all Esoterica products!
From 4 pm until we close, all merchandise is 10% off!!!

Esoterica isn't the only one, either! Drop by The Old Country Peddler (back left-hand corner of Esoterica) for the SAME SALE RATES on everything but food items!!!

Click here to visit us online!

FREE, All Ages, two sets. AWESOME venue. Come on out!

Come one, come all and join us in the fantastical setting of Illyria for our Fall 2009 production of William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, a romantic comedy full of mistaken identities, cross-dressing, secret letters, the hunger for power, drinking, dancing, debauchery, hand-drumming, singing, and more! It's the Bard at his best!

PERFORMANCES
November 6-8, 13-15, 2009

Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 PM
Sunday matinees at 2:00 PM

Location: Sterling Middle School

Click here for tickets

This is the production I musically directed and that I sing, bellydance and play hand drums in.  There are a lot of familiar faces--the cast includes other Asylum-dwellers and frequenters ;)

I know, I know.  It's not even Halloween yet.  But those of you who know me well are all too familiar with my cleverly disguised OCD planning process and organization level.  I'm beginning the Yuletide gift contemplation and had a thought.  It's bad right now.  It's especially bad for artists right now.  This year, I want to try to make a lot of my gifts, but I'd also like to support the local artisans.  Target can take care of itself.  I'd rather support the Mom of three who has a side business beading earrings to help make ends meet.  So here is my request.  If you are friends with an artist who has an etsy site or other web ordering system, could you post a link here?

You should seriously come see Twelfth Night.  It's gonna be awesome!!!

Wow. Seriously. Life is just...I don't know. More life-y than usual?

I'm avoiding getting started on my frenzy of house cleaning. Let me tell you how I got into my current bizarre head space. That ought to give me a few more minutes of non-cleaning in which to finish my coffee. Or have another cup. Yes, definitely have another cup....

So, last weekend kicked it all off. On Friday, my friend Star came to visit. Star was my buddy when I was in the Marines in Okinawa. I actually stayed with she and her family during my last week on the island. She was always a calm center of reason for me to lean on back in my self-destructive early twenties. I hadn't seen her since 2001. Star has two daughters who, in my head, are still the preteens who would find a way to cram both of themselves into my lap. The eldest just graduated Marine Corps boot camp, making the new family joke 'All hot redheads join the Marine Corps.' The younger daughter will join the military when she graduates. Both are amazing young women. Star stayed with us till Monday--she's deploying to Iraq shortly.

Friday night was a get-together with some friends from my high school days. My high school sweetheart, Matt, was visiting from California. I actually hadn't laid eyes on him since I blew the relationship sky high in an unusually FAIL fashion in '99. Our good friend Kenny was also there. Whole thing was massive fun, no one wanted to go home. I laughed so hard my face hurt.

Saturday was the Pagan Yard Sale. Two of the sellers were good friends of mine from the first working group Jay and I got involved with when we came back to the states. So...2002ish? The group exploded (as many are wont to do) and we moved north, so we haven't seen too much of them since. It was good to catch up.

Saturday evening Jay and I met up with his Dad and Stepmother, down from Pittsburgh, and Jay's brother and his brother's girlfriend. Normally we only get to see the parents a few times a year. We all went out and caught the hockey game together. Joanie (Jay's Stepmom and one of my favorite drinking buddies) caught me up on all the family gossip. Bill kept buying pitchers, so I left a bit hammered.

On the way home, the thought resonating in my head was 'Holy crap! What does this MEAN? Why is everyone here NOW? What am I supposed to be learning?' I have a long standing practice of not believing in coincidence. Which means, in my ideology, that whole sequence was meant to illustrate a point of some sort.

This week has been the week of new friends--the other hand drummers and I joined the rehearsals for Twelfth Night this week. Wonderful people involved who I'm already beginning to feel a lot of affection for. It's my favorite Shakespeare play, I get to bellydance on stage, play hand drums and have tons of fun.

So I'm a little weird right now. It's strange when life goes 'HEY LOOK! It's your PAST! Okay, NOW look! Here's your PRESENT!!!!'

And I'm left holding a new hand of cards, and wondering what game I'm playing.

Come out to Esoterica in Historic Downtown Leesburg, VA, TODAY for a Pagan Yard Sale benefiting the Shenandoah Midsummer Festival!

Check out an amazing selection of previously enjoyed magickal tools, supplies and other accouterments--a great opportunity to pick up quality supplies at yard sale prices! Candleholders, cauldrons, crystals, divinatory tools, figurines, books...the list goes on and on. The yard sale runs till 5 pm.

