During part of the game several characters hooked up with each other, or hooked up with NPCs, and then two of the main NPCs helping out the player characters were already engaged and got married during part of the in game down time. So, you have a werewolf marrying someone of were-raven blood, a werewolf marrying an actual were-raven and then possibly a werewolf marrying a cyborg if they could ever get their act together; and also the possibility of the reincarnated equivalent of King Arthur hooking up with one of the werewolf’s cousins who can’t shift.

All sorts of intriguing things. I’m trying to stay away from so much of that in the actual story. There are relationships during the course of the novel most notably the previously mentioned werewolf/were-raven one, but at the same time most of the other characters are more focused on other things, there are hints and crushes and desires but not so much acted upon because there are so many other things going on.

I try to steer away from romance in stories but at the same time through talking with several friends I’ve realized and accepted that given romance and even just “hooking up” is integral to our day to day existence I shouldn’t avoid it like the plague, instead I should embrace it as a sidebar as something which would strengthen many of the characters’ drive and need to actually complete the plot because they do so for caring about their family, their significant others and their future family.

On the one hand I know what you definitely do NOT give a werewolf groomsman: anything silver!

The point is that a great part of having faith is finding ways to celebrate or pray while you’re doing more mundane things. I used to have a lot of revelations while I was hanging out the laundry, and in this hectic time it’s much easier to find a way to pray while you’re doing something else. I know a lot of people dislike the fact that my husband who considers himself a Catholic does not attend church; but he finds a great deal more faith and peace in prayer which happens while he’s listening to the radio than going to services.

For me, with as much of my time that is taken up over the kitchen sinks or with the laundry tubs. I find little ways to give thanks while I’m doing those things, or cooking our food, for me that’s no better time.

The friends who were hosting the ritual were very prepared to the point of having a ritual meal and having a circlet made, and symbolic weapons. They work much along the way I do which is that a lot of the ritual is left to inspiration at the moment rather than pre-written and pre-planned. There were twelve of us participating overall, and the energy and sentiment were well harnessed and well intended.

It seems that whenever a group of pagans from different walks and groups come together there’s always some sort of politicking that happens but thankfully nothing came of it to ruin the ritual it’s just souring. Things didn’t come to a head on that until afterwards, and turned out to be a discussion between the two groups’ leaders. I hope that things can be resolved, but I don’t. I like group work, but I don’t know if I can do it more than every once in a while on special occasions because it seems that there’s going to be politics that happen no matter what the group is for. I saw it when I helped my Mum with Sunday School that there would be internal friction between certain people because, “so-n-so changed the flowers,” or “such-n-such is friendlier with the vicar.” I think it’s going to happen no matter what the group is involved with.

But overall I feel that the ritual was a great success. It was an “Ascension” ritual for a friend, which meant she was reaffirming her faith and her intention to carry on her path of self-discovery and magic. I was called to represent one of the corners, and I blessed her with Strength and Longevity, others gave her Self-Confidence, Self-Esteem, Balance and so on. She said she felt like she was floating after things got underway, and I know a lot of energy was built up.