Thoughts and Updates – 11/2023

Hello again folks,

I know it has been a quiet year on the blog front. This year has just flew by, and it is not from a lack of being busy. I have been insanely busy; building things, creating things, studying things, and most of all doing a little self care. Like I said in my last post, I came “out” (it’s still ongoing, most just aren’t caring much anymore) of the pandemic really burnt out. I’m still pretty burnt out if I’m being honest. Struggling with various aspects of myself, and tired a lot. Just really tired, but also with little glimmers of light once in a while. Like this little bit of writing here, and probably my last for the year. I can’t believe the end of this week starts December already. Yeesh.

I should note that this post is more a stream of consciousness than anything, you’ve been warned. I might wander in circles a bit.

I’m working away on the animism manuscript, and it it probably 80% or so done. At least with the current draft. Still a bit to go, but probably closer to done than not. Yes, I decided to keep it as a manuscript, as I continued to look at it. I think it would be more work to convert it to blog form than it would be to just finish the damn thing. The real work comes after the writing of course, as I’m still not sure how I am going to publish it. Cheapest route would be self-pub through Amazon, but I already have a lot of deals with that particular devil. I’m thinking of going through a local bookstore, but that brings an added cost. I’m just not sure at this time if that is a viable option, and/or if this kind of book would have enough interest to fund a campaign (Indiegogo/Kickstart, etc.) We will see I guess.

This year has been one for reevaluation and reworking, for sure. In my crafting and smithing journey, I find myself more and more drawn to armor-smithing, and I’ve been dabbling there for sure. Not much to show for it just yet. With the burn out and associated mental ailments, it’s been tough to find things that ignite my spirit, and this is one of those things. Again, no idea where this takes me, but it is nice to find something that actually brings motivation, and joy, along with it. It’s funny, because crude attempts at armor were one of those things that really brought me into smithing. It’s amusing to me how things come full circle sometimes.

I’m looking out at the snow covered conifers in my yard, and it brings me a certain kind of peace. A restful kind of peace, as the land settles in for the winter nap. I wish I could settle in for long winter nap, but alas, there is the day job and the ever present demands of our economic system. Work. Produce. Wake up and make the money. Maybe bears have a better idea, with a long, warm cuddly hibernation. As an adult, sometimes you look back at the idea of the “winter break” you got in school with a certain sense of nostalgia.

It makes me think of how we structure time and the seasons. I’ve long just based my personal and spiritual calendar around the solstices, equinoxes, and the turns of the moon. It’s the nature based way I structure time. I always struggle with where to put the beginning and end points though. In the West, the New Year is at the end of December. Is the winter solstice point zero? That would make sense with the summer solstice as midpoint in the year. Has a good symmetry to it. But the start could also be at the vernal equinox, when life begins to start moving again in the spring. I like the romance of the start and middle of the year in spring and fall, my two favorite seasons. Winter gets a third, and summer dead last. Sorry summer, but long hot days just are not my favorite thing.

Lastly, but certainly not last, that brings me to thoughts about my spirituality. That has certainly been in flux this whole year, flittering about like a barn swallow. Along with the seasons, I’ve just spent a lot of time rethinking things this year, what works, and what isn’t. Many books were donated this year, and I have been rearranging my spaces and my beliefs. I don’t think too many major things have changed, but priorities, energies, and focus most certainly have. Some shrines get way less attention than before, others get more. Even the way I build shrines and sacred places have changed, and I don’t see that process slowing down anytime soon. Sometimes you have to take the time for a good, hard look at your ideas and beliefs.

I think that is where I will leave this update for now.

As always,

Thanks for reading,

Nature Erupts (and a few updates)

I’m a bit behind on everything, as life has thrown me a long series of curveballs. More on that at the end of this post. For now, I want to bring to you Nature Erupts!

This anthology released on June 22nd, and I had the honor to be a part of it along with a host of other amazing authors. This is part of the World’s Revolution trilogy, like Gaia Awakens before it.

Be sure to check it out at your favorite store with this universal link! (Also, remember to show love to your local indie stores!)

Updates and things;

For those that are interested in updates, here are a few. It didn’t make much sense to create a whole new post for this as it is going to be short. I have ended up much busier than I expected this year, with several big projects in the works. In addition, some personal issues have popped up, and while I won’t go into the details here, know that these take first priority over everything else right now. Which is a long and winding way of saying I still have no definite idea on what the future of this blogs looks like.

