I need to remember that. So last week I made the decision to go to the Gala at BTW/SS on Saturday night. I felt the need to get out of Germantown, and there was someone I had been talking to online that I really wanted to meet.
Silly me.
I had decided not to go to the conference proper. There didn’t seem to be a lot there and I had a hard time justifying the expense.
So Thursday’s afternoon I reconsidered my decision. I found one ritual I wanted to attend, and I realized the chance of meeting my online friend was higher the longer I was there. So I bought the one day pass.
Thursday night I was packing up a bag of stuff to take (kindle, and other fun stuff) and my bag in rune sets and cloths were sitting there. So I pulled out the sets, counted them, and packed a few of my favorite sets and the cloth into my increasingly heavy bag.
Really should have seen the signs. Silly me.
Worked up way earlier in Saturday than I care to consider, after a night of no sleep in excitement of meeting the new friend. Got ready, warmed up the car, and posted to FB that I was headed up.
On the way up the phone kept going off with FB messages and responses to my post.
I really should have seen this sign.
Arrived at the hotel at 8:30 am, saw be person in the lobby reading her Kindle. We chatted for a few minutes and then I went down to registration. Sat in front of the room where the panel is at and a couple of people came up and talked to me about a variety of topics.
I should have seen the signs.
Got registered and then went to the first panel in nurturing community. Really good discussion. I checked my FB messages, and one of the ritual people for the afternoon said they’d love for me to serve as the Gateway guardian, kind of a big deal in this ritual. I agreed and got a note back saying ritual prep was at 3:00 pm.
The schedule started to fill up, I should have seen the signs.
Got done with the first workshop, and had lunch with my wife. We decided to go to the spiritual experience vs mental illness lecture. During lunch we looked at the schedule. I was now booked from 3-7 and the Gala was 8-12:30. I also felt the need to do some time in the divination room doing readings. Figured I could do that 8-9:30 and then the Gala.
Then we went to the workshop on mental illness. Really good information. Finished the workshop and we went shopping. I kept running into people I knew and hadn’t talked to in months. Also encountered a friend who had just done her first “pro” rune reading, and she was flying high.
Then I went to ritual prep, where we sat around 1/2 prepping for ritual, 1/2 just shooting the breeze, with a lot of spiritual undertones.
4:45 ritual happens, it was very deep and meaningful for a lot of people. Wrapped up the ritual at 6:45 with many people walking up and thanking me afterwards. Quick debrief where the officiants thanked me a lot for my service,
Then a quick dinner with some friends we discovered and hadn’t talked to in years. Had a good visit. One of the issues I was having was the Gala ended at 12:30 and I didn’t have a room. My wife was sharing a too. With three other people that she had booked months before. Our friends offered me their couch in their room across the street. Bonus, problem solved.
Then went to the divination room. Did three amazing readings, one for a particular individual that I was honored to read for. Every chance to read for someone is an honor, but this one was special.
Ended my readings at 10:30 and was going to head to the Gala. Two things happened. First my wife told me the Gala was really crowded, and I just don’t do crowds well. Next one of the people in the room said it was bar time.
So we ended up at the bar, drinking. We drank and more spiritual and community talk. We sat around talking and drinking until 1:30 am.
At the end someone in the group came up and said “thanks for talking, I don’t get to talk to smart people very often.
I began to understand the God’s plans.
Went across the street and crashed, hard. Woke up at 7:30 am, quickly packed up and went back to the hotel. Had breakfast with my wife. Went to the dealer’s room to make a quick purchase.
I had no con badge, so I planned on hanging out in the halls while she went to ritual.
One of the conference organizers came up to me, and we started talking. We talked about some issues with this festival, and future plans. He got dragged away, and someone else came up. I’d done a reading the day before, and she wanted to talk more about that, and about other stuff.
My wife comes out of ritual, and we agree it’s time to go home. Then out of the blue a woman comes up and said that I was in her dreams last night. I just appeared briefly was there as a calming presence and then I was gone….. I got her first name, I wish I’d asked her contact info.
And then the drive home.
So what’s the lesson I learned?
I came to this conference to meet a friend that I really wanted to meet. Instead the gods decided this conference was to be an affirmation. It reminded me that I’m an interesting, unique and fun person to be around. I’d kind of lost that. It reminded me of my role in community, and the importance of the role I play.
I never did make the Gala, and I’m really disappointed in not getting to see my new found friend, but that’s something that can be resolved in hopefully the near future;)
Thank you Gods and Goddeses for gving me what I deserved and needed, instead of what I asked for.