Dec 2018

Winter is Here

Well December has come with a vengeance.  I say that as I've spent the past few days looking out at a frost-covered landscape while bundled up in multiple sweaters. Fortunately, as bundling inhibits both typing and my preferred writing style of pen scribbling on paper, it has warmed up enough for me to be comfortable in just one sweater today so that I can type out this update. I spent the beginning of November quite happily in Victoria for a few days when I took my younger (but much taller!) cousin to see the Celtic Thunder performance that played there on the second of November. It has become something of a family tradition for me to get four tickets to the show whenever it comes to Victoria for my parents, myself, and my young cousin, as all four of us are quite fond of that group's musical performances and tendency to act a bit like a comedy troupe on stage, meanwhile my parents spring for a two-night stay in Victoria. It's a nice little vacation every couple of years and helps to reinforce my connection with a cousin I helped raise when she was very small.
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Meanwhile I have finally seen the latest movie from J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World. Very interesting, but there are a few continuity questions concerning the Lestrange family (who did Bellatrix marry if not a Lestrange?) and the Dumbledore family history as given in the seventh Harry Potter book. I'm sure these questions will be resolved by the end of the fifth film, and probably quite amusingly and entertainingly if Ms. Rowling's past writing history is anything to go by, so that the friend I go to the films with will have nothing to complain about after the series is finished. On the whole I was most impressed with the film, especially the parallels with real history that lace around the story.

I sound like Feline there, saying most like that. I have to admit he is my favorite of the characters in my books. He also is one of only two characters in my magical world who possesses a power Dumbledore claims does not exist. You see, Feline does possess the power of full resurrection, but his power is also so massive that he has to use a crystal wand as wood will just disintegrate under the immense force he projects, when he bothers with a wand at all, as he doesn't really need one, being a High Sorcerer, or Divine delegate, as he is. The way I've set up my world that is what all magic workers are, delegates of a god's power such as priests and druids who perform that divinity's works on earth. I sort of based that on various ancient mythologies that speak of sorcerers and the like. The Judaic/Christian belief systems are the only ones that actually equate magic directly to the Devil. Naturally there were some who did try to gain power through that source, but not that many who were born to it took that route. In that direction I was heavily influenced by my favorite of all Elizabeth Goudge's books: The White Witch. It's a pity that book is out of print, but if anyone can find a copy I heartily recommend reading it as it juxtaposes the born-to-power White Witch with her Dark equivalent whose powers were devil-bought. The temperature is dipping again so that's all for this month. Hopefully I'll be a little closer to the beginning of next month. I hope everyone enjoys the Holiday season.