I can say for sure that this is going to be a quieter year for writing than even I expected. Life can be wild like that sometimes. On top of that, I think I have decided, after much hemming and hawing, that I am going to go forward with turning my animism manuscript into a book. It just doesn’t make sense to put all the effort into it and then 1) leave it sit or 2) go through even more effort to make it blog friendly. More importantly, I think I can actually see a route forward on it, a way past all the blocks and obstacles I encountered.

As always,

Thanks for reading!

Update 3/22/2020

Hello again everyone!

It has been several months, so I figured I’d check in with you all. It’s good to see my stats have been consistent during my hiatus, and it warms my heart to know you all are still finding value in my work while I spent time away. Thank you!

Crazy times we live in right? As a science fiction writer, (have you checked out my books?), I spend a great deal of time speculating about the future, and what it holds for us. I didn’t expect to spend the first part of 2020 semi-quarantined because of a global pandemic. Didn’t see that one coming… Also considering that the government response has left a lot to be desired, well things a hard for a lot of folks right now. Take care of each other all right? Practice that mutual aid thing, and take care of your most vulnerable. Wash your damn hands, and stay away from people, alright?

But I don’t want to spend to much time on that, it’s a bit of a downer. This past winter has been really hard on me mentally, and frankly I haven’t got a lot of writing done. A change in my day-job schedule was a big part of that too. I sure as hell didn’t get another novel done. I kind of just stepped away and took the winter off. Spent a lot of time resting, and thinking about the coming year. I’ve got a lot on the agenda, that’s for sure!

First, I wanted to announce a new Facebook page I am working on. I struggled with this a lot, on whether or not I wanted to “out” myself as the author of the page, or retain a sense of distance and anonymity. Since this is my biggest platform, and I’ve been doing a lot of posting at the new page (shorting writing is easier for me right now), I want to tell you all about it!

Check out my Facebook page, Solarpunk Animism! It’s an extension of my work here, and I talk about a lot of similar things. The intersections of science, science fiction, and spirituality, and all those exciting things! It’s a great place to ask me questions, and spend a few minutes when you want to read something quick. It’s a small page right now, but feel free to check it out! I’m adding it to my sidebar as well on this blog. I also share a lot of articles and ideas there, so it’s worth your time.

In addition to that, I have a lot of projects coming up this year, written and otherwise. So I want to spend some time talking about that too. I am going to be spending a lot of time “in the field” this year. Or perhaps more accurately in the forest, and the gardens. My wife and I have got a lot of permaculture-ish stuff planned for our yard and gardens, and I am looking forward to that. I’m also looking forward to exploring that work in a more intentional and animistic way; as I see a close connection between gardening, ecology, permaculture, and animism. In addition, I have inherited my family forest now, and I’m looking forward to spending more time out there and seeing what comes out of it.

At the current time, I’m thinking of it all as an extension of the animistic intensive I finished up last year (I have a fancy certificate and everything :D). I want to take all I learned over the past two and half years of that work, and really sit with it and see what comes out. I have a feeling that is going to take place in the garden and forests, and deepening my relationship with the land, lakes, and waters I call home. I’m not sure what will come out of it yet, but I’m excited about it.

We have a lot of house projects too, so I’m going to be doing that. In addition, I am considering doing some writing on practical skills. I know a little about a lot of things as I’m insatiably curious about the world. I want to write about that stuff, blacksmithing, woodwork, clay and ceramics, gardening, forestry and other stuff as well.

I also may work on some short stories, as I said, I’ve been having trouble with longer work. Those will probably be an extension of my novel Liminal Worlds, a kind of solarpunk animism in it’s own right. Maybe some more detailed work on folklore and my personal spirituality as well.

Yet, with both the practical skills and the story writing, I haven’t quite figured out what that looks like. After spending a lot of time thinking about setting up a Patreon to help support myself, I have come to the conclusion I probably can’t maintain that kind of commitment. It’s a lot of upkeep, and I don’t really have that network (I’m bad at marketing myself) to make that sustainable. But at the same time, I want to make something out of it. So many the practical articles and the more in-depth work might be on a pay structure. For example, you send me $5 on paypal, and I send you a pdf. That way I can maintain a list here of the available articles.

That’s all up in the air right now, and I’m not entirely sure what the final form will look like. So I’ll keep thinking about that, and keep you all informed. Alright?

