Happy New Year!

Well it's not really the Pagan New Year, but a new calendar year that will hopefully be a good one.

I think I started this blog at the wrong time - in recent weeks I have neither rambled nor crafted or felt particularly spiritual. I have been very busy however, travelling, spending time with the family and of course braving the inevitable Yuletide shopping madness.

As 2011 draws to a close, I'd like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year! May 2012 be all you wish for and more.

And with this post comes the promise that next year, I'll be on the ball and start posting regularly!

Wild weather and a little introduction

Scotland is being battered today by the strongest winds we've seen in a long time, certainly I've never seen it so bad and I've lived here for 7 years. I know Mother Nature likes to remind us that she is ultimately in charge and I'm certainly counting my blessings today, being warm and safe, well fed and sheltered. It puts things into perspective, especially at this time of year with Yule approaching and many people focussing on material desires rather than basic needs. And as an added bonus, the horrible weather means I can stay inside with a cuppa and continue this new blog of mine.

So, I'm Inghinn. It's Scots Gaelic and means daughter. I'd love to say that this name was presented to me in some mystical way, whispered in a dream, a gift from the spirits. As it happened, I just googled for a Scottish female name to use as a screen name on a Pagan forum and Inghinn came up first. The meaning struck a chord so I decided it would do. That was over six years ago and since then I really have become Inghinn, the daughter, or maybe I always was and I just didn't realise. To me it's not just about being female, it's about the feminine side of things, my being another one in a long line of women of my family, being a daughter of the land and of course also, a daughter of the Goddess. Sounds a bit like Mists of Avalon already, doesn't it? I do truly believe in balance, I'm all for gender equality and I've never bought into the idea that modern Paganism should concentrate more on the Sacred Feminine, just because she has been neglected for so long. Still, I feel grateful for the spiritual freedom that Paganism offers me as a woman, I like how it makes me connect with other women (no I'm not going to start talking about sisterhoods! lol). So Inghinn, the daughter, did turn out to be the most appropriate label I could possibly have chosen for myself - and who's to say that the spirits don't keep an eye on Google too?

Well I'm going to enjoy listening to the wind howling for a bit, while I snuggle up with a cup of tea and Jamie the cat. I'm hoping to attend a shamanic drumming session with the Little Red Drum tomorrow night, weather permitting.

Be safe everyone!

Getting Started

This isn't my first attempt at blogging, but of course this time it's for real, ha!

I can't even begin to tell you how much inspiration I've found simply through reading blogs. I'm hoping that I'll be able to give something back by sharing my thoughts, showing the things that I make and supporting other bloggers and crafters. Paganism is going to be a central theme, simply because I feel there are so many misconceptions. We're not all away with the fairies, we don't all get changed into medieval costumes after work and we're not made invisible by clouds of incense - there are many Pagan voices of reason out there and I'll aspire to be one of them. I'm going to keep the layout of this blog fairly simple, it's about content after all, but I will add some bits and bobs over the next few days.

Please feel free to comment, even if (or especially if!) you don't agree with what I've said.