"Azazeal" was first my MySpace name, then the name I used in the pagan community, then who I became known as on RenaissanceFestival.com, and now here.  Along with associating myself with the Norse pantheon, however, came a new name: Úlfarr.  It's convenient in that it will go with my faire persona as well, as my faire character is of Viking decent.

Given that this is a more limited audience, I decided to change it here first.  It will really be weird on MySpace, as there are about 600 people who will have to get used to the new moniker.  :)  But hey, change happens... "adapt or perish", as Darwin would say.  "Azazeal" defined me by where I've been; Úlfarr defines me for who I am now.

May the Gods of Asgard guide your steps.  May Thorr's hammer protect you.  May Freyja give you wisdom and power, and may Freyr grant you prosperity.

Blessed be.

My girlfriend and I went to the North Carolina Renaissance Faire this past week-end.  It was opening week-end for them, and a 7.5-hour drive for us.  :)

In spite of the fact that it was sunny and in the upper 70's driving up on Friday, Saturday morning was cold and rainy.  Undaunted, we garbed up and joined the other dedicated souls for whom "cold and wet" wasn't reason enough to miss a day at the faire.

Fortunately, a significant portion of the faire was set up indoors so we had a warm, dry place in which to spend much of our time.  Although the crowd was likely only a fraction of what it would have been had the weather been more accomodating, there was a nice turnout of playtrons overall.

I, who am warm-natured, got chilled to the bone with wet chain mail hanging over fairly thin clothing.  Vena fared much better, wearing as she was a thick dress and cape.  It kept us from seeing the shows that were held outside but we made up for it with shopping.  :)

Sunday, before leaving to come back home, we stopped by the faire sans garb to take some pictures.  It was raining even harder, but the wind wasn't as bad... still, it was really putting a damper on things.  It was bad to the point that they gave us both a one-day pass to use for a subsequent week-end.

I've posted photos in the "NCRF 2008" folder.  I usually crop, adjust lighting, and fix red-eye before I post images, but I don't know when I'll have time so for now they're posted "as-is".  :)

We breifly entertained the notion of going back up, but with GARF starting next week-end and TRF coming right behind it, I don't see us making the long trip back to Raleigh this year.  But we had fun, and I can definitely see opening week-end of NCRF becoming a traditional "season opener" for us.

I looked up at my calendar just now and the fact that it's the 26th of March already almost came as a shock. Sure, I knew it was close to the end of the month but seeing the date just seemed to drive it home.

So much has happened over the past few months... a lot of personal turmoil that I won't go into here. At least it hasn't been boring!

I was talking with a friend the other day and he described an experience that he'd recently had that he wished he could un-do. It seems that life offers many things about which if we'd known the outcome before-hand, we'd have never done. How much living would we miss out on if we could skip everything that wasn't going to turn out like we'd hoped? How much learning would we miss out on?

It makes me think that things are as they are for a reason. This pattern of life, caught as we are in the inexorable forward march of time, remembering much of the past but knowing next-to-nothing of the future, seems to be designed for human development. We are thrown in the game and we must sink or swim; life tests us repeatedly and we have the option of lamenting our failures or valuing them as learning experiences.

I know people who somehow manage to see the negative side of everything... you know some of them too, I'm sure. They're the people who, if they won the lottery, would complain about having to pay taxes on it. Then there are the ones who can never seem to catch a break... are they really unlucky, or are they just more focused on the bad things in their lives versus the good?

It has been said that "that which does not kill us makes us stronger". That has been a mantra for me for most of my life. I'm not going to go out of my way to petition the gods to throw me more curve balls, but I'm glad for every single hard time that I've lived through. Each one has taught me; I've become stronger and wiser as a result of these things that I might have avoided had I known their outcomes in advance.

I'm not sure where the time goes, but I know that it does go... and it will continue to do so. Each moment that slips into our past is gone forever; whatever we did with it is done. We can't go back and change our past; the best we can do is learn from it... and to live each day as the precious thing that it is... a day in our lives, in our story... and in our training for whatever comes next.

...that it just never ends.  Garbing, that is... as in, buying more.

As an avid fan of costumes, I've always thought that it was the little details that really rounded out one's get-up.  Just buying the clothing for a costume for Halloween or a sci-fi con was never enough... I always had to have plenty of accessories to enhance the overall look and feel.

So I've been re-watching Robin of Sherwood, the British-made retelling of the Robin Hood legend that originally aired on Showtime back in the 80's.  During an episode the other day, I noticed that the sheriff's men were wearing spurs.  So of course I hopped online and seached on "the history of spurs" and found out what medievel/renaissance spurs looked like.  Then it was off to find a place that sold them; I ended up on by-the-sword.com procuring my latest garb accouterment.

I'm beginning to think this may be my most expensive hobby yet.  :)

The North Carolina Renaissance Faire opens next week-end and I can hardly wait.

ROAD TRIP!!!

We have our tickets.  We have our hotel reservations.  We have our garb.

Did I mention that I can hardly wait?!?  :)