Other than that, there is plans for more work for this blog as well. In light of the pandemic, my employer has offered a little more flexible work schedules, so I am hoping I can get back to regular writing. There is a lot I want to talk about, for sure! It’s just finding the time, and being able to write when inspiration hits me. (The bane of my existence.)

You all take care out there alright? As always, thanks for reading!

 

Updates 5/17/18

Hello again folks!

I’m working on wrapping up a lot of different projects right now. So here are a few updates, as I try to get moving here again.

The Indiegogo campaign I ran for my most recent novel was a success. Even though I did not reach my full goal, I raised enough money to fund cover art and design, which is the largest expense of my books at the moment. In addition, I reached THOUSANDS of people, and that is a wider network than I could have imagined. It is really exciting to see my potential audience being that large, as it I never expected I could reach that many people.

In addition to the novel, I have also finished with a full manuscript on animism. Yes, I will have a book coming out about animism, though it may be a year or two down the road at this moment. It will encompass a lot of the ground I cover here at this blog, as well as a lot of new territory too. I am really excited about it, and hope to be able to talk more about it soon.

On top of all of that, I am hoping to return to more regular blogging on this platform. My manuscript on animism has really broken my head open, and there are a lot of threads I want to chase down. Many of these threads are outside the scope of that manuscript. In many ways, my recent manuscript is a “101 – 201” type of animism for a general audience. I have spent the last 6 years or so on this blog developing that kind of material.

I may even start to synthesize some sort of “101” level posts for this blog, in order to help clean up some of my earlier work. It is always amazing to me how much my thoughts have grown and developed since I first began this blog. With my recent work, I really think there is a lot of potential, and I have perhaps outgrown some earlier posts. We are all always learning and growing, right?

So, for some forthcoming blogs, I am hoping to dive a little deeper into what my animism really looks like. Maybe 301 – 401 level stuff, eh? My rough goal of course is to not only dig deeper, but to integrate more ideas into the greater whole. I also want to return to my blog series on the UN sustainable development goals, as well as my Walking with the Ancestors series. Those projects have lain dormant for a bit.

There is a lot of work on the horizon, so I am hoping you all will join me as I move forward this year.

 

Updates 3/30/17

Hello there folks!

So, I haven’t had the time to post a proper blog here recently, as I powered through my most recent manuscript. It has finally come to an end at 81,000 words! Woohoo! I feel really accomplished!

It was a really fun story to write. It gave me the opportunity to play with a fair number of spiritual concepts in a nice and safe fictional setting. I also got to do a fair bit of world building for the late 21st century, so that was a lot of fun too. The whole book was designed around a cyberpunk/cybershaman world. Playing with spiritual concepts in a high-tech world, that is also fun.

Sounds a lot like life? Right.

So that manuscript is out of the way, so I hope I can find some time to get back on a regular posting schedule here. I missed you folks, and I certainly have some ideas I want to explore.

On the topic of blog posts, I have got my first one up over at Paganbloggers.com! You can check that out here. The first one is only an introduction piece, so it might be old news to some of you here. All the same, keep an eye on that. I will be doing original content over there, and will likely be diving deeper than I have here on some of my regular topics.

Also, I am working away on finishing up the fifth and last book for the Elder Blood Saga. It even has a title; Of Origins and Endings.  Have you seen the concept art yet?

That is just a taste! I am really excited about this series coming to an end. Not that I want to see it end, but I am excited that I am finishing up my first full series. Nearly half a million words all told.

I have also started a shamanic intensive. I am only a couple of lessons in, and my mind is already running. I am hoping I may be able to write about some of that here.

Thanks for reading!

Updates 2/15/17

“Have I awakened
Deep inside some madman’s dream?
This is not my country
This is not what I believe
Have I awakened
Deep inside some madman’s dream?
I can barely recognize
The place this used to be”

Assemblage 23 – Madman’s Dream

Good evening folks!

Well, it is evening here anyways. I cannot speak to whatever part of the world you may be reading this from. I just wanted to post a (hopefully) quick update blog, so you all can stay in the loop and read about all the exciting things I am working on.

Plus I needed another filler post here as I work to get another post with a little more substance ready…

So here I am, letting you know I haven’t forgotten about you all.

