A Gypsy Goes Sedentary//Beautiful Video

EARLY SPRING GARDEN

SOOOOO BUSY

WE HAVE GOTTEN A SECOND COMPUTER SO THAT THE INDEFATIGABLE AGGIE AND I CAN BOTH WORK AT ONCE ON THE BLOGS AND EVERYTHING ELSE INVOLVED IN BECOMING SEDENTARY//painting/curtains/gardening and all that good stuff.

So we are busy also conducting live video classes on Tarot/ The Tree of Life and other related subjects on Thurs evening and Sunday mornings....So be well join the SUBSCRIPTION BLOG www.covinahermiticia.com check out our facebook fan page at facebook.com/covinahermiticia. THINK GREEN BLESSED BE COUGINA & AGGIE

PS Inquire about membership to Covina Hermiticia at covinahermiticia AT att.net.

Blog Focus on Survival

26 F nights don't stop the veggies.

With the possibility of earth, political, and economic changes in 2012,  An Old Man's Journey will be focusing on the organic, natural, and geographic aspects of survival, in all circumstances. We will be teaching you URBAN GARDENING, something you can do on that small patio on your highrise. You can produce good food, homegrown, with nothing in it that you didn't put in it. Ways to procure ACCEPTABLE WATER sources in difficult situations. Means and attitudes necessary to procuring MEAT SOURCES. We will also discuss what to do in problem situations. How to PROTECT SELF AND FAMILY without interfering with others.

An Old Man's Journey owns CovinaHermiticia.ning.com, and, for the most part, occult aspects will now be dealt with on that blog.

IN OTHER WORDS, THIS IS BASICALLY GOING TO BE ABOUT SURVIVAL, NO MATTER WHAT.

THINK GREEN
BLESSED BE
COUGINA & AGNES

Happy New Year!

Potential Blog Slowdown

Our apologies for any slowdowns in the blog over the next week or so. My hardheadedness has been killing Cougina, so he's been a little under the weather lately. To top it off, I am leaving him alone for most of five days to visit my family. We're hoping that plenty of food, beer, chewing tobacco, and novels will tide him over.
On the bright side, this will give him a chance to reclaim his laptop, and who knows what goodies he will come up with, during this quiet time. Please send him love.
Blessed Be

12/21/12 - ONLINE SOLSTICE CELEBRATION!

We invite you to join us for our streaming video solstice celebration!
12/21/12, beginning at 10 pm MST!
(Time Zone Converter)

Don Luis, an ancestor in training, and Cougina, a hermetic high magician, will coordinate their traditions in this presentation, while Agnes handles the software/hardware. If you are willing to stay up for the advent of the true New Year, and have no specific plans, please join us.

There are openings for 15 participating computers. Up to 5 webcams besides the presenter's will be live on screen, and the other participants will have viewing ability. All will be able to ask questions and comment, via audio or text.

We encourage you to reserve a place by emailing us at couginamachek@aol.com. You may be able to join in at event time if openings remain. A $25 donation is suggested, but only desire to participate is required.

THINK GREEN
BLESSED BE

COUGINA & AGNES & LUIS

SOLSTICE CELEBRATION WITH DON LUIS AND COUGINA

We are very happy to announce that we will be conducting our first streaming video, interactive class and meditation on 12/21/11. Guess when that is, folks? In order that the meditation be placed exactly at the time of the solstice, the class will begin at 10 PM, with a meditation at 10:30, and then presentations by both Don Luis, on the Native American perspective of 2012, and by Cougina, on the hermetic perspective, followed by a Q&A session. It's important to note that this is Arizona time, so if you live in Houston, it's 11 pm. In Asheville or Palm Beach, it's midnight. If you're fortunate enough to live in California, it's 9 pm. If you happen to be in Europe, the Middle East, or Asia (believe me, we're getting some interest from there), you may have to take a break from your workday.

This solstice celebration marks the beginning of the fulfillment of a long time dream of mine, to teach hermetics on a world wide basis. We're planning to go online with regular classes and discussion groups soon. Please understand that the technology is brand new, and makes Skype look like kindergarten. At the present time, the most expensive technology available will only allow 6 people on screen while we are presenting, while the other 9 will be able to view and ask questions, either through audio or chat. We're also able to do straight audio presentations with this software to hundreds of people, which will be happening in the future.

We have had to purchase cameras, microphones, and software in order to do this, and we certainly hope that those of you who wish to attend will be as generous as possible when you hit that Donate button to sign up. Please email or call first (couginamachek@aol.com 602 386 8199) to check on availability. Luis and I each have 7 connections available. The 15th is going to Aggie, so she may participate while she is visiting family for Christmas. We are also putting a copy of this on theoldmansjourney, where most of our international traffic is. We suggest a minimum donation of $25 to help stabilize the cost of this experiment.

Anyone getting a reading after the 16th will get the opportunity to test this wonderful interactive system. Believe me, it's like being there.

THINK GREEN
BLESSED BE

The (nearly) Ripe Tomato

Here's aphoto of the ripest tomato in the garden. This morning, I went outside for a breath of fresh air, looked at the tomato that is half red (side facing sun) and half green (the other side) and got a sinking sensation. Of course, I am anxiously awaiting tasting this first (perhaps only) heirloom beauty. Knowing Cougina's impatience, I know he can barely wait to pick it. So, I requested, that he please, oh, please, wait till the tomato is ripe to pick it. He took a photo to help you visualize our conflict, and you can see that only the ripe side is visible. Sigh... Our landlord, Abraham, thinks it's great that I want to wait. That means he will be able to steal it away a day early...

Our First Real Arts and Crafts Show

Trinity Monastery Festival of the Arts was a disappointing show, in the sense that we sold barely enough to cover our expenses getting there.

Of course, there were positives.  We slept in Augustina, our van, in the driveway of Cougina's friends, Jim and Debbie. Cougina doesn't call many people "friend," so it was interesting to meet two people who had earned that title in the period immediately following his wife's death (a time when he was far more difficult to get along with than he is now, if you can imagine that, and drinking way more). Jim, an authentic Christian, was able to discuss his religious views, while allowing Cougina his paganism (although he worries for Cougina's soul).

The highlight of the show was musical entertainment. We got photos of one of the bands, who played Hawaiian music. It had been raining all day, meaning hardly any visitors or sales, and there were only a handful of people in front of the stage. The band members, particularly the keyboard player, were so happy, everyone cheered up. I wish that I knew the name of the band.

After a few songs, the dancers came out...



Followed by the children...



Followed by men recruited from the audience...

PS This is what Aggie's pristine kitchen looks like the morning after a heavy day of ritual...

THINK GREEN
BLESSED BE
COUGINA & AGGIE

Cool weather: staying indoors to make jewelry

Gold Neckpieces

Pictured are the clasps of some of our gold neckpieces.  Cougina is on a roll, alternately making jewelry for the St. David's monastery show this weekend, and resting his hands.

The weather changed yesterday, as in many parts of the country, with temperatures dropping and a dusting of snow appearing in the mountains surrounding Tucson.  We emerged from Home Depot, where we had bought weatherstripping for the front door and clear plastic to enclose the greenhouse, to see a spectacular view.  Unfortunately, no camera.   

THINK GREEN
BLESSED BE
AGGIE & COUGINA

Back at work with a new workspace

The $10 desk.

At left, you see the humble beginning of the jewelry maker's workspace.  Desk drawers contain the jeweler's tools. Any craftsman can see that this is inadequate. It is already serving as the computer desk and entertainment center (for watching Hulu movies on the laptop with the $5 flea market speakers).

Incidentally, we highly recommend two free Hulu movies,  THE RULING CLASS (1976, Peter O'Toole, strange spoof of religion, the British ruling class, and paranoid schizophrenia) and WHITE PALACE (1990, James Spader & Susan Sarandon, a look at love between an economically privileged younger man and a lower class older woman.  Tremendous acting in both, we think.

The Old Man is back.

We are excited that we have gotten a space at the upcoming St. David's Monastery arts & crafts festival.  Last weekend, Cougina began to get ramped up for jewelry making.  As we drove around the block, headed for Home Depot, we discovered a discarded waterbed frame.  Solid aged hardwood from the waterbed, a 1x2 from Home Depot, and Abraham's saw were all Cougina needed to build the worktop you see above left.

Cougina, never known for moderation, has been busy, building eight pieces of jewelry in the last two days.

Nice and tidy.

He added the finishing (at least for now) touch to this work area today, when he drilled the hardwood 2x4 to make a tool rack.  Evidence of his anal-retentive streak (his words, not mine).

A really pleasant bit was when he announced that he was going outside to drill the wood.  (When he built the work surface last week, he did not look happy at all when I asked him to go outside to saw the wood in order to keep my new rug clean.) But don't you dare suggest that I am implying that he is trainable.

Cougina thinks that you are entertained by these little peaks into our existence.  I think it's awfully mundane, but hope you enjoy...

Jewelry photos here http://theoldmansjewels.blogspot.com/
Serious hermetic blog here http://covinahermiticia.ning.com/

THINK GREEN
BLESSED BE
AGGIE & COUGINA

UH OH...

WE SPENT all Aggie's money and the rent is almost due//NOW SHE WILL LEARN WHAT A MINIMALIST IS (no more than 30 beers per day - Aggie)//YESTERDAY we set up at the courthouse in between City Hall, County Courthouse, etc., and Aggie got to see some real homeless folks (a man who was grateful to accept a half-drunk Coke from a woman passing by - Aggie), and also realize that even a major metropolitan city like Tucson is furloughing their people on 1 or 2 days per week, and there are few but homeless people and police people walking between the buildings.  Our expensive newspaper ad hasn't generated a single call, and the Craigslist ad just generated 100 copies of the same spam, and we are now resourcing my old try-and-find-a-piece-of-butt site, Tagged.  So I changed my profile.  Now, I'm in a relationship//sedentary and I ought to be able to think of something else to say here.  Oh, I got it:  I'm happy.  And pretty damned healthy for an old man.

Here's the message we've been sending to anyone who has accepted my friendship:  "I spent a couple of years on here trying to meet folks and had no luck with finding real people as far as relationship goes/however I know folks who did well// Am now using the site with my updated profile to try and establish myself here in Tucson, have been reading aura's and teaching hermetics for 70 years and decided to settle for a bit//appreciate your support in finding clients. I can be reached at couginamachek@aol.com or 602-386-8199/my lady Aggie and myself appreciate your friendship and would help you in your endeavors any way possible. Google "cougina" to find out more about me. Blessed be, Cougina"  What do you think?  How would you change this?  Would you respond to this old man? 

Here's another look at our new jewelry display setup.  Our selection was getting low after selling quite a few stones in Cottonwood.  But we just got a new shipment, and the view of all them together is pretty fabulous: red ruby and topaz; yellow and orange citrine, padparascha, and sapphire; green amethyst, phrenite, and tsavarite; blue aquamarine, tanzanite, topaz, and sapphire; and one small spinel; purple amethyst and tourmaline.

We have a good variety of large and smaller sized stones in every color, for every chakra situation.  For example, we find ourselves overstocked with large, 20-40 carat madeira citrine (orange 2nd-3rd chakra), and would be willing to set any of these stones in 925 sterling for $50 plus $4 per carat. We also have some beautiful pink tourmaline in the 15-25 carat range (a rarity in sizes over 10 carats) that we would be more than willing to set for an individual that needs a secondary support function between their body and soul.  You understand that a healthy pregnant woman develops that beautiful pink in her health aura during gestation.  And at your request, we would be more than willing to gestate a thought (any desire) in the setting, for only $6 per carat and $50 for the setting.

Also, we have picked up 100 pairs of silver plated feather earrings that would make an absolutely wonderful Christmas present for a younger person, for $2 per pair.  (Minimum 5 pairs - we have to pay postage.)  They may even be good for tickling your partner erotically - now that is an inexpensive adult toy.

THINK PURPLE
BLESSED BE
COUGINA

TODAY'S UPDATE

Today is a day of celebration: 

Aggie had a hermetic breakthrough (more information about hermetic breakthroughs on covinahermiticia.ning.com). 

We are licensed to do business in Tucson (still seeking business though).

The Coug, not having ridden his bike in several months, rode about 8 miles to City Hall and back.  And he's bragging about it later, which means he is feeling like himself.

THINK GREEN
BLESSED BE
COUGINA & AGGIE

HOW ABOUT THIS FOR AN OLD MANS JOURNEY

SOME PICS OF OUR NEW LIFE

Earlier we gave you photos of the exterior of our new casita.  Now, as promised, a look at the interior.  Here is a view of the living room.  We have a jewelry display table, a reading table, and a desk, which serves as a laptop station (for blogging and Hulu movie watching) and a jewelry workshop.  Celia is one of our two new houseplants.

The living room also contains a new gemstone display case.  All of the gemstones, displayed like this, are beautiful and create quite the energetic effect.   Close to it, on the same wall, is the hermetic altar station, which also holds a few books and a boom box.  I, Aggie, the snobby audiophile, have to admit that our $60 RCA boom box from WalMart has a perfectly acceptable sound.

Aggie's new mountain bike.  Augustina, our van, is going to be resting quite a bit while we use the bikes as our main mode of transportation.  We are both excited that Tucson is such a bike-friendly city.  Many major streets have bike lanes, there is a long and lovely trail along the river, and hardcore rides in the mountains just outside of town.  We are both so looking forward to getting back in physical condition.

The bedroom.  Most everything in the place came from thrift shops, but we did splurge on a new futon.  The solid oak bookcase headboard cost $5.99.  Mathilde, our other plant, stays on Cougina's side of the bed, where she provides him with additional feminine support...

I think I can speak for Cougina also, in saying that, if we have to be sedentary, this is the perfect place to do it.  This 425 square feet of heaven is just right for us.   



THINK GREEN
BLESSED BE
COUGINA AND AGGIE

OKAY- ALRIGHT-I AM BACK

It's always about the magician's pleasure...

THANKS TO AGGIE, and so many others of you, I have reachieved a healthy attitude and the ability to continue////
WE ARE NOW IN TUSCON, AZ, AND NEED ALL THE SUPPORT YOU CAN PROVIDE TO HELP US GET ESTABLISHED/// NOT MONEY MIND YOU, but references either to folks you know who might benefit from my services or personal letters of recommendation that we may use in the local metaphysical news outlets/////

It is a unique expierence for someone such as myself to have to combat a virus of this magnitude, and I am blessed in having whipped the damned thing ///SPECIAL THANKS TO AGGIE/DONNA/TERRI/ALAN, and anyone else who sent healing energy...

... the real powerhouses get a rest break.

We will be in Scotsdale this weekend doing the final ceremony to remove this thing from our space and hope all will be well for everyone in our small community... PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO SEND THAT LAST BIT OF ENERGY TO THIS OLD MAN!!!!!!

One of the folks who tried to help (but instead he pissed me off) was this dude Chuck/// who makes energy jewelry for sick kids [special thanks there] I try to help him out with stones when we can afford it.  I did not turn him into a frog (yet).

And this poor bastard half-assed thought I was god, then watched me take advantage of another poor bastard, and scared himself shitless.  But I like him.

THINK GREEN
BLESSED BE
COUGINA

Casita Hermiticia

Cougina and Aggie are sedentary for the winter, meaning that we have rented a place. This is a big change for a man who has not lived on a specific piece of property in the last thirty years, and then not for more than 6 months. The big reason for the move is to create a healing space for C.  Having always taken his invincibility for granted, the tenacity of the West Nile virus took him by surprise.  So what if he's the only one of the dozen victims in AZ who is still ambulatory.  He expected to be back to full health in a couple of weeks, and it hasn't worked out that way.  

So here's the new place. It's a one bedroom casita, one of eight on the property, a little stand-alone house that is rapidly becoming our home. You can see today's addition, the potted mums (yellow - third chakra and purple - 6th chakra) out front, hanging baskets on the entrance stoop, and (my favorite) the vegetable and herb garden in the box.  Cougina staked up one heirloom tomato plant with two tiny green tomatoes.

Our landlords are a married couple, two wonderfully kind yellow spirit bodies. Cougina is encouraging them in their notion that we might be a defrocked priest and nun. Well, they sort of wondered about the altar setup in the living room. 

[Cougina wants me to tell you that while he was in the shower just now, he washed his ass, just for me. I don't think he is familiar with the acronym TMI. I am just barely aware, so I won't add any detail.]

We'll post some interior photos another time.  For now, here is a view of the new incarnation of our hermetic altar.  Having a fixed space for the first time, we got some big fragrant candles at Target, a lovely sounding crystal bell, and an Indian (Asian) incense burner that can be held in the hands while burning. We have been and will be using this more powerful altar setup in our ritual work for Cougina's healing.  If this is of interest to you, we will be discussing this ritual in detail on Covina Hermiticia.  email covina.hermiticia@att.net to inquire about a free trial membership.


THINK GREEN
BLESSED BE
AGGIE & COUGINA