Visit http://www.esotericaofleesburg.com or call 703-777-4642 for more information.

Well, my dears, looks like it's time for me to formally announce that the Asylum will be seeking a new home.  Very, very exciting.  The autumnal activities will be unaffected, but our annual Yukwanhaniramadas Party may end up getting skipped this year.

Also, buying a house is a costly business.  I'm locking down a lot of my extraneous spending until we know more about where we stand and what our expenses will be like.  So, I love you, my darlings, but you may not see a whole hell of a lot of revelrain and I at the clubs, outings and suchlike this season.  Yule gifts will most likely be home-made this year.

Don't worry.  Once all is settled, we'll make up for the gap with a House Breaking Party the likes of which Dionysus hath never seen....

Alright, alright, so since I have been totally neglecting this journal since I'm a Facecrack addict, I guess I'd better make a real post ;)

I love Autumn.  I don't always love the crazy that goes with it, but I do love this season.  It's just so hard to stay focused on things when I know that a 20 minute drive will plunk me at the entrance to a hiking trail. 

The crazy is about my usual level.  College is going well thus far.  Two classes I don't really even have to try in, one that I do.  Good thing I find business law interesting ;)  I'm wrapping up production on the final song for Twelfth Night this evening and submitting it to the director for approval.  Rehearsals including the musicians/gypsies begin next week.  It's been such a long time since I've been involved in a theatrical production--I'm really looking forward to this one.  Teaching a 401 level over at Esoterica.  My favorite level to teach--I love seeing my students spread their wings. 

Lots of ghosts of friendships past this week.  Going to see a pack of people I hung out with in high school on Friday night including the high school sweetheart.  Should be good fun--other than Joe, I haven't seen any of them in ages.  Friday mid-day one of my close friends from my military days is dropping by for a visit.  She's got a four day pass out of training in NJ, so that'll be cool.  She'll be here till Monday.

Pagan Yard Sale Saturday, seeing the in-laws Saturday night (they're coming down for the weekend).  Practice Sunday.  Then party prep next week.  I've spent most of the day tagging all the stuff for the Pagan Yard Sale.  Amazing how much stuff one can accumulate!

The one major hurdle since school started has been fitting in my work out.  Had a couple weeks there where I only worked out once or twice.  It was really beginning to be noticeable--I self-medicate with exercise.  If I go too long without, my brain starts a nasty combination of negativity/lethargy.  So I've started getting up a half hour earlier to begin my day with a workout.  I feel a bit more normal today.

I guess the only bad thing going on is gigs.  It's hard--I know we're weird, I know the economy sucks, but it's still rough to send out booking inquiry after booking inquiry and get nothing in response.  We're good, we work hard.  I wish that was enough, you know?

And that's the news from Irene-land.  Stunningly interesting, I know ;)  How's everyone else doing?

So what with the exam yesterday and personal drama and then band practice and all the craziness I was wandering around with my head TOTALLY DIVORCED FROM REALITY and MISSED A REALLY IMPORTANT DAY.

Happy Birthday, odilla !!!!!!

And, although she can't see this, Happy Birthday to my little Hulk princess, Isadora.

So I have a new favorite thing someone's said during a ritual: 

"We are Batman!"

If your religion/philosophical beliefs are a detergent, what does it smell like?

Yesterday I was grateful for DC Midnight's return.  There's so much gratitude in that simple sentence--I was grateful to see friends I haven't seen in AGES, grateful to dance, grateful to wander around collecting hugs, grateful to make new friends.  Some time ago, DC Midnight was described as the Gothic 'Cheers,' where everyone knows your name.  I can't agree more.  Man, I missed that place....

Today I am grateful for coffee.  lol

Yesterday I was grateful for a lovely Mabon ritual. 

Today I am grateful for the freeing feeling that comes with consigning large quantities of stuff I'm not currently using to the 'Pagan Yard Sale' bins :)

Two things. Mabon ritual tonight at Esoterica, 7 pm.

Saturday I'm headed to DC Midnight to help celebrate their grand re-opening. Open bar from 10 to 11 pm for the drinkers out there (not me--I pound water. I dance too much to drink). Awesome DJs on tap, Radio Active Music is vending....who else wants to go?

Definitely an easy one today.  Today I am grateful for one of my professors.  I missed class earlier this week when revelrain was having his eyes done and a problem on today's quiz was something that was not in the missed class's notes.  My instructor gave me a very helpful nudge and it contributed immensely to my high score on the quiz.

Pweez click the dragonses?