Okay, so here are some updates;

1. I am coming up on the halfway mark on another manuscript. That’s approximately 35 -40k words for those of you playing the home game. I am working away on a cyberpunk/cybershaman type novel, and I have to say it has really been fun to write so far. I get to play with some pretty interesting topics; such as spirituality, sustainability, and how all that relates to technology. I also really enjoy speculating about what the world might look like in the not-so-distant future.
2. I have announced it on Facebook, but I will relay that here as well. I have been accepted to write for Paganbloggers.com. Currently I expect that to start moving sometime in March, and I am really excited about this new opportunity. In addition, they are running an Indiegogo to help fund this new site for pagans, by pagans. You can check that out here!
3. I have finished up editing the fifth book in the Elder Blood Saga. The final book in the series!  I will be getting the artwork for that started in the near future.
4. I continue to do my best to grow and expand the shop! Have you checked out The White Wolf yet? The link is over there —> It is the home for my writing, crafting, and other work.
5. Currently, I plan to start a 2+ year shamanic intensive in March. It seems to be the next step in my spiritual journey, and I am anxious/excited to take that next step.

I think that pretty much covers what is going on with me. There is certainly a lot going on in the world, and I’ve been doing my best to keep up with it all. I post a fair bit about many things over on my personal Facebook; not limited to science, spirituality, politics, the environment.. You know a lot of the things I talk about here.

I don’t want to go into that all too deeply here, especially the political bit. Primarily, this is not a political blog. I will delve into that from time to time of course, as it intersects with a lot of what I do talk about here. I think I could even make a fair argument that politics is part of the whole Anthropology thing, as it is concerned with humans; and politics is part of how humans govern one another. There is certainly a case to be made there, as well as topics such as building a sustainable civilization, religious freedoms, and the environment. Plus add the fact that I am sci-fi writer, so on occasion, politics does come up.

There is a lot to say on that front to be sure. The first month or so of the new administration in the US has been… overwhelming. I have been trying my best to keep up, but it seems like every hour something new is breaking. It is also fair to say that many of the things that are coming out of Washington trouble me deeply, and run contrary to many of my views. It just creates this baseline anxiety for me. I’m worried for myself, and my friends and family. Many of them fall into the “marginal” categories, and their rights will be the first to be questioned.

Needless to say, I am part of the resistance. I’m not a Democrat or a Republican, and I have serious questions for both parties. Another Republican in charge wouldn’t have bothered me as much as #45. I never thought I’d wish for Bush Jr back. But truly, the administration of #45 scares me.

But, I am both an optimist and a realist. I am an optimist because I believe that humans have so much potential. I am a realist because I realize the amount of work that it will take to get there. That is why I am trying to stay positive about all this, and inspiring and hopeful as I can. This does not means I don’t think the days ahead aren’t dark.

However #45 is a reaction to 8 years of Obama, and vI like to think that the counterreaction to this administration will be fierce; and the further it tries to push things, the more fierce that counterreaction will be. I also think we will have the opportunity to build a better world on the far side. A more global, interconnected, and sustainable world.

I like this Positive Reframe a fair bit.

But that doesn’t mean there is a lot of hard work ahead of us, and I won’t lie to you and say that work will be all unicorns and rainbows either. People are going to suffer under #45, good people. My people, and I will stand with them.

If you feel called to resist, do so. I will stand for our environment, for science, for my spirituality, and for minorities of all stripes. I don’t know at the current time how far this will go, but I will stand by my values all the same.

Here is a piece I like from Scientific American about resisting.

I particularly like this bit;

“His writings, which have been translated into dozens of languages and are available on the internet, describe a wide variety of tactics: worker strikes, student strikes, mass petitions, underground newspapers, skywriting, display of flags and banners, boycotts of goods, boycotts of sporting events, refusal to pay rent, withdrawal of bank savings, fasts, mock trials, occupation of government buildings, marches, motorcades, teach-ins, pray-ins, ostracism of collaborators, publication of names of collaborators, seeking imprisonment, formation of parallel government and mass disrobing.

Many of Sharp’s methods involve mockery, which the !Kung and other hunter-gatherer groups also employ against the swell-headed.”

Yes, I realize not all these actions are legal. It will be up to each and everyone of us to decide where our “Sacred Cows” are, and what we are willing to risk.

That said, by all means protest. March, rally, strike if you have to. Take a tip from the Natives at Standing Rock, and pray as well as protest. Write, make memes, share reputable news sources, learn the facts, make memes… Do whatever calls to you, and do it.

And hopefully the next world awaits…

 “Build me a future,
Splendid and graceful.
Make it better by design.
Perfected strategies, applied technologies.
A brighter future for a darker age.”

Vnv Nation – Streamline