So, everyone will notice that the blog’s got a new look this year. To be honest, if it wasn’t for the fact that I forced myself to keep the same look all last year, it probably would have been changing weekly. But I wanted it to stay the same, both so people would recognize it, and to provide some stability to a blog that often enough, runs all over the place.

The look last year was meant to be open, airy, and positive. Paganism/Heathenism often has a rather dark or bad rep, and I figured a white background would help ease people, since for a lot of people “Light equals Goodness.” The bridge was a nod to where I come from, as it was a bridge actually in Norway (haven’t seen it, but wikipedia had some nice links.

This year, though, it’s going to look a bit different. I’m gonna try and make myself keep the same look, and so far it is getting positive reviews. So why the black? Well, the theme I went with (and that I really like) has either the white setting or the black setting. I felt like going a bit dark this year. With the way the year ended, I’ve been feeling a bit…dark. And I think, perhaps, it is a shift in attitude. I’m ready to get serious. I want to not just start, but try and complete my Gothi/Priest training. I’ve made advances in my sorcery training, I’ve created an actual blasting rod, created a staff, my enchantments have jumped forwards in their power and complexity. My skill with wards has increased. I have finally found a magical instruction book that I can actually understand and work with (Wyrdworking by Alaric Albertsson, a work on Saxon/Germanic magic).

It’s time to get dangerous.

But there’s a lot of things I need to work on. Hence the image in the banner now. Here’s the full version:

You should be able to click it and see it larger. It’s a pretty awesome viking scene, what with the sexy ladies and drinking and fighting. But right there, is a man who isn’t drinking, isn’t fighting, and despite the two absolutely lovely ladies fawning over him, is lost in brooding thought. The mead tastes sour in his mouth, the caresses do not get through the burdens of his mind, the violence of his world in its beauty and Ecstasy doesn’t get through the problems that cloud his brow.

Too often, I am that man. It’s something I want…that I need to work on. I’ve spent a large part of my life living as a shut in, a monk even. And with my new job I feel I spend most of my time working, and never enough being able to think, much less even enjoy the world and life around me. My brow is troubled, and I miss so much. I need to work on that.

So if anyone has some tips, I’m more than happy to listen to them. I know I have a number of readers who manage to have both full time lives and a religious practice.

This year I want to go out and be a part of the community more. It’s looking at times like my store is going to have to evolve, most likely into a solely online store sometimes. It’s disappointing and we’re hoping it doesn’t come to that. But that’s part of what it looks like, because of a number of issues. But I’ve finally got out. I’ve actually met other Heathens in the area, and have lines to get in touch with others, which I hope to do soon.

So that’s part of the coming year. I’ll probably be asking more questions. I’ll try to be more active than I have been over the last few months. I can’t promise that I’ll update daily. I’m going to attempt to have a regular posting scheduled, but we’ll see what happens.

Hail the